Study of 1Ls' Time Management Problems

"Time Famine" Begins in Law School and Later Creates Law Practice Unhappiness

Christine P. Bartholomew (SUNY-Buffalo), Time: An Empirical Analysis of Law Student Time Management Deficiencies, 81 U. Cin. L. Rev. 897 (2013):

This Article begins the much needed research on law students’ time famine. Time management complaints begin early in students’ legal education and generally go unresolved. As a result, practicing attorneys identify time famine as a leading cause of job dissatisfaction. To better arm graduating students, law schools must treat time as an essential component of practice-readiness. Unfortunately, most law schools ignore their students’ time management concerns, despite growing calls for greater “skills” training in legal education.

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[T]his Article presents a psychometric study of 1Ls – the first study to ever quantify law students’ time management problems. The study identifies five specific dimensions 1Ls lack: perceived control, present orientation, structured routine, goal setting, and mechanics. Using this information, the Article offers tailored advice on incorporating skills across the curriculum to help remedy these deficiencies. By learning foundational time management skills during law school, students have at least a fighting chance of managing time famine in practice.

Thanks to the TaxProfBlog for highlighting this study here.