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How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School
Each year, over 40,000 new students enter America's law schools. Each new crop experiences startlingly high rates of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and dissatisfaction. Kathryne M. Young was one of those disgruntled law students. After finishing law school (and a PhD), she set out to learn more about the law school experience and how to improve it for future students. Young conducted one of the most ambitious studies of law students ever undertaken, charting the experiences of over 1000 law students from over 100 different law schools, along with hundreds of alumni, dropouts, law professors, and more. How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School is smart, compelling, and highly readable. Combining her own observations and experiences with the results of her study and the latest sociological research on law schools, Young offers a very different take from previous books about law school survival. Instead of assuming her readers should all aspire to law-review-and-big-firm notions of success, Young teaches students how to approach law school on their own how to tune out the drumbeat of oppressive expectations and conventional wisdom to create a new breed of law school experience altogether. Young provides readers with practical tools for finding focus, happiness, and a sense of purpose while facing the seemingly endless onslaught of problems law school presents daily. This book is an indispensable companion for today's law students, prospective law students, and anyone who cares about making law students' lives better. Bursting with warmth, realism, and a touch of firebrand wit, How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School equips law students with much-needed wisdom for thriving during those three crucial years.
312 pages, Paperback
Published August 7, 2018
256 people are currently reading
1428 people want to read
About the author
Kathryne Young
2 books3 followersKathryne M. Young is an internationally recognized expert in legal consciousness—the study of how people understand and come to hold beliefs about the law, and the implications of these beliefs for law, legal systems, and the lives of everyday people.
Professor Young’s research lies at the intersection of law and sociology. She investigates how law maps onto the realities of the social world, and the consequences for access to justice in both civil and criminal realms.
She has conducted empirical research on a broad range of sociolegal topics, including police-citizen interactions, parole hearings, illegal gambling, and legal education.
Before coming to GW Law faculty in 2022, she was a sociology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (where she won the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award).
Professor Young’s research lies at the intersection of law and sociology. She investigates how law maps onto the realities of the social world, and the consequences for access to justice in both civil and criminal realms.
She has conducted empirical research on a broad range of sociolegal topics, including police-citizen interactions, parole hearings, illegal gambling, and legal education.
Before coming to GW Law faculty in 2022, she was a sociology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (where she won the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
November 17, 2020
I'm grateful I came across this book during my first semester of law school. It helped shed light on a lot of daunting areas of the law school experience with humor and compassion. As a gay woman trying to navigate the legal world, I appreciated reading the perspective of a queer who made it to the other side. "I hope that you will give up immediately - this very moment - on checking the boxes everyone tells you to check, and on obsessing over whether you should have checked them, or whether you checked them properly, or whether there are other boxes for which you should be looking. Instead, use law school to shape you into the lawyer and person you want to be."
May 14, 2023
Excellent advice, helpful perspective, incredibly thought-provoking stuff, and a wealth of useful and valuable information delivered, quite frankly, exquisitely, effectively, and in a highly accessible fashion. What more could you ask?
I'll be affirmatively (and, potentially, aggressively) recommending this to incoming (and current) law students and, looking ahead, I hope that market forces (and colleagues) can persuade the author to update and publish another edition.
I'll keep this relatively short, in light of the (multiple) disclaimers below. It's a great book, and I'm glad it eventually found its way onto my radar screen and into my to-read stack. I recommend it without hesitation (but, again, with all of the disclaimers, below).
Disclaimer (1): It's not a novel, it's not leisure reading, it's surely not literary fiction or sci-fi or fantasy, and it's not for everyone, indeed, as the title suggests, it's aimed at an extremely specific group. OK, I think it is of immense value to other readers, and more on that below, but forewarned is forearmed.
Disclaimer (2): I know the author, professionally, although I did not know her when the book was published. And, because I think (incredibly) highly of her and dearly love communicating with her, I am confident that I enjoyed the book all the more because, in innumerable passages, I could her her voice in my head (and it made me smile). For readers who aren't lucky enough to know her, her voice in the book (and the book itself) feels incredibly authentic, and that's just one more thing I appreciated about it.
Disclaimer (3): I am very much not the target audience, but I not only enjoyed it, but I nonetheless found it immensely worthwhile ... and, as noted above, thought-provoking I graduated from law school before, I dunno, dinosaurs had drivers' licenses, and I've been on the other end of the relationship (teaching, working at, and even helping to administer) law schools for, hmmm, let's say significantly more than a couple of decades. But, as someone who is always thinking about our mission and, for better or worse, frequently doles out related advice, I'm ecstatic I read it, and it gave me much to think about.
I'll be affirmatively (and, potentially, aggressively) recommending this to incoming (and current) law students and, looking ahead, I hope that market forces (and colleagues) can persuade the author to update and publish another edition.
I'll keep this relatively short, in light of the (multiple) disclaimers below. It's a great book, and I'm glad it eventually found its way onto my radar screen and into my to-read stack. I recommend it without hesitation (but, again, with all of the disclaimers, below).
Disclaimer (1): It's not a novel, it's not leisure reading, it's surely not literary fiction or sci-fi or fantasy, and it's not for everyone, indeed, as the title suggests, it's aimed at an extremely specific group. OK, I think it is of immense value to other readers, and more on that below, but forewarned is forearmed.
Disclaimer (2): I know the author, professionally, although I did not know her when the book was published. And, because I think (incredibly) highly of her and dearly love communicating with her, I am confident that I enjoyed the book all the more because, in innumerable passages, I could her her voice in my head (and it made me smile). For readers who aren't lucky enough to know her, her voice in the book (and the book itself) feels incredibly authentic, and that's just one more thing I appreciated about it.
Disclaimer (3): I am very much not the target audience, but I not only enjoyed it, but I nonetheless found it immensely worthwhile ... and, as noted above, thought-provoking I graduated from law school before, I dunno, dinosaurs had drivers' licenses, and I've been on the other end of the relationship (teaching, working at, and even helping to administer) law schools for, hmmm, let's say significantly more than a couple of decades. But, as someone who is always thinking about our mission and, for better or worse, frequently doles out related advice, I'm ecstatic I read it, and it gave me much to think about.
June 7, 2020
This book gave a really refreshing perspective on the importance of different aspects of law school and law programs. I, like the author, come from a background in sociology, so I enjoyed reading an account of how socioeconomic status, race, gender, and sexual orientation can affect the law school experience. It applies what I learned in my sociology undergrad to the context of law school, from the perspective of someone who has lived through it herself.
A lot of the text explores issues through the lens of subjective well-being, which is a somewhat empirical approach that focuses on the happiness of students while they're in law school and after they graduate. This approach contrasts with a lot of the other reading I've done on law school because though it accounts for ambition and a desire for money and status, it doesn't assume it, and it also invites the reader to be reflective about those desires. This book doesn't have all of the study and exam hacks that many others do. I think that this book, along with one of the more intense books full of tips and tricks would work well together to give aspiring law students a well-rounded picture of how to best get through their 1L year. I'd especially recommend this book to aspiring lawyers who, like me, are interested in social justice and public interest law. I felt seen reading this, while I felt that my reasons for pursuing a law degree were invisible or dismissed out of hand by other authors writing on the subject.
A lot of the text explores issues through the lens of subjective well-being, which is a somewhat empirical approach that focuses on the happiness of students while they're in law school and after they graduate. This approach contrasts with a lot of the other reading I've done on law school because though it accounts for ambition and a desire for money and status, it doesn't assume it, and it also invites the reader to be reflective about those desires. This book doesn't have all of the study and exam hacks that many others do. I think that this book, along with one of the more intense books full of tips and tricks would work well together to give aspiring law students a well-rounded picture of how to best get through their 1L year. I'd especially recommend this book to aspiring lawyers who, like me, are interested in social justice and public interest law. I felt seen reading this, while I felt that my reasons for pursuing a law degree were invisible or dismissed out of hand by other authors writing on the subject.
March 28, 2024
I read parts of this book before going to law school and found it much more stress-inducing than it was helpful. Each section starts with pages and pages of how various people's experiences in X category were awful and how hard law school will be. While this is true, and I do not mean to discount people's experiences, I do not find this helpful for someone going to school. I would prefer to see more wide-ranging experiences from students.
Additionally, I do not think any of the tips were actually helpful. I do not recall using anything from this book. Law school is one of those scenarios where you should not be remaking the wheel. The things that worked for you in life, undergrad or any professional experiences in the past will likely still work. Areas you are struggling with, you will still struggle with. Focus on those areas more generally. I see little need for a specific book on how to deal with these areas specifically regarding law school. I feel like working on yourself more generally is more useful.
Additionally, I do not think any of the tips were actually helpful. I do not recall using anything from this book. Law school is one of those scenarios where you should not be remaking the wheel. The things that worked for you in life, undergrad or any professional experiences in the past will likely still work. Areas you are struggling with, you will still struggle with. Focus on those areas more generally. I see little need for a specific book on how to deal with these areas specifically regarding law school. I feel like working on yourself more generally is more useful.
July 8, 2025
this book gave me multiple panic attacks, which i helpfully learned to identify in the mental health section!
ok jk a little, but i do think this book may have been a bit counterproductive in its approach of trying to tamp down law school stress by explaining in detail how stressed out and miserable everyone is. the second half was more helpful in a practical sense, and i also thought there were some points made that are helpful both in law school and in real life, including:
1. don’t do stuff you hate doing because you think you are supposed to
2. don’t be a dick
3. law school is NOT the world
4. put yourself out there
5. prioritize your own mental and physical health and also having friends
boom. now none of you need to read the book.
ok jk a little, but i do think this book may have been a bit counterproductive in its approach of trying to tamp down law school stress by explaining in detail how stressed out and miserable everyone is. the second half was more helpful in a practical sense, and i also thought there were some points made that are helpful both in law school and in real life, including:
1. don’t do stuff you hate doing because you think you are supposed to
2. don’t be a dick
3. law school is NOT the world
4. put yourself out there
5. prioritize your own mental and physical health and also having friends
boom. now none of you need to read the book.
August 9, 2025
5
not everything will apply to me (as i do not live in the US) but enough of it does to kind of give me direction. and it’s a really fucking amazing guide that spans almost every conceivable aspect of this new terrifying adult life and the very ambitious endeavor that i dove into headfirst without a single clue on how to proceed.
really put things into perspective for me like frontal lobe semi developed but honestly how the hell am i gonna go about it though do u know what i mean? the hardest part is getting started. i don’t know a damn thing! i don’t have it all mapped out yet and maybe that’s the point…? idk. mind-blowing stuff though. really. really tore me to shreds. im soo cooked 😭
not everything will apply to me (as i do not live in the US) but enough of it does to kind of give me direction. and it’s a really fucking amazing guide that spans almost every conceivable aspect of this new terrifying adult life and the very ambitious endeavor that i dove into headfirst without a single clue on how to proceed.
really put things into perspective for me like frontal lobe semi developed but honestly how the hell am i gonna go about it though do u know what i mean? the hardest part is getting started. i don’t know a damn thing! i don’t have it all mapped out yet and maybe that’s the point…? idk. mind-blowing stuff though. really. really tore me to shreds. im soo cooked 😭
August 21, 2021
Great law school book that’s give you a sense of clam. If there is one book to read before law school I would recommend this one, it makes you feel less alone.
December 11, 2024
I wish I read this book BEFORE starting law school so I highly recommend reading it if you’re a prelaw student. As a 1L I needed this book to remind me why I chose this path and why I will finish it despite the craziness and anxiety that comes with law school. There are so many things that law students need to be aware of (especially mental health related issues) before and during law school and entering a legal career and this book presents these things extremely well while offering advice on overcoming the law-school-specific difficulties that you will almost inevitably face. 10/10 must read.
October 21, 2024
4/5 Stars
This was gifted to me by my faculty advisor in undergrad and I finally started it during the midterm of my 1L fall. I’m glad I read through it because it gave advice that I could either decide is very necessary for my experience or some advice that isn’t as applicable for me but gives me an idea of what others may be going through. It’s always nice to hear people talk about law school who have actually gone through it because it is such a distinct experience.
Overall, I liked it because it made me pause and reflect about my time in school and what I want to get out of it while validating any current feelings I may be having.
This was gifted to me by my faculty advisor in undergrad and I finally started it during the midterm of my 1L fall. I’m glad I read through it because it gave advice that I could either decide is very necessary for my experience or some advice that isn’t as applicable for me but gives me an idea of what others may be going through. It’s always nice to hear people talk about law school who have actually gone through it because it is such a distinct experience.
Overall, I liked it because it made me pause and reflect about my time in school and what I want to get out of it while validating any current feelings I may be having.
July 25, 2025
long story short i probably won’t be happy BUT this is my life and i am very happy with this decision. that’s what they saying
March 10, 2025
Actually can’t remember when I finished this (semester has been hell) was pretty good and I wish I read this before I was going through 2Hell but it reminded me that even when I am down bad, it’s still a blessing to be here!!
June 28, 2025
Fear mongering with a side of helpful insight, suggestions, and ideas 🤞
December 31, 2020
I've read Law School prep books that focus kind of on how to analyze cases and study for exams.
Those books were helpful to some degree...but not all that helpful in the sense that...how do I put it. Like those books simply give you a head start. For example, reading a book on black history can give you a head start in a black history course in college. This is helpful because you'll more likely than not make better grades on early assignments than your contemporaries.
However, when you're in a situation where you have one Exam at the end of the year (Law School) a head start doesn't really help you. Others will learn what you learned sooner rather than later. That's why I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This book isn't as academic but that's' not what you need for Law school...cause no amount of academic prepping will give you a big head start or truly pre you for law school....cause it's not about learning substance (like in most college courses)...it's about learning how to think. A book that's helpful in Law school helps you with how to think/approach law school in its entirety and this book does just that.
Want to know how to cope with mental stress in Law School? This book has answers
Want to know how to manage relationships/connections in Law School? This book has answers
Want to know what professors look for in law school? This book, written by a law professor, has answers.
Want to know what Final examples are like and how to approach them? This book has answers.
Want to know what a typical Law School week is like? This book has answers
I can go on but you get the point...from whether or not being on Law Review is worth it to note taking and how to approach study groups (and if these are even needed to succeed) this book has answers. Honestly, it was the only useful book I've read on how to approach Law School to keep it a buck. I've read helpful books on how to be a lawyer....but as far as how to be a Law Student this is the only helpful book I've read so far.
April 25, 2022
Received this as an early birthday present from a dear friend (thank you!!!) and finished it within a day. Going to read this again during the summer before I start law school because there is SO much in here. From the law school adjustment period to academics to stress and health and happiness to jobs and more...this book has ALL and is a deep well for me to draw from. This, along with the famous "On Being a Happy, Healthy, and Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy, and Unethical Profession" article, reminds me to focus on what matters most at the end—not the right job but the right life.
July 7, 2022
Wow this book was great and I wasn’t expecting that out of a self help book. Trying to manage being happy in an environment that isn’t conducive to that is important to me and this book had useful tools on how to accomplish that.
October 3, 2021
4.5/5
Out of everything I read to prepare for law school, this book was by far the most helpful! A refreshing and realistic read.
Out of everything I read to prepare for law school, this book was by far the most helpful! A refreshing and realistic read.
August 1, 2024
i am starting law school in a matter of weeks and i am a first generation law student. the past month i have been so stressed about what i should be doing to prepare and what law school is even about that i felt like i haven’t been able to be as excited as i should be. i picked up this book and could not put it down. it really helped me to contextualize what law school is, what to expect, and tips for how to deal with all of the pressures that come along with it. young doesn’t sugar coat a thing about it, and the book is very much comprised of testimonials from law students and alum who give a real view of the many aspects of law school. while it did remind me how daunting of a path this would be, it simultaneously gave me a lot of hope and relief that i don’t need to be doing the all of the things all of the time. now after reading this it has made my choices a little clearer when it comes to extracurriculars, clinics, and summer jobs. it had a lot of helpful advice on how to cope and handle the student loan debt. it gave me a vision of what exams are going to look like. now law school doesn’t seem like this fathomless cavern i’m just jumping blindly into. i’ll definitely be referencing this again, likely after my first semester.
July 16, 2025
DNF at 50%
this wasn’t as practical as I expected it to be, and someone pointed out to me that it’s overly pessimistic and that killed it. I couldn’t stop noticing it and as a generally optimistic person I don’t think this is exactly what I was looking for, though I’m sure it’s helpful for others.
It doesn’t provide the kind of practical advice I was looking for, and diving into empirical research, trends, and quotes from students, while interesting at first, quickly became tiring to get through. I can see myself coming back to certain sections of this- as problems come up.
However, it seems of little use to spend time before law school analyzing every potential problem before it even occurs, if it ever occurs at all. Maybe this is more geared to students looking for guidance on certain issues or looking for affirmation that they are not alone, but it wasn’t a fit for me.
this wasn’t as practical as I expected it to be, and someone pointed out to me that it’s overly pessimistic and that killed it. I couldn’t stop noticing it and as a generally optimistic person I don’t think this is exactly what I was looking for, though I’m sure it’s helpful for others.
It doesn’t provide the kind of practical advice I was looking for, and diving into empirical research, trends, and quotes from students, while interesting at first, quickly became tiring to get through. I can see myself coming back to certain sections of this- as problems come up.
However, it seems of little use to spend time before law school analyzing every potential problem before it even occurs, if it ever occurs at all. Maybe this is more geared to students looking for guidance on certain issues or looking for affirmation that they are not alone, but it wasn’t a fit for me.
