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! This episode is sponsored by  Themis Bar Review , the gold standard in bar exam preparation. We're excited to have two guests on the podcast -- Jeff Allcorn from UWorld and Rebecca Petrilli from Themis Bar Prep -- discussing their programs and how they can help law school graduates find bar exam success.  In this episode we discuss: Jeff and Rebecca'...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we discuss the procedure for filing a motion for summary judgment, which is how many cases are resolved in court. We illustrate this important topic with several sample questions and answers.  In this episode we discuss: What is a motion for summary judgment? When a court may grant a motion for summary judgment How the non-moving party can defe...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're joined by Emily Witt -- a legal recruiter who worked at Wachtell for many years -- to talk about about BigLaw recruiting, summer programs, going in-house, and more. In this episode we discuss: Emily's background and path to the legal recruiting field Tips for approaching the OCI process Post-law firm options in litigation and corporate l...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, in our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing Relevance -- specifically, multiple uses for the same evidence, conditional relevance, and stipulations. In this episode we discuss: When is evidence logically relevant? Multiple uses for the same piece of evidence What is conditional relevance? How do stipulations impact the relevance of a pi...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In today's episode, we're exploring the unique aspects of Legal Research and Writing, a critical first-year law school class. In this episode we discuss: The key differences between Legal Research and Writing and your other 1L classes Tips for doing well in Legal Research and Writing c...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have Sarah Covington, one of the authors of Digitally Remastered: Modern Law School , with us to talk about the book and the online law school experience. In this episode we discuss: Sarah's background and her path to law school What the book Digitally Remastered: Modern Law School is about How does an accredited online law school program w...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In this episode, we're discussing the ins and outs of law school exams. We share tips for writing a successful exam answer, and we go through a sample answer written following the IRAC structure. In this episode we discuss: What makes a law school exam answer a successful one? Reading...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're looking at a few specific defenses in Criminal Law, which - if used successfully - may exonerate a defendant or reduce their punishment. In this episode we discuss: Factual and affirmative defenses Perfect and imperfect affirmative defenses The defense of duress Defenses having to do with the defendant's mental state Self-defense and def...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In this episode, we're discussing building confidence for your exams by working through practice problems early and consistently.  In this episode we discuss: Writing out answers to classroom hypos Working through old exams Coming up with your own practice questions and answers Additio...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to talk to ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about developing your plan for the job hunt process and sticking to it, without focusing on the things you can't control. In this episode we discuss: Some of the things that job seekers worry about when they shouldn't What should you be focusing on (rather than obsessing over what other...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In today's episode, we're discussing outlining as part of your studying and exam prep. In this episode we discuss: The two purposes of outlining in law school When should you start outlining? What materials do you need in order to get started? A step-by-step process for effective outli...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, in an episode from our "Quick Tips" series, we break down how to prepare for the Multistate Professional Responsibility exam, which is a crucial element of bar admission. In this episode we discuss: The structure of the MPRE  When you should plan to schedule sitting for the exam Tips for studying for the MPRE  How long do you need to spend stu...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In today's episode, we're focusing on a very important question: What exactly are you supposed to pay attention to in class in order to make the most of your class time? In this episode we discuss: What law school isn't about The most important things to pay attention to in class Under...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're happy to share the 400th episode of the podcast with you! We'll celebrate this milestone with a look back at some of our personal favorite episodes we've recorded over the past eight years . In this episode we discuss: Tips for pre-law and new law students Study strategies for different learning styles A few common questions we get Effec...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to talk to ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones about how to bring your A-game to the OCI process. In this episode we discuss: Basics of the OCI process Preparing your application materials Bidding, interview, and callback strategies What are some of the pitfalls of the OCI process? Resources: CareerDicta (https://lawschooltoolbox.com...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In today's episode, we'll demystify the dreaded Socratic method for teaching in law school, and provide some survival tips for being called on in class. In this episode we discuss: Alison's and Lee's own experiences of being called on in a law school class, and not having things go wel...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have John Passmore - a practicing attorney and one of our Law School Toolbox writers - with us to talk about some ways that law students can get involved in the legal profession. In this episode we discuss: A quick overview of John's professional background How to make the most of internships and summer legal jobs What are som...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! Today, in the second episode of the series, we're discussing reading law school cases and preparing for class. In this episode we discuss: Why it's important to spend time reading cases Things to pay attention to when you're reading a case The components of a typical opinion Holding an...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing Evidence, specifically some special forms of privileged communication. In this episode we discuss: Privileged communication vs. confidentiality The two types of marital (or spousal) privilege Requirements for communication between a doctor and a patient for it to be considered privileg...

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox podcast for our special series on starting off on the right foot in law school! In this episode, we're discussing what the law school process is, what lawyers argue about, and where "the law" comes from. In this episode we discuss: The four distinct steps in the law school learning process What do lawyers argue about, and what do law students argue about? The two...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones on the podcast to discuss how to interpret news and headlines you see around law firms and the current economy in general. In this episode we discuss: What is happening in relation to law firms in the current economy? If you are given a deferred start date, what's the best way to handle this as a law stu...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're talking about the purpose of recording statutes, and the recording system more generally. In this episode we discuss: The first-in-time rule for valid title What is a bona fide purchaser? What does it mean to take property without notice? The three types of recording statutes How transfers of rea...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones on the podcast to talk about the expectations that law firms have of their summer associates, in terms of work hours, work load, and communication. In this episode we discuss: Why some people don't take a summer associate position as seriously as they should Managing a hybrid or virtual work schedule Tak...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're discussing the circumstances under which a principal is vicariously liable for the unlawful actions of their employees and independent contractors. In this episode we discuss: The general rule for vicarious liability Distinguishing between an employee and an independent contractor When is an employee considered to act within the scope of...

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're happy to have a special guest, Givelle Lamano, with us to talk about starting and running a criminal defense law firm. In this episode we discuss: Givelle's background and career path The challenges and rewards of doing criminal defense work Working in non-profit and community organizations Building a network in law school that will help...