As we enter October, the weather will get colder, the leaves will get crispier, and law school will get spookier than ever. As someone who spent more hours in the Law Library basement last year than any sane person should, I can speak with authority when I say we’re approaching the point in the semester when it’s time to start considering alternatives. Luckily, BC Law students don’t have to travel far to find great study spots.
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Staycationing: How to Make the Most of Boston Summer
On the last day of my 2L internship, my supervising attorneys asked me what I would do with my remaining weeks of summer before classes started. When I said I would stick around town and make my own fun, it seemed like the tame answer to give. I’ve had so many silly adventures around this city, I haven’t felt the need to go anywhere else. My friends are here, and there is plenty for me to do. Here are some highlights from easily the most fun summer I’ve had since 2018.
Continue readingThree Questions to Ask Yourself When Picking Your Practice Area
No, this is not a BuzzFeed quiz.
There won’t be a personality type at the end telling you that you’re a “natural-born M&A associate” because you picked spreadsheets over courtrooms. Unfortunately, I also can’t promise that answering three questions will magically reveal your dream practice area.
I actually came into law school with a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do. I wanted to litigate, and I was already interested in white-collar defense. But if I’m being honest, I hadn’t really stopped to think about it on a deeper level. I knew I had experience in criminal law and liked the idea of it, but I wanted to make sure I liked the actual work too. If you took away the cool-sounding practice-area name, would I still want to do the job?
Continue readingIs Lawyering like Playing Texas Hold’em? You Decide.
Card games have transcended the divides of class and culture for centuries. In my family, this timeless hobby serves as an essential experience at any large gathering. Different games have been taught and passed on from generation to generation. I started my journey with my grandma trouncing me in Pinochle, and I plan to carry on this tradition with my own grandchildren.
Continue readingMy 1L Summer Internship: From Classroom to Practice
Before this summer, most of my experience with the law had been in the classroom. I had spent my first year of law school reading cases, writing memos, and learning how to analyze legal issues, but I had never really had the chance to apply those skills to “real life.”
Continue readingSo You Want to Be a Bostonian: Weather
Welcome to the greatest place on earth. It’s probably smaller, colder, and meaner than wherever you came from. Still, you couldn’t have picked a better city to spend law school, or perhaps a lifetime.
Boston is many things; welcoming is not one of them. Our winters are cold, our people, even colder, and our insular culture can send you packing before you even hear someone say “wicked”.
Luckily for you, the prima facie case for being accepted as a “Bostonian” is as follows:
Continue readingWhat I Needed to Know Before Starting as a Summer Associate
Before starting as a summer associate, I was so anxious thinking about whether I would know anything that would have to do with my job. Considering I had only learned what transactional work was during 1L spring semester, all I knew was that I was (mostly) free from the Bluebook.
Continue readingThree Tips for Taking Care of Yourself (in Law School and in Life)
I’ve written a lot about making sure to take care of yourself. But some may not know how to do that, or may forget in the moments when it’s needed most.
When it feels like everything is on the line and your head and heart are pounding, it is easy to forget what a glass of water, a warm drink, a walk, or a hug from a friend can do. And even if none of those things fixes it, they may give you just enough relief to breathe, think clearly, and formulate a game plan.
So, without further ado, here are my go-tos for when life feels like a merry-go-round going full throttle (and also on fire).
Continue readingThe Redline Realization: Finding My Footing in Big Law
I was asked to write about my summer at a law firm—specifically for incoming 1Ls who may have anxieties, questions, or simply have no idea what “Big Law” actually is.
I was in that last category.
Unfortunately, user experience may vary, so take mine with a grain of salt. I am enthusiastic, curious, and, at times, awkward. Your cool, calm, and collected nature may produce entirely different results for different people.
So, we’ll start there.
Continue readingSo You’re an Incoming 1L? Here’s What to Expect, Month by Month
Hi, future 1Ls.
I hope you’re well, considering you’re only about a month away from starting law school.
Some of you are excited beyond measure, trying to consume every Reddit recommendation you can find. Some of you are stressed and already drafting warning notes to your loved ones about the person you’re about to become over the next three years.
Consider this my own warning note—one intended to level out both camps.
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