20 Things Every Law Student Needs Before Starting Law School

Are you gearing up for your first year of law school??? The last bit of time before the first year starts in nerve-wracking. I spent it trying desperately to prepare myself for the experience: what I would wear, what I would need and what an outline was. It is very hard to prepare and know what to expect from an experience like law school. Also, people were always asking what I needed. I didn't even know what I needed let alone tell them what to get me! So, I have compiled a list of the things I could not have survived my first year of law school without.

Why the First Semester of Law School Does Not Define You

If you have been reading for a while, you may know that I struggled with my first semester of law school. If you have not been reading for a while, here's the cliff notes version: I entered law school having always been a top student, one of the smartest in my classes, on a full-tuition scholarship and having just graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual Bachelors degrees. I was ready to crush law school just like everything else. Suddenly, everything I thought I knew about school and studying didn't work and I was surrounded by people just as smart and often smarter than me. That was a big adjustment. I questioned myself and my choice to attend law school daily. Eventually, I got into the swing of things and it got easier. Then, I took law school exams... wow. They were unlike any exam I had ever completed and I struggled. A lot. No matter how hard I studied, it didn't seem to be enough and the format of the 4-hour exams was just draining. I squeaked by but my grades were nowhere near where I wanted them to be and I was confused, heartbroken and completely frustrated. I contemplated dropping out. I thought of back up plans if I couldn't finish law school. I cried to my parents and husband.

Finally, my wonderful mother got tired of my whining and moping and gave me the kick in the butt I needed- She informed me that it was okay to be upset and disappointed with myself. But she also said I had never not excelled at something I put my mind to in my entire life and it was about darn time I got knocked on my rear. She told me to stop whining and make a decision- I could either buckle down, work harder than ever before and prove to myself and my school that I could excel in law school the second semester. The other choice was dropping out and figuring out something else to do with my life. I took the first option.

I am happy to report that my hard work paid off- I re-engineered my study tactics, worked my butt off and was able to pull my GPA up 2 entire points after the second semester. I got a higher grade in every single class and I even got my first A in law school which led to me dancing down the hallway of my internship. I am eligible for Moot Court and moved up in the ranking. I have a wonderful internship and I am learning something every day. Overall, I am heading into my 2L year much more confident and set in my plan to finish law school and succeed in the legal field.

So why did I tell this story?? Because one semester does not define you. You can fail and fall flat on your back... it's okay. You can cry it out. Just pick yourself up, make some changes, buckle down and choose to improve. Never ever let one bad class or one bad semester break your dreams. I failed. I had the worst GPA of my life. I got my first C's. I took that failure and let it fuel me to never get those grades again and succeed. If I can do that, so can you!

Never give up after one tough break. You are smart enough, you are good enough and they would not have let you into law school if you couldn't do it. Re-engineer, redouble your efforts and attack it with a vengeance-fueled by all your frustrations. Work so hard you will never have grades that low again. Make success the only option. Whining and complaining will not change your grades- only hard work will do that. Do not give up after one bad semester.

The caveat to that is that it is okay to change directions. If after the first year you truly realize that law is not for you, then find something else. That is not giving up- that is making a way for yourself that is right for you. The law may not be for everyone and it is not what it seems from the outside looking in. There is no shame in choosing to go for a different career. You must do what's best for you.

I wish everyone finishing their first year the best of luck as grades come back- I hope the curve falls in your favor. For those gearing up for their first year of law school, prepare for a lot of hard work, exhaustion and the possibility of failure... but remember, you can always improve and that first semester does not define you. As my internship supervisor wisely told me, there are a million great lawyers out there making a difference and some never even got an A in law school. Grades do not define you. Keep your head above water- you can do it!!

Preparing for Your First Legal Internship

First year of law school down... what next? For most of us, we move onto our first legal internships to fill the summer between 1L and 2L year. Personally. I will be working in my local criminal prosecutor's office and receiving class credit for externship experience. Preparing for my first foray into the professional legal world has me a little stressed out and apprehensive. Regardless, I have spent my week off between the end of finals and the start of my internship preparing myself in every way I can.

