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Podcast Episode 220: More on Accommodations in Law School (w/Elizabeth Knox)

November 5, 2019 By Law School Toolbox Team Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re welcoming back disability consultant Elizabeth Knox to discuss the process of applying for accommodations in law school to level the playing field in cases of disability, pregnancy, anxiety, and other conditions.

In this episode we discuss:

The different categories that fall into the accommodations realm
How much harder is it to get accommodations if you don’t have a history of accommodations?
How to advocate for yourself if you’re not comfortable with the traditional mode of teaching in law school
What if the accommodations request is not approved before exam time?
What to do if medical issues come up suddenly during the semester
Accommodations for the bar exam
Navigating the job search process for people with special needs
Remember that people don’t even notice that somebody got accommodations for the exam!

Thanks for listening!

Preparing for Exams with Takeaways, Connections, and Policy

November 4, 2019 By Mihal Ansik Leave a Comment

Law school exams can often feel completely untethered from what your entire semester seemed to be about. You may have spent a week of Torts learning an unabridged history of Learned Hand’s eating habits, only to discover during test time that all you were supposed to take away from those lectures was that P x L must be greater than B to impose negligence liability.

So many students struggle with knowing what exactly they’re supposed to be tracking in order to be fully prepared for exams. Everyone buckles down in their own way in the weeks leading up to finals. Some students go the outline route, while others pick more visual approaches. There is no one right way to study for written exams, (though there is also no substitute for honing your application skills through writing practice). But the exam preparation can actually start long before the few weeks between Thanksgiving and finals. It can even start as early as the first day of class.

In order to process readings and lectures with your future exams in mind, here are three things you want to track throughout the semester:

Preparing for 1L Interviews: How to Craft Your Story

October 30, 2019 By Stephanie Nweke Leave a Comment

Recruiting season is right around the corner for 1Ls, and it’s important to be prepared. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) removed its guideline that instructed legal recruiters to wait until December 1 to begin recruiting students. This is an important issue because of the potential implications it may have on your timeline to compete for BigLaw jobs. [Read more…] about Preparing for 1L Interviews: How to Craft Your Story

Podcast Episode 219: Mastering People Skills for Success as an Attorney (w/Stephanie Hanna)

October 29, 2019 By Law School Toolbox Team Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re talking with special guest Stephanie Hanna — Founder of The Other 85 — about mastering the non-substantive skills that make up 85% of career success for lawyers.

In this episode we discuss:

Stephanie’s background and her work creating The Other 85
Should you be a giver or a taker?
Developing a positive networking attitude
Tips for reaching out, asking for a favor, and following up with people
Are first-generation law students at a disadvantage when it comes to creating business contacts?
How to build your network at holiday parties

Thanks for listening!

Will it all ever Click? How to be More Confident as you Settle into 1L Year

October 28, 2019 By Christen Morgan Leave a Comment

Raise your hand if you’re a 1L and you’ve felt personally victimized by your law school experience so far? Ok maybe victimized is too strong of a word but if you’re a few weeks or months into your first semester of law school, I’m sure you get the gist. After getting some experience under your belt, despite the grueling hours that you’ve spent going through case law, reviewing your class notes or even outlining, if you feel like you have no idea what is happening, you’re not alone. I want to reassure you that it’s normal to feel lost despite your hard work. You’ve been exposed to a wealth of information that will take some time to completely process.

So, if you’re wondering whether it will all click, the answer is it absolutely will, but only if you take proactive efforts to process the catalog of information muddled in your head. Recognizing your confusion early on and proactively straightening this out will inevitably make you more confident and trusting of your ability to excel.

So how does one build this confidence? Although these methods aren’t foolproof, I would recommend: refocusing your mindset, asking questions and actively internalizing each lesson.

Professional Responsibility 101 – A Quick Look at Upperclassmen Courses

October 23, 2019 By Shirlene Armstrong Leave a Comment

It is important to know what kind of law you want to practice. The areas of law are endless, there are numerous claims to be brought and an infinite source of clientele. And unfortunately, you only get three years in law school to figure out what you might be good at and will actually like to practice! You also have to meet certain requirements to graduate and there are classes law students take to help prepare for the bar exam. So what is a law student supposed to do? Most law schools require you to take certain “basic” courses in your 1L year but allow you to choose your schedule in your 2L and 3L years. Thus, you can choose electives that interest you, find out what kind of law suits your fancy, and get your feet wet in specific types of law. Arguably, one of the most important classes you should take in law school is professional responsibility. [Read more…] about Professional Responsibility 101 – A Quick Look at Upperclassmen Courses

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