Welcome back! I hope you were able to rest and relax over the holiday break, and that you are returning energized and excited about the new semester ahead. A new year is always a great time for fresh starts, and I hope you take advantage of the turning of the calendar to set new goals, start new habits, and reconfirm your commitment to getting the most out of your legal education.
For 1Ls in particular, I know this can be a difficult time for some of you who did not do as well on your final exams as you had hoped. All of you have come to law school having succeeded academically and with expectations for future success. The law school environment, however, is challenging and filled with people as smart as you and who work as hard as you. Inevitably at this time of year, some of you will be disappointed in your first semester’s grades. It is of course fine to be disappointed, but please do not get discouraged. These first semester grades are just an indicator of where you are now – not a certain assessment of where you will end up. Many people each year meet with their professors and Dean Pearce to learn how they can improve, try new study habits, work harder, and end up with much different results in May. You can too – and I encourage you to take advantage of all the resources we have available to help you succeed in law school. Dean Pearce will be meeting with you at noon today to talk about that process.
To all of you, I wish you the very best in this new year. Please let me know if there is anything the College of Law can do to help you on your journey.