Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students Paperback – April 26, 2011

For several months I was mulling over the idea of taking the LSAT and applying to law school. I asked people who had been through law school or were currently attending what it was like, but I still felt unsure whether or not it was a good choice for me.I ordered a few books to read what the law school experience would be like. The mistake I made was not reading this one first, because it's the only one you really need to get a great overview of law school, beginning to end.Using the opinions of former law school students, the book demonstrates from the beginning that the purpose of the book is not simply to sell people on the idea of law school. Some students say they loved the experience, some say they're not sure if they'd do it again, and others say they made a mistake by attending and now feel trapped in their law careers.Miller then leads the reader through what to expect throughout the years of law school. In the first part he discusses the application process, taking the LSAT, how to decide which schools are for you, and the reality of law school - good and bad.Then he dedicates the next parts to what to expect in each specific year of law school. All the while he inserts testimony from former students about what they felt they did right, and what they would have done differently. By the end, all the questions I had about whether or not law school is something I should consider seriously were answered.I was reading this book from the point of view of someone new to the idea of law school, and from that point of view I found it very helpful. I also believe this book could be helpful for people in other stages of law school. The parts on each individual year seem like they would be helpful, if I were in that position.The only potential drawback I can see is that this is not a lengthy book. The first roughly 100 pages had answered most all my questions, addressing what the law school environment is like and what you should expect potential careers to be like. If you are looking for a longer and more detailed read about law school, you may want to opt for a lengthier book. However, from my perspective, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to settle my questions.

When I first read the reviews for this book about six months ago, before I entered law school or purchased the book, I noticed that there seemed to be countless reviews from pre-1Ls saying how prepared they "felt" about law school. This was obviously worthless support since they had not used any of the advice first-hand.Although I have only completed one semester of law school so far, I believe that I can really testify that the book is a brilliant piece of writing for anybody preparing for law school. Its advice on book-briefing, using commercial outlines, and preparing for class are spot on and need to be followed by as many law students as are willing. Also, the advice it gives on securing a summer job, which I have used extensively so far during Christmas break for getting a 1L summer associateship, is terrifically helpful, especially since it provides an albeit somewhat outdated interview with hiring partners of both a small firm and a large firm.Anyone preparing for law school needs to get this book; it spells out what you need to do not just for your first year but EACH YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL, including Law Review (and the process of getting on journals), moot court, and all things 2L- and 3L-related.But if you are my classmate, don't buy the book... I want to stay on top of the curve as much as possible. :-)

This is easily one of the best and most important books to read before starting law school. I bought a copy per the recommendation from a lawyer friend, and read it cover to cover over the summer before starting my first year of law school. The advice was incredibly useful, and I felt like I had a better understanding as to how law school would work and what study habits I needed in order to succeed. It's not just one author speaking either; it's a collection of law students combining their best advice into one solid book.Law school is highly competitive, and most if not all law schools are graded on a curve, so any advantage you can get over your peers really helps you out. I highly recommend this book, and I have gifted this book to incoming 1Ls starting law school, which shows how much I believe in it.Overall an excellent purchase.