Tag: #ProTips

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Advice Law School

Prepping for Your 1L Year

6 THINGS YOU MUST DO BEFORE LAW SCHOOL (2)

 

Right now it doesn’t feel real. It hasn’t sunk in that in just about a month, you will begin your first year as a law student. By now you’ve received your information on orientation or Fundamentals week, and you likely attended a new student event (or two). Before classes begin, take some time to set your priorities.

I honestly only completed these six tasks before enjoying the rest of my summer. It was hugely important to me to make sure I was ready for law school. But I didn’t go nuts trying to read everything on the suggested reading list, or dive straight into city ordinances. I mean, come on! You have time to dive into research later, for now – cover the essentials.

  1. Apply for Financial Aid + Scholarships
    • Many of you may not know this, but you may qualify for a Direct PLUS loan. It’s government Financial Aid, and comes in handy! If you need extra aid to help pay for tuition or books – check to see if you are eligible!
    • Scholarships are fewer at this level of education, but they certainly exist. Check your institution’s financial aid page for updated scholarship applications and opportunities. Looking around online isn’t a bad option either. Free money is out there, and many times scholarships go un-used. Take advantage of these opportunities!FSA-Eligibility-11.16.12
  2. Buy/Organize a Desk or Study Space
    • You need a designated place to study or get work done. This is a fact. You may not always feel like trudging up to the library to study, and your kitchen table doesn’t usually allow you the flexibility of leaving your books flayed about. This means you need a DESK! There are many affordable options, and I strongly recommend you get yourself one – quick!
    • I purchased a desk, chair, and plastic chair mat for less than $400 at Nebraska Furniture Mart. The products came mostly assembled, and were not difficult to set-up. My desk area is bright, quiet, and perfect for holding many of my study materials at a time. That said, I had to purchase an additional book shelf and wall shelf to accommodate my 1L books and supplies.
    • I also recommend you get a desk lamp. My boyfriend surprised me with a wonderful one, which I mentioned  HERE.IMG_9686IMG_9763
  3. Set a Schedule
    • If you already know your class schedule (and, you should) – then take a few minutes to organize your planner. If you don’t have a planner, use your computer/phone/google to get your digital calendar prepared.
    • Block off time for class, then block off study time. Next, block off time for meals, family, and grocery runs.
    • I suggest you add your family members to your calendar, this way they are aware of what you’re tasks are and know when it’s ok to try and call or steal you away for a movie night.
  4. Rent Textbooks
    • Why buy books when you can rent them? I considered purchasing them for my first semester, but opted to rent (when the rental was cheaper). My favorite site for comparing book prices is BIGWORDS.
      • Type in the ISBN of the book you need, and then select the best option for your wallet. Read the reviews from the seller before choosing an option. I’ve had great luck with timely and affordable rental options, always delivered to my door. 🙂
  5. Buy School Supplies
    • oh.my.GOSH.bestday
    • Buying new school supplies is one of my all-time fave things!
    • Pens, pencils, highliters, post-its….you’ll use them ALL! Everything’s on sale, and you (most definitely) will run through multiple packs of each item. Stock up now, while you have time!
  6. Relax + Meet Incoming Students (Your New Friends!)
    • You will gain nothing from reading ahead. I repeat, NOTHING.
    • Even though you think you know how to read and write well – the fact is, you have no clue how to brief a case or wade through legal concepts. Which means there’s no point in using up your precious down time, before the mayhem begins, trying to get ahead of your classmates.
      • By all means, read cases your professors ASSIGN. But, do not go beyond that scope. This year is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself, young padawan – “burnout” is real.
    • Meet up with some newbies for coffee, or dinner! I felt much more confident walking into orientation week knowing I had a few friends in the mix. We met for sushi a few weeks before class, and asked each other all kinds of “baby questions” like – where’d you find the class schedule? Or, what are you thinking of wearing for day 1? Are you actually going to brief any cases?
      • You’ll love having this built-in support system, so reach out and meet people! It’ll make orientation week much more memorable. <3

smart

 

Trust me when I say that you need to enjoy this time. Your 1L is coming up fast, and it will be stressful. Get yourself in the proper mindset for classes, with this list. You’ll thank me for it later.

 

Categories
Advice Law School

Working with Sharks

Getting the Most From your Internship

 

You just spent an entire year drilling legal theories, concepts, terminology, and cases into your gloriously gyrificated brain. You’ve studied for several years to get to this moment — accepting an unpaid internship. Make no mistake about it, working this hard, only to spend 140 hours of your much-deserved summer, is a hard pill to swallow.

But you know what?

You secured an internship! That’s freaking fantastic! There’s a heap of law students that wish they were in your shoes. Don’t you dare pass up this opportunity to move your career forward. Make your mark.

Here are a few tips for you to make the most of your 1L Summer Internship.

intern

 

  1. Be Kind.
    • This seems so completely unreasonable to write down. Of course, you should be nice and respectable. If you have any sort of home training, you’ll be a decent human being because that’s the right way to behave. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Our Dean (a retired Judge) shared this story with us during our first week:
      • He hired a clerk for his chambers. The young guy had great grades and a good suit; looked professional and carried himself well. On the first day of his clerkship (if I am not mistaken) the Judge’s court coordinator, who had spent more than a decade working with the Judge, asked the young man to move some boxes for her. Such a simple task, right? Well, this guy told her that he didn’t spend his life working through his undergrad and law school years only to get a clerkship where he had to do secretary work. Now, imagine what this nice woman said the Judge…?
    • Do not be that jerk. If you can be helpful, that speaks volumes! Make a coffee run, organize files, direct lawyers to the proper courtroom. Do what you can to make people want to have you around. Niceties go a long way.
  2. Dominate Your Tasks.
    • This internship is a foothold for you to further your career. That said, make sure you see every task assigned through to the finish. Do not cut corners, because it will show. These Judges have a plethora of experience, which means they can easily tell the difference between great work, and half-assed work.
    • Own your work and make it stand out – in a good way. Polish your writing assignments, give them a look-over, and edit several times before giving them to your law clerk or Judge.
  3. Re-Read Everything You Publish. Twice.
    • This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip, but I wanted to echo it. Read your work. Step away from it, and then read it again. Go line by line if you have to – because skimping on this is just a bonehead move. Judges and Attorneys want to trust in your abilities, so make it easy on yourself and proof-read your work before handing it off.
  4. Represent Your School with Fierce Pride.
    • Getting this internship could mean potential internships for the students that follow. Keep your eye on the prize. Your work with these judges and attorneys might open the door for other students looking for the same opportunity. By working hard and being memorable, you might be able to inadvertently offer a hand-up to a fellow student. Be the change, little shark. 
  5. Offer Simple Answers.
    • So often we read convoluted cases and lengthy explanations, written in legalese, when fewer words would suffice. That said, you’re still a student. Take the time to figure out a simple way to explain what you need to get across to your audience.
    • Pro Tip: Simple and elegant are not mutually exclusive, don’t let your creativity falter.

 

potential
You’ve got potential.

 

The work you do is important, it can change lives. Learn everything from this internship. Ask questions, especially when uncertain on a particular topic. The judges and attorneys know you aren’t perfect. Their choice to hire you is reflected in what they hope to teach you. Make the most of it!

 

Categories
Daily Dose Reviews

Meal Prep for the Busy Law Student

Usually, I meal prep on Sunday. However, I was quite disenchanted with the mere thought of cooking then, and the kitchen passion didn’t quite hit me Tuesday, or today either, hence – I continued to procrastinate. [law school daze, right]

Put if off until tomorrow…I was happy with this decision.
Until I opened the fridge in the morning to pack my lunch and realized – I didn’t have lunch! Well, damn. Joke’s on me.

noidea
What was I expecting?

With assignments, study groups, reading, and trying to have a semblance of a social life (let’s face it – this one is definitely on the back burner right now) – time quickly passes. I chose to be law school lazy. My couch called my name, the dogs begged for tummy rubs, and I simply refused to cook.

Here I am, Wednesday evening, running on a cup of coffee, a bagel, and a pack of plain m&ms…the tummy grumblings arrived.
You know all too well how difficult it is to study on an empty stomach.
Sometimes it’s easier to pick up a meal on the way home; that option (for three adults) racks up a pretty penny, and fast!

Most weeks, I meal prep. Our pantry is stocked with everyday basics: rice, beans, pasta, risotto, polenta, cereal, Triscuit, bread, tuna….the list goes on with pretty much any canned or dried good you can imagine (even baby corn – yep, I make sure we have it in case a stir-fry craving hits)! But Finals are upon us – which means I’m in study mode and too nervous/busy/panicked/tired to spend that much time in the kitchen (aside from sress baking, of course)!

Thank goodness for meal prep services!
Last week, we opted to give FRESHLY a try!
We got to pick 12 meals, FRESHLY cooked and pre-packaged them, then delivered them directly to our front door.

Is this unbelievably convenient? YES.
Will we splurge on this every week? Likely, no.

However if the meals are good – then we can order them for busy weeks!

restaurant-delivery-site-reviews

 

Tonight we tried two of the meals: [Jerk Chicken] & [Southwest Chipotle Bowl]

Pros: The food was not disgusting. I’ll be honest, I was terrified it was going to be awful. Then, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the plated meal. I was not over-the-moon about my meal option, but I’m glad I tried it.

Cons: The meals are drastically different in calorie count. :/ This was a major bummer. The meal I chose (Southwest Bowl) was 740 calories, while Angel’s Jerk Chicken meal came in at 500 calories. What. The. Heck?!

I ended up storing half my meal for lunch tomorrow, which means there’s a little bit of a “pro” in the “con.”

IMG_1175
The mango salsa was a nice touch
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Adding Cilantro to a dish does not make it “Southwestern-style”
IMG_1177
Not a “pretty” dish, but still tasty.

 

Overall, this first round was not half-bad. I’m excited to try the rest of the meals we ordered. I truly appreciate the convenience of this delivery service, but I’m not completely sold on the flavors or the price. Further recon necessary.

Have a great week!