What is the hardest thing about law school?

Asked by: Dr. Jaime Nienow II | Last update: July 29, 2025

Score: 4.4/5 (41 votes)

First, the workload is heavy. Law school students are expected to read hundreds of pages of legal text each week, and they are often required to write long essays and research papers for their law school classes. Second, the material you'll need to learn to become a lawyer is complex and non-intuitive.

What is the most difficult thing about law school?

One of the biggest challenges law school presents is the pressure to always have the correct answer. It's not as easy as it may seem, and this pressure can often lead to anxiety and stress. As a law student, you may prepare for hours and still not know the answer to a question.

Which is the hardest year of law school?

Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.

What is the hardest course in law school?

Some of the hardest classes in law school, according to current and former students, are:

Constitutional Law.
Civil Procedure.
Contracts.
Federal Courts.
Federal Income Tax.
Administrative Law.
Partnership Tax.

How hard is a law school?

You need to put in the necessary work throughout the program if you want to succeed. In summary, law school is hard. Harder than regular college or universities, in terms of stress, workload, and required commitment. But about 40,000 people graduate from law schools every year–so it is clearly attainable.

Why Most Students Think Law School is Hard (and How to Make it Easier)

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Is law school harder than med school?

Although both law and medical schools present their unique challenges, it's generally accepted that medical school demands a higher level of intense coursework and thorough training.

Is A 3.7 good enough for law school?

Here, an average GPA in the range of 3.5 to 3.7 is more common. Less competitive law schools may admit students with lower GPAs, often around 3.0 to 3.4 or even lower. These schools may prioritize other factors like diversity and unique experiences over strict academic metrics.

Is law school really stressful?

The combination of long hours, competing with peers, and pressure to perform at a high level can lead to law student burnout. Stress is also a key contributor. Unmanaged stress leads to burnout in any industry, and most law students report significant stress—even when compared to other graduate students.

Which law course pays the most?

As of 2024, the top five highest paid types of lawyers are:

Patent Attorneys.
Intellectual property (IP) Attorneys.
Trial Lawyers.
Tax Attorneys.
Corporate Lawyers.

What GPA is required for law school?

Obtain High GPA & LSAT Scores

According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), students need a GPA of at least 3.59 and an LSAT of 162 or more to get into any top 10 law schools.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Corporate and tax lawyers tend to be the highest earners, with patent and IP lawyers not far behind. Trial lawyers also pull down a lot of money, particularly in the civil litigation field.

What age do most finish law school?

Very few receive their law degree before the age of 23. That is because most people graduate from high school at 17 or 18. Those who go directly to college typically graduate around age 21 or 22. Law school usually takes two years, so the earliest age of getting a law degree would be 23.

How many students fail law school?

How race and ethnicity play a role in law school attrition. The 2023 law school attrition rate was 3.8 percent, varying across demographics and institutions. This article delves into the types of attrition, the schools with the highest rates, and the impact of these rates on student choices and institutional policies.

How do people survive law school?

Surviving law school requires finding people, organizations, and work which can help us maintain our perspective; it's a hard thing to do alone. It is critical to locate support networks both in and outside of school. Doing legal work with real clients can also help you remember why you wanted to be a lawyer.

What are the cons of law school?

Here are some of the negative aspects of attending law school.

High Costs: Undoubtedly, one of the largest cons of attending law school is the financial cost. ...
Intense Stress: For many people, law school is stressful. ...
Mental Health Risks: ...
Boredom: ...
The Vast Amount of Reading:

How hard is law school realistically?

Law school is very hard—harder than college or university. This is due to a heavy course load, a high-stress environment, and difficult course material. But completing law school is not impossible; over 40,000 law students make it to graduation each year.

What do law students struggle with?

Most students reported issues of anxiety (77%), disrupted sleep (71%) and depression (51%). Only 11% of law students reported experiencing none of the given issues. The analysis also mentions the lack of resources and support available to law students to help them manage stress and maintain their well-being.

Is there a lot of homework in law school?

Accordingly, homework tends to focus on reading casebooks and statutes to learn legal doctrines. As part of your assignment, you'll be expected to read and comprehend individual court cases and notes from the author or editor. Assignments may range from 40 pages to 100 pages of reading per class per week.

Can a 2.5 GPA get you into law school?

So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low. But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school.

What is the average salary at Duke Law School?

Graduates of Duke University School of Law take home the largest checks, earning a median annual salary of $243,000.

What is the highest LSAT score?

The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.

How hard is the LSAT?

This process is not only time-consuming but can be very expensive as well. So yes, the LSAT is hard, and it is designed that way. It's not so much a test that requires a student to remember random facts, but instead, it is a test that showcases a student's thought process.

What are softs for law school?

Softs refer to everything in your application that isn't "hard" data.