Although many students enter law school with only vague ideas of what they want to do when they graduate, some begin with very specific goals. If you are in the former group, don’t worry – you will develop goals as you take interesting classes; meet professors, lawyers, and judges throughout law school who make an impression on you; and as you work in clinics, internships, externships and part-time jobs. If you are in the latter group (with a specific goal in mind), be ready for a shift. That’s not uncommon at all in law school. However, most law students share these common goals:

• Deep, rich, comprehensive understanding of the law.
• Grades representative of your high capabilities and commitment.
• First-time bar passage.

Keeping these goals (as well as your longer-term, more socially directed goals) in mind each day provides the incentive to keep the fire burning. A few summers ago at a CLEO gathering where I was teaching in Los Angeles, a keynote speaker asked a room filled with beginning law students to write down:

• Why they decided to enter into the practice of law.
• What they had given up in order to pursue the study of law.
• What they would never give up, no matter how difficult law study or practice became.

She then said, “Now fold that piece of paper, and put it in your wallet or purse. Take it out and read it whenever you feel like giving up.” That’s the spirit. You need goals and principles.[Links to be added soon.]