1. A Legal Wardrobe
One thing I have had tucked in the back of my mind for years is my future as a lawyer = professional wardrobe every. dang. day. Partially fun to dress up every day, partially daunting to dress like that day in day out and never being able to rock a pair of leggings at work. Over the years, I have been collecting professional clothing when I find it on sale or something I just have to have (working at TJ Maxx all through college helped with that). As my first legal internship has been growing closer, I have been spending a little time and moolah on my "lawyer wardrobe". J. Crew Factory has some amazing sales! I have gotten some amazing deals including a $12 lace pencil skirt! The sales rack at Kohls has also been rather good to me. I tend to be a constant shopper.... no matter where I am, I browse and see what I can happen across; if it is a good deal, I get it. This has led to me taking over the closet in our office with just my professional clothing... sorry hubby! I highly suggest spending some time and money before you start a legal internship on amassing a wardrobe large enough and varied enough to last you a whole summer in a law office. You don't want to be known as the girl who wears the same pants every other day or spend the first few weekends shopping frantically and getting stuck with clothes you don't love.

Once you have the wardrobe, spend a little time creating outfits and make sure you aren't missing the right color belt or a certain color undershirt. I like to plan out my outfits a few days in advance so I will do this Sunday night for the upcoming week. It makes me less stressed to have it done.

2. Invest in a Work Tote
Ladies, a work tote is a must-have. First, you need to carry all of your stuff to and from an internship. The old Vera Bradley tote from 9th grade is great for school and trips but do you really want to waltz into a professional legal internship carrying it? I am not huge on name brands so I do not have a Kate Spade or Michael Kors tote for work; I found a cute leather option on sale at Kohls that is high quality, exactly the size and style I wanted and did not break the bank. In my opinion, it's a win-win. Also, I spend a little time this week packing my work tote. Inside I have my wallet, my little cosmetics emergency kit, my planner, a small notebook for jotting down assignment notes, a small bag of my favorite pens because I am a pen snob, chapstick, hand lotion, a phone charger and a bobble refillable filtering water bottle because who knows what the courthouse water will taste like. For boys.... I guess this is a briefcase... Sorry I am of no use in what a male lawyer should carry.

3. Research Your Internship
You have likely already done this when interviewing, etc. but it never hurts to brush up on things! Figure out where you are going to park, the route you will take to work, how early you need to arrive, etc. I emailed my internship supervisor early this week to work out last minute details. I drove down to check out the parking situation yesterday; I can pay for the parking garage on Monday. Check out the Linked In accounts of the lawyers you will be working under. See if there are any prominent cases happening and read up what you can. The more research and prep I have done helps me to feel less stressed on the day of.


4. Treat Yo'Self
As I typed that, I internally said it in the voice of Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation.... but I digress. You just finished finals and a whole year of law school. Give yourself a little break and do what makes you happy. For me, that was spending large amounts of time on my couch watching Netflix, working my way through a few new novels, doing a few face and hair masks, some shopping and cleaning my house top to bottom, cleaning out our closets, cooking, baking a million cookies and getting it back to an organized state. I am also planning on getting a manicure this weekend so I can walk in Monday morning feeling fresh, rested, happy and with bangin nails. I had things to do this week but I also spent it just recharging and refreshing after a few weeks of intense stress so I can move onto the next challenge.


As hard as it is for me to believe that my first year of law school is over, I am enjoying my week off and I am so excited for my internship to begin! There will be many more updates throughout the summer so stop back to hear how it's going.

How to Handle a Law School Cold Call

What makes a first-year law students heart skip a beat? The inevitable cold call. The Socratic method. Random participation No matter what you call you, you will encounter it in law school. They are no fun but like any skill, they grow easier with time.

What is a cold call?

Professors in law school teach using a question and answer style that is meant to make you learn skills such as speaking in front of a group, thinking on your feet, handling tough questions and processing case information. The questions vary by professor- some are tough, some are more forgiving. Generally, they will call on your to recite the facts of a case or the issue and then continue on with the rest of the case issues or additional reading material. Sometimes they will call on you about something you have previously learned as review.

Prepping for Law School Finals: One Month Out

I am not sure where the time went butttttt final exams are in like a month. Cue epic freak out. Time to outline, write out flashcards and take practice exams until I'm blue in the face. Here is what I am doing to prepare and set myself up for success one month out from final exams.

The 1L Appellate Brief

I have been pretty absent from blogging recently... all of my spare time, and then some, has been devoted to my appellate brief. For those new to the law school lifestyle, most law schools require a legal research and writing class. Generally, second semester of your first year, the big assignment that determines most of your grade is an appellate brief process over a big legal fact problem.

For my class, we were given a fact pattern involving trademark infringement. First, we did a serious of research reports, then a trial brief and lastly the 30-page appellate brief that I turned in on Monday. I still have an oral argument that is ungraded and I will be done with legal research and writing!

