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

Chances are, you've received at least some of your first semester law school grades by now. We hope you're jumping for joy, but 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. The important thing is to stay focused, learn from your mistakes, and put a plan in place for success next time around. It is possible!

In this episode we discuss:

• Lee and Alison's personal experience with first semester grades
• What you need to understand about the curve
• Why do people get so stressed out about law school grades?
• Steps to take after you get your grades
• Why it's OK to be disappointed
• How to evaluate your study process
• Why outlining is an important tool in studying for exams
• The importance of getting feedback
• Time management tips
• How to explain bad grades during interviews

Good luck! If you'd like our help figuring out how to improve your grades second semester, just let us know on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact).

Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-28-dealing-with-bad-law-school-grades/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Resources:

Law School Tutoring: http://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/

Are you interviewing for a legal job? Whether you are interviewing for your first summer job, or one that will (hopefully) be more permanent, we have tips for many different types of interviews and situations.

In this episode we discuss:

• What universal traits are most interviewers looking for?
• What traits are red flags for interviewers?
• How to dress for your interview
• Tailoring your approach for different work settings
• What you should bring, and not bring, with you to the interview
• What not to do during your interview
• The importance of asking questions during the interview
• Tips for specific types of jobs (clerkships, law firms, government, etc.)

Good luck with your interview!

Resources:

• Stitch Fix (https://www.stitchfix.com/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

The fact that you are a 1L or 2L doesn't mean that you can't be thinking ahead to bar exam preparation. And if you're a 3L, you definitely need to be planning for the bar! It's important to keep bar prep on your radar throughout law school, so you will be ready when the big day arrives. Here are some tips for preparing successfully, whatever year you are!

In this episode we discuss:

• The biggest mistake that law students make when thinking about bar exam preparation
• Handling the bar exam "culture of fear"
• Preparing for the bar exam as a 3L
• Getting the most for your money with bar prep
• Tips for selecting a bar review provider
• Understanding what bar prep options are offered at your school
• The courses we took and didn't take that could have helped with the bar exam
• What you need to do ahead of time (bar admission paperwork, accommodations, saving money)
• Bar preparation for 1Ls: What you should and should not do your first year
• Taking the MPRE
• How to work on your study skills now so you will be prepared for the bar exam

Good luck on the bar!

Resources:

• Should You Apply for Bar Exam Testing Accommodations? (http://barexamtoolbox.com/apply-bar-exam-testing-accommodations/)
• Can You Pass the Bar Exam Without Taking Barbri? http://barexamtoolbox.com/can-you-pass-the-bar-exam-without-taking-barbri/
• Mind Over Bar (http://mindoverbar.com/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Although it seems like it should be common sense, you'd be surprised by how many law students struggle with professionalism when they arrive at their first law job. This may be because many law students have limited work experience or have only been exposed to more casual work environments in the past. Now is the time to make a good first impression at your legal job and we have some advice to help you out!

In this episode we discuss:

• What does being a professional even mean?
• What your job really is as a new lawyer or legal intern
• Why to check any sense of entitlement
• What it's like to work in different settings
• How and why to dress professionally
• Professional communication (in-person and email)
• Perception and why it's important
• Alison and Lee's stories from the trenches!

Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-25-how-to-behave-like-a-professional-in-the-legal-workplace/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Although it's only December, today we're looking ahead to the summer. If you're a 1L, you're probably thinking about how (and where) you are going to find a summer job. We know a lot of you may be stressing out about this so we've got some useful tips and information about the basics of a 1L job search.

In this episode we discuss:

• Does it matter what you do after your 1L year of law school?
• What kind of job can you realistically expect to get?
• The importance of getting a job doing something "legal"
• Different types of summer jobs you can apply to (judicial externships, firm jobs, government, academia, international work)
• Using your personal or family network to find opportunities
• How to find opportunities through your school
• What you can expect to earn
• Most important factors when deciding on a summer job
• How to find out what an organization is looking for
• What to do if you don't find a paid job
• How to secure funding for summer jobs
• The importance of Job Fairs

Good luck in your job hunt!

Resources:

• National Association for Law Placement (http://www.nalp.org/)
• How to Conduct Great Informational Interviews (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/how-to-conduct-great-informational-interviews/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

Are exams looming on the horizon? In today's episode, we're dishing out some law school exam day tips. You probably have been preparing intensively for the last few weeks for exams, but have you prepared for the day of the exam? Athletes prepare for the day of the big game and so should you! Check out our tips for exam day success.

