It’s easy to focus on the chaos of 1L fall; there’s so much to learn and seemingly not enough time. But somewhere between the stress and the multiple Lexis tabs open on my computer, there’s a lot to love about being a law student this time of year.
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Is Life Forcing a Change of Plans? Don’t Panic
Nothing anyone says can really prepare you for the purgatory that is your first year out of college. To borrow a phrase from one of my close friends, there were days during my post-graduation period where looking for positives felt like “fishing for king salmon in a street puddle.” I had moved back to my hometown in Oregon, something I had vowed I would never do. All I’d ever wanted was to leave, and there I was, right back where I had started.
Continue readingThe Wonders of Code Classes: A 2L’s Perspective
We are deep in the thicket of fall semester, and the changing leaves and cooler temperatures have made me reflect on my 1L fall experience a year ago. I enjoyed my classes. I found some cases and subjects more engaging than others, but when it came to distilling the rules and concepts, there was little excitement.
Continue readingSome 2L Advice: Do Things for the Love of the Game
As a 2L, I often find myself in a position to give (sometimes unsolicited) advice. Faced with questions like what elective should I take, when should I apply to jobs, where should I apply, when should I outline, and how do I outline, I often give the standard answer: it depends.
Continue readingCold Calling Is Good, Actually
“I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me. Failure always made me try harder next time.” – Michael Jordan
One of the (many) things that causes law students the most angst is the dreaded cold call. The fear is so pronounced that before I even attended a single 1L class, BC Law had shown me the famous cold calling scene from Legally Blonde multiple times. I understand why cold calling induces anxiety, especially in your early days of law school when you have likely never experienced it in other classroom settings. To be clear, this post should not be taken to suggest that cold calling does not make me nervous or that I never get a cold call embarrassingly wrong (I definitely do). But getting things wrong is kind of the point of learning and law school; otherwise, we’d be practicing attorneys already.
Continue readingHow 2L Year Has Already Taught Me What I Really Have to Offer
As a 1L, I compared Orientation and the first week of classes to drinking from a firehose. You have classwork, networking opportunities, resume revisions, meeting new friends—the list is exhausting. You sit at your desk reading cases, briefing, trying to find rules, going through classes, feeling decent in cold calls but not feeling anything click yet.
Continue readingThe Goldilocks Zone: 4 Things to Consider When Finding a 1L Summer Job
1L Fall can feel like a lot. On top of case briefs, cold calls, 1L rep elections and the Blue Book, the last thing you may want to think about is a 1L job. While you have time, it’s never too early to consider what you want your experience to look like this summer, and start planning accordingly.
Astronomers refer to the Goldilocks Zone as a potential place for extraterrestrial life to thrive. In the cosmos of 1L summer opportunities, think of your personal Goldilocks Zone as where you will thrive as you begin to put the hard-earned legal skills from this year to work.
The Career Services Office, your 1L professors, and 2Ls and 3Ls are great resources if you have questions. Additionally, here are some questions for you to help you get started.
Continue readingThe Case for Doing Less
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” ― Ferris Bueller
In the throes of 1L year, while dealing with difficult material, a new learning environment, networking events, and perhaps feeling completely overwhelmed and lost, a law student is likely to hear a common refrain. It often goes something like, “I know this is rough, 1L is so tough, but it gets so much better in 2L.” And like most aphorisms, it contains a nugget of truth. In many ways, the law school experience changes fundamentally between your first year and your second. The classroom experience becomes less intimidating and more familiar. You can choose your own class schedule and have agency over the areas of law you wish to study. Even more importantly, for some, you have the chance to partake in experiential learning opportunities, such as clinics and externships, which are not available to 1Ls.
Continue readingCan a Night Owl Become an Early Bird in Law School? Yes—Here’s How
I became a morning person early in my childhood. In middle school, I started showering in the mornings. By high school, I woke at 5:30 am to walk our very impatient family dog. When I was a US Senate press intern in college, I got up at 4:45 am to start assembling news clips.
This summer, I drove an hour and twenty minutes each day to the US District Court in Concord, New Hampshire for my judicial internship. My wake-up actually was more humane than my prior gigs: 6:00 am and complete with a shower and full breakfast.
Some of us are going to have longer treks than others to school, and many of us are readjusting our schedules for the semester. With the start of the new academic year upon us, I thought I would share my tips for becoming a morning person.
Continue readingFour Notorious 2L Summer Associate Stories
Every 2L summer associate dreams of a smooth path to a six-figure salary. But not everyone makes it to the finish line. For a select few, the summer ends not with an offer letter, but with a quiet email, a closed-door meeting, or in some cases, an HR debrief no one forgets.
Inspired by the most recent crazy case of the summer “Biglaw Biter,” the following are four other infamous examples of 2L summer associates who really went off the rails. All of them, for better or worse, are unforgettable—so unbelievable, you might think I’m making them up (so I included sources for you to prove it).
I probably don’t have to tell you this, but let this be your reminder: Biglaw firms are watching—and they never forget.
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BC Law: Impact 