On behalf of the faculty at Nebraska Law, welcome! Incoming law students often hear a great deal about learning how to “think to like a lawyer” during law school. I want to use this opportunity to talk to you about learning how to be a lawyer.
Being a lawyer means much more than learning the critical skill of legal analysis, which most people mean when they talk about thinking like a lawyer. We certainly will teach you that skill (our roughly 90% bar passage rate testifies to that). In addition, though, I want you to know that Nebraska Law devotes substantial resources to teaching our students other critical skills needed to actually become a lawyer.
Your exposure to lawyering skills begins in a required first-year course called Foundational Legal Skills, which will help you learn legal research and writing, as well as how to examine factual disputes and understand a lawyer’s ethical responsibilities. Few law schools offer such an in-depth look at lawyering skills during the first year, and you will be better prepared to become a lawyer because of this experience.
Beyond your first year, I encourage you to take advantage of other experiential learning opportunities during your remaining time at the College. For example, we offer numerous “simulation” courses that permit you to learn and practice other necessary skills – courses such as Trial Advocacy, Negotiations, and Business Planning to name a few. These types of courses let you gain experience and receive feedback in a controlled environment while learning lawyering skills.
Additionally, you can take the skills you develop and apply them in the real world. We offer dozens of externships in which you earn credit while working with lawyers on everyday legal problems. You also can work on legal issues for actual clients in one of our clinics: Civil Clinic, Immigration Clinic, or Entrepreneurship Clinic. If you would rather work in the criminal justice system, our Criminal Clinic is one of the few clinics in the country where students serve as prosecutors when criminal cases go to trial. Throughout all of these experiences, we help you navigate your new ethical obligations as a legal professional.
Being a lawyer is much more than thinking like one. At Nebraska Law, you can learn the skills you need to actually be a lawyer by taking advantages of the many opportunities we offer.