In this episode we discuss:

• Getting ready for the day of the exam in law school
• The importance of self-care during exam prep
• How to tell if you are burnt out
• Sorting out any testing accommodations
• How to be at your best on game day
• Being prepared for obstacles you may face on the big day
• What you should bring with you to the exam (Alison and Lee have very different ideas on this one!)
• Time management during the exam
• How to handle anxiety during the exam
• How to adjust your strategy for take home exams
• Decompressing between exams

Resources:

• What Should You Bring With You to a Law School Exam? (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/what-should-you-bring-with-you-to-a-law-school-exam/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Best of luck on your exams!

Alison & Lee

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. Well, not actually TAKE it with you, but we're going over a real question to show you exactly how we'd approach an exam hypo, from start to finish.

Before listening to this episode, be sure to download the documents in the resources so you can follow along.

In this episode we discuss:

• Our step-by-step attack plan
• How we organize the information in the hypo
• What we're looking for when we read the question
• How to figure out the key legal issues and critical facts
• How to generally approach exam hypos
• Tying the facts to the law
• Creating a scratch paper outline
• Putting it all together and writing your exam answer

Resources:

Here are the materials you'll need, if you want to follow along:

• Adverse Possession Hypo (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Adverse-possession-hypo.pdf)
• Adverse Possession Attack Plan (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Adverse-possession-attack-plan.pdf)
• Adverse Possession Sample Answer (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Adverse-possession-Sample-answer.pdf)
• Marked Up Answer Alison (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Marked-Up-Question-Alison.pdf)
• Marked Up Answer Lee (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Marked-Up-Question-Lee.pdf)
• Scratch Paper Outline Alison (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Scratch-Paper-Outline-Alison.pdf)
• Scratch Paper Outline Lee (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Scratch-Paper-Outline-Lee.pdf)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Best of luck on your exams!

Alison & Lee

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! Your goal should be to write a clean, well-organized, and thoughtful exam to give yourself an edge over your frazzled, disorganized classmates. We'll show you how.

In this episode we discuss:

• What grading exams is really like for your professor
• What your professor is looking for in an exam answer and how you use this information to present them with the best possible answer
• The importance of mastering not only the law but being also able to apply it
• What your professor is NOT looking for
• Ways to frustrate and annoy your professor

Remember, when you're writing your exam answers, don't forget to put yourself in the professor's shoes. After all, that's who's giving you a grade.

Best of luck on your exams!

Resources:

• 1L Tip of the Day: Good Confusion and Bad Confusion (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/10/law-school-tip-of-the-day-good-confusion-and-bad-confusion/)
• Should Your Law School Essay Be Wearing Sweatpants or a Suit? (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/should-your-law-school-essay-be-wearing-sweatpants-or-a-suit/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee

When you're counting the time to your first exam in weeks, rather than months, lots of law students start to panic. While we don’t suggest panicking, some concern is warranted! Time is going to go quickly, and you want to be sure you’re using it wisely in the last month or so until exams start.

If you've got law school exams coming up, tune in!

In this episode we discuss:

• Time management during law school exam prep
• Why you need to make a study calendar NOW!
• How should you handle Thanksgiving?
• How to effectively use feedback you have received
• Triage methods when you have too much to do
• Ways to reduce stress and stay healthy
• Evaluating your current study methods so you know what's working (and making changes when you need to)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening! And good luck on your exams!

Alison & Lee

Not all law school exams are created equal. Different schools will use different types of exams and your professors can do whatever they want!

In order to succeed, whether you're facing open-book, closed-book, multiple-choice, or take-home exams, it's critical to practice, to be resourceful, and to use tools and resources that are geared to your specific type of exam.

Don't stress out about what type of exams you're facing! Tune in for our advice on the best strategy for every type of law school exam.

In this episode we talk about:

• The different types of law school exams - open book, closed book, multiple choice, and take homes
• What is the easiest type of law school exam? The hardest?
• Our personal experience with the different exam types
• The most common type of exams you will see in law school
• What resources are most helpful for the different exam types
• Study strategies for each type of exam
• The unique challenges you may face with each type of exam
• Is it okay to ask your professor for help?
• The importance of planning before you write!

Remember - practice makes perfect! Prepare early for your exams and you will be successful.

Best of luck on your exams! Whatever type they happen to be...

Resources:

• Surviving Law School Exams (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/may-surviving-law-school-exams/)
• All You Need to Prepare for Law School Exams (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/all-you-need-to-know-to-prepare-for-law-school-exams/)
• Tips for Studying for an Open Book Exam (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/tips-for-studying-for-an-open-book-exam/)
• How to Prepare for a Closed Book Exam (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/11/how-to-prepare-for-a-closed-book-exam/)
• How to Prepare for an Open Book Exam (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/12/how-to-prepare-for-an-open-book-exam/)
• 1L Exams Start in a Week - What Should Be Doing? (http://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/12/1l-exams-start-this-week/)

If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know!

We'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes. 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).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee