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Highlighting: A Feel-Good Waste of Time

March 26, 2019 by 2 Comments

Highlighting: A Feel-Good Waste of TimeThis week we welcome back guest writer Christen Morgan to talk about why highlighting might not be the best strategy when trying to memorize in law school.

What’s your favorite study strategy? Do you delve deep into using flashcards or do you plaster note tabs and sticky notes by each important point to create a roadmap for your brain? Do you outline diligently throughout the semester or entirely procrastinate then cram it all at the last minute and pray that through some magnetic force the information will ultimately stick? Regardless of your study style, I’m sure that you may have relied on highlighting at some point or another as a way to quickly remember the most important points in your dense case law reading. However, if highlighting is your chosen study technique, I have some bad news for you, “highlighting doesn’t actually help you remember anything.” In fact, research shows that highlighting is simply a waste of time because it fails to embed knowledge into your brain. [Read more…]

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The Myth of Time Management: Why We Can’t Manage Time. We Can Only Manage Ourselves

January 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

The Myth of Time Management: Why We Can’t Manage Time We Can Only Manage OurselvesDon’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Theresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

– H. JACKSON BROWNE

I talk to lawyers almost every day about time management. We all use the phrase “time management” because we’ve been conditioned to do so over the years. But time management is a myth. There really is no such thing as time management. Once you understand that you cannot manage time – you can only manage yourself – you’ll begin to think differently about time. And when you begin to think differently about time, you’ll begin to act differently. And until you begin to act differently, you’ll never be able to take control of your calendar or your life. [Read more…]

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Notorious RBG: Los Angeles Museum Exhibit Celebrates Trailblazing Supreme Court Justice

December 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Notorious RBG: Los Angeles Museum Exhibit Celebrates Career of Trailblazing Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgA new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles explores the life and legal career of iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” which coincides with the twenty-fifth anniversary of Justice Ginsburg’s appointment to the nation’s highest court, is on display until March 10, 2019.

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How I Avoided the 2L Slump

April 3, 2018 by 2 Comments

How I avoided the 2L Slump: A 2L PerspectivePlease welcome back 2L guest writer, Shirlene Armstrong to let us know how she managed to avoid the 2L slump.

Like that Britney Spears song, “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” you made it through the first year of law school but you’re not a 3L yet. Instead, you are in the middle of the rut: you are a 2L. There is nothing per say wrong with being a 2L. Actually, there are a lot of positives about being a 2L: you get a lot more freedom to choose your classes and activities, you don’t have to stress about 1L classes and reading, the bar exam is a year away, and you are more respected by your peers and professors. However, 2L year is notoriously known as the “work to death year.” (Trust me, it is) So how is it that 2Ls seem to fall into this “slump” and how can you avoid it?

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Memoirs of a Staff Editor: What They Don’t Tell You About Law Journals

December 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Memoirs of a Staff Editor: What They Don’t Tell You About Law JournalsPlease welcome our 2L guest writer, who discusses her personal experience being on a law journal – the good, the bad and the things that you may not hear from others before you make the commitment.

Writing for a law journal is an intense experience. Aside from writing your actual note and conducting peer edits, there are many responsibilities attached to the role that often are not publicized until you are offered a position. Some of your tasks may include: attending mandatory events, holding office hours, and joining one of the journal’s subcommittees to perform relevant, specified functions.

The write-on process for a law journal varies by law school and sometimes, per journal. At my law school, law students partake in a legal writing competition, which is the event that initially qualifies individuals to be considered for one. It is a grueling three-day process that is held the day after your 1L finals have ended and consists of bluebooking, grammar editing, and crafting a written argument concerning a set topic, designated by the competition rules. [Read more…]

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Is 3LOL a Myth? 3 Ways to Handle A Stressful 3L Year

November 21, 2017 by 1 Comment

Is 3LOL A Myth? How to handle a stressful 3L Year.This week we welcome back guest writer, Christen Morgan, attorney and Real Estate Specialist at a wireless infrastructure company, to talk about how you can manage 3L year, even when it’s not the smooth sailing you expected – and you’re actually stressed out!

