A term used in
law school to represent first year
students. This term is thrown around as
slang quite a bit. Successive years are referred to as 2L and 3L.
During this year the students learn about contracts, property, torts, criminal law, civil procedure, constitutional law, and legal analysis.
An example of the 1L experience can be found in the film, The Paper Chase. One might also look into Scott Turow's novel, One L, which details the experiences of a first year law student at Harvard.
The most characteristic aspects of 1L life include crushing stress, social isolation, and severe anxiety. This is due to the heavy course load put upon students in a somewhat shaolin style test to ensure that only the best students become lawyers.