The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! 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!

In this episode, we discuss:

• A real California bar exam question and the issues it contains
• Why you need to learn how to carefully read fact patterns
• How to analyze a question and make legal and factual distinctions on exam day
• The importance of following the call of the question
• Why the number one piece of advice of the Law School Toolbox continues to be - PRACTICE

Resources:

• California Bar Exam Past Exam Questions (http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination/Past-Exams)
• February 2008 California Bar Exam Question (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6._Feb2008CriminalLAW.pdf)
• Brainy Bar Bank California (https://barexamtoolbox.com/brainy-bar-bank-california-bar-exam/)
• Brainy Bar Bank MEE/MPT (https://barexamtoolbox.com/brainy-bar-bank-ube-mee-mpt/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Episode-139-How-To-Issue-Spot-An-Exam-Question.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website . If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox.

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have a special guest, Jennifer Warren, to talk about how to improve your public speaking skills – something most law students and lawyers need to work on.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why public speaking skills are so important for a legal career
• The importance of being yourself when presenting
• The golden rule of the Law School Toolbox – PRACTICE – and some novel ways to practice your public speaking skills
• How doing what makes you most uncomfortable is the best way to improve your skills
• Our top 10 tips for improving your public speaking skills

Resources:

• Want to be a Better Public Speaker? Do what the Pros do (https://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/05/29/want-to-be-a-better-public-speaker-do-what-the-pros-do/#184f1ad61e17)
• Public Speaking Tips from a Work in Progress (https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/01/public-speaking-tips-from-a-work-in-progress/)
• The Number One Way for Introverts to Become Better at Public Speaking (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/16/the-no-1-way-for-introverts-to-become-better-at-public-speaking.html)
• What Did Improv Classes Teach Me about Public Speaking (https://magneticspeaking.com/what-did-improv-classes-in-san-francisco-teach-me-about-public-speaking/)
• Toastmasters (http://www.toastmasters.org)
• Brene Brown's TEDTalks (https://www.ted.com/speakers/brene_brown)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ep-138-Top-10-Public-Speaking-Tips-w-Jennifer-Warren.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website . If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox.

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we are pleased to welcome back Sadie Jones, an ex-BigLaw recruiter, to talk about how to handle difficult situations at work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What to tell your employer/prospective employer when the grades that got you the job have tanked or you've failed the bar exam
• How to tell your employer you're taking a judicial clerkship
• Whether and what criminal, mental, physical, or substance abuse issues need to be discussed with your boss
• How to have difficult conversations about troublesome bosses or coworkers or just because you've taken on too much work
• Technology! What to do when you've accidentally opened or deleted something you shouldn't have

Resources:

• How to Tell Your Boss You Failed the Bar Exam (https://barexamtoolbox.com/failing-the-bar-and-telling-your-boss/)
• Are You Emotionally Intelligent? (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/are-you-emotionally-intelligent-5-soft-skills-to-show-off-in-your-summer-law-job/)
• A Lawyer's Case for Disclosure (https://www.bphope.com/a-lawyers-case-for-disclosure/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Episode_137_How-to-Handle-Difficult-Workplace-Situations-revised.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! 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!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why we are seeing more multiple choice questions on law school exams
• The right answer versus the best answer - how legal multiple choice questions are different than other multiple choice exams
• We walk you through a sample multiple choice question and give you tips on how to approach it
• How and why practicing multiple choice questions can help you study even if your exam doesn't include them
• Where to find more practice questions

Resources:

• Emanuel Strategies and Tactics (https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tactics-Second-Emanuel-Review/dp/1454809930)
• Crunch Time Series (https://www.wklegaledu.com/study-aids/emanuel-series)
• CALI Lessons (https://www.cali.org/lesson)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Episode_136_Multiple-Choice-Questions-on-Law-School-Exams.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts0 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to be talking with Casey Berman, founder of Leave Law Behind, about why some attorneys are unhappy and what they can do to shift to a non-legal career.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why unhappy attorneys tend to be unhappy
• How leaving the law requires shifting out of the typically attorney mindset
• What type of non-legal careers attorneys are particularly well suited for
• How attorneys can become entrepreneurs
• The typically barriers to leaving the law, and how to overcome them

Resources:

• Leave Law Behind (http://leavelawbehind.com/)
• Leave Law Behind Course (http://leavelawbehind.com/leave-the-law-program-online-course)
• How to Conduct Great Informational Interviews (https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/how-to-conduct-great-informational-interviews/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Episode-135-Leaving-the-Law-wCasey-Berman.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox Podcast. Today, we're sharing personal productivity tips you can use to organize your life and get everything done. Working effectively isn't just important for law school, but for life as a whole. In this podcast, we talk about different systems, strategies, and considerations you can explore to create a productivity plan that works for you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The productivity management tool, Trello – and why we're so obsessed
• The importance of recording your to-dos, and recording them all in one place
• Mise-en-place: What you can learn about productivity from professional chefs
• Immersive time vs. process time
• How to create and commit to processes for dealing with your life, instead of winging it as things come up

