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It’s only a little over a month until the July 2020 bar exam! Obviously, this year has been a little bit unconventional with COVID-19 throwing a wrench in the plans of bar examiners everywhere. I know some states have postponed bar exams, offered alternative exams at later date, or granted diploma privilege. Others are carrying on business as usual. Personally, I cannot imagine extending the bar prep period any longer than the end of July. I was \u003Cb\u003ESO\u003C\/b\u003E ready to be done. For those of you taking the July exam, I’m sure you are feeling the same way. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EThe good news is, your time studying is almost over forever! Yay! The bad news is that you have to take a gigantic test soon. Yikes! Overall, I’m sure you a feeling a mix of emotions right now. Luckily, you’ve got a month left to get everything in line to ensure your success on the exam. So, without further ado, here is a list of things you should be doing a month before the bar exam!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E1.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EConfirm your travel plans (if applicable)\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EDo you have to travel to the exam? A lot of people do. The last thing you want to be doing is figuring out travel last minute! Confirm your hotel reservations, plane\/bus\/train tickets, make sure your car has gotten any required maintenance, etc. Figure out the answer to some questions like, “How am I getting from my hotel to the exam?” and “Is parking available at my test site?” Making sure you have all of this in line will give you peace of mind as you get closer to the test.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E2.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003ERead your test site rules\/guidelines\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EI remember that my test site had a big, thick packet of rules we had to follow including what we could\/could not bring into the test center, lunchtime rules, arrival times, etc. Take time now to read them through. It may seem early, but it will help to be familiar with the guidelines before test day. You also might discover there is something you need to buy\/do before the test day. Do you need to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2B5z0vC\"\u003Ebuy a Ziploc bag\u003C\/a\u003E for your belongings? Do you need a doctor’s note for medications? Regarding COVID-19, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dxkqKx\"\u003Edo you need a mask\u003C\/a\u003E? These things are important to know in advance!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E3.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EDo a practice test with test conditions.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EMost bar prep courses incorporate a practice test, but try to emulate your test environment as best you can. Make your space quiet, eliminate distractions, only have permitted items near you, and even practice having whatever lunch break your test center will have. This will bring you comfort on test day knowing that in some way, you’ve done this before. Also, as a nice tip for 2020, if your jurisdiction requires masks – take your practice test with a mask on.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E4.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EDon’t be afraid to change up your study habits if things aren’t working!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EWith a month left before the exam, you’ve got plenty of time to absorb new material. By this point in the study process, I was starting to notice what study activities did and did not work for me. So I changed up my routine! I doubled down on what was working and eliminated what wasn’t. I attribute most of my exam success to doing this – I listened to my own instincts and learned in the way that was best for me. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E5.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003ETake some days off.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EYes, listen to me and do it. As the exam gets closer, you’re going to feel the pressure to not stop studying. That’s normal. I did the same thing. But you’ll get burned out. So make sure to take some time now to reset. Take a full weekend off and hang out with your family or friends. Do something fun. Watch a lot of TV and eat junk food. But don’t run yourself until you can’t take it anymore – that’s not good for your body or brain. So take some days off now and reset.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E6.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EKeep your body healthy – eat well and exercise\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EIf you feel your best, you will perform your best. Simple as that. Make sure you take care of your body in the weeks before the exam. I know it’s easier to just eat junk food and hide in your house all the time, but please don’t. Get outside and exercise, or take a break and go to the gym. You don’t have to eat salad for every meal, but please make sure you are getting vitamins and nutrients in your body during your meals. You want your body to be healthy during the exam, it’ll help you perform better.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Ch2 style=\"line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-list: Ignore;\"\u003E7.\u003Cspan style=\"font: 7pt \u0026quot;times new roman\u0026quot;;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C!