The Law School Toolbox podcast is an entertaining, useful weekly show which can help you make the most of your law school experience. You can always access current podcast episodes on the website or on Apple Podcasts and many other streaming services. And you’ll find a full archive in the Law School Toolbox podcast archive.
Enjoy!
Tips for Success in Law School
- Podcast Episode 2: Why is Law School Hard? Today, we’re talking about why law school is hard! Not to scare you, but to provide context and alert you to some of the challenges you might face. Forewarned is forearmed. And remember, a challenge – seen the right way – is just an opportunity for growth and learning.
- Podcast Episode 8: Law School 101 for 1Ls (What NOT to Do) If you’re a 1L, this is the episode for you. We’re going to talk about the top five things law students consistently screw up their first year, so you can avoid doing any of them.
- Podcast Episode 33: Top 10 Tips for Law School Success After reflecting on what we've learned from working with hundreds of law students over the past four years, we've compiled our top 10 tips to help you be a successful and happy law student. Enjoy!
- Podcast Episode 36: Your Mid-Semester Law School Reality Check Time for a mid-semester reality check! Second semester is interesting in law school because you're in a different position than you were last semester. It's time to get real. But don't stress! Here is your (helpful) mid-semester reality check.
- Podcast Episode 56: Getting off to a Smart Start in Law School This podcast will discuss how to study smart in law school so you can stay on top of your workload and do as well as possible academically, without undue stress and strain.
- Podcast Episode 57: Tips for Surviving Law School Orientation Today, we’re talking about law school Orientation. If you’re getting ready to start law school, tune in!
- Podcast Episode 60: 5 Tips for Surviving the First Month of Law School Today, we’re talking about 5 things to focus on academically in the first month of law school, to set yourself up for success later on. If you’re just starting law school, this episode is for you!
- Podcast Episode 61: Making the Most of Your 2L and 3L Years of Law School Today we’re talking about what 2Ls and 3Ls need to be thinking about as they get into the swing of the later years of law school. If you want to make the most of your final years of law school, tune in.
- Podcast Episode 62: Surviving the Socratic method in Law School Classes This podcast tackles the Socratic Method and law school classes more generally. If you're intimidated by class, tune in for tips on surviving (even if you're unprepared).
- Podcast Episode 65: How to Make a Useful Law School Outline Today we’re talking about making outlines and other study aids, which are important in helping you make sense of everything you’re learning in law school. This episode is based on a question we got from a 1L listener.
- Podcast Episode 67: Mid-Semester Law School To-Do List This episode addresses running through your mid-semester to-do list to ensure you’re where you need to be before it’s too late. Mid-semester is the time when reality sets in for most law students. Whatever is going on – midterms, sniffles, boredom – it’s time to focus on the end goal and get serious about preparation.
- Podcast Episode 79: Making the Most of Your Second Semester in Law School Today, we’re talking about making the most of your second semester of law school. By now, you probably have some or all of your grades back, so this is a good time to take stock of where you are and make any changes necessary to get the most out of your second semester.
- Podcast Episode 93: Top 1L Questions: Academic Concerns There are many things about law school that inherently make law school intimidating, unfamiliar territory. Tune in for some tips on preparing yourself mentally for what to expect so you go into your 1L year with a strategy for success.
- Podcast Episode 99: What Law Schools Should Be Teaching, and Aren't (With Mark Cohen) Are you wondering what you should be demanding from your legal education? Mark Cohen has a unique perspective on the legal profession that could help you figure it out!
- Podcast Episode 107: How to Build Positive Relationships in Law School Today we’re talking about building relationships in law school with everyone from professors to classmates and potential employers. Of course grades are important, but building relationships can not only make your law school experience more pleasant, it can open doors of opportunity in the future.
- Podcast Episode 112: Managing Distractions in Law School From technology, to analysis paralysis, to life’s ongoing drama, there are a million things you can turn your attention to at any given moment. Learn to master distractions in law school and you’ll have greater success, not only academically, but in your law career and in life as well.