When I started law school there were three things I looked forward to more than anything; 1) landing a summer job, 2) the Thursday afternoon keg and 3) my 3L year. By the time I received my 1L summer job offer and realized that I was far too busy as a 1L to attend the Thursday keg, the only thing that kept me going was my dreams about 3L year. I fantasized about being a 3L who had it all together; a permanent job offer in place, a light class schedule and an exciting social life complete with being in attendance at all the kegs my heart could desire. Fast forward two years later to the start of my 3L year – reality struck. No, I did not have a permanent job offer, my class schedule was busier than ever and, although I had a social life, it was not as free flowing as I would have hoped for. My initial thoughts were that 3LOL is clearly a myth. A phrase coined specifically for 1Ls and 2Ls to dull their angst during stressful periods. However, once I got into the swing of things, I realized that 3LOL isn’t a myth but more of a relative term. Some students may experience the joy of being a free, lighthearted 3L throughout their entire final year. Some, like myself, will only experience the joy of 3LOL during their last semester. Whereas some students may not experience the joy of 3LOL at all. [Read more…]

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A Review of the Better Habits App

October 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Better Habits App ReviewPlease welcome back guest writer, Christen Morgan, attorney and Real Estate Specialist at a wireless infrastructure company, to discuss the new app, Better Habits.

Does it really take 21 days to form a habit? I sure thought so. Although I’ve never completely followed through with any of my New Year’s resolutions and tried and failed at numerous fad diets, I’ve always thought this concept to be true; think about a habit you want to form, commit to developing it over a course of 21 days, then voila, the habit will become a part of you for the rest of your life. I just always thought that I struggled to develop habits because I could barely commit to it for 10 days, much less meet the 21-day requirement. [Read more…]

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A 2L’s Guide to 1L Year: How to Go From Surviving to Succeeding

October 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment

SucceedPlease welcome back Gabriella Martin, our now 3L guest writer from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Now that you’ve got your bearings, she offers some great insight on what to expect and how to thrive!

So you’ve gotten through the first couple weeks of 1L year—you know where your classes are, you know what the professors are looking for, and you’re probably starting to breathe a little easier. But of course, because you’re a fast paced person like the rest of us, you’re probably thinking . . . now what?

Well now, baby shark, now that you’ve discovered your legal super powers, it’s time to start learning how to navigate the waters and begin your journey to becoming a legal superhero. To get you started, here are a handful of tips I wish I would have known just over a year ago. [Read more…]

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Law School Lessons from TV

September 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Law School Lessons from TV

Today we welcome back Shirlene Armstrong, 2L guest writer, to discuss law school lessons that can be learned from TV.

Unless you are or have been a law student, it is difficult to demonstrate the life of law students and the legal world. Honestly, it’s difficult to even explain it to a “layperson.” However, Hollywood has attempted to tackle this issue and show the “typical law school experience” in the form of media. Television is great and it allows viewers to get a taste of what something is like. There is a difference though between “reality” and “reality tv.” Hollywood tends to dramatize everyday life and law school is no exception. Although these entertainment pieces may give you a perception of what law school is like, your expectations of law school will be very different from reality if you rely solely on Hollywood’s version. [Read more…]

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The Case For Dating in Law School: 5 Arguments of Advocacy

August 15, 2017 by Leave a Comment

The Case For Dating in Law School - 5 Arguments of AdvocacyToday we welcome back Jaclyn Wishnia, rising 2L at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law to discuss why dating in law school might be a good idea.

There are plenty of articles circulating the Internet that advise against dating in law school. I can personally attest to the fact that the authors of these articles were all spurned by their lovers during particularly harrowing Barristers’ Ball events (Kidding! As far as I know…). While realistically I cannot confirm whether this statement holds some partial truths or not, I can endorse the authors who contradict this advice by providing you with some insight into why it might actually be a very reasonable decision. [Read more…]

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