My name is Ben Carroll and I am a 1L at Roger Williams Law. I'm just a good 'ol southern boy from Knoxville, TN who has made his way to Rhode Island. I've got it all…The Southern accent; the hospitality. I even play the Banjo! I attended Tennessee Wesleyan, a small liberal arts college in Athens...
…should I be describing it this way? Only time will tell.
I can say that our summer reading, “Succeeding in Law School” and the prospect of taking part in the “Jump Start” program are two things that have acted to calm my nerves. Combine that with the amazing support group I have found on the Class of 2014 Facebook page, and I could tell you the feelings have mysteriously vanquished themselves…almost.
I say almost because no matter how well I prepare there is no way to fully prepare for what awaits me in “Law School”. I am sure the challenges will be great. Juggling studies while keeping a social life...It should be nothing less than a formidable task, but nothing worth doing comes without much effort. So, here I stand at the start of my Odyssey… excited… elated… scared… happy.
According to our summer reading “Succeeding in Law School” there is no easy answer to the question of how to succeed in law school because there are so many facets involved in success. After reading this and a few other books on how best to prepare for the Law School Odyssey, my plan is two-fold.
Do the reading and brief all the cases I am assigned.
Perfect the art of argument in my writing.
All things considered, I believe these two simple rules are a good starting point and will ultimately be a good starting point for learning the art of Jurisprudence; to think like a lawyer.