The Benefits of Joining Law School Student Organizations

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…]

Thriving as an Introvert in Law School

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…]

What I Wish I Had Known Going Into Law School

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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When Things Don’t Go as Planned

When Things Don’t Go as PlannedGuest writer Zoila Sanchez is back this week to talk about how to handle things not going in the way you had imagined. 

Sometimes your dreams do not happen within the timeline you have in mind or in the manner in which you had imagined. When it comes to pursuing a major career goal of becoming an accomplished attorney, the road will come with its challenges. Sometimes the challenges can feel like life-ending roadblocks leaving you questioning if this is the right path.

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Managing Expectations of Loved Ones as a Nontraditional Law Student

Managing Expectations of Loved Ones as a Nontraditional Law StudentThis week we welcome back guest writer and law student Stephanie Gregoire to talk about expectations of family and friends as a nontraditional law student.

If I’ve learned anything in law school, it’s that everyone, and I mean everyone, has an opinion. With movies like “Legally Blonde” and “The Paper Chase,” people wonder what law school is actually like and what to expect from their friends or relatives who are in law school. So how do you manage the expectations of those relatives who expect one extreme or the other from you? Here are some tips I either used myself or heard about from classmates and friends to manage the opinions and expectations of loved ones. [Read more…]

Experiencing Grief in Law School

Experiencing Grief in Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer Zoila Sanchez to discuss surviving grief during law school.

The loss of a loved one can be difficult to process. When loss strikes while you are in the middle of law school, you may want to hit the pause button so that you can properly grieve. Generally, we get a few days to gather ourselves before jumping back into the swing of things, which is a harsh reality as there may be a lot of feelings hitting you all at once.

If you find yourself facing the loss of a loved one as a law student, here are a few tips to help you along the way so that you can feel the comfort and support you need to heal from your loss: [Read more…]

Law School Perspective – How to Make Your Relationship Last Through Law School

Law School Perspective - How to Make Your Relationship Last Through Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer Shirlene Brown to talk about the challenge of making a relationship last through law school.

Are you in a relationship and about to start law school? It is possible that you have heard the rumor that your romances in law school never last. So you may be worried that your relationship may be doomed to fail because you are in law school. This is understandable as law school is one of the most stressful times of your life, and you may be concerned about not having a lot of time for a relationship. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should break up with your sweetheart. It is possible to have a relationship last the entirety of law school. Personally, I started dating my significant other about 6 months before I started my 1L year, and I am married to him now! Since I have been in the trenches of law school and love, here are some tips and tricks to make your relationship last through law school, if not even further! [Read more…]

Law School Depression and Anxiety

Law School Depression and AnxietyThis week we welcome back guest writer Zoila Sanchez to discuss dealing with mental health issues as a law student.

Late and long nights of reading confusing case law. Preparing for being called on during the dreaded cold calls. Feeling like you are faking it until you make it. Competition to make it onto prestigious journals and into extracurricular activities. Is law school supposed to feel miserable? Is it normal to feel like you are a failure? Do you experience muscle tension, mood swings, feelings of sadness?

These experiences may be shared across law students and are somewhat normalized. After all, we all voluntarily signed up for this difficult endeavor.

How do you know when your mental health needs attention during law school?

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First Few Weeks of 1L as a “Non-Traditional” Student

First Few Weeks of 1L as a "Non-Traditional" StudentThis week we welcome back new 1L Stephanie Gregoire to discuss what it’s been like transitioning from a career to starting law school.

The first few weeks of 1L can be a lot. If you’re someone who, like me, had a career before law school and wonder what those first few weeks are like from that perspective, look no further!

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Coping with Divorce in Law School

Coping with Divorce in Law SchoolThis week we welcome law tutor Sara Beller to talk about what it was like getting divorced in law school.

I started my 1L year newly engaged and ready to conquer law school. I could already see it – I was going to finish the year with a Law Review invitation and one of the top rankings in my class, all while planning the wedding of my dreams. Check, check, and check!

Next it was time to master being a 2L. No big deal, right? I mean my “to-do” list for the year was relatively short … just finish the year in the top 10%, make Law Review editor, land a summer internship, oh and did I mention get married?!

I crushed my 2L “to-do” list and was ready to tackle my last year of law school as a newlywed and newly minted Law Review editor. I had 3L year in the bag, or so I thought. Right before midterms of my Fall semester, life happened. I got divorced. Instead of studying for midterms, I was moving out of the apartment I shared with my now-ex-husband, figuring out where I was going to live, and getting further and further behind in my classes.

That year, I went from wondering if I would even pass my classes to *spoiler alert* graduating with honors. Here’s how I survived getting divorced in law school and the lessons I learned along the way:

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