The Nigerian law school is in its 9th week of resumption and its 7th week of lectures. By now, the reality of the terror that is law school has started sinking in but even at that, it hasn’t gotten all confusing. And trust me, it will. Give it till the 11th week when Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation start to look too alike for comfort. But there’s no cause for alarm. Law school might be this never-ending mistress that keeps on asking but that is not to say that there’s no way around all of it.
Having been called to the Bar now, I often find myself going back to my law school days and there’s a couple things I wish I would’ve known before I went to law school. At your seventh week of lectures, it’s not too late to know these things and if you’re still waiting to get into law school… well, this is perfect for you.
JUST ONE PAPER CAN MAR YOU
Anyone worth their shot knows that the grading system of the Nigerian Law School is terrifying. This one time, we were having a conversation with the Head of Academics. The discussion somehow steered towards the grading system and then he reiterated that your lowest grade in a course would be your overall grade. What this means is if you have 4 A’s and one D, you will graduate the Law School with a Pass. No jokes. Here’s what you really need to know. Having favourite subjects and worst subjects are great when you’re in the University but in law school, its very risky. There’s nothing wrong with having a favourite subject but you must make sure that no other course is left behind. Failing just one course will stop you from getting called to the Bar. I can’t repeat this enough. Four A’s and you fail one course and that’s it.
HAVE A READING STRUCTURE
No matter how great you think your assimilation speed is, Law School will humble you. It’s a different topic every week, for five different courses. Not to mention sub topics. No topic is ever repeated for at least 20 weeks. There are no areas of concentration and when the Bar Finals is before you, you need to have known everything you were taught. Therefore, you must have a reading structure. Do not make the mistake of attempting to crash read for the Bar finals. That would be the biggest error in judgment if I ever saw one. You will burn out. Personal reading time is important. As crazy as the days are, take at least an hour before you go to bed to go through the topic for the day. You don’t have to remember it in detail, you just have to understand it. During the weekends, don’t read criminal and civil litigation in quick succession. They can both get very confusing. Give them space because as similar as they seem, they are just as dissimilar.
THERE IS STILL A LIFE BEYOND LAW SCHOOL
As the weeks progress, you will very quickly find yourself whirling between topics you’ve barely understood and new ones you’re being taught. And it can all seem very overwhelming. But, as crazy as its going to get, you have to press pause at some point, so you don’t drive yourself insane. Go to the cinema sometimes, go on picnics and dates every now and then. Go to your favourite club and dance. If you spend all your time studying, outlining, writing and researching, you are much likelier to burn out and to give up. If you plan, you are going to be fine.
PRAY
Pray to whatever God you believe in. I realize how cliché this may sound but believe me, there is a divinity about the Bar Finals. It is difficult to explain but it is there, and prayers are the anchor you need to keep you steady and grounded.
IT’S ALL A SCAM
Figure it out. LOL. I wish you the very best. See you at the Bar soon.