--[endif]--\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EBe confident!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: center 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;\"\u003E\u003C!--[if !supportLists]--\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003EI think a month before the exam is when I started to have my “I’m going to fail!” breakdowns. Spoiler alert: I didn’t fail. I wasted time doubting myself when I should’ve just been confident. You’ve been studying hard and preparing, doing what you need to do. You’re going to pass, you’re going to do fine. Just be confident.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/1007314093872130730\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/06\/7-things-you-should-be-doing-1-month.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1007314093872130730"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1007314093872130730"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/06\/7-things-you-should-be-doing-1-month.html","title":"7 Things You Should Be Doing 1 Month Before the Bar Exam"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JvYrB8fOfNs\/XvN1ZyaWhRI\/AAAAAAAABYc\/Jg3-iRaepkQ_Be0be1CIXs6JruJ_NkrLgCK4BGAsYHg\/s72-c\/Beechtown%2BLaw%2BSchool.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-3914766750658832658"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-02T09:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-06-02T09:00:03.320-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"0L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Law School Admissions Timeline"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ch1 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EToday's blog is brought to you by InGenius Prep:\u003C\/h1\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003EWhether it’s always been your ideal career or it came to you in a dream one night, you’ve decided you want to apply to law school. If you’ve chosen not to take a gap year, balancing your junior and senior years of college along with law school applications could be tough. Of course, the same difficulty applies to a gap year when you might be working a 9-5 job and struggling to find the energy to study for the LSAT.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo matter your situation, knowing important dates and deadlines can help you stay on top of the law school admissions cycle.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/ingeniusprep.com\/\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1591113267848000\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNF26eI20th1AoZATYI7bxsH2v9DoA\" href=\"https:\/\/ingeniusprep.com\/\" style=\"color: #1155cc;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EInGenius Prep\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has a timeline for law school applications outlined in the following infographic.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E- Kayla Kaszyka\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fPCk7-rlNew\/XtUllcnLPBI\/AAAAAAAABXU\/avV1BRiffi0nGh7U3EyR--6HHEXKBO7ZACK4BGAsYHg\/Law%2BSchool%2BAdmissions%2BTimeline.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"7050\" data-original-width=\"4391\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fPCk7-rlNew\/XtUllcnLPBI\/AAAAAAAABXU\/avV1BRiffi0nGh7U3EyR--6HHEXKBO7ZACK4BGAsYHg\/d\/Law%2BSchool%2BAdmissions%2BTimeline.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/3914766750658832658\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/06\/law-school-admissions-timeline.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3914766750658832658"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3914766750658832658"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/06\/law-school-admissions-timeline.html","title":"Law School Admissions Timeline"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fPCk7-rlNew\/XtUllcnLPBI\/AAAAAAAABXU\/avV1BRiffi0nGh7U3EyR--6HHEXKBO7ZACK4BGAsYHg\/s72-c-d\/Law%2BSchool%2BAdmissions%2BTimeline.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-9068491654015682870"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-13T09:50:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-13T09:50:43.053-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school  misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Daily Bar Prep Schedule"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HFmi_aG5NtA\/XrwIxlmSKQI\/AAAAAAAABV8\/_VEJIEiFnugfwIKhwlYdfjIKkrA9PbCowCK4BGAsYHg\/Art%2BExhibit%2BBlog%2BBanner.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"315\" data-original-width=\"560\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HFmi_aG5NtA\/XrwIxlmSKQI\/AAAAAAAABV8\/_VEJIEiFnugfwIKhwlYdfjIKkrA9PbCowCK4BGAsYHg\/w640-h360\/Art%2BExhibit%2BBlog%2BBanner.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHey, everyone! I decided to continue my little series on bar prep since it's that time of year. Although it feels like it was a million years ago now, I was studying for the bar only a year ago. Three years in law school teaches you how to study, but studying for the bar is a marathon of its own. It will be a long, difficult summer, but if you commit and study hard then that is all it takes.\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/bar-prep-essentials.html\"\u003E I already wrote a post on all of the essentials you need for bar prep\u003C\/a\u003E - so now, let's talk study schedules!\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne unique thing about bar prep is that you are almost completely on your own. Sure, you