Stop racing to the finish line: Law student calls for rethink of the legal journey

In the same episode, she argued that the traditional blueprint for the “ideal law student” has become an increasingly unrealistic benchmark, placing mounting pressure on aspiring lawyers to chase a version of success that is becoming ever more difficult to attain.

Rather than treating a law degree as something to complete as quickly as possible, French encouraged aspiring lawyers to embrace it as one chapter in a much broader professional journey, where the experiences, opportunities, and personal growth gained along the way are every bit as valuable as the qualification itself.

“It’s not so much a reroute, but really just a reframe on how we look at the law student and the law degree journey. I really see that we should be looking at it as a holistic view of the journey to becoming a lawyer. It’s not this really confined law degree aspect,” she said.

French observed that too many law students become consumed by the race to admission, arguing that some of the most rewarding and career-shaping aspects of legal education are found not at the finish line, but throughout the journey itself.

“I speak to a lot of law students, and they just want to get it done. They want to rush to the finish line. They want to get to the Supreme Court and get their admission and have it all done,” she said.

“But really, I think the joy and the excitement are in celebrating that journey and the process of getting there.”

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Rather than sacrificing everything in pursuit of a law degree, French urged students to continue investing in the interests and activities that make them who they are, arguing that those experiences are instrumental in developing the perspective, resilience, and balance needed to become well-rounded lawyers.

“I think that we really need to recognise that diverse experience is what’s going to make you a better lawyer or a great lawyer,” she said.

“Things like extracurriculars or hobbies on the side, they don’t, they don’t just go away for five years. When you do your law degree, once you get to being a lawyer or having a job, that’s the first thing that you’re going to turn to.

“What are you going to do after five o’clock and you log off? What’s your hobby? What are you getting up to?”

She further warned against the unhealthy tendency for law students to define themselves solely by their studies, urging them instead to adopt a more balanced approach that values personal growth alongside academic achievement.

“This idea that we’re just going to shut ourselves off for our law degree and that’s all we’re going to think about is not healthy. I think we really need to redefine that and celebrate that, that kind of holistic person getting through a law degree,” she said.

At the same time, French cautioned that embracing new opportunities should not come at the expense of wellbeing, stressing that students must be honest about their capacity and carefully consider whether additional commitments align with their existing workload.

“Making sure that you’re setting yourself up for success and not being so hard on yourself. If you’re taking on a new opportunity, does that align with my load at the moment? Should I drop a unit? I could pick up something in summer. They’re doing an intensive, or I can get a study group,” she said.

“All of those kinds of things, but not kind of just struggling through it and then realising at week six, like I am right now, oh, it’s all a bit much, and I need to slow down a bit when it’s a bit too late.”