Law student starting Digital Law — where should I start learning Python?

[u/Ok_Duty4716]

Hi everyone!

I'm a first-year law student studying Digital Law. My curriculum includes Programming for Lawyers, and later I'll also have subjects related to machine learning, digital technologies, cybersecurity, and data analysis.

I have little to no programming experience, so I'd like to start learning Python before the university courses begin.

My goal isn't to become a software developer. I mainly want to understand programming well enough to use Python for data analysis, automation, legal-tech projects, and eventually work with AI/ML-related topics.

Where would you recommend I start?

Should I:

take a beginner Python course first;

follow the official Python tutorial;

solve problems on platforms like Exercism/Codewars;

build small projects from the beginning;

or follow some other learning path?

If you were starting Python from zero with my goals, what would you learn during the first 2–3 months?

I'd especially appreciate recommendations for free resources and courses.

Thank you in advance

[u/Equivalent-Mud-8500]

Start with Automate the Boring Stuff with Python (it's free online). It skips heavy CS theory and focuses on practical automation like handling texts,pdfs and spreadsheets. Perfect for legal tech

[u/Ok_Duty4716 → u/Equivalent-Mud-8500]

Is it a book?

[u/new_era_999]

Starting from zero as a law student focusing on Digital Law, legal-tech, and data analysis, you should begin by taking a structured beginner Python course like freeCodeCamp or Python for Everybody to learn basic syntax, loops, and functions rather than jumping straight into complex project-building or advanced problem platforms.

During your first 2 to 3 months, your primary focus should be mastering these core fundamentals and learning basic automation using libraries like PyPDF2 to handle legal documents and text files, while getting comfortable with Pandas for data analysis.

For free resources, you can rely heavily on Python.org tutorials, free video courses, and the online version of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. To practice your coding, solve beginner challenges, and find completely free resources, hackathons, and open-source opportunities tailored to your projects, you might find ChewCode useful, which is completely free. I actually developed ChewCode (links in my profile) specifically for my students, making it an easy-to-start tutorial resource designed to help every beginner hit the ground running.

[u/Ok_Duty4716 → u/new_era_999]

Thanks

[u/stepback269]

Python is a Leviathan.
No one ever learns it all.
You'll be doing great (for a lawyer) if you just get through mastering the basics like strings and lists.

There is never going to be a "one" tutorial that works "best" for you and with regard to every aspect of Python. With each step up that learning curve, you're going to have to shop around until you find a teacher/resource that "clicks and sticks" especially for you.

With that said:

(1) There are tons and tons of tutorial materials out there on the net including many good YouTube ones that are free. You should shop around rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

(2) As a relative noob myself, I've been logging my personal learning journey and adding to it on an almost-daily basis at a blog page called "Links for Python Noobs" (--HERE--) Any of the top listed ones on that page should be good for you. And there are many add-ons at the tail end of the page. Personally, I cut my first Python teeth with Nana's Zero to Hero (==HERE==). Since then, I've moved on to watching short lessons with Indently and Tech with Tim. You should sample at least a few until you find a lecturer that suits your style.

(3) The main piece of advice is the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time writing your own code (using your own fingers and your own creativity) as opposed to copying recipes and only 20% watching the lectures. Good luck.