The first weeks of law school can be intimidating and overwhelming - law school is unlike any of your other academic endeavors and involves learning a whole new language. Part of the difficulty of law school is adapting to and making use of this new language. You should not gloss over the words you do not understand, nor should you simply try to figure out the meaning of the word in context - having a basic knowledge or guessing what a word means will only hinder your understanding of the law. Often, you will find that preconceived ideas about the meaning of a word will differ from the actual legal meaning.
Thus, part of preparing for class and studying should include looking up and working to develop an understanding of unfamiliar words - make this part of your regular study routine, and as you continue throughout the semester, your legal vocabulary will continue to grow, you will find fewer and fewer unfamiliar words, and you will be more comfortable in your ability to be conversational in the law.
There are many legal dictionaries and online resources to help you build your legal vocabulary - Black's Law Dictionary is the most well known (it is even available on Westlaw and as an iPhone app). Pick a legal dictionary that works for you, and make use of it during the school year - by the time the semester is over, and you are studying for finals, it will make your understanding of the law so much more manageable.
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