Law school can feel like a nonstop grind—tons of reading, endless cases, and a ton of pressure. But here’s the thing: You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Group study sessions can actually be a huge help if you know how to make them work.
So here are 3 tips to get the most out of your study group.
Pick the Right People
Your study group is only as good as the people in it. So, think carefully about who you invite to study with you. You don’t need to form a squad of all A+ students, but it helps if you’ve got a mix of strengths. Maybe one person’s great at understanding case law, another’s good at breaking down legal jargon, and someone else is a pro at exam prep.
The key is to find people who are serious about studying but also keep things relaxed. You want to get stuff done, not spend hours chatting or getting sidetracked. So, make sure you choose people who will stay focused but aren’t going to turn every session into a Netflix binge.
Set Clear Goals for Each Session
The worst thing you can do is sit down and start studying with no real plan. Before each study session, agree on what you’re going to tackle. For example, if you’re going to break down an L5-S1 injury settlement workers compensation case, make sure everyone knows what the goal is.
Here’s how your session could look:
- First 20 minutes: Each person explains a different part of how L5-S1 injuries are handled in workers’ compensation—things like medical bills, lost wages, and how a permanent disability might impact a settlement.
- Next 30 minutes: Discuss workers’ comp caselaw.
- Last 20 minutes: Wrap it up with a practice problem or some real-life examples to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Having a clear focus like this helps keep the session productive and makes sure you’re hitting the most important stuff.
Share Resources and Divide the Work
One of the best ways to make your study group work is by splitting up the workload. No one needs to re-do the same outlines or create the same flashcards over and over again. Instead, divide up tasks—one person can work on practice questions, another on summarizing cases, and someone else can focus on terms and definitions.
The more you share, the less everyone has to do on their own. Plus, explaining things to each other can help you really get a deeper understanding of the material. But make sure no one’s slacking off. You don’t want one person doing all the work while the others just show up for the group chat.
Really, pick the right people, set goals for each session, divide the work and you and your group will do great in law school.
