You've survived your first year of law school and earned the title of "2L." Now what?
There are several things you can do to make the most of this second year of law school, and they include the following:
1. Sign up for OCI.
Fall on-campus interviewing (OCI) is when employers hire law students for the summer after their second year. You probably know the benefits of snagging a summer associate's position at a large law firm, but OCI can be beneficial for you even if you aren't interested in working for BigLaw. Why?
Well, for starters, you just may surprise yourself and become interested in such a position, but even more importantly, you can work on your interview skills without a lot of pressure. Either way, OCI is a good experience to take advantage of.
2. Join Law Review.
By the time 2L rolls around, the competition to get on Law Review has probably passed, but if you're still wavering on whether to accept the invitation, go ahead and do so. Furthermore, if you can still get on Law Review as a 3L, try that as well. Why?
Because employers love to see Law Review on applicants' resumes, and you'll acquire some great legal research and writing experience as well.
3. Join Moot Court.
Moot Court offers a great chance for you to work on your written and oral advocacy skills; it also looks great on your resume, particularly if you're considering a career as a trial attorney.
4. Take interesting classes.
Even though the bar exam is still more than year away for you, you're probably starting to think about classes that can prepare you for it. This is certainly one way to approach course selection, but also consider choosing courses that truly interest you -- even those in a field you might want to pursue after law school -- even if the subject matter isn't technically tested on the bar exam.
You'll have plenty of time for bar exam review after graduation, so while you're in law school, try to take advantage of subjects that may never get a good opportunity to study again.
5. Raise your GPA.
Your GPA will be the most important factor on your resume at least until you get your first job under your belt, so don't lose steam after 1L regarding your grades, especially if they weren't as high as you would have liked.