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 are talking about something lots of law students deal with - self-sabotaging behavior. If you start your day with the best of intentions, but get nothing done by the time it's over, tune in! You're definitely not alone. In this episode we discuss: Why is this such an important topic in law school? What do we mean by self-sabotage? Common way...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we are talking about the Socratic Method and law school classes more generally. If you're intimidated by class, tune in for tips on surviving (even if you're unprepared). In this episode we discuss: What is the Socratic Method? Why do law professors use the Socratic Method? Why you shouldn't be afraid of law school class discussions The importa...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about what 2Ls and 3Ls need to be thinking about as they get into the swing of the later years of law school. If you want to make the most of your final years of law school, stay tuned. In this episode we discuss: How to figure out where you went wrong your first year of school  Tips on how to raise your GPA The importance of gett...

Welcome back. Today, we're talking about 5 things to focus on academically in the first month of law school, to set yourself up for success later on. If you're just starting law school, this episode is for you! In this episode we discuss: Why you should learn to read cases well in the beginning of law school The importance of keeping up with your reading Methods for avoiding distractions and payin...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about something that comes up for a lot of new and seasoned law students - being lonely or feeling isolated in law school.  Your law school campus is filled with people, so how could anyone feel lonely? You may be surprised that it's a common feeling in law school. These feelings can be problematic, because they can affect your happiness and productivity and can l...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about doing good works with Adrian Tirtanadi, founder of Bayview Hunters Point Community Legal, a non-profit legal startup in San Francisco. This is a great episode for anyone who is interested in how access to legal services can change a community and for everyone interested in entrepreneurial non-profit or public interest law. In this episode we discuss: How Adr...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast. Today, we're talking about law school Orientation. If you're getting ready to start law school, tune in! In this episode we discuss: What happens at Orientation? Do you even have to go to Orientation?  Lee and Alison share their Orientation experiences (including a city-wide blackout!) What should you aim to get out of Orientation? How to deal with d...

Welcome back. Today, we're talking about how to study smart in law school so you can stay on top of your workload and do as well as possible academically, without undue stress and strain.  We talk to a lot of incoming 1Ls, and one of the questions we hear over and over is how to handle the huge workload in law school. It can be incredibly intimidating to start law school, especially if you have ne...

Today we're talking about BigLaw OCI, or on-campus interviewing. This is the annual rite of passage where thousands of law students try to secure BigLaw summer associate positions for the next summer. In this episode, we talk at a high level about all of the aspects of OCI, and you can listen to our earlier OCI episodes for a deeper dive into the specifics of callbacks and initial interviews. In t...

Welcome back! Today, we're talking about how to evaluate your summer legal job experience, and how to make sure you leave on good terms. As your summer law job is drawing to a close, here are some ways to ensure you learn as much as you can from the experience. In this episode we discuss: What you need to be thinking about as your summer job comes to a close Handling summer evaluations Are there e...

Welcome back! Today we're discussing the role of the oral arguments and Moot Court in legal education, with special guest Megan Canty. Megan is a law school tutor with the Law School Toolbox and she is also Director of Academic Success and Bar Exam Preparation at Wayne State University Law School. In this episode we discuss: The role of legal arguments in a law school setting How oral arguments ar...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about how to conquer the bar exam, specifically the MBE. Taking six hours of multiple choice questions is challenging for just about everyone. For some, however, it can be a major speed bump on the road to bar exam success.  Don't let the MBE prevent you from passing the bar exam. We've got some tips and strategies! In this episode we discuss: An overview of the M...

Welcome back! Today we've got an entertaining topic – the eccentric characters you'll meet in law school, along with some tips on law school etiquette (if you don't want to find yourself on this list in the future).  Now, you might be wondering what we're talking about. Isn't law school just a bunch of students studying the law? Haha, as if.  For whatever reason, law school tends to attract a rath...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we are focusing on the bar exam performance test. Joining Lee is guest Doretta McGinnis, one of our highly experienced bar exam and law school tutors.  The performance test portion of the bar exam can be challenging for people, but with these tips you can conquer it and score well. Good luck! In this episode we discuss: Why is the performance t...

Welcome back! Today, we're talking with Jeremy Blachman and Cameron Stracher, authors of " The Curve ," a new novel set in a sinking ship of a law school. It addresses a number of critical issues in legal education today (and might make some people think twice about signing up to pay full tuition at a low-ranked law school offering limited job prospects!). Join us for a wide-ranging discussion on...

Welcome back! Today we have one of our most experienced bar tutors, Ariel Salzer with us to talk about the essay portion of the bar exam. Many students dread (and even put off) practicing for the essays. We dig into why this is and give helpful tips on how to tackle those essays and find bar exam success.  In this episode we discuss: Why are the bar exam essays so challenging? The favorite strateg...

Welcome back! Today we're discussing the top five mistakes students consistently make when preparing for the bar exam, with special guest Ariel Salzer. Ariel is one of our most experienced bar exam tutors, so we're very excited to have her here today to give us a rundown of the biggest mistakes she sees students making – so you can avoid them! We'd like to thank this episode's sponsor, one of our...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about some surprising LSAT myths with Nathan Fox, founder of Fox LSAT.  In this episode we discuss: Nathan shares his top myths about the LSAT (some of which are pretty surprising!):          1. You should only take it once          2. You need to finish the sections to score well          3. You should closely monitor your time          4. The logic games are har...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we are talking about writing effectively in a summer legal job. Joining us as a guest is Doretta McGinnis, who has taught Legal Writing for many years and is now a Law School Toolbox tutor.  If you are working this summer in a legal context, tune in for tips on how to shine! In this episode we discuss: How does writing in a legal job context co...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we are talking with special guest, Fairuz Abdullah, Associate Director of Public Interest Programs and Judicial Clerkships in the office of career and professional development at UC Hastings, about how to get a judicial clerkship! As some of you may know, the clerkship process (at least for federal clerkships) has changed a lot in recent years...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about how to get mentally prepared for the challenges of starting law school. These challenges might be academic in nature, or more personal. Luckily, there are techniques you can use on any type of challenge to ensure you're moving forward and keeping things under control. Not sure what you really need to be worrying about this s...

Welcome back! Today we are discussing the Law Review write-on competition and why you should (or shouldn't) participate. We've also got tips for success, should you decide you want to do it. In this episode we discuss: The variety of "law reviews" of different types Who has to do the writing competition, typically Alison and Lee share their law review experiences Why you may want to do law review...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about avoiding exam disasters, even when you're not as prepared as you might want to be. It's not too late to pull things together, but there's no time to waste! In this episode we discuss: What can you do if you just aren't ready for finals? How to catch up on your outlines and other study aids How to make the most of the time you have left (whether it's weeks or...

Welcome back! Today we're talking about what incoming law school students should be doing or thinking about this summer to get ready for law school (if anything!). Before you go overboard and pre-read supplements for every class, stop! Take a breath, and use our strategies to get ready for your first year of law school in style, without ruining your whole summer.  In this episode we discuss: Lee a...

Welcome back! Today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite topic – Test Anxiety. Okay, not really anyone’s favorite topic, but a really important one because so many law students deal with test anxiety in law school and on the bar exam. In this episode we discuss: Lee and Alison discuss their experience with exam anxiety Your physiological response during exam prep and exams Why stress isn't all...