A lot happens during your 1L year, some good, some bad, but regardless of what you do, don’t burn bridges. As you’ve heard, law school is a lot like high school. Clicks form, rumors spread and people date around more than you could imagine. Couple the high school atmosphere with the competitive nature of law school and the temptation to react unfavorably is incredibly high. You’re going to want to swear off the people around, act like you’re smarter, bound for more success or too good to study with them. Everything previously described is burning bridges. There are a few reasons that this is a bad idea.

First, remember that old saying, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”? That’s actually true, it’s not a myth, and it’s not a falsity, its 100% true. You just started school with 200 new students who all have multiple connections and networks of their own. These are opportunities for you to meet new people and thus tap into their networks and gain more connections. Put simply, for every bridge you burn, you lose a network and thus opportunity.

Second, these fellow students are also fellow colleagues. You will likely be working side by side or against most of your classmates. Whether you’re going to be working side by side or on opposite sides of these classmates, you surely don’t want them holding a grudge against you because during first semester you refused to give someone notes in order to gain a competitive edge thinking that NO ONE else would give them notes.

Third, no matter how much you think you don’t need anyone at law school and you can do it on your own, chances are, you’re going to need these people at some point for some reason or another. Moot Court and Law Review will require you to work with these people and you will depend on them, or should be depending on each other. Why make it harder on yourself?

Finally, if you think none of this applies to you because you’re far too smart and you’re going to transfer anyway, don’t speak too soon. For those of you who have written off the entire first year class after first semester grades because you did so well you’re a lock at a T14, don’t speak too soon, you’re still a semester away. There’s nothing worse than telling everyone you’re leaving for all the reasons stated above and then returning as a 2L because you spoke too soon.

LawRiot Advice: Be nice, cooperate, and bite your tongue.