- Podcast Episode 115: Tips for Settling into Law School Settling back into law school after your first month can be difficult, even if you're a 2L or a 3L. In this podcast we talk about making sure that you're making proper adjustments and taking good care of yourself through this stressful time.
- Podcast Episode 122: How to Transfer Law Schools (With Mihal Ansik) Are you unhappy with your law school? Or wondering whether you can do better? Tune in for information about why and how you might want to try transferring to another law school after your 1L year.
- Podcast Episode 128: Regrouping and Dealing with Grades Second Semester We’re talking about taking stock, regrouping, and a few resolutions you might want to consider for the new school year. The first few weeks of the spring semester are a great time to evaluate what worked for you – and what didn’t work – last semester.
- Podcast Episode 167: Do You Have to Join a Study Group in Law School? We’re talking about law school study groups and how to make the most of them (or if it’s okay to skip them entirely).
- Podcast Episode 187: Thinking On Your Feet in Class Discussions and Other Public Speaking Opportunities We’re talking about thinking on your feet when you’re on the spot.
- Podcast Episode 189: Making Class Time Productive in Law School We’re talking about what to focus on in class so that you can get the most out of the experience.
- Podcast Episode 196: Memorization Techniques For Law Students We’re talking about some creative, evidence-based ideas for remembering the material required for your law school exams.
- Podcast Episode 204: Advice For Incoming Foreign LLM Students We’re talking about LLM programs, focusing on foreign students who don’t have a JD and are doing an LLM as their first exposure to the US legal system.
- Podcast Episode 226: Bouncing Back Second Semester in Law School We’re talking about formulating a new action plan for the second semester if things didn’t go your way in the first semester.
- Podcast Episode 273: Transferring Law Schools (w/Tiffany Lo) We’re talking with guest Tiffany Lo, one of our writers who transferred law schools after her 1L year. She is going to share her experience of the transfer process, including communicating with professors, fitting in at the new school, and the impact of transferring on job opportunities.
- Podcast Episode 304: Introduction to the Bluebook We’re talking about getting comfortable with the Bluebook and writing citations. This is an important skill to develop if you’re planning on doing legal writing or working on a law journal.
- Podcast Episode 309: Tips for Reading a Case This topic came from a listener question asking us to clarify how to find the black letter law in a case. Join us for this episode as we we share tips for reading cases efficiently in preparation for class and exams.
- Podcast Episode 314: Asking for Help at Law School and At Work We talk about how to do your research when you first encounter difficulties at school or at work, and then how to approach your professor/TA/mentor if you are still stuck. While generally no one likes to ask for help, sometimes that’s the only resource that will help prevent a poor outcome.
- Podcast Episode 369: Using Spaced Repetition for Your Law School and Bar Exam Studies We’re excited to have Gabriel Teninbaum — law professor and founder of Spaced Repetition Systems — joining the podcast to speak about how the spaced repetition learning technique can help with your law school and bar exam studies.
- Podcast Episode 431: Quick Tips - Improving Your Grades After a Disappointing First Semester We’re talking about bouncing back and resetting your law school trajectory after a disappointing semester. We discuss how to diagnose when and where things went off course last semester, and we suggest strategies for avoiding making the same mistakes again. We also talk briefly about how to take advantage of academic support resources at your law school and when to reach out for additional help.
- Podcast Episode 439: Keys to Law School Success with Themis (w/Michele Cooley) We’re excited to have Michele Cooley from Themis Bar Review joining us to talk about their Law School Essentials courses.
- Podcast Episode 446: Quick Tips - Doing the Reading for Your Law School Classes We’re discussing why doing the assigned reading for your law school classes is important, and we address some common questions we receive from students regarding reading cases for class.
- Podcast Episode 484: New Year, New You We are celebrating the new year and talking about how you can create a plan for success for the upcoming semester of law school.
- Podcast Episode 515: How to Prepare for Class and Not Freak Out When You Get Called On (1L Summer Series) In this episode we offer practical advice for law students on preparing for class, handling the Socratic method, and managing anxiety about being called on.
