Advice for your 3L Year

Travis Pfannenstiel is a 3L at Washburn Law. He tells us about how is third year is going and how he is preparing for the bar!

As a 3L at Washburn Law, I feel a little shocked at how quickly my time in law school has passed. Between classes, extra-curricular activities, and preparation for graduation and the bar, I feel like this year has moved the fastest of all of my years in law school. I think that I, as well as many of my classmates, feel torn between my enjoyment of Washburn Law and my excitement to begin a career. My advice is to take the classes that interest you and enjoy this experience while it lasts. I've found that the best way to handle the stress of the 3L year is to make the most of the academic and social activities at Washburn Law.

For preparation for the July bar exam, I plan on purchasing the Barbri review course. I will also sign up for Essay Advantage and take the Spring Mastering Legal Analysis course. The bar application is very time-consuming—I suggest getting an early start on it and working on it gradually over a long period of time.

In looking for a job after graduation, I focused my search on the area in which I planned on practicing after school. I received my offer as a result of a summer clerkship with a law firm that participated in on-campus interviews during my 2L year. I think that students should get an early start on their job searches because many open positions are filled by the early part of the Fall semester. Summer clerkships and networking definitely help to lock down jobs for after graduation.