The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about some common problems that we see in the analysis section of legal essays, whether from 1Ls or all the way to the bar exam. Conveniently, we have some suggestions for solving these problems! In this episode, we discuss: Common mistake number 1: Not systematically laying out the elements Attack plans – what are they and how c...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about professional development for new lawyers with former BigLaw recruiter, Sadie Jones. Tune in and find out how to take control of your career development, from the earliest days of your career. In this episode, we discuss: CLE requirements and the different ways you can fulfill them The importance of tracking, documenting, an...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about using laptops and other technology in law school – when to use them and when to leave them at home – because this is not as straightforward as it might seem. In this episode, we discuss: Some of the "Pros" associated with note-taking on a laptop and why these don't actually lead to increased retention or learning Why using...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're doing a recap of our top 10 law school survival episodes. Not necessarily the most popular ones on these topics, but the ones we think are the most useful! In this episode, we discuss: The best episodes for time and life management skills and strategies for productivity Tips for avoiding disasters in law school – both in the classroom and...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking with ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about the secret life of large law firms. If you think you want to work in a large law firm someday, don't miss this episode as we dive into the unique culture of BigLaw. In this episode, we discuss: The unique work culture of large law firms and the myriad personalities the of people who work...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about law school fashion. What to wear (and maybe what not to wear) to law school classes, job interviews, and other law school events. In this episode, we discuss: Do you need to even worry about what to wear to class? Balancing your professional self and your authentic self  Why it's fine not to get creative with your fashion ch...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about OCI offers and how to handle them with ex-BigLaw recruiter, Sadie Jones. If you're hoping to be a summer associate, tune in! In this episode, we discuss: A full breakdown of the offer process and what you can expect Your responsibilities in the offer process – for example, how many offers you're supposed to have open at any...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're doing a recap of our top 10 academic episodes, plus a few bonus ones. These aren't necessarily the most popular episodes, but the ones we think are the most useful! In this episode, we discuss: Top podcasts for understanding the law school process How law school differs from other disciplines you may have studied before How to get throug...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're continuing our series of "What not to do" episodes with ex-BigLaw recruiter, Sadie Jones, and we're talking about Callback Interviews. In this episode, we discuss: Tips for handling the "lunch" interview including what NOT to do Key things to prepare for in callback interviews that are different from the initial interview What firms are r...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to welcome back Jeremy Richter, attorney and author of the new book, Building A Better Law Practice, recently published by the ABA. He has some practical tips for young lawyers, to help you build a successful and satisfying law practice. In this episode, we discuss: Mistakes young lawyers make in their early careers Some tips for...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about public policy work and gun violence prevention with Allison Anderman, the managing attorney at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. In this episode, we discuss: What Allison does as a gun violence prevention public policy expert How her career path lead her to her current position The difference between litigatio...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with Sadie Jones, an ex-BigLaw recruiter, about the top OCI mistakes to avoid – from the actual on-campus interviews through the callback process. This episode is chock full of good advice so you don't want to miss it! In this episode, we discuss: Sadie tells us some of the biggest mistakes she remembers from her BigLaw recruiter...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're counting down our top ten episodes for incoming 1Ls. This list is good listening for anyone, but especially for those getting ready to start law school in the fall. If law school's coming up soon, here are some episodes we recommend you check out! In this episode, we discuss: Money issues to think about before starting law school from neg...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with Visla Rudiger, a transgender attorney, about her experiences in the legal profession -- at work, in court, and more. In this episode, we discuss: Some of the key challenges and obstacles when coming out as a transgender professional Advice for coming out as a transgender person to your boss, your family, and your friends How...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about getting your finances in order for (and during) law school, because this can be a very challenging aspect of the law school experience.  And thanks to Warby Parker, maker of extremely reasonably priced and convenient prescription glasses, for sponsoring this episode! In this episode, we discuss: Why is money stuff so challe...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about handling toxicity in law school – whether it's bad behavior from your classmates or overbearing expectations from other people, including your parents, professors, friends, or even yourself. In this episode, we discuss: Common sources of toxic behavior in law school – your parents, professors, classmates, and sometimes your...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with ex-BigLaw recruiter, Sadie Jones, about the top mistakes summer associates make -- so you can avoid making them, or fix them if you happen to make them. In this episode, we discuss: Some of the common mistakes summer associates make -- so you can avoid making them! How to recover if you do make one of these common summer ass...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're back for the last episode in our series on different learning styles to talk about study tips for visual learners in law school.  In this episode, we discuss: What is a visual learner and how do you know if you are one? Specific visual learning techniques and tools anyone can use to study more effectively Why a study group may NOT be the...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This week, we're continuing our series on strategies for different learning styles, with tips for kinesthetic learners. Even if this isn't your preferred learning style, there's lots of advice you can use to mix things up a bit and make your studying even more effective!   In this episode, we discuss: What is a kinesthetic learner and how do you know...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! For the next three episodes, we're talking about different approaches to law school learning, starting with strategies for auditory learners. There are different ways to study using each of the learning styles we'll discuss over the next three episodes of the podcast, so you can try different things and see how to study most effectively for your exam...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about how to make sure you're getting the information you need to do a good job on any assignment in a legal workplace. In this episode, we discuss: What to do when you get called into a meeting to discuss a new assignment What NOT to do when you get called into a meeting to discuss a new assi...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with Whittney Beard, an ex-lawyer and career coach at Orrick, about how to really own and direct your career, even as a young lawyer. In this episode, we discuss: What exactly a career coach does and why they are valuable Common mistakes many young/inexperienced lawyers make The truth about getting the assignments you want Concre...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with Law School Toolbox tutor Allison Pincus about experiential learning opportunities in law school and why you should make sure you're engaging in some of them. In this episode, we discuss: What experiential learning is and why the ABA is requiring more of it Why it is so important to engage in experiential learning opportuniti...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking with ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about OCI strategy. If you're not sure how or where to bid, what to put on your resume, or how to explain tricky parts of your background, this is the episode for you!  In this episode, we discuss: How the OCI process really works, from the firm perspective  How important are grades, really? ...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're doing a live issue spotting exercise on a real exam question, to show you how to use the facts to identify legal issues. This is exactly what you need to do on exam day, so tune in! In this episode, we discuss: A real California bar exam question and the issues it contains Why you need to learn how to carefully read fact patterns How to...