It’s October, and across Boston leaves are changing color, the sun is setting earlier, and Christmas decorations are making an – excessively – early appearance at Costco. More locally, on the Newton Campus, the word outline is being thrown around, you can’t go 30 feet without hearing someone stressed about a memo, and the realization that “Oh, the summer job hunt starts now,” has hit. 

With my packed to-do list staring me down everytime I open my daily planner, you might expect me to be hunkered down in a study room somewhere, noise canceling headphones in, ready to methodically complete all my assignments. Or, you might expect me to be darting in and out of office hours, trying to make sure I have the best understanding possible before I really sit down and begin exam prep. You might even expect me to be opening SAGE and starting my summer job search. 

You certainly would not expect me to add something else to my plate. I know – I was shocked at myself too when I started filling out the application form for the Client Counseling Competition. 

Client Counseling is the second of two 1L competition opportunities that the Law School offers, running from the beginning of October into November. During the rounds, you and another student “counsel” a client – usually another student. 

You ask questions about the client’s problem, provide initial guidance and formulate a plan of action. BC law alumni act as judges and score you and your teammate based on how well you assessed the client’s needs and worked as a unit to address them. 

While it may sound like it can get stressful quickly, it’s probably some of the most fun I’ve had in the fall semester. 

I personally love offering advice – following it, well, I plead the fifth. From a friend’s messy breakup, to my little sister deciding what classes to take next fall, and everything in between, I love telling people what they should be doing. 

If you’re thinking that, as a 1L who has barely been here two months, I really have no place offering legal advice, you wouldn’t be wrong. But, as far as I am aware, Client Counseling is less about the quality of the advice you give, and more about the quality of care you provide to the client. 

Do you let the client finish their sentences instead of interrupting? Do you create a space without judgment? Do you actively listen to the client’s problems? Do you listen to your partner, and take their questions and thoughts into consideration when making a plan? Do you lay out the options for a client, ensuring they make an informed decision? 

Majority of the competition comes down to something you don’t need a JD for – it comes down to empathy. 

Now, that’s not to say the 1L classes haven’t been helpful – Law Practice’s mock interview in particular has been invaluable preparation (thank you, Professor Bratt). 

Client Counseling is also a great opportunity to make friends. I went random, and my partner is in another section, meaning I had a chance to meet someone I may have not met during 1L if I chose not to compete. You also get to meet attorneys and ask them questions about their experiences counseling a client. 

Besides, I am also convinced that every law school student was a theater kid in another life, so if you’re someone who misses the stage, it’s a great opportunity for that as well. 

So, while I may want to wallow in the sheer amount of work I have to do, I’m happy I chose to take advantage of the activities BC offers – I am only a 1L once, after all.

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Samantha Torre is a 1L and brand new Impact blogger. Contact her at torrs@bc.edu.