Planet Law School II: What You Need to Know (Before You Go), But Didn't Know to Ask... and No One Else Will Tell You, Second Edition

I read Planet Law School in the summer of 1998 when the book was brand new, in the months before I began my legal studies. It was invaluable. I went to a "Top 10" law school (not literally, but rather as the term is defined in the book) and found the cynical advice to be on point. Law school is a business. Administrations are more interested in attracting and keeping top professors (and in soliciting donations from wealthy/influential alumni) than they are in ensuring their graduates will find fulfilling careers that also enable them to repay their crushing student loans. Planet Law School also accurately describes the socio-academic atmosphere at law schools - the contagious stress and anxiety, bordering on hysteria; the social stratification that occurs based upon class rank after first year grades are issued; the extreme difficulty those with mediocre or low grades have in obtaining respectable and well-paying employment through on-campus interviews. The book is...Read more

I wrote a review of PLS before I hit law school, and since I now have a semester under my belt, I figured I'd update my thoughts on this particular tome.

First off, I should mention that I just got my first semester grades back, and I am in the top 5% of my class. I'm not going to gush like a schoolgirl and say I owe it all to PLS--after all, I worked hard, and I feel like I earned my grades. But more importantly, I worked SMART, and I think that is where PLS helped me the most. The case method can be a bit of a minefield, and I saw lots of 1L's worrying more about knowing the facts of these cases than knowing the rules that the cases illustrate. By and large, these are the same 1L's who are looking a little morose now that grades are out. I've heard a lot of 1L's promising themselves that they won't get as caught up in the details of the cases this semester; that they'll buy some commercial outlines and worry more about the big picture this time around. That's definitely...Read more

I finished my second year of law school, I made law review, I read Planet Law School when it first came out, and I've recommended it to many friends. One friend mentioned that she wouldn't buy it because of a review on Amazon. I was curious, so I took a look. I can't believe we're talking about the same book.

Many of my friends from law school did not make law review. Some of them are smarter than me. This book isn't about professors or "making friends" or any of that. It's about taking responsibility for your legal education. It's about preparing yourself, and about your attitude.

I owe my success to Planet Law School, and to Wentworth Miller's program recommended in the book. In fact, I continue to read it again every month or so.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is considering going to law school. I would give it six stars if I could.