Fresh data to understand how well 1L law students are balancing coursework, recruiting, and personal obligations during their first semester
The first year of law school is unlike anything that came before it. In June 2026, JD-Next®, LexisNexis®, and Themis Bar Review® surveyed 1,408 students who had just completed their full 1L year to capture a complete picture of the experience, from the fall semester’s initial shock through the spring semester’s recalibration. What emerged is a comprehensive, data-informed portrait of the 1L year.
The findings confirm some things educators already suspect: Law school can be harder, more isolating, and more surprising than most students entering law expect. But they also reveal genuinely novel findings, ones that can change how pre-law advisors prepare their students and what law schools communicate with their incoming classes.
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