I am not going to lie- this was the hardest writing assignment I have ever had. It took forever, given the amount of my grade it represented I had to be a perfectionist, and we had a really complex fact pattern and law to deal with. However, now that it is over and turned in, I am feeling pretty good about the work I did and proud of myself for completing such a huge assignment.

What is an Appellate Brief?

(I am going to give you the cliff notes version because your respective professor will give you the precise outline and information on what you need to do.)

An appellate brief is submitted to urge an appellate court to affirm or reverse the lower court decision. The Appellant is the moving/appealing party seeking a reversal while the Appellee is the non-moving party asking for affirmation of the lower decision. It is generally a large document written very persuasivly in regards to your parties position. In real court, these briefs are what the appellate court looks to for the information they use to make a decision. In the law school arena, this is an exercise in legal research and persusasive writing. 

The Process

Basically, the way it went at my school is that we were given the fact pattern, assigned plaintiff or defendant and asked to start research when spring semester began. From there, we had a series of research assignments to really hone the cases and the related law. This was challenging because the problem we dealt with had an applicable 8-factor legal test to decide the case. That was a lot of law to consider and learn. All said and done, I think I used about 15 cases to make my arguments.

The next step was to write a persuasive trial brief for the plaintiff or defendant. I had plaintiff side and this paper rounded out at about 18 pages complete.

Once the trial brief was over, they adjusted our facts to add what happened in the fictional "trial" and we were swapped from our existing side and given the opposing side to write the appellate brief in favor of. This was the most challenging thing for me- I had to turn off my advocate in my head for the plaintiff and start advocating for the defendant. It took a bit to wrap my head around that.

I had about 3 weeks to write my appellate brief. It went reallyyyy fast. I worked steadily on it a little bit at a time and finally turned in the 30-page final project this Monday.

Sticking with the appellate brief sides, we are doing an oral argument next week for no grade but we get feedback and it doubles as a try out for moot court if you choose to do so.

Some Tips to Ease the Process

1. Start EARLY
I know you probably hear that from every teacher under the sun but seriously, start really early. This is not like those papers in undergrad that you could knock out in a long weekend or an all nighter. If you want a return of a good grade, you have to put in ample work over time to ensure it is quality. The more time you have, the more time you have to write a little bit at a time so you don't get burnt out, rework on a sentence level for maximum persuasiveness and to edit edit edit.

2. If possible, meet with Professor
Not all professors will meet with you in regards to the brief and looking over your work. If they are willing to, I highly suggest doing so. They are the grader and they have more experience so whatever they have to say will probably have a positive impact on your grade. Another set of eyes, especially the highly trained eyes of your professor, is always a good idea.

3. Make time to look at it with Fresh Eyes
Finish early and leave yourself ample time for editing. I find it best to take a little time away from the paper and returning to it with fresh eyes. I find that I catch a lot more mistakes and have better luck rephrasing when I do this.

4. Find a Stopping Point
There comes a point where you have done everything you can do and you need to stop nitpicking your paper. Eventually, you just need to stop and turn it in- staying up all night and editing will not make a huge difference- in your tired state you may do more harm than good. Start early, leave time for editing and find a stopping point to press submit and be done.


The appellate brief is hard but you can do it. The feeling you have when you turn it in is one of relief and extreme pride knowing you completed such a huge accomplishment. Then, you put it out of your mind as grades won't be out until after the semester and the exam grind is on.

As for me, I should probably get back to outlining! No rest for the wicked... or law students...

Class Participation in Law School

Class participation in law school can be nerve wracking- you never want to say the wrong thing and make a fool out of yourself but you also know that participation factors into most grades so you know you need to raise your hand at some point. Undergrad was easy- usually participation wasn't a big deal and if you did participate, it was low stakes, opinion based or easily found in the homework. Law school is completely different. Professors expect a well reasoned, thoughtful contribution to class and whatever you say you better be able to back up with some black letter law or case facts... otherwise you may embarrass yourself when the professor shuts you down in front of the whole class. I know some of my friends just refuse to participate unless they are forced to via cold call and other people in my class never seem to shut up. I try to find a healthy balance and participate when I have something meaningful to say or I have a question. Still, it is a bit stressful in the beginning but there are ways to make it less scary. Here are my tips for properly participating in a law school class and making a good impression while doing it.

