I have always been considered the “mom friend” that tends to overprepare and overpack. This was also true when I was in law school. I would typically carry a backpack, a bag, and a purse, on top of having a locker at the university. (Mind you I did downsize a bit in my later years). Although I had a lot on my plate (or should I say in my arms?), I wanted to make sure I was ready for whatever the school day would throw at me! Fortunately for you, I have survived law school and come armed with the knowledge I wish I had back when I was a young 1L. This includes (but is not limited to) knowing some essential items for law school that you may not innately think of putting in your bag. Of course you know that you need some obvious supplies like your casebooks, laptop, notebooks, etc, but there are plenty of additional materials that can really assist you in the school day. In order to make your life easier and get you more prepared, I have curated a list of items that helped me when I was in law school and that you should keep with you as well. Here are ten things for your backpack to help you out in law school! [Read more…] about Ten Things For Your Backpack To Help You In Law School
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Podcast Episode 299: Law School Activities for Long-Term Career Prospects (w/Sadie Jones)
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re excited to have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones with us to talk about what matters in law school, long term, for your career.
In this episode we discuss:
- What activities to consider that will help your career over the long term
- Typically, which activities are employers most interested in?
- The importance of grades in law school
- Does the type of job you want determine the activity you should focus on?
- Should you take a hard class that is relevant, if you think you won’t get the best grade?
- Career planning for rising 3Ls
Thanks for listening!
What do you actually do on Law Review? An Overview of Opportunities
Many students hope to get on Law Review for multiple reasons: to develop valuable legal skills, learn about legal academia and interesting debates, to help promote certain authors and scholarship, and much more.
However, few people outside of the organization have a deeper understanding of the different roles and duties on Law Review beyond its general mission of publishing articles. Putting out thoughtful and substantiated pieces of scholarship is a huge endeavor, so it is no surprise that students on Law Review take up specific roles and delegate (or are delegated) different tasks. Thus, there is no uniform experience for each journal member. You can pick your own adventure! Of course, each journal is organized differently, not to mention changes from year to year based on lessons learned and the leadership’s goals.
My objective here is to provide more transparency into the work and opportunities once you become a member of Law Review, especially for students who do not have lawyers in their family or have little understanding of how journals work. Law Review is a substantial undertaking, and it is important to know what the commitment will entail.
Based on my experience, here is an overview of opportunities on Law Review, or a comparable journal.
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Podcast Episode 298: Listen and Learn — The Dormant Commerce Clause
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In today’s episode from our “Listen and Learn” series, we’re focusing on the Dormant Commerce Clause, also known as the Negative Commerce Clause. We previously discussed the Commerce Clause in episode 215.
In this episode we discuss:
- A brief review of the Commerce Clause
- When the Dormant Commerce Clause comes into play
- What constitutes an unduly burdensome regulation
- The market participant exception
- Other issues tested alongside the Dormant Commerce Clause
- Analyzing two hypos from previous California bar exams
- How to approach questions where it’s possible to argue either way
Thanks for listening!
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Five Questions to Ask When You Receive a Work Assignment this Summer
Finally, summer is upon us and if you recently completed your 1L or 2L year, you may be gearing up for quite the summer ahead! A season of no classes, an opportunity to reclaim the social life that your busy law school semesters absorbed, and if you have a summer job coming up, the possibility of earning an income.
If you’re reading this post with a summer job on the horizon, you may be wondering what steps you should take when you ultimately receive your first summer assignment, or if you’ve already started your summer job, perhaps you’ve completed an assignment but found yourself a bit lost during the process. If you find yourself in either of these categories, don’t stress! Legal assignments can be extremely complex, and you are by no means alone in your concerns about whether you can execute them correctly.
Considering these concerns, I’ve put together this quick guide with a couple of questions you can ask your assigning attorney this summer. Keep in mind that this is not a foolproof guide, but just a couple of tips that have helped me through the years.
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Podcast Episode 297: The 3L Job Hunt Process (w/Sadie Jones)
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re discussing the ins and outs of the 3L job market with our guest Sadie Jones. We take a look at recruiting in BigLaw firms, as well as government and public interest organizations and in-house options at smaller firms.
In this episode we discuss:
- Who might be looking for a job as a 3L?
- How easy is it to get a job in BigLaw as a 3L, as compared to other organizations?
- The timeline for 3L hiring
- What if you’re in a situation where you summered and didn’t get an offer?
- Recruiting at firms outside of BigLaw
- Is it ever okay to accept one offer and switch to something else later?
Thanks for listening!
[Read more…] about Podcast Episode 297: The 3L Job Hunt Process (w/Sadie Jones)