Cold Calling

Cold Calling? What is this? Maybe a frozen phone call? Nope. In this post I will break down cold calling in law school and common questions about it.

First, cold calling refers to law school teachers calling on students to answer a question randomly.

AKA you do not know when you will have to answer a question about your previous nights reading.

Is it scary? Maybe the first time, but after first time, you will realize: this is just school and you are just answering a question. You may be wrong, but that is the point! This is (as long as your teacher is respectful) simply a method of learning.

What is the socratic method? The socratic method is using questions to “draw out the answers” about the text. The goal of the teacher is to allow the students to teach each other. By asking questions instead of lecturing, the teachers are trying to make the lesson more engaging.

How should I approach cold calling? I would suggest be prepared, learn from the experience and try your best. After this don’t worry. You will mess up, over and over again. But that is where the true learning happens, so don’t worry about messing up!

What about my classmates? Your classmates will be as nervous as you are! They also will often not know the answer, and are also just trying their best. Also, if you mess up, trust me, they will not remember five minutes later.

Do I need to stand up to answer a cold call? Only in Legally Blond. This may not be a common question, but I literally asked this to someone. The answer is no, absolutely not (unless your school is verrrrry unique). You may have to speak up, but that is it.