- Podcast Episode 517: Teaching AI in Law School (w/Megan Hutchinson and Nicole Phillips) Today Alison is speaking with USF law professors Megan Hutchinson and Nicole Phillips about how they are teaching law students to use AI responsibly.
- Podcast Episode 537: Planning for a Better Second Semester in Law School We're talking about making a study plan for a successful second semester.
- Podcast Episode 538: Using AI In Law School: Smart Strategies and Red Flags As AI is becoming part of our everyday life, we're discussing the good practices and the questionable uses of AI in law school.
- Podcast Episode 548: A Week in the Life of a Successful 1L – What You Actually Do Hour by Hour In this episode, we discuss time management strategies for first-year law students, walking through a detailed weekday schedule.
Law School Pedagogy and Learning Styles
- Podcast Episode 6: Lessons Learned About Learning Today we’re excited to be discussing one of our very favorite topics – Learning! Enjoy our discussion on topics including how children approach learning, and what can we learn from them, how learning another language is like going to law school, and more!
- Podcast Episode 16: Study Strategies for Different Learning Styles in Law School Studying in law school is not one-size fits all. Each student learns in a different way. The key is to recognize the type of learner you are and use that information to optimize your study style -- for YOU. Find out what kind of learner you are in this podcast!
- Podcast Episode 30: Visual Learning for Law Students (Guest Kipp Mueller) Today we are joined by Kipp Mueller, Columbia Law grad and the co-founder and CEO of SketchyLaw, an online education company which teaches legal rules using multi-modal learning. He and Lee talk about how different types of learning can help law students and the science behind it.
- Podcast Episode 141: Experiential Learning (w/Allison Pincus) Today, we’re talking with Law School Toolbox tutor Allison Pincus about experiential learning opportunities in law school and why you should make sure you’re engaging in some of them.
- Podcast Episode 144: Tips for Auditory Learners For the next three episodes, we’re talking about different approaches to law school learning, starting with strategies for auditory learners. There are different ways to study using each of the learning styles we’ll discuss over the next three episodes of the podcast, so you can try different things and see how to study most effectively for your exams.
- Podcast Episode 145: Tips for Kinesthetic Learners We’re continuing our series on strategies for different learning styles, with tips for kinesthetic learners.
- Podcast Episode 146: Tips for Visual Learners Today we’re back for the last episode in our series on different learning styles to talk about study tips for visual learners in law school.
- Podcast Episode 474: Thriving in Law School with ADHD (w/Rawi Nanakul) We have ADHD coach Rawi Nanakul with us to talk about thriving in law school with ADHD. We cover identifying warning signs, strategies for managing executive function challenges, and the importance of self-care and professional support.
- Podcast Episode 575: How AI Can Help Law Students with ADHD or Dyslexia In this episode, we explore how AI tools can support law students with ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning differences — covering strategies like text-to-speech for dense reading loads, dictation to capture thoughts after class, converting handwritten notes, executive functioning scaffolding, and backwards planning for big projects.
Raising and Maintaining Grades
- Podcast Episode 9: How To Raise Your Grades as a 2L or 3L If you are a 2L or 3L who’s struggled in law school, this episode is for you. Today we’re talking about how to overcome a 1L year that was less than stellar and raise your grades for the rest of your tenure in law school.
- Podcast Episode 28: Dealing With Bad Law School Grades Chances are, you've received at least some of your first semester law school grades by now. The reality is that most students didn't do as well as they hoped. Don't panic - this isn't the end of your legal career. You have plenty of time to turn things around. In this podcast we talk about how!
- Podcast Episode 238: Pass/Fail Grading in the Time of COVID-19 We’re talking about what different law schools are doing about grades in light of the COVID-19 new reality.
- Podcast Episode 275: Handling First-Semester Grades in a Pandemic It’s the time of year when law students get back their first-semester grades. In today’s episode, we look at how you can learn from your grades (whether good or bad), and how to develop a plan to up your game next semester.