February 21, 2024
The title does not match the content. The first half of the book feels like being told I can drop out of school, I don't *have* to go to law school. Around the second half, we started getting into the good meat of the book. I was really hoping for more skill based approach to making sure you find ways to be happy, but that just didn't really happen. Overall, I'm glad I read it. I have some good take aways, but I wish there was about developing lasting skills to combat the known issues of law school and less "fluff". (It wasn't fluff, it just didn't fit the vibe.)
July 6, 2025
First of all shoutout to Grace Lyons who literally gave me this book from her apartment at her surprise birthday party. So thankful to a friend like her!
Second shoutout to everyone who reminded me that this book is just (mostly) one person’s opinion and even facts, interviews, and citations do little to affect the personal spin of someone who has opinions about law school! (Thank you Emory Bradford specifically 😗)
All that being said, as someone who has not ever been to law school (duh), has no one in her family that’s been to law school (exception is Hope’s dad Wade who told me I could always ask him questions), and is a tad frightened for this fall, I think this was a worthwhile beach read!
Definitely looking forward to reading other resources and planning a lot more for the fall but I thought this was a great introduction to important aspects of law school and entering into this insane three weeks! I probably could ramble for a lot longer but I have more interesting books I want to read so I’m gonna go do that 😆
Second shoutout to everyone who reminded me that this book is just (mostly) one person’s opinion and even facts, interviews, and citations do little to affect the personal spin of someone who has opinions about law school! (Thank you Emory Bradford specifically 😗)
All that being said, as someone who has not ever been to law school (duh), has no one in her family that’s been to law school (exception is Hope’s dad Wade who told me I could always ask him questions), and is a tad frightened for this fall, I think this was a worthwhile beach read!
Definitely looking forward to reading other resources and planning a lot more for the fall but I thought this was a great introduction to important aspects of law school and entering into this insane three weeks! I probably could ramble for a lot longer but I have more interesting books I want to read so I’m gonna go do that 😆
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August 2, 2024I really enjoyed reading this book. I start law school in about two weeks and picked this up to get a little bit of an idea of what to expect. I’m a first generation law student so I’m going in with no guidance or law school knowledge from family or friends. This book made me more excited though and I can’t wait to start! Cant rate the book because I haven’t had to apply it yet but I think it gives me a good foundation to stay on track with my goals and my mental well being while I’m school.
July 21, 2025
i’ve been in one of the worst reading slumps of my life but i still made time to hate this book.
I didn’t dnf simply because i wanted to be a hater to my full potential. This book was genuinely such a waste of time. The author was probably one of the most pretentious “i’m better than you and all of my peers” individuals i’ve ever seen. The book didn’t go into anything of sustenance about law school or regulating emotions and mental health while in law school.
I didn’t dnf simply because i wanted to be a hater to my full potential. This book was genuinely such a waste of time. The author was probably one of the most pretentious “i’m better than you and all of my peers” individuals i’ve ever seen. The book didn’t go into anything of sustenance about law school or regulating emotions and mental health while in law school.
November 22, 2023
I bought this book with the intention of reading it before I started law school. That did not happen, but I’m glad I had it on my book shelf when I hit rock bottom with my mental health during 2L. This book made me feel so much better about the things I am going through and I really enjoyed the research the author conducted to get a better picture of the law student experience.
May 31, 2025
Mostly delivers on what it promises. It’s not a guide on how to get through law school with perfect grades. It’s a guide about how to retain part of your humanity while going through a very stressful experience.
March 9, 2024
this book is very wise and healthy!! very glad I read it + hope my future classmates read it too
July 14, 2025
Sorta happy. Sorta terrified.
July 15, 2025
This better work!
July 29, 2019
A nice companion to “One L,” the narrative here addresses a lot of concerns I had about law school. Yes, it’s important to note the prestige of opportunities in law school, but ultimately what is going to make you happy - both in law school & long-term? Then it comes up with some suggestions for how to facilitate that and maintain your sanity while they’re trying to torture you. Not really, but also a little bit. It also mentions that only those with family in the military or medical profession will understand how strenuous and time-consuming this experience is, so catch me proclaiming I’m doing non-stop basic training for the next three years.
July 7, 2025
Packed with empirical research but presented in a colloquial way; it reinforced what I have heard before as well as opened my eyes to new ideas as well.
August 16, 2025
Great insight into things that you dont think of when starting law school, starting my 1L in less than a month and read this for the summer. I’m so glad I did ✨🫶🏻
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews