In a few short weeks, I will be starting law school. I have been working towards this goal for over a year, so I am excited, though trying to manage random bouts of anxiety when I realize how much I still have left to do! I move in to my apartment three days before classes start. I still have to order furniture and housewares, set up utilities, and register my car in my new state.
Moving out of state is already pretty stressful, so I am trying not to lose sight of the reason why I am doing all of this: to get that JD, baby! I know that I want to set myself up with the best tools for my studies. Plus, I am pretty sure that it’s a proven fact that shiny new school supplies make you work harder and be more organized (at least for the first month or so). I managed to get most of my school supply shopping out of the way, so that I can spend the last few days before school starts focusing on the logistical nightmare that is moving. Here is what I will be using this year:
In undergrad, I used a small, cutesy backpack with super thin straps that dug into my arms. This is law school, so it’s time to get serious. I expect to be lugging around my laptop and heavy books everyday. This backpack is bigger than my old backpack, and has thicker, more comfortable straps. It is fairly inexpensive, but seems to be very good quality. I love the color, and it is a bit more mature-looking than my undergrad backpack. It also has some nice features like an anti-theft combination lock, a compartment to connect an external phone battery, and a water bottle holder. I am happy with it so far, and can’t wait to put it to the test once school starts.
I want to minimize the volume of books and supplies that I will be carrying around, so I will be using only one binder with a divider for each class. Though I have not bought my binder yet, I will likely buy one that is 1.5 – 2 inches. I think that size will be sufficient since I plan on typing my notes (if the professor allows laptops). I bought these dividers because they are very durable and have pockets where I can store any miscellaneous handouts for each class.
In undergrad, I bought the cheapest pens that I could find. Since I began working, I have seen the light. My office always had these pens in the supply closet and it wasn’t long until I was hooked. They are very inky gel pens that write super smooth. They are simply delightful. It’s the little things.
These are another luxury item that I grew attached to in the office. I used them a lot when I was highlighting relevant portions of hundreds of pages of deposition transcripts. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will use them in law school, but I am sure they will come in handy.
If there is one thing that I have learned about law students, it’s that they love their highlighters. I hear a lot of students use several different colors when reading cases. I ordered this this pack because the price was right. Gotta love Amazon Basics.
My brother got me this mug as a present, and it quickly became my favorite. The perfect balance of cute and obnoxious. Treat yo self.
Thankfully, my laptop is only about two years old and is very reliable. However, if yours is on its way out, you should probably invest in a new one before school starts. When my laptop finally kicks the bucket, I think I will go for the Microsoft Surface Pro. It’s fast, lightweight, versatile, and pretty sexy.
Tell me what is on your back-to-school shopping list in the comments!
Live, Laugh, Law School 
Don’t forget pencils, a planner (weekly & daily), notebooks, loose leaf paper, and try a rolling bookbag. My rolling bookbag relieved so much tension off my shoulders 1L year. Also, calculate how much your textbooks are gonna cost you.
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Great ideas! I prefer to do use an online planner as opposed to a paper one. I also have a strong preference for pens over pencils, and plan to use loose leaf in my binder over notebooks.
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