- Podcast Episode 373: Not Happy with Your First Semester Law School Grades? How to Do Better in the Second Semester (w/Nicola Rossi) We’re excited to have one of our tutors, Nicola Rossi, joining us to talk about how to improve your academic performance in the second semester if you’re disappointed with your first semester grades.
Where and When to Find Help
- Podcast Episode 17: Where To Get Help in Law School Are you struggling with certain things in law school? We have all been there. When you need help, it's critical to find the "right" resources to help you (and won't make you need even more help!). If you're not sure who to turn to for help, or what resources are available, tune in.
- Podcast Episode 106: How to Go to Office Hours and Make It Worth Your Time Developing good relationships with your professors will not only have a positive effect on your law school success, but may prove to be valuable for years to follow. So tune in, and learn to love office hours!
- Podcast Episode 216: How Do You Know When You Need Extra Help in Law School We’re discussing some warning signs suggesting you might need extra help in law school, and talk about why seeking help is a sign of strength and not a weakness.
- Podcast Episode 220: More on Accommodations in Law School (w/Elizabeth Knox) 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
- Podcast Episode 573: Can AI Be Your Law School Tutor? We're talking about the widely varying AI policies at law schools, the permissible uses of AI tools and possible honor code violations.
Legal Writing and Arguments
- Podcast Episode 11: Legal Writing 101 What is it about the term Legal Writing that makes law students cringe? In this episode we talk about what makes legal writing so difficult, and how you can improve your writing skills, and more!
- Podcast Episode 13: What Do Lawyers Argue About? In this podcast we are talking about one important facet of the law school experience -- learning to argue like a lawyer. From class to court, it's all basically the same.
- Podcast Episode 68: Top 10 Legal Research and Writing Disasters to Avoid Almost every 1L in the country will take some sort of legal research and writing class. Today, we’re discussing the top ten LRW disasters we see again and again, so you can avoid them!
- Podcast Episode 84: Using Rules Effectively in Legal Writing (With Guest Jason Jones) Today, we’re talking with Law School Toolbox tutor (and former law professor) Jason Jones about a very important aspect of law school exam success – using legal rules.
- Podcast Episode 102: How to Read Cases and Prepare for Class in Law School Believe it or not, there actually is a "right" way to prepare for law school classes. This podcast will give you some valuable tips to make sure you're getting the most out of your study time.
- Podcast Episode 170: Let's Talk About the Bluebook Today we’re talking about the Bluebook. You might be wondering, can there actually be an entire episode of this podcast just about the Bluebook? Oh, yes, there can be.
- Podcast Episode 171: Building the 21st Century Casebook (w/Vikram Savkar) Today we’re excited to be talking with Vikram Savkar, vice president and general manager of the education and training business for Wolters Kluwer Legal and Regulatory US, one of the largest publishers of legal casebooks, supplements, and other law related materials in the world, about how law school casebooks are changing in the digital era.
- Podcast Episode 463: Quick Tips - Organizing Your LRW Assignments We’re discussing the importance and challenges of first-year Legal Research and Writing projects in law school.
- Podcast Episode 465: Improving Your Legal Writing Skills (w/Luiz Arroyo) Together with Luiz Arroyo – one of our law school and bar exam tutors – we highlight the critical role of legal writing in a lawyer’s career and provide tips for improving your legal writing skills.
- Podcast Episode 489: A Legal Writing Makeover (Part 1 - The Issue Statement) This is the first episode of a four-part series called “Legal Writing Makeover.” In this complete series, we take a piece of legal writing that could use improvement and transform it into legal writing A+, one section of IRAC at a time. We begin by discussing the issue statement.
- Podcast Episode 490: A Legal Writing Makeover (Part 2 - The Rule Statement) This is the second episode of a four-part series called “Legal Writing Makeover.” In this complete series, we take a piece of legal writing that could use improvement and transform it into legal writing A+, one section of IRAC at a time. Last time we discussed the issue statement, and today we continue with the rule statement.
