Most law students on track to enter firm life after law school have some preconceptions about the type of firm for which they want to work. Some want a small firm, some want a large firm, others want the opportunity to make a lot of money, and many are looking for that “prestigious” firm for which to work. Often these notions are born out of the same place that got the student interested in suffering through law school in the first place. Regardless of the type of firm you want to work for after you graduate, it’s never too early to start thinking about where to get your career started. With the all-too-common drive to work in the most prestigious firm in town, it’s important to consider whether that objective is as desirable as it seems. [Read more…] about Where to Get Your Start: Join a Growing Pond Where You’ll Become the Biggest Fish
About Mark Livingston
What’s A Trello? The Habit Tracker to Help Law Students Stay Productive
If you haven’t heard of Trello, buckle up and be prepared to be blown away. With time always at a premium in law school, and law students constantly on the lookout for pain-free ways to stay organized, Trello may be the best thing to happen to law students since the § symbol or those two ships called Peerless arrived in Liverpool two months apart.
According to its website, “Trello is the easy, free, flexible, and visual way to manage your projects and organize anything. . .” Translation, Trello is free and can help even the most beleaguered law student wrestle control of their coursework, exam prep, and law school schedule. This post provides a quick overview of the ways that Trello can help increase efficiency, be better prepared for class, and crush exams throughout law school. [Read more…] about What’s A Trello? The Habit Tracker to Help Law Students Stay Productive
Keep the Train on the Tracks: Independent Writing and Research in Law School
There are two reasons why a law student might choose to enroll in an independent study and research course: 1) as an opportunity to research and write about a topic of interest; and 2) to shore up a credit deficiency in the last semester of law school. On the first day of my last semester, I discovered that I was one credit short to maintain my full-time status. The most convenient option was to register for an independent study course. After lots of contemplation about possible topics, finding a member of the faculty to supervise my work, and a cursory glance at the literature to make sure it was a viable topic, I was ready to get to work. Almost immediately, I recognized the challenges associated with focus and being disciplined. Here are a few tips to help keep you on track.
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Using Flow Charts to Learn the Law
Law students are always looking for new ways to be productive. Thanks to advancements in technology, it is easier than ever for law students to use apps and programs to be more productive and enhance his or her study of the law. At some point before or during law school, you will identify the type of learner you are. For those visual learners (and possibly the kinesthetic learners as well) creating and using flow charts to map out the law can be very helpful. There are many apps and programs out there to help you flow chart your way to legal mastery! [Read more…] about Using Flow Charts to Learn the Law
Doodling To Find Focus In Class
It might seem counterintuitive, but studies have shown that doodling while receiving information can help you retain the information better than those that are “focused” on the information. Although it is unclear why, doodling while receiving particularly boring information can enhance memory and recall of that information. In addition to enhancing memory and recall, doodling can also help to relieve stress and create connections in the material. [Read more…] about Doodling To Find Focus In Class
Be Prepared and Speak Up! A Different Approach to the Socratic Method
Talking about the Socratic method is not new material here. We have:
- Told you what it is;
- How to survive it;
- And how to hit the ground running on day one of law school.
These posts provide fantastic tips about Dean Langdell’s punishing method. I want to approach this topic in a way that will help you with cold calling in your classes and in your professional life after law school. Most articles about this signature style of questions and answers in law school classes focus on reading your cases, taking good notes, and knowing the facts of every case to arm the weary law student for the attack. These are fantastic tips, but I want to get to the root of much of the anxiety: Speaking up in front of people. [Read more…] about Be Prepared and Speak Up! A Different Approach to the Socratic Method