How to Overcome Rejection During Law School

I just received a rejection from an interview that I thought had gone really well. The email was kind and encouraging, but this was the second time I had interviewed at this firm. I couldn’t help but think “why am I not good enough for them?” Rejection during law school is probably one of the worst forms of rejection. As law students, we place a lot of our worth on our performance and compare ourselves to our peers. Law school is hard, but sometimes rejection is harder.

If you found this post, it was probably because you are dealing with some sort of rejection and you are in law school. Well, you can sleep easy knowing that you are not the only one dealing with the same thing! If you didn’t feel this way, you wouldn’t really be human. Take it from me: I have been rejected so many times in so many ways that I deserve a crown for being the Queen of Rejection.

Rejection is uncomfortable, it really is. But, what will put you ahead of everyone else is how you overcome these challenges. As cheesy as it sounds, if you don’t move past this and use it to fuel future success, you will feel even worse. Use this time to make your own path for yourself. Just when you feel the most down about yourself, something EVEN BETTER somewhere is waiting patiently for you to come and find it. Use this time to make a plan and overcome that rejection head on.

Here are my top tips for how to overcome rejection during law school!

1) Use rejection to fuel future success.

Nothing is more powerful than using rejection to fuel success. After the initial shock or sadness, something about rejection can be really motivating! Prove to yourself that you can be successful. Turn that “no” into more “yeses” than you could ever imagine. Even though making it to law school is a success in itself, prove to the world that you are worthy of a yes! Objective manifestations of success are not what defines of your worth. However, use these emotions to fuel your goals! Apply to all of the jobs, work hard in your classes, push yourself to be better. YOU are one of your greatest investments.

2) Practice self care.

This year, I have been practicing MORE self care than I did last semester. I definitely know what I am doing now more than last year, which is comforting, but I have decided that I need to take care of myself even better. This goes for you, too! Do more of what you love and makes you happy. Cook your favorite meal, do your favorite workout, sleep those 8 hours. Do what helps you decompress from the weight of these difficult 3 years. Take up journaling and practice telling yourself more affirmations.

Just because law school is hard does NOT mean you have to suffer 24/7. There will be stressful moments, but do what you can to make things more enjoyable for yourself. You will thank yourself now AND in the future.

3) Share your feelings with a trusted family member or friend.

As law students, we have our heads in the books most hours of the day. Sometimes, we may not see the sun again until the next day because we study so many hours straight. Then comes a fresh plate of rejection, served on a silver platter. It is HARD out there! Instead of holding these feelings in you need to let your feelings out sometimes. Trust me, this is one of the only ways I survive! Find a trusted family member or friend that you can talk to (and one you know will listen and make you feel better). Not only will you be able to get your feelings off your chest, but they will remind you of why you should be proud of who you are.

4) Speak with a trusted law professor or faculty member.

As humans, we need connection. Family and friends help a lot, but they aren’t always in your shoes. Sometimes, we need advice in addition to the comfort from our loved ones. Pick one of your favorite law professors, or one that you look up to, and schedule a time to sit down with them. Bring questions to the meeting and pick their brain. Chances are, they would be excited to have that conversation with you. Keep moving forward, and don’t forget to use all of the resources around you!

5) Get off social media.

If you haven’t heard this before, you will hear it now. Getting off social media will kill any temptation for comparison or self-doubt that you might have. Something about social media can make your worst days feel … worse. It is also a really big time suck! Getting off social media will definitely give you more time to dedicate your precious energy to achieving those goals in law school.

6) Remind yourself of your worth and all you have accomplished up to this point.

Chances are, if you are reading this post, you have received something just like this within the past year or two, or three:

You made it! Getting into law school is an achievement in itself. Don’t you forget that! Trust me, I forget it too. Rejection during law school can feel terrible. BUT, look at all of the wonderful things you have done up to this point in time. This too shall pass. You will continue to reach your goals and achieve great things.

Comment below with your favorite way to recover from rejection!