- Podcast Episode 491: A Legal Writing Makeover (Part 3 - The Analysis Section) This is the third episode of a four-part series called “Legal Writing Makeover.” In this complete series, we take a piece of legal writing that could use improvement and transform it into legal writing A+, one section of IRAC at a time. Previously we discussed the issue statement and rule statement, and today we continue with the analysis section.
- Podcast Episode 492: Legal Writing and IRAC (w/Rebecca Petrilli From Themis Bar Review) We are excited to welcome Rebecca Petrilli – Midwest Attorney Director at Themis Bar Review – back to the podcast to discuss IRAC and best practices for legal writing on exams, including the bar exam.
- Podcast Episode 545: 5 Tips for Keeping Your Legal Writing Organized (Part 1) Together with Legal Writing professor Mary Fran Richardson, we cover five essential tips for keeping your legal writing clean and well organized.
- Podcast Episode 546: 5 Tips for Keeping Your Legal Writing Organized (Part 2) Together with Legal Writing professor Mary Fran Richardson, we cover five essential tips for keeping your legal writing clean and well organized.
Planning for Exams
- Podcast Episode 19: Conquering Different Types of Law School Exams Not all law school exams are created equal. Different schools will use different types of exams and your professors can do whatever they want! Tune in for our advice on the best strategy for every type of law school exam.
- Podcast Episode 20: The Exam Countdown - One Month and Counting! When you're counting the time to your first exam in weeks, rather than months, lots of law students start to panic. If you've got law school exams coming up, tune into this podcast!
- Podcast Episode 23: Law School Exam Day Tips Are exams looming on the horizon? In today's episode, we're dishing out some law school exam day tips.
- Podcast Episode 117: Surviving Law School Midterms Law school midterms are becoming more and more common, especially for 1Ls. Tune in to listen to a discussion of what you need to know about law school midterms.
- Podcast Episode 136: How to Attack Multiple Choice Questions on Law School Exams Today, we’re talking about how to attack multiple choice questions on a law school exam – something we’re seeing a lot more of these days!
- Podcast Episode 139: How to Issue Spot an Exam Question (w/Live Example) Today, we’re doing a live issue spotting exercise on a real exam question, to show you how to use the facts to identify legal issues. This is exactly what you need to do on exam day, so tune in!
- Podcast Episode 163: Common Legal Essay Analysis Problems and How to Solve Them We’re talking about some common problems that we see in the analysis section of legal essays, whether from 1Ls or all the way to the bar exam. Conveniently, we have some suggestions for solving these problems!
- Podcast Episode 172: Tackling Common Exam Prep Scenarios Today we’re talking about some typical exam prep scenarios that you might find yourself tackling.
- Podcast Episode 192: On Exam Scenarios We’re talking about some challenging scenarios you might encounter on law school exams.
- Podcast Episode 213: Why Practice is So Important in Law School We talked about the importance of doing practice questions and getting feedback on your writing in preparation for exams.
- Podcast Episode 221: Our Top 5 Last-Minute Exam Tips We’re sharing our top 5 last-minute exam tips that will help you see the big picture and fill in some of the details of law school exam prep.
- Podcast Episode 240: Transitioning to Open Book Take-Home Exams We’re talking about how to make a smooth transition to open book and take-home exams, since law schools are likely to use them this semester.
- Podcast Episode 268: How to Best Use the Reading Week in Law School This episode is based on a listener’s question on how to use the reading period effectively. Assuming you’re getting the traditional reading week this semester, we have some tips on what to do (and what not to do) to maximize its use.
- Podcast Episode 312: Mid-Term Exam Prep Basics for Law Students We share some tips that will help you be successful on your mid-term law school exams. Remember, this is a learning experience, so it’s normal not to do things perfectly. But prepare for mid-terms well, and you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned later, when it matters more.
- Podcast Episode 365: Top 10 Tips for Studying for Final Exams We’re sharing our top 10 things to consider when preparing for your law school final exams.
