Law school is an academic challenge, and most students agree that the first year, also known as the "1L" year, is the most difficult. Law school is an institution or professional school specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a judge, lawyer, or other legal professional within a given jurisdiction. Here are some things you can expect from law school based on the search results:

• Teaching Methods: Law school is taught using the Case Method in combination with the Socratic Method. The Case Method involves significant reading and preparation for class, and students are expected to spend several hours each evening reading cases. Professors expect students to arrive at every class thoroughly prepared, and most professors give little feedback until the final examination for the course.

• Curriculum: Most law schools share a common first-year approach to educating lawyers, with much more variation in the second and third years. Students will take foundation courses in administrative law, civil litigation, commercial law, corporations, evidence, family law, professional responsibility, property, and torts. Every law school supplements this basic curriculum with additional courses, such as international law, environmental law, conflict of laws, labor law, criminal procedure, and jurisprudence.

• Assignments: Assignments are meant to instill your understanding of the rule of law and teach you how to draw your conclusions based on the law. Law school written analysis hinges on a style known as IRAC: Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion. You determine the issue at hand, apply the relevant rule/law, analyze the facts, and draw a conclusion.

• Environment: Law school can be an intense, competitive environment, but the rewards are considerable. The lack of information about academic progress can be troubling for some students, and the first-year experience is often the greatest academic challenge of their lives. Some students thrive in this setting while others stumble.

To get a better idea of what law school is really like, you can sit in on a real law school course, attend Law School Day during Graduate & Professional School Week, or consider a summer exploratory program at a law school.