All the tools you need for law school success
Welcome back to Part 2 of this series! Today we will be focusing on non-tech tools that can enhance the productivity of legal professionals. Now, this isn’t a tech bashing post, however, the focus of this piece is highlighting non-tech tools that can be just as beneficial in increasing productivity for the non-tech inclined.
So here goes!
[Read more…] about Non-Tech Tools That Can Enhance Your Productivity in Law School
Welcome to my quick two-part series on productivity tools that may enhance your law school experience and legal career. Now, if you’re not too tech inclined, please don’t get nervous when I say productivity tools. This series will cover both tech tools and non-tech tools that can enhance productivity. Part 1 will focus on tech tools that can increase productivity for law students. Whereas Part 2 will focus on non-tech tools that can benefit legal professionals. So if you’re not so tech inclined, don’t check out just yet. This series is for everyone! [Read more…] about Tech Tools to Enhance Your Law School Productivity
After a long day of classes or studying in the law school library, there is nothing more appealing than coming home to a hot delicious meal. Sadly, this isn’t a reality for most law students and is even further from the truth for a bar exam prepper. If I’m speaking more realistically, the average law student spends most of their day at school remaining afloat with a diet based primarily on caffeine. Unfortunately, by the time he or she realizes that they are hungry, they head home with high hopes of satiation which are quickly deflated by the empty fridge and cupboards. Therefore, said student throws together whatever semi-edible concoction they can find, then heads to bed only to re-do the same thing the very next day.
If you’re a law student or bar prepper who has experienced some semblance of the above, I get it. You’re a busy bee who has no time to get groceries. In fact, you may actually prefer going to bed “hangry” rather than sparing the extra hour that it would take to grab some items from your local supermarket. I have faced this predicament before myself and there is no judgment on my end. But what if I told you that your “hangriness” could end today? What if I told you that there were numerous alternatives to a grocery store trip available that could cure those hunger pangs? Well I have some good news! In today’s millennial age, there is no shortage of meal delivery services geared towards meeting the taste buds, the diet and the pockets of each diverse law student. Lucky for you I took the time to run through these alternatives and put together a post that highlights the benefits of each service. I’ve broken these options down into prepared meals selections and ingredient delivery services. I hope that at least one of these options are beneficial to your current needs and lifestyle.
[Read more…] about Meal Plan Services for the Hangry, Busy, and Thrifty Law Student
It goes without saying that getting academically dismissed from law school can be a humiliating experience. Regardless of what the circumstances were that caused your dismissal, whether it be an unexpected life emergency that threw you off course or just a sheer lack of preparation, getting dismissed sucks. Sadly, the worst part about dismissal isn’t the embarrassment you may face, instead it’s the lack of information regarding how to get enrolled back into law school. Other than a few vague articles discussing re-admittance policies, there’s not much information out there regarding practical steps you can take to gain re-admission. So here you are reading this post in hopes of finding answers to this question. Considering the lack of information out there, I don’t know whether I have the ability to do this topic justice. However, I will try my very best to de-mystify this issue and bring you at least a step closer to getting back on track to achieving that J.D. you covet. [Read more…] about How Do I Get Re-Admitted to Law School After an Academic Dismissal?
The process of getting a judicial clerkship isn’t for the faint of heart. Most students who seek a post graduate clerkship tend to opt for the federal clerkship option. However, the federal clerkship process has changed quite a bit over the last few years making it more difficult for students to obtain. The federal clerkship process used to be a lot more streamlined, with a specific application submission date in September and a specific interview date about a week later for all selected applicants. The streamlined nature of this process took some pressure off of the applicants. It essentially provided applicants with a one stop shop to get their applications in.
Today the process isn’t as orderly. As more judges began recruiting outside of the slated interview period, the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan was eliminated a few year ago. Judges now mostly determine their own recruitment and hiring schedule. This new plan has provided a lot more flexibility for the judges, but puts a lot more work on you, the applicant. Having a variety of interview and hiring schedules means that applicants need to be a lot more vigilant in their efforts to secure a position. However, the plan may also be returning soon. There is a two-year pilot program going into place, so judges can now opt in to a return of the Federal Law Clerk Hiring Plan. So how do you graduate from law school with a coveted clerkship offer in hand? I won’t lie to you, it’s not easy. But giving the tips below a try may at least give you an orderly guide to work with in a process that’s no longer super regimented.
Whether it’s IRAC, CIRAC or CRRACC, we’ve all learned some variation of a standard acronym which has served as the core of our legal writing. While these acronyms are certainly beneficial in putting together a clear cut argument, they aren’t the magical ingredient to improving your legal writing. In fact, using these acronyms as a crutch could actually be hurting your writing style. Now I’m not saying that these acronyms are ineffective or obsolete because they will actually be relevant for the remainder of your legal career. But you need to consider where they will become relevant. Determining this relevance may largely depend on your audience. Your audience should perhaps be one of your most important considerations if you want to improve your legal writing style. I know we all learned to apply these acronyms on auto pilot in our first year writing course but, depending on who you’re writing for, a general IRAC format may not be acceptable. Additionally, if you want to improve your writing you should heavily consider: the type of document you’re drafting, avoiding legalese in an effort to just sound smarter or taking advanced legal writing classes. [Read more…] about 4 Ways to Improve your Legal Writing