You are beginning law school in the fall and are excited, but nervous like all soon to be law students wondering how successful your transition is going to be.

Additionally, because you are a non-traditional student, (for reasons such as age, married with children, disability, etc.,) you are wondering how different your transition will be to that of your classmates.

Suggestion: Talk to current law students who are similarly-situated to you.

Non-traditional law students will have many similar experiences to traditional law students who are generally in their early-to-mid-twenties, unmarried, with no children, but there will also be significant differences in the experiences of the two groups. For instance, a married student with children is not going to have as much time to study and relax as a single, unmarried student.

Non-traditional students often have to learn to navigate law school a little differently than traditional students, and the best resource to learn how is from current law students who are in the same position.

If you don't know any current law students who are in the same position call the law school you are going to attend and ask the Dean of Students to put you in touch with a few similarly-situated students.

For some non-traditional situations, the Dean of Students may not be able to put you in touch with other similarly-situated current students because of confidentiality reasons. Despite that, there should be someone on the law school's staff who should be prepared to address the issue that you are raising. Law school administrations have access to a wide variety of resources, and most law school deans are in touch with their counterparts at other law schools through list-serves and organizations such as the American Association of Law Schools, American Bar Association, and state bar associations.

If you believe that your issue is unique and that it may be the first time the school you are attending will address it, consider informing the school as early as possible so they can prepare for it. The first few weeks of law school are too important, and often too stressful, for you to not be getting your needs met. The smoother your law school transition is the more satisfying and beneficial your legal education will be.

Sadly, when I was doing research for this article I came across very little on the web that provided specific beneficial information for non-tradition law students. If you come across any beneficial information please feel free to contact me so that I may post that information.

Other related articles on this website include Law School-The Experience and Law School-First Year, The Fear-Part I.

Good Luck!

If you have any questions or comments about this article, or want to write your own article about the pre-law or law school process, feel free to contact me.