The Best Law School Study Schedule for 1Ls

The general rule of thumb in law school is two to three hours of study time for every hour of class time. Most 1Ls take 15 to 16 credit hours per semester, which means 30 to 48 hours of studying per week on top of class. That sounds daunting, but with a structured schedule, it is entirely manageable.

Your study time breaks down into four main activities, and the proportion shifts as the semester progresses:

Here is a sample weekly schedule for a typical 1L taking four doctrinal courses (Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Criminal Law) plus a legal writing course. Adjust this based on your specific class schedule and personal needs.

This schedule totals roughly 35 to 40 hours of study per week, which is a sustainable pace for most 1Ls. The key is consistency. Studying five to six hours per day across the week is far more effective than cramming 15-hour sessions on weekends.

In the first few weeks of 1L, reading and briefing will consume most of your study time. Expect to spend 45 minutes to an hour per case at first, including both reading and writing the brief. As your skills improve, this will drop to 20 to 30 minutes per case by the end of the semester.

A typical class assigns two to four cases per session. With four doctrinal courses meeting three times per week each, that is 24 to 48 cases per week. At the beginning of the semester, this is 18 to 48 hours of reading alone, which is why time management matters so much.

To manage the load, read strategically. Use the techniques from our guide to reading cases to focus your attention on what matters. And when you are short on time, Briefly's AI case brief generator can produce a FIRAC brief in seconds, giving you a foundation to work from.

Block dedicated time for outlining at least twice per week. The most effective approach is to outline one subject per session, rotating through your courses. After your professor finishes a topic, add that section to your outline within the same week while the material is fresh.

For review, use active recall techniques rather than passive re-reading. Quiz yourself on the rules, work through hypotheticals, or use Briefly's flashcard generator to turn your briefs into study cards. Active recall is significantly more effective than highlighting or re-reading notes. See our outlining guide for a detailed breakdown of the outlining process.

If you have been outlining throughout the semester, exam prep is not a separate phase — it is a natural continuation of what you have been doing. That said, the intensity shifts in the final three to four weeks.

For more detailed exam strategies, see our 12 law school exam tips.

Law school is demanding, but it should not consume your entire life. Students who burn out midway through the semester perform worse on exams than those who maintain a sustainable pace. Build non-negotiable personal time into your schedule.