Crushing 1L

Abhi and Aaminah reassure a listener that they will make connections in law school. Thanks to the structure of "sections", law school facilitates connections with classmates. They also advise listers to maintain relationships with non-law friends who can help keep you grounded when the going gets tough.

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Demon teacher and practicing attorney Matt joins Abhi to tell his law school story. He shares what is was like going to law school during covid, the importance of learning to love reading, and discovering your own legal career. Send questions to [email protected]

Abhi and Aaminah talk 1L summer job applications. They note that as the biggest firms have accelerated their hiring timeline, it has created a race to try and capture talent. Applications for most firms open before 1Ls even have their first semester grades. Abhi and Aaminah explain how to leverage networking events, deciding what law you want to practice, and the importance of staying healthy.

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Midterms are rapidly approaching for Abhi and Aaminah. With law school in full swing, they are writing memos, outlines, and practicing hypos. Then they take listener questions and cover Utah's new alternative path to bar membership.

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Abhi is joined by attorney and 1L strategy coach Angela Vorpahl to unpack what students should expect, and how to prepare, for their first year of law school. Angela explains how law firm recruiting for 1L and 2L summer positions has shifted earlier than ever, with competitive firms now hiring in the fall of 1L. She urges students to be proactive by finalizing resumes, cover letters, and diversity statements before classes begin, and she shares strategies for managing time, staying focused, and making grades count in the critical first semester.

Abhi and Aaminah jump into legal writing this week. Effective legal writing is one of the most important skills that you will learn in law school, and it is a required 1L course. Crushing 1L gives you exposure early into the structure and style of legal writing to help prepare you for day one of law school. Later, they share how to handle difficult weeks, a guaranteed scholarship offer from the University of Santa Clara, and the Crushing 1L word of the week. Send questions to [email protected]

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Abhi and Aaminah kick things off with practical time-management advice, urging 1Ls to show up on day one with a scheduling system that can handle classes plus the swirl of lunches, groups, and guest speakers. They pivot to casebooks and briefing, stressing active, focused reading and sharing strategies to tame the heavy workload. In listener Q&A, they normalize nerves about cold calls and social dynamics, reminding students to give others—and themselves—grace and to stay centered on their own progress. For current events, they note Arizona’s criminal-lawyer shortage and a proposal pairing a one-year MLS with a two-year apprenticeship to staff public defense.

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2:40 — Time Management

Law school is more than classes. Networking lunches, student groups, and guest speakers compete for your time. You should arrive on day one with a scheduling system that works for you. 

6:09 - Law School Review

Abhi and Aaminah turn their attention to casebooks and case briefing. Reading cases requires focused and active engagement. They offer strategies to help manage the significant reading workload. 

26:00 - Listener Questions

Several students express concerns with cold calls and social dynamics in law school. Abhi and Aaminah reassure listeners that you are going to meet kind and brilliant people. You aren’t perfect, and neither are they. Focus on your own journey and you’ll be a better student and classmate for it.

40:30 — Current Events

Arizona faces a shortage of criminal lawyers. The state is considering a one-year Master of Legal Studies plus a two-year apprenticeship that would qualify someone to work as a public defender.

53:20 - Word of the Week

Replevin 

56:57 - Legal Writing

Check out Crushing 1L’s legal writing section for a solid foundation for first year legal writing. 

Abhi and Aaminah are joined by Erin Lotridge, who shares her law school journey. They discuss learning the language of law, getting the most out of class, managing time as a 1L, and lots more!Erin graduated 2nd in her class at the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. After graduating, she scored 99th percentile on the Unified Bar Exam, clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Brendan A. Hurson, and began her legal career as a DOJ Honors Attorney in the Civil Rights Division.Send your questions to https://www.crushing1l.com Get access to all of our Crushing 1L material with any paid Demon plan: https://www.lsatdemon.com/plans

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Aaminah and Abhi kick off this week's episode with a review of important, but often overlooked, steps when starting law school. Then they discuss the economics of law firms and how Crushing 1L can help incoming students learn more about practice areas.

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Abhi and Aaminah share their experiences from orientation week. They discuss what incoming students can expect, the welcoming atmosphere created by their peers and professors, and how Crushing 1L lessons helped them ace orientation.

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