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 joined by ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones to talk about some less common documents that employers might request from you when you apply for a legal job.  In this episode we discuss: Types of less common documents that might be requested during the application process Why do employers ask for this extra step for certain positions? How to...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're sharing specific tips for students coping with ADHD, in relation to managing the law school workload, studying, and preparing for exams.  In this episode we discuss: Maintaining mental health in law school Applying for accommodations on exams Organization strategies to help you manage your workload How to track time effectively Streamlini...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today's episode is on the topic of executive functioning skills for law students and new lawyers, in relation to staying organized, managing time effectively, and also studying and working smart.  In this episode we discuss: What are executive functioning skills? Where do law students struggle when it comes to executive functioning? How to improve ov...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, in our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – more specifically Rule 15, which deals with the instances in which a party can amend their pleading. In this episode we discuss: A quick refresh on the statute of limitations The three major circumstances under which a party is likely to seek to amend the...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones with us to discuss how to make sure you're showing an "appropriate" level of interest in a job position. In this episode we discuss: What are employers and interviewers generally looking for in terms of an applicant's interest? Should you spend time researching the interviewer (if you've been given a nam...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to be talking with Bryan Nese – a partner at Mayer Brown – about career tips for law students, from identifying your ideal employer and successfully making networking connections, to excelling at your job. In this episode we discuss: Bryan's background and his path to BigLaw The one-sentence version of what good legal writing is...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In today's episode we're talking about starting the new year with a focus on better time management. We discuss how working on small, attainable goals can produce some big changes in the long run.  In this episode we discuss: Is it really difficult to create a new habit? Taking a serious look at how you're spending your time The truth about multitask...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about bouncing back and resetting your law school trajectory after a disappointing semester. We discuss how to diagnose when and where things went off course last semester, and we suggest strategies for avoiding making the same mistakes again. We also talk briefly about how to take advantage of academic support resources at your...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're excited to be talking with Mike Ulin and Tanguy Chau -- creators of Paxton AI -- about the AI legal assistant they've developed. In this episode we discuss: Our guests' backgrounds and why they became interested in the legal AI space Some of the best use cases for legal AI tools How Paxton is different than other AI platforms The main adv...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we are going to continue the conversation from our last episode with a discussion about persuasive writing in the workplace and some thoughts on the future of legal writing in the age of AI. In this episode we discuss: Differences between objective and persuasive legal writing Common legal writing assignments for summer associates and new lawye...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we have the first episode in a two-part series on legal writing in the workplace. This episode is going to focus on objective legal writing and some best practices for office communications. Next time we will be discussing persuasive legal writing.  In this episode we discuss: How legal writing is different in the work context than in law schoo...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have Jessica Elefante – the author of Raising Hell, Living Well – on the podcast with us to discuss influence, choices, and managing our digital lives. In this episode we discuss: Jessica's background and how the idea for her book came about What is influencing our decisions in today's world? The drawbacks of everyday technolo...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones with us to talk about dealing with overwhelm in the job search process. In this episode we discuss: Where do people get stuck in the job search process? What can you do if you're not sure where to start? Tools to help you track your job search progress Prioritizing which activities to focus on How to dea...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In today's episode, we're talking with Colin Levy -- author of the book  The Legal Tech Ecosystem -- about what's new and exciting in the field of legal technology, and how AI might change the future of law practice. In this episode we discuss: Colin's background and path in the legal tech space What does "the legal tech ecosystem" encompass and how...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Preparing effectively for exams is critical to doing well in law school, so you should start early, create your own outlines, and take practice exams before you feel ready. But if - for whatever reason - you find yourself in the reading week nightmare scenario, we're here to help you make the most of the few days left before exams! In this episode we...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This is the second episode in a two-part series on getting ready for exams. Last time , we talked about outlining, creating study materials, and applying those study materials to a fact pattern. Today, we're focusing on how to actually write an exam answer. In this episode we discuss: What professors look for in your exam answers, and what to make su...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This is the first episode in a two-part series on getting ready for exams. Today, we're talking about what professors look for on law school exams, as well as strategies to make effective outlines and study aids. Next time, we'll focus on practicing exam-taking skills and creating a plan for exam prep. In this episode we discuss: Why are law school e...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, in an episode from our "Quick Tips" series, we're talking about a seemingly radical approach to note-taking: drawing your notes. This technique may especially appeal to you if you are a visual learner or like to draw or sketch concepts. In this episode we discuss: How drawing helps with memorization Developing a "visual toolkit" for law school...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about being realistic about which jobs you'd be a good candidate for and choosing the right option, while neither selling yourself short nor aiming too high. In this episode we discuss: Determining where you would be a realistic candidate How to cast a wider net if you need to How the economy affects the legal landscape Taking a...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about how to start putting together the material you've covered so far, and making sense of it, so you can apply it on an exam. In this episode we discuss: The four fundamental steps in the law school learning process What to do if you have no idea how to start your mid-term prep How to build useful outlines and other study aids...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In this episode from our "Listen and Learn" series, we go through an attack plan for how you might approach a Miranda issue on an exam question, and look at specific rules you'll want to address in your answer. In this episode we discuss: An attack plan for approaching questions involving Miranda issues The constitutional basis for Miranda warnings T...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing the rules around authentication of evidence, which comes into play when you're dealing with physical or documentary evidence. In this episode we discuss: Physical vs. testimonial evidence How the different types of physical/documentary evidence are authenticated Items that are consider...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're talking about service of process – a subject that sometimes sneaks into Civil Procedure exam questions. We'll discuss the general service of process rules under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as the California-specific rules. In this episode we discuss: Serving a summons and compla...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking to ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about job hunting practices that are typically not great ideas and aren't going to help you secure a job. In this episode we discuss: What is the perfect length for a resume? How to cut down your writing sample for the purposes of job searching Should you include an addendum with your applicatio...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're focusing on Criminal Procedure. Specifically, we're talking about the "stop and frisk" exception to the warrant requirement.  In this episode we discuss: The general attack plan for a Criminal Procedure question When the "stop and frisk" exception to the warrant requirement applies The exclusiona...