A Guide to Law School Outlining

If you are in law school and you have heard the word outlining 365x since starting, raise your hand. If you were 110% confused as it what the elusive "outline" was, raise it again. If you spent 1L Thanksgiving break frantically outlining and still having no clue what you were doing and then entered your first round of exams with no confidence in those 30-40 page monster outlines, raise it one more time. If you raised your hand every time, you are just like me.

I had NO idea what on earth an outline was when I started law school. I looked all over the internet, talked to all my professors, talked to 2Ls and 3Ls and yet I still did not fully understand what I was supposed to be doing. I gave it the good old college try over Thanksgiving break because prior to that, I just hadn't been able to wrap my head around what I needed to do. Come exam time, I studied the crap out of those outlines but I was not 100% confident I had everything I needed to know or had it arranged and synthesized correctly. Throughout my first semester of law school, just the word "outline" caused me to have extreme anxiety. Now that I am on to semester two, I am feeling much better about the whole process. So for anyone out there who is struggling the way I did first semester, I truly hope this helps! A good outline is a big key to law school exam success so understanding the process is key.

Everything You Need to Know about Taking Notes in Law School

Notes.... seems like half my life during law school is spent taking notes. Reading notes, class notes, notes on how to outline, notes of how to study, notes on internship searching.... it never ends. One of the pros to this-I have gotten extremely good at my notetaking system.

Thoughts on Starting the Second Semester of Law School

Well.... I just completed my 3rd week of the second semester of law school. SOS.... it's been rough. First semester sucked.... second semester is so far even harder. Does someone want to remind me why I thought law school was a good idea?

So far, I have twice as much reading each night compared to last semester, legal research and writing assignments every weekend, professional development activities left and right, making time to review my exams from last semester and trying to find an internship. Outside of law school, I was rear-ended in a hit & run accident, my car is in the shop, I have been sharing a car with my husband and driving him to and from work, we got a new dog and my house chores are so overdue it's not even funny. It has been crazyyyy. 3 weeks in and I already had a meltdown.

One thing I know that is weighing on my mind is my grades from last semester- they were not at the level I had wanted, though they were not bad. I am working twice as hard thus far trying to set myself up for success this semester and to raise my GPA. I am reading more thoroughly, taking excessive reading notes, raising my hand twice as much in class and I have already started outlining. I sure hope it pays off because I am exhausted.

As for the internship search, I have an interview next week (hallelujah!!). I know it will be a huge relief once I have something pinned down and that isn't hanging over my head and stressing me out anymore.

I hope your second semesters are off to a better start than mine!

Whats in My Bookbag- Law School Edition

Day two of my second semester of Law School is over and so far, so good! I like my new professors and I have one of my favorite professors from first semester for another class this semester. I am happy to be back to school and working toward my dreams but the reading has been a little slow these first few days....

I have had several people ask for a "what's in my bookbag post" so here is it: Law School Edition!

1. Books
I, of course, carry the necessary casebooks for each day. They weigh a ton but are completely necessary. I rent or buy my textbooks from amazon- much cheaper and with an Amazon Student Prime account, usually I get free 2-day shipping! Love it!
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2. Binders
My new habit is having a binder for each class and I have tabs inside for class handouts, notes, case briefs, etc. I take my class and reading notes on reinforced loose leaf paper and fit them into the overall flow of my notes after class.

3. Planner and Pens
I LOVE my Plum Paper Planner- it is a lifesaver during school and it is never not in my bookbag. I am also a huge pen snob so I carry enough to help a small army write letters. I have Pilot G-2 pens in a million colors, Sharpie Pens, Gel Highlighters (the BEST thing for thin casebook page highlighting) and some pencils. Because I take color coded notes in pen, I keep a little white-out dispenser in my pencil bag for mistakes. I also carry a small flashdrive in my pencil case for printing things at school and backing up assignments.

4. Miscellaneous
I keep a variety of random crap in my bookbag for those random emergencies. I have a Pinch Minimergency kit which is small but has a ton of options. I also keep Ibuprofen in my bag because Law School inevitably gives me headaches (and my classmates are always coming to me for it). I always have an Eos Chapstick and Handcream in my bookbag because the building is notoriously dry and I am constantly reaching for chapstick or putting lotion on my hands. I keep a charger (not pictured) and a power pack in my bookbag for those long days on campus. I have various sticky notes because sticky notes are just 110% necessary to life. I also love this little to-do list pad for when I sit myself down in the library to outline what all I need to get done. I tend to be messy so I keep some wet ones in my bookbag just in case of a coffee spill.

5. Computer 

I carry my computer and charger in my bookbag. I have a small, lightweight computer that is great for carrying around. I do not take notes on my computer (I retain more by handwriting my notes) but I use my computer in between classes, if I forget my book (casebook connect for the win) or whatever other reason. 

6. My Bookbag
I got my bookbag at TJ Maxx a few years back and I LOVE it (similar). It is sturdy, has tons of space, comfy to carry and a nice laptop area. I suggest a heavy duty bookbag for Law School- casebooks are heavy. Something that is comfortable to carry is also great because you will be lugging it around a lot.

What's in your Law School bookbag?

Mobile App's for Law Students

Law School is very much in a modern, technological age. I have yet to need to enter the library and actually use the books, most of my assignments are due online and I take computer notes in all but 2 classes. As a result of this digital age, I have found several applications that are absolutely necessary to help me in Law School.

Staying Organized in Law School

Law School has turned my life into a hot mess. Staying organized is something I struggle with every day... keeping up with classes, reading, assignments, online homework, bills, homeownership, pet care and blogging is enough to make my head spin. Below are a few necessities that keep me organized and in all honesty, sane.

A Day in the Life of a Law Student

Welcome to a day in the life of a Law Student. I am going to outline my day, Tuesday, and break down what life really looks like when you are a Law Student. FYI, it is the furthest thing from glamorous....

Law School Study Habits

Now that I am a few weeks into Law School, my study habits have settled into a routine. It is working well for me. It has taken me a long time to develop good study habits; in High School, I could get by with A's without studying or working very hard. In Undergrad, I stepped up my study habits but still got by easily with minimal effort and a high GPA. Law School is a new ballgame; I really had to buckle down and hone my skills to be successful and keep up. I am sharing my habits in a hope that they may help someone else develop their study habits to be their most successful self.

Week 2 Recap: Law School is Getting Easier

I am happy to report that week 2 of Law School has ended and it is getting easier every day. Despite some crazy stuff that happened this week, classes are making more sense and my reading is getting faster which combines to a much lower stress level overall.

Law School Day 2 Recap

Day 2 is complete! In reality, this was the first meeting of my Tuesday/Thursday classes so it was basically another first day. However, I was feeling significantly more confident today. I again dressed classy casual in skinny jeans, an Express top and oxford shoes. I brought a sweater with me because there is one classroom that is freezing!

My First Day of Law School

Well, I survived my first day! It was in part not as bad as I expected and other parts worse than I imagined. Overall, not a bad first day; here is the scoop!

My Must-Have School Supplies for Law School

Ahhhh early August; When school supplies invades every retail establishment and middle school supply lists can be found in the front of every Walmart. Call me a nerd but I love this time of year. I love preparing and shopping for the upcoming school year and starting out feeling prepared. School supplies are one of my favorite things to shop for and I can spend an eternity (in the words of my husband) trying to pick out the perfect pens. As Law School grows ever nearer, I have been taking stock of what I have and what I still need in terms of school supplies. As of this week, I feel that I have everything I need and started organizing it, labeling, color coding.... you know typical crazy OCD stuff.

What's in My College Backpack?

Today was my busiest day of classes. Thursdays = me being on campus from 11:00am-7:00pm. It is also the week before midterms so tests are coming up and papers are due. For this reason, my backpack is loaded down and prepared for me to spend the day on campus studying my life away. Below you will find my must have lists of what I keep in my backpack, especially on busy days like today.

Electronics
- Computer
- Charger
- Wireless mouse (lifesaver!!)

Books and Notebooks
- Textbooks (obviously)
- A 3 section Notebook: I only need one because I take 99% of my notes on my computer using Microsoft OneNote
- A folder for each class

Random Necessities
- Pens, Highlighters, Pencils: these honestly could be a whole post of their own because I carry a small office store with me at all times for my color coded, OCD notes
- Small bag with cosmetic necessities
- Gum
- Sunglasses
- Hand Cream
- Portable Battery pack
- Phone Charger
- Bullet Journal
- Planner

Food and Such
- Water Bottle
- Coffee Mug
- A snack: Love these little Rev Wraps for on the go lunch or snacking
- My wallet

The whole package!! 

Moral of the story: someday I will probably have back problems from lugging this thing around stuffed full of all my things but I have everything I need for a successful day on Campus!

What do you keep in you college backpacks?