Category Archives: Law School Life

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What Spring Break Means for Students in Law School

If you’re a (somewhat) newly minted law student, you’ve no doubt been looking eagerly ahead to Spring Break as a time to catch a much-needed breather.

Good luck with that.

While you won’t be burdened with as much reading and the necessity of visiting a classroom on a daily basis, law school will still follow you around — even on Spring Break.

At some law schools (my alma mater included), Spring Break is when you’ll be auditioning (read: doing research and a ton of writing) for law review. If you’re particularly ambitious, this is a path you may want to consider. I didn’t do it myself, but my colleagues assured me that both the write-on process and being on law review were entirely rewarding experiences.
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Apr 3, 2013 - 6:21 pm - By Alex Davis
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Who Says You Can’t Have Fun in Law School?

When one thinks of descriptors for law school (or anything related to the legal world for that matter) the word “fun” isn’t often at the top of the list — assuming it makes the list at all. If you’ve talked to anyone who’s attended law school, I doubt they’ve told what a blast it is. You’ve probably heard a lot of griping about mountains of reading and having your entire grade determined by a single test. So it goes.

That said, there is certainly room to play in law school (or at least distract yourself for a bit).

My first bit of advice is to get away from campus as often as you can. Even if it’s just to study somewhere other than the law library. The mental respite one gets from not having to see the same walls and the same faces cannot be understated. You might even be inspired to do something besides study once you get out and about. You know, stuff like talking to people who aren’t law students and doing things that aren’t reading.
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Mar 1, 2013 - 6:57 pm - By Alex Davis
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Graduating from Stress: The Progression of the Law Student Winter Break

The quality of one’s winter break in law school depends almost entirely on two factors: what year one is in law school, and one’s general disposition. I’m not sure how many of you reading this are prone to freak out, so I’ll focus on your place in law school instead.

Let’s take the 1L. I’m sure that, by now, everyone has told you how important your first semester grades are. They’re mostly right. If you’re a 1L, you get to spend winter break mentally rehashing every final you took and worrying about your performance on finals. Sounds fantastic, no? If you find yourself in this position, my advice is to get as far away as possible from law school/students during winter break. Find some semi-exotic locale and plant yourself firmly in a state of willful ignorance of your possibly impending doom. After all, there’s nothing you can do about at this point anyway, right? Read Entire Article…

Dec 27, 2012 - 6:44 pm - By Alex Davis
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How to Spend Your Final Days of Summer Before Law School

July is always an interesting time in the world of law school. Those who have recently graduated are nail-biting their ways through the home stretch of bar exam study. Those who have yet to begin law school are nail-biting their ways through days leading up the start of their 1L year. For those of you in the latter group, I’m here with some (hopefully) useful advice on what you ought and ought not to do before you plunge head first into the 1L abyss.

What You Ought to Do in Your Final Days of Summer Before Law School:

- Whatever the hell you want.

I mean it.
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Jul 19, 2012 - 6:23 pm - By Alex Davis
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Advice on Going to a New York Law School

I grew up in the great state of New Jersey. Yes, great state. We put Camden and Newark there to scare off the people who are just visiting, especially from New York and Philly. Go down to the Jersey Shore and it’s just like on TV – awesome. If you don’t like it, screw you.

Growing up in New Jersey, I know the appeal of New York. It’s like your cooler, older brother. Sure, you’re a little more laid back, but you always want to hang out with him. New York’s cultured. New York’s got more ladies. New York’s the person you look up to.

So I understand why a lot of you have a dream of moving to New York for law school.

Before you pack up and move (or pack up and stay, for you native New Yorkers), you’re going to have to understand a few things about New York.
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Mar 2, 2012 - 6:25 pm - By Matt Shinners
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Pre-Law at the Movies: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

Whether your university has a pre-law program or not, you’ve likely wondered what actually goes down at law school — especially if you’re reading this blog. Perhaps you’ve even watched a work of completely ridiculous fiction movie or two about law school. If that’s the case, your pre-law school education has gotten off to a less than auspicious start.

Take The Paper Chase, for example. If you’ve had the distinct misfortune of viewing this particular work of cinematic schlock, then you’re no doubt well acquainted with Professor Kingsfield. A tyrant of the lecture hall, the old prof is enough to make any pre-law student quiver in their (now necessary) Depends.

Then there’s Professor Cromwell in the pre-law favorite Legally Blonde.
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Sep 14, 2011 - 4:23 pm - By Alex Davis
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Love, Liquor and Lockers: A Law School Discussion

As the October LSAT approaches, you’ve no doubt spent some of your increasingly rare spare time daydreaming about what law school is going to be like. How much reading do I actually have to do? Are professors really as mean as the guy in the The Paper Chase? Will I develop an uncontrollable addiction to caffeine?

In my experience, the answers are (respectively): “Lots,” “No” and “Probably.”

These questions are law school discussion standard. I’m here to relate some less-standard information. In this law school discussion, I’ll let you know just how law school life compares to life at your previous educational institutions:

Law School Discussion Topic #1: Lockers
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Sep 8, 2011 - 4:09 pm - By Alex Davis
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Ways to Save During Law School

If you’re considering attending law school or have recently embarked upon your 1L year, the specter of cost has no doubt reared its ugly head. Yes kids, a legal education is expensive (as any graduate education can be). It’s only natural that you’d be looking for ways to save a buck or two (or several thousand). That’s where this post comes in.

There are two things which you will likely find yourself short of during law school: time and money. In some ways, a shortage of the former can lead to a shortage of the latter. Don’t have time to take the bus to school? Have to spend money on gas and a parking permit? Don’t have time to cook? Have to eat fast food?

What’s a law student to do? Read Entire Article…

Aug 10, 2011 - 10:07 am - By Alex Davis
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Law School and Social Life: Oil and Water?

If you’ve spent the past year reveling in senioritis or spending your days off from work doing nothing but drinking and sleeping, you officially suck. You are also in for a bit of shock to your system when you have to once again balance a serious class load with any interests you may have outside of said classes (you do have those right?).

What’s a budding 1L to do? Let’s examine some of your options:

1. Make friends with your colleagues.

While it’s not my preferred course of action, it’s certainly a viable one. You’ve got a ready-made group of similarly situated people right at your disposal. They are all afraid of their workloads. They are all afraid of their professors. They are all looking for someone to hold them tenderly.
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Jul 21, 2011 - 4:58 pm - By Alex Davis
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Back to School Preview: the First Week of Law School

The first day, let alone the first week of any type of school can be daunting for even the most stouthearted of students. Remember when you made the transition from elementary to middle school? You had to ask yourself things like, “Do I ditch the [insert cartoon show here] backpack?” “Will I look silly if I continue wearing shoes that light up when I walk?” “When Adam Sandler said that ‘Peeing your pants is the coolest!’ in Billy Madison, was he telling the truth?” Some of you are no doubt wondering the very same things as you swiftly approach your first week of law school.

Here are your answers.

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Jul 8, 2011 - 2:56 pm - By Alex Davis
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