Written by our AULS Blog Competition 2026 Winner, Sophie Smith.
You apply to law school with ambition. After spending months working towards an offer, imagining what studying law will look like and what your future might hold. When that offer finally arrives, it feels like confirmation that you can pursue the path you have chosen. You have worked for this, and you have earned your place.
Then, you sit in your first law lecture.
Suddenly, the excitement of it all is accompanied by a different feeling. The reading lists seeming like a relentless deluge of words, the terminology sounding like a foreign language and analysing intricate cases will quickly feel like your brain is doing overtime. Plus, there’s the joy of being surrounded by strangers who look like they’ve totally got it all figured out. All of this may cause you to question whether you really know enough to be there in the first place.
How can you feel so certain that you belong one moment, and question it the next? Kind of odd, right?
One culprit... or should I say “accused” – is imposture syndrome. This blog is here to help you object to your inner critic and finally win the case against imposter syndrome- with some helpful tips I have gathered in the first few weeks of semester 1.
1. Recognise that getting here in the first place was an achievement in itself
You applied to law school for a reason and you earned your place- whether this was a few months ago, or a matter of years ago. The statement still stands.
You don’t need to know legal terminology or understand every case straight away- sometimes you may need to take some time to just simply consolidate your notes and look through the content at your own pace.
Key message: You are a law student, not a qualified lawyer. You are allowed to start at the beginning.
Tip: give yourself time to find a study method that works for you. There is so many to choose from- using search engines such as google, or even social media if that’s your preference, provide an array of methods that may make studying feel easier for you.
2. Stop comparing your beginning to someone else’s middle
Imposter syndrome thrives on comparison.
Some students might sound more confident in lectures or have previous legal experience. Others may have family members in the legal profession, and more may have training contracts lined up already.
When occasions like these arise, focus on your own progression rather than measuring yourself against your classmates- someone else already having something in line or sounding like they know all of the content does not make you any less capable of doing the same thing- but do it at your OWN pace.
3. Learn to distinguish between ambition from perfectionism
Ambition can motivate you to aim for high grades, but perfectionism can make you feel like anything less than immediate success is failure. Take mistakes and feedback which may feel difficult to swallow as an opportunity to improve- not to use them as proof you’re not good enough.
You can take your future seriously without having the expectation of needing to be exceptional at everything straight away- as time progresses, you can only improve.
Tip: Don’t let good grades ben your only measure of your university experience-I found that putting down the books and going out with friends to socials or even just a simple catchup can make the worry surrounding grades a lot easier to cope with.
4. Turn imposter syndrome into something useful
You’re probably thinking you want to eradicate this cognitive distortion, not keep it. But I say use it to your advantage.
Keep track of your wins- write down any positive feedback you have received- big or small. Don’t forget to include good marks and things you’ve improved at- none of these improvements necessarily need to be recognised by an external source, if you happen to notice a difference, that’s all that matters. Jot it down.
Break tasks down instead of worrying about your degree overall, just focus on the most important tasks for each week.
5. Finally- Let ambition and uncertainty coexist
Remind yourself that you are allowed to want a successful legal career but still have days when you doubt yourself
If imposter syndrome allows uncertainty to take the wheel- it doesn’t automatically mean you’ve chosen the wrong degree- take some time to reflect on why you started in the first place and enjoy the process of being in the position of figuring it all out.
Ultimately, ambition and imposter syndrome can coexist- you want to achieve great things but have moments where you question whether your capable of those achievements. Its only human. The important thing is how you deal with these moments. Whether you’re just starting your degree, returning to education or preparing for the next stage of your legal career- remember to take time to reflect on your achievements and that you don’t need to have it all figured out to be moving in the right direction.
