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How to Be Your Own Advocate on the Job as a New Lawyer

October 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

How to Be Your Own Advocate on the Job as a New LawyerThis week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to talk about speaking up for yourself when you’re a new attorney.

As a new lawyer, you’ve already worked tirelessly to earn your JD, pass the bar, and secure your first job. However, your journey is far from over – it’s just beginning!

To succeed in the legal profession, you must learn how to be your own advocate. This skill is not only essential for your professional development but also for your overall job satisfaction. Here, we explore strategies and techniques that will help you become an effective advocate for yourself over the course of your legal career. [Read more…]

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Struggling to Get on a Schedule? Self-Parent!

October 10, 2023 by 1 Comment

Struggling to Get on a Schedule? Self-Parent!This week we’re welcoming guest writer Whitney Weatherly to talk about getting yourself on a schedule.

OK, bear with me here. I’m personally a parent of human children, but I’m pretty sure pet-parents (and former babysitters, etc.) will also get where I’m coming from. When my kids were little, I realized that our lives would be an absolute nightmare if we didn’t come to some sort of consensus on basic boundaries and a schedule. Meal times, activity times, and especially time for sleeping. All of this ramped up even more when they needed to learn some sort of new skill. New skills are exhausting, and kids resist big time if there’s no consistency.

I’m not saying there was never any flexibility, of course! Things happen, and the schedule varies. If it varies long enough (like when they started school), then we need a new schedule. And figuring out what that schedule should be always took some trial and error until we got the right balance of sleep time, “work” time, and down time for our particular family.

Well, one of the hardest things about starting law school is getting yourself on an effective schedule. There’s always so much to do, and it all feels thankless and never-ending. But, take it from a mom, it is possible! You just need to play your own parent, and give yourself some boundaries (with consequences!), some rewards, and some grace.

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Write-on Competition

September 26, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Write-on CompetitionThis week we welcome back guest writer Stephanie Gregoire to talk about what the write-on competition experience was like for her.

This past summer, I went through the write-on competition for my school’s flagship law review and was successfully selected to join the law review as a member. During that entire process, I found myself having several “I wish I would’ve known this” moments, so to that end I hope to provide some illumination into the vagaries of the write-on competition.

I do want to caveat that each school (and sometimes each journal at a school) will operate theirs differently, so for the sake of transparency, here’s how mine functions: all of the journals and law review have the same write-on “prompt” but invite different categories of people to participate over a two-ish week period during the summer. Our “prompt” was a case pending before the Supreme Court, and we had to write a note or comment on that case that we then submitted for anonymous evaluation. It was not mandatory, and if we were eligible to write-on to multiple journals we could submit to all of them. With that background out of the way, let’s talk about my multiple “what…” moments! [Read more…]

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How to Make Law School a 9 to 5

September 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment

How to Make Law School a 9 to 5

This week we welcome back Julia Gourary to talk about how to make law school like a regular, full-time, job.

Law school is demanding. Between going to class, preparing for class, doing practice problems, outlining, extracurriculars, and applying for jobs, it seems like the work never ends. Law school can and will take up all your time if you let it, crowding out everything else in your life.

My 1L fall, I fell prey to this. I let my work take however long it took, leaving me scrambling to fit in other things like exercise, seeing friends, cleaning, and running errands in the fragments of time that were left over. I always felt like I was in work mode or should be working, even when I was supposed to be relaxing.

My 1L spring, I decided to try something different: making law school a 9 to 5(ish). I would arrive at school the same time every morning, attend class and do my readings during the “workday,” and then go home and be finished for the day. It doesn’t have to be exact—I did work a few hours over the weekend to make my week a little easier, and in the period leading up to exams I didn’t always stick to this schedule. But the general principle is this: if your plan out your time in advance, commit to efficiency during the “workday,” and set boundaries between school and home, law school does not need to be all-consuming.