Resources:

• Find Work-Life Focus: a Trello Insider's Guide to Personal Productivity (https://blog.trello.com/work-life-focus-trello-insider-guide-personal-productivity)
• Work Clean: The life-changing power of mise-en-place to organize your life, work, and mind, by Dan Charnas (https://www.amazon.com/Work-Clean-life-changing-mise-en-place-organize/dp/1623365929)
• Need to Get More Done in Law School? Try the Circles (https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/08/tips-time-management-awesomeness-with-the-circles/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Episode-134-Personal-Productivity.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox Podcast! Today, we're talking with legal recruiter Liz Stone, of Stone Legal Search, about ways to proactively manage your career from law school onwards. A former litigator, Liz works primarily with attorneys in the middle of their careers looking to make a switch and brings to the podcast her insights on decisions to make early on to help ensure job satisfaction and how to best position yourself for a mid-career move.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Competitiveness in the mid-level recruiting market
• Going in-house: Is it really that easy?
• Steps to take to position yourself for a mid-career move
• Suggestions for law students who want to set themselves up for success and happiness
• Resources to help you figure out what you want in your career
• Common pitfalls that lead to workplace problems or career dissatisfaction for lawyers
• Why lawyers are typically bad at business development, and what they can do to improve

Resources:

• Liz Stone, "Reframing Failure to Succeed in Business Development," Law Practice Today, Dec. 14, 2017. (http://www.lawpracticetoday.org/article/reframing-failure-succeed-business-development/)
• ABA Legal Career Central (http://www.abalcc.org)
• Stone Legal Search (https://www.stonelegalsearch.com)
• Leaving Litigation and Leaving BigLaw (https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/leaving-litigation-and-leaving-biglaw/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Episode-133-Being-Strategic-About-Your-Career-Choices.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox Podcast. Today, we're talking about what it's actually like to work in BigLaw, with ex-BigLaw recruiter, Sadie Jones. It's generally accepted that in BigLaw, you're expected to bill a ton of hours and work long nights in exchange for a hefty paycheck, but is that all there is to it? Learn more of the nuanced ins-and-outs of life working in a large law firm.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The BigLaw hierarchy, and your chances of making partner
• The type of work and the type of client you can expect to encounter
• The BigLaw hiring process
• Typical work assignments for junior associates
• How many hours are you really expected to bill/work?
• Bonuses: Show me the money!
• What does partnership really require?
• Expectations for business development
• Some common pitfalls of BigLaw life

Resources:

• Podcast Episode 105: OCI Basics with an ex-BigLaw Recruiter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-105-oci-basics-ex-biglaw-recruiter/)
• Podcast Episode 130: How to Make Difficult Decisions in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-130-how-to-make-difficult-decisions-in-law-school/)
• Podcast Episode 131: Thinking Ahead About the Future (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-131-thinking-ahead-about-the-future/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Episode-132-Whats-It-Like-to-Work-in-BigLaw-with-Sadie-Jones.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox Podcast! Today, we're talking about thinking about the future and long-term goal setting in law school. Many people in their 30s and 40s look at their lives and wonder how they got there. Though it might seem far off when you're in your 20s, it's never too early to start thinking about what you might want your life to look like in the future, and to make the personal and career choices most likely to make that future a reality, or at least a possibility.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Determining the kind of work environment you want to work in
• What's important to have time for in your personal life?
• Factors to consider if you have or want to have a family
• How your debt load can control your options and how to avoid the golden handcuffs
• Learning from your past employment to make better choices for the future
• The importance of educating yourself on these matters so you make informed choices

Resources:

• Podcast Episode 96: How to Rapidly Pay off Law School Debt (with guest Financial Panther) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-96-how-to-rapidly-pay-off-law-school-debt-with-guest-financial-panther/)
• YouNeedABudget.com (https://www.youneedabudget.com/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Episode-131-Thinking-About-the-Future.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Welcome to the Law School Toolbox Podcast! Today, we're talking about how to go about making difficult decisions in law school, because, let's be honest, you'll almost certainly have to make some. Now that the first semester is over, this is the time of year when many law students face a variety of choices about the direction their legal education and career. In this podcast, we talk about some of these dilemmas specifically, and offer suggestions for how to approach your decision-making process.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Should you stay, or should you go? Deciding whether to drop out
• Which jobs should you apply for? And which should you accept?
• Choosing a clinic or externship
• Deciding whether to join a journal, and which one
• How to spend your time in law school, on a daily or weekly basis, or over a semester
• Different tools for helping you make thoughtful decisions
• Dealing with resistance to or disapproval of your choice
• Trusting your instincts

Resources:

• Martha Beck, Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live (https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Own-North-Star/dp/0812932188)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Episode-130-Making-Difficult-Decisions-in-Law-School.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee