Honored to speak to our #firstgen @UCDavisLaw 1Ls as part of the First Generation annual kickoff event. Here are a few thoughts I shared as a first gen college, law school, law prof #FirstGenEverything. Thread:

1. Making Sense of the 'Nodders': when you first start law school you look around in the classroom and see students nodding confidently and think they totally understand the professor and you don't and impostor syndrome sets in -- just know they are as lost and scared as you are.

2. Manage guilt: You come to law school with the weight of your families and communities on your shoulders. This is a lot of pressure. It will make you feel guilty and sad for those who are not sitting next to you. You wonder why you. You might be tempted to volunteer for ....

...student orgs, particularly those that provide assistance to people from communities like yours. Don't sign up for everything under the sun to manage your guilt. Instead, recognize that the best way to pay tribute and respect those who supported you is to focus on law school.

3. Networks: Everyone is going to tell you to build your network but few tell you how to do it. It feels overwhelming. The best way to approach this is to see it as part of your legal education. Schedule recurring appointment in your calendar for 30-45 minutes...

... where you use the time to search online or through your career development office's materials and alumni networks for people who seem to have interesting jobs. Reach out to them especially if they're on an approved mentor or alum list -- they want to help. ...

... after a few weeks you now have 4 people you've started conversations with and can continue to keep in touch with as you move through law school. If you break "networking" down into component parts, you will be surprised how quickly you can build relationships.