Here’s how to do it:

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Behind the Scenes of Legal Writing: Understanding the Writing of Practicing Lawyers

August 29, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Behind the Scenes of Legal Writing Understanding the Writing of Practicing LawyersThis week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to talk about the different types of legal writing.

The legal profession is often associated with words, language, and writing, and students who are strong writers have always been drawn to it. From contracts and pleadings to briefs and memos, legal writing is an integral part of a practicing lawyer’s day-to-day work.

While you’ve undoubtedly taken a legal writing course or two in law school, the truth is that legal writing is much more diverse than what those classes make it out to be. If you’re wondering what type of writing you’ll be doing once you become a practicing lawyer, read on as we delve into various forms of writing that lawyers engage in every day. [Read more…]

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The Benefits of Joining Law School Student Organizations

August 15, 2023 by Leave a Comment

The Benefits of Joining Law School Student OrganizationsThis week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to discuss why joining a law school organization can be beneficial to your life as a law student.

Law school can be an intense experience, filled with long hours of studying, tough classes, and even tougher professors. While most law students are focused on academic success, seeking out a supportive community that fosters personal and professional growth is just as important. One of the most effective ways to do this is by joining law school student organizations.

You might not feel like you have a lot of free time on your hands, but making the time for these extracurriculars offers benefits that can significantly enhance your law school experience and your future legal career. Here, we explore the many advantages of becoming an active member of your law school student organizations and how doing so can help you find your legal community during law school and beyond. [Read more…]

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Thriving as an Introvert in Law School

August 1, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Thriving as an Introvert in Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer Julia Gourary to discuss handling law school as an introvert.

Law school is often considered a place where extroverted qualities like assertiveness and outspokenness are valued, and more extrovert-friendly activities like networking and public speaking are vital to success. But what about introverts, who tend to be more reserved and inward-looking, and easily get overstimulated by social situations?

While being introverted in law school can present some challenges, it doesn’t mean you can’t thrive. In fact, introverts possess unique strengths that allow them to excel in many aspects of law school. [Read more…]

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A Month At the Court As an Intern

July 18, 2023 by Leave a Comment

A Month At the Court As an InternThis week we’re hearing again from guest writer Stephanie Gregoire, this time about what her experience as an intern in the court has been like during the summer.

For the past month, I’ve had the honor of interning with a Texas appellate court justice. It’s hard to believe my time in this position is over, but this has been an unforgettable experience, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. If you’re wondering what a judicial intern does, or at least what they might do, read on to learn more about what the past few weeks have involved for me. I should caveat up front that not all experiences will necessarily be the same, depending on the particular court or judge/justice you work with, but hopefully this will be helpful to you in some capacity. [Read more…]

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You Can Do Anything With a Law Degree – These Authors Prove It!

July 4, 2023 by Leave a Comment

You Can Do Anything With a Law Degree – These Authors Prove It!This week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to talk about what you can do with a law degree.

You’ve no doubt heard it before – “you can do anything with a law degree!” But do you believe it? Are there really alternatives to working as a lawyer? There absolutely are plenty. And while most law students aren’t thinking about how to leave the profession before they even enter it, it’s good to know all of your options.

Here, for some inspiration, we delve a little bit into the fascinating world of lawyers turned novelists and give some tips on what you can do if you think that’s something you might be interested in doing. Knowing that alternative career paths exist is one of the smartest things you can do for yourself as a young lawyer.

Who knows, maybe you’ll add author to your resumé one day!

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What I Wish I Had Known Going Into Law School

June 20, 2023 by 1 Comment

What I Wish I Had Known Going Into Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer and rising 2L Stephanie Gregoire to discuss what she learned after finishing up 1L year.

Somehow, my 1L year has ended, and I’m a rising 2L. I don’t quite know how this happened, but it has. The amount I have learned over the last school year is incredible, and I look forward to learning even more in the coming years. But for now, let’s talk about the non-law things I learned that I wish I would have known in August:

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