LSAT Prep Options: Odyssey Test Prep

Odyssey Test Prep InfoWe’re excited to initiate a series of interviews with various LSAT prep companies, exploring their approach and getting some tips for success. (If you’d like to be featured, let me know.)

Today, we’re talking with Odyssey Test Prep about how their approach to studying for the LSAT.

Find out more below! [Read more…]

Preparing For Your Law School Graduation Celebration: A Timeline

Law School Graduation

Today we have a special guest post from AJ Early who is a personal chef, freelance writer, and entertaining enthusiast from Boise, Idaho.

You are almost there. You’ve worked so incredibly hard and spent countless sleepless nights and lonely weekends at home preparing for that one moment: your graduation from law school. Graduating with a law degree is a huge life event, and you should definitely have a huge celebration. But as a 3L, you’ve got classes, seminars, externships, the Bar exam, a number of certifications and exams, and maybe even work and job hunting to contend with before graduation. [Read more…]

Surviving On Campus Interviews: Tips to Ace Your Callback Interview

Law Firm Interviews

It’s almost OCI time, so today we are excited to welcome back Peter from Law Firm Interviews with a follow up to his first article, Dealing with Adverse Facts During Interviews in the Surviving On Campus Interview Series. Today he is sharing tips to ace your callback interview. 

Welcome back, Peter!

I was at a cocktail party at the firm last night, and chatted with a few people, one partner, a couple of mid-levels, and a senior associate, about the folks they’ve been interviewing over the past few days. What they said reminded me to write this article.
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Advice on BigLaw and OCI from a Stanford Law Grad

Man in front of puzzleCodesandcodes is a Stanford Law graduate and creator of the website, Biglawrefuge. We asked him tough questions about scoring that Big Law job after graduation and advice for surviving on-campus interviews.

Here are his answers: [Read more…]

Finding Your Path: A Business Coach Weighs In

Crystal MarshPlease welcome Crystal Marsh, former attorney and career business coach. She is the owner of Crystal Marsh Coaching — a where she helps millennials define success and fulfillment for themselves and then land their dreams jobs or start their new businesses. Today she is sharing answering questions and sharing her insight on law school, the first years and finding your path.

Welcome, Crystal!

I’m getting ready to start law school, and I’m not at all sure I should go. I think I’d be good at law, but I’m not sure it’s my passion. Is this a terrible idea? What should I be thinking about as I make this decision?

[Read more…]

Surviving On Campus Interviews: Dealing With Adverse Facts During Interviews

Law Firm Interviews- On Campus InterviewsIt’s almost OCI time, so today we are excited to welcome Peter from Law Firm Interviews with the first in a series about On-Campus Interviews. This first article discusses how to explain adverse facts on your record and discusses how he got through the process with flying colors. 

Welcome Peter!

Everyone has weaknesses, even the strongest candidates among you. Even if it’s that one low grade on the transcript, the result of one aberrant class or badly executed exam, you’ve been obsessed about how interviewers will see it, and in moments of extreme doubt, you’ve worried that it would cost you your job. [Read more…]

Ultimately, You Always Have to Teach Yourself

Teaching YourselfIf you’re starting law school soon, I’ve got some bad news for you. No one is going to teach you “the law.” This seems shocking, right? I mean, you’re paying a truckload of money to go to law school – you’d think they’d teach you what you’re paying to learn. But, that’s not the way it works.

The good news is that you probably already know this, if not consciously. In reality, you’ve been teaching yourself things for your entire life. I’ve been thinking more about this topic for the last couple of months, since I moved to Mexico City to learn Spanish, so I’ll share a little of what I’m learning since I think it’s applicable to learning just about anything.
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Are You Willing to Look Stupid to Learn?

shutterstock_121961872Lee Rosen once said something interesting to me, which is that he runs across a lot of solo and small firm lawyers who are more concerned about looking like lawyers than they are in doing the non-glamorous work that’s required to get enough business to actually be a lawyer.

At the time, I found this sort of amusing and ironic, but didn’t think much about it. However, I’ve realized this principle applies more broadly, and is applicable to all types of students, too. (As a struggling Spanish-language learner, I count myself in this group, too.)

Are You Too Focused on Looking Smart to Actually Learn?

How often do you do the thing that makes you look (or feel) smart, rather than admitting you don’t know something and really diving in to try to understand it?

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Is Starting Law School Like Moving to a Foreign Country?

Starting Law SchoolPeople always say that law school is like high school, and — while there’s some truth to that (cliques, lockers, backpacks, and gossip!) — I think it’s actually more like moving to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, don’t know anyone, and don’t understand the culture.

Given that I recently moved to Mexico City for the summer (where I don’t speak the language, don’t know anyone, and don’t fully understand the culture), I’m amazed by the similarities to those first months of law school. Here’s what I’ve realized, which might help with the transition to law school.

At First, Everything is Exciting and New

By the time you arrive at law school Orientation, you’ll have been anticipating the moment for months, or even years. It’s really happening! After all of the LSAT prep, application stress, packing, moving, thinking, wishing, worrying — you’re really doing it! You’re starting law school.

Similarly, the first days in a foreign country are so fun and exciting. Who cares if you can’t communicate with anyone! Just look at this adorable cafe you can sit in and daydream about how awesome your life is going to be. All the new friends you’ll make! How quickly you’ll be communicating fluently! This is going to be awesome.

Then, Reality Sets In

Then, a few days in, things start to shift.

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What Should You Be Learning in Law School?

Michele PistonePlease welcome Professor Michele Pistone to the blog. Michele is a professor of Law and teaches the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES) at Villanova School of Law. She’s also created LegalED, an online resource where students can learn the law via videos from leading law professors and lawyers. She’s here today to share some insights about law school and what her day looks like. Welcome, Michele! [Read more…]