- Podcast Episode 419: Making Sense of the Law at Mid-Semester We’re talking about how to start putting together the material you’ve covered so far, and making sense of it, so you can apply it on an exam.
- Podcast Episode 422: Law School Exam Prep (Part 1) This is the first episode in a two-part series on getting ready for exams. Today, we’re talking about what professors look for on law school exams, as well as strategies to make effective outlines and study aids. Next time, we’ll focus on practicing exam-taking skills and creating a plan for exam prep.
- Podcast Episode 423: Law School Exam Prep (Part 2) This is the second episode in a two-part series on getting ready for exams. Last time, we talked about outlining, creating study materials, and applying those study materials to a fact pattern. Today, we’re focusing on how to actually write an exam answer.
- Podcast Episode 475: Quick Tips - How to Predict What's On Your Law School Exams We break down strategies to help you anticipate what topics and question types are most likely to appear on your exams. Learn how to study smarter, not harder, and walk into your finals with confidence!
- Podcast Episode 529: Last-Minute Law School Exam Prep: Triage Tips for Success We're discussing how you can regroup, triage, and get the most out of the final weeks before law school exams.
What to Expect on Exams
- Podcast Episode 21: What is Your Professor Looking for on Exams? In law school, you spend a lot of time preparing for exams. What most students don't spend time much on is putting yourself in your professor's shoes and focusing on what he or she is looking for in an exam answer. That's what this episode is about!
- Podcast Episode 22: Take an Exam with Us In today's episode, we're doing things a bit differently. We've talked about how to study for a law exam, but today we are going to take an exam with you.
- Podcast Episode 39: Battling Test Anxiety in Law School and on the Bar Exam Today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite topic – test anxiety. Okay, not really anyone’s favorite topic, but a very important one because so many law students deal with test anxiety in law school and on the bar exam. Listen to our tips here!
- Podcast Episode 41: Avoiding Law School Exam Disasters In this podcast we're talking about avoiding exam disasters, even when you're not as prepared as you might want to be. It's not too late to pull things together, but there's no time to waste!
Academic Extracurriculars: Law Review and Moot Court
- Podcast Episode 37: Surviving Law School Moot Court Today we are talking about how to find success during law school Moot Court. This can be a stressful experience for any law student, especially those with a fear of public speaking.
- Podcast Episode 42: Acing the Law Review Write-On Competition In this podcast we are discussing the Law Review write-on competition and why you should (or shouldn't) participate. We've also got tips for success, should you decide you want to do it.
- Podcast Episode 53: Acing Oral Arguments in Law School (with guest Megan Canty) We'll discuss the role of the oral arguments and Moot Court in legal education, with special guest Megan Canty. Megan is a law school tutor with the Law School Toolbox and she is also Director of Academic Success and Bar Exam Preparation at Wayne State University Law School.
- Podcast Episode 103: Setting Yourself Up to Be a Mock Trial Rockstar (With Sara O'Connor) Are you interested in learning more about mock trial, either as a class or a competition team? This is the podcast episode for you!
- Podcast Episode 180: How to Write a Great Seminar Paper or Journal Note We’re talking about setting yourself up to write a great seminar paper or journal note.
- Podcast Episode 273: Transferring Law Schools (w/Tiffany Lo) We’re talking with guest Tiffany Lo, one of our writers who transferred law schools after her 1L year. She is going to share her experience of the transfer process, including communicating with professors, fitting in at the new school, and the impact of transferring on job opportunities.
- Podcast Episode 299: Law School Activities for Long-Term Career Prospects (w/Sadie Jones) 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.
- Podcast Episode 374: How to Be a Great Law Journal Member We’re talking about how to be a great law journal member, whether you’re on Law Review or a different journal. And we would like to thank Pro-Boards (home of the legal-specific LegalBoard and LegalPad) for sponsoring this episode!
- Podcast Episode 549: Acing the Law Review Write-on Competition (w/Professor Dawn Young) This episode features a conversation with Professor Dawn Young from Loyola University Chicago School of Law about law review write-on competitions.