It’s back-to-school season again, and I can hardly believe that I’m starting my last semester EVER. (And thank goodness for that.) One of my best friends is starting law school, and I’m so proud of her! I know when I started law school I was so worried about making sure I was organized and had everything I needed before classes started, so I’ve been thinking about the things that were useful, the things that weren’t, and the things I bought down the road that I wished I had from the beginning. Law school is expensive enough as it is, you don’t want to be wasting money on things you don’t need. Here are my top ten essentials for law school!

1 | High-quality backpack

I started law school using the Everlane leather tote because I preferred shoulder bags over backpacks. However, after only one semester of using it, the strap broke! I only ever put my computer, a notebook, a waterbottle, and other basic necessities in it and then carried my textbooks by hand. After that, I used my Tumi backpack, which I love! I love the one I have because it’s the perfect size to fit everything I need and not overwhelm me and make me look like a little kid. Tumi is pricey, but you can often find them on sale (which is what I did). It’s worth it because the bags are high-quality and look nice/more professional than most other backpacks. But any backpack will work as long as it’s durable!

2 | iPad

This is a splurge, and not technically necessary. BUT, if it’s possible to get one, I can’t recommend it enough! I didn’t get one until my third year of school, but I absolutely love it for taking notes. I use the Goodnotes app so I can hand-write my notes while having the convenience of keeping them digital and all in one place. I also started using a planner template that I purchased on Etsy and love!

3 | Blue light glasses

During my first 1L finals I started getting migraines for the first time in my life from spending so much time staring at text on a computer screen. In an effort to protect my eyes, I started using blue light glasses when I spend a lot of time reading and typing on the computer. My most-used pair are hese blue light glasses from Amazon.

4 | Noise-canceling headphones

Noise-canceling headphones or earbuds are a must for tuning things out when you need to study. I’ve been using the AirPods Pro for years and love them. I also just got the AirPods Max for bar prep, and I prefer them over other headphones that I tried. But if you only get one (having both really isn’t necessary), I recommend the Airpods Pro because they’re easier to carry around in your bag.

5 | Planner

For all three years of law school I used planners from Golden Coil–they are the absolute best! Trust me, I’ve been obsessed with planners all my life and have tried MANY. I love my Golden Coil planners because they’re so customizable. You can choose from many different weekly/daily layout options and add in a variety of pages from plain notepaper, to budgeting templates, to grocery lists.

6 | Book stand

I didn’t know book stands were a thing during my 1L year, and boy do I wish I had. You spend many, many hours reading each week, you’ll want to limit the amount of time you have to spend hunched over at your desk. It’s especially useful to use the book stand for textbooks or printed resources when you need to reference them while typing. Your neck will thank you! This is the one I got, and it has been perfect for my needs. It’s plastic and lightweight in case you want to bring it to the library with you, but it can still support the massive textbooks.

7 | Highlighters

You’ll use highlighters A LOT, and really any kind will work. I personally like this Zebra Midliner set because there is a good variety of colors and they also have a fine-tipped end. I also like these ones from Sharpie because the clear tip help your lines neat.

8 | Quimbee subscription

In my opinion, this is a non-negotiable! As a 1L, you should certainly do your best to read the cases and make your own briefs, but the Quimbee case briefs are helpful to get a quick synopsis, refresh your memory, or to give you a preview of what’s going on in the cases.

9 | A dedicated study space

The key to productive studying is having a dedicated space where you can focus. I got this L-shaped desk so I have plenty of space to spread out, especially when I’m studying for finals. I love that it has a shelf underneath where I can easily access my textbooks while keeping them out of the way.

10 | Monitor

Ok, obviously you need a laptop, which is not included on this list. But for studying at home, I couldn’t have lived without having a monitor!

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