After my last post about what to avoid when looking for people to join your study group, a few people wrote to me and asked which positive qualities they should look for. In particular, people asked about whether or not they should be looking for “smart” people so that they can perhaps take in some of that raw intelligence. A few comments.
Regarding the selection of someone “smart”, remember that the people who are the most vocal in class are not necessarily the people who do the best on exams. More often than not, you will find that the person that receives the highest grade in your class is a person that has not said a word all semester. As such, do not discount someone because they do not speak in class as they may be exactly who you are looking for. My study group and I were silent throughout all of first year (except when called on) and we all did very well on our exams.
Another thing to consider regarding finding “smart people” is that some people that did very well in their undergraduate studies may not grasp law school very well. As such, it is tough to really know who is “smart” from who is not and you will really have to go with your gut. I am not sure that the search for smart is that worthwhile but perhaps something to consider.
Regarding personality traits, finding the right mix of traits is tough and this is especially the case in your first year when you do not really know people well (or at all). You obviously want to avoid the obnoxious people who will monopolize the entire session with their inane ideas. To get a good handle on this, perhaps just have an informal study session to kind of “test drive” the person. Also, you should look for people that are conscientious and will come to the sessions prepared and ready to contribute. Finally, you also want people that you get along with to make the pain of intense studying a bit more pleasant. This last characteristic is extremely important as you will have to be able to coexist with this group for a long period of time. I remember many long nights in my first year and it was nice to spend them with people that I genuinely liked. As I mentioned in my last post, my first year study group and I still all regularly stay in touch and I am sure we will be life long friends who shared a very positive bonding experience. Good luck with your search.
