This past week, I was able to sit down and chat with first-year law student, Andre Taylor. He attends American University, located in Washington, D.C., where he has been taking the steps to live out his dreams of being a lawyer.
Andre and I discussed everything about law school, including his personal experiences during this new phase of his life!
Her Campus (HC): What does your day-to-day life look like in law school?
Andre Taylor (AT): I walk about 20 minutes to school every day, so I try to wake up at least an hour and a half before my classes. Those classes start at around 10 a.m. I spend about 45 minutes getting ready and then give myself another 45 minutes to walk to class, read over the material for my courses that day and check emails.
After my first class, which lasts almost two hours, I’ll typically head straight to the library either by myself or with some friends to do an assigned reading for the following day. Then, I typically take a two to three-hour long break to go eat and relax before doing another reading. After this point, I usually have the rest of the day to myself. Some days, I have more work to do than others because of extracurriculars like Human Rights Brief and applications for jobs/internships.
HC: Was there a specific moment or experience when you knew you wanted to be a lawyer?
AT: Not particularly. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do coming out of undergrad, but I had some pretty in-depth conversations with family and friends a few months after I graduated. These conversations revealed the potential uses of a law degree and the different doors that open by going to school in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. However, what made me more interested in the idea of law school was my time working in a senator’s office, where I learned more about the political process and how government regulations at the state and local levels impact our regular lives.
HC: Why did you choose American University?
AT: I’ve always been interested in international affairs and global politics. I did the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program through middle and high school, so most of my pre-undergrad career was spent exploring a variety of issues related to human rights, cross-cultural interaction and history. American University’s Washington College of Law (AUWCL) always felt like a natural extension of those interests because AUWCL is one of the best schools for international law, which is what I plan to specialize in. I also applied to AU in undergrad and didn’t get in. Even if I wasn’t interested in AUWCL for law school, I still would’ve applied just to show that I had what it takes to get in.
HC: After two whole semesters, in your opinion, do you think the media shows an accurate representation of law school?
AT: I think they capture the most extreme ends of the spectrum but have trouble showing the nuances that exist between students and professors. Some classes definitely have what are called “gunners,” which are students that make law school their entire identity and sacrifice all semblance of sanity to outperform everyone else. People like that are well represented in shows like How to Get Away with Murder. This goes the same for professors who take their job too seriously and are looking to humiliate students who don’t read every single page of an assigned reading. But like with anything, there are shades of grey.
HC: Was there a reason you took a gap year in between undergrad and law school?
AT: I was privileged enough to come from a household where I was able to put my education on hold to focus on studying for the LSAT, while simultaneously doing an unpaid internship that bolstered my resume and helped me develop my professional contacts. I wouldn’t suggest it to everyone and, in hindsight, I wish I had forced myself to get a job during that period. Law school is expensive and unless you’re wealthy enough to not have to worry about the cost of attendance, there’s no reason to take a gap year and not work.
HC: Finally, how do you manage to balance your social life in addition to your student responsibilities and coursework?
AT: Scheduling. I have well-defined times for when I allow myself to completely let loose and hang out with friends. I also have clear boundaries as to what works for me compared to what doesn’t. I make a weekly schedule to reflect the fact that I need at least an hour-long break in between my classes and when I begin studying. I also balance by trying not to procrastinate so that I’m not constantly shifting my schedule around.
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