Interview with Alabama Law Student Bradley Robinson: Challenges & Lessons Learned From Law School

Bradley Robinson is a law student based in Montgomery, Alabama. Originally from Birmingham, he grew up in a world that emphasized public service and civic engagement, which sparked his interest in public policy, history, and community involvement.

Bradley is currently a second-year student at Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 2022 with a degree in history and a minor in political science. He plans to return to Birmingham to practice law.

Q: What pushed you toward law school in the first place?

BRADLEY ROBINSON: After my time studying at the University of Alabama, I was trying to think about what I wanted to do for my career. My family had a background in civil litigation, and I thought about following in their footsteps. Once I started law school, I realized that I may want to serve as a prosecutor, because that’s where someone fresh out of law school can make a difference. The idea of having the responsibility of administering justice is a huge responsibility and is one that I’ve learned to not take lightly. The criminal law faculty and job placement resources at the Jones School of Law are a great fit for those who want to pursue a career in criminal justice. 

Q: What has been the toughest adjustment for you as a second-year student?

BRADLEY ROBINSON: The hardest part has been realizing that the workload never really lets up. Even on lighter weeks, there’s always something that needs to be done, whether it’s reading casebooks, reviewing old notes, or outlining for classes. You learn fast that you can’t put things off because things start to pile up. I had to figure out a routine that lets me stay on top of the material without burning myself out. Once I got into that routine, the stress didn’t completely go away, but it became a lot easier to manage, and I didn’t feel like I was constantly trying to catch up. 

Q: Foundational courses are a big part of law school. Which ones impacted your experience the most?

BRADLEY ROBINSON: Contracts forced me to look at everyday decisions differently. You start realizing that simple agreements you make without thinking are actually full of structure and rules. Constitutional Law also impacted me because of how accurate the reading has to be. You can’t rush through anything, and one phrase can change the meaning of a whole case. Both classes pushed me to slow down, think more carefully, and work through complicated ideas one at a time, and those habits ended up helping with every other course I’ve taken. 

Q: How do you keep your life balanced when school gets intense?

BRADLEY ROBINSON: I try to keep a busy and robust extra-curricular schedule. Whether it’s clubs or social events through the school, or keeping a healthy workout routine throughout the week, I am always trying to keep everything in my life in a healthy balance. Church on the weekends, phone calls to friends and family, being outside, and watching Alabama sports are also great outlets for this. 

Q: What has surprised you most about your law school experience so far?

BRADLEY ROBINSON: The way that your brain chemistry will change while being there. The way you think is very different from conventional academia. In college, you will go to lectures, be assigned light readings, and will have several assignments over the course of a semester that will determined your grade. In law school, you will receive heavy reading workloads, be required to attend all of your lectures, and be called on at random in your classes and be expected to recite information on the case with an almost-expert understanding of the information. Also, your grade is determined by a singular test at the end of the year as opposed to multiple assignments. It is a very rigorous workload that is intentionally designed to teach someone to think like a lawyer, if it is done correctly. This can lead to a high-stress environment, but I can say from experience that it does fundamentally help with the learning of the information and trains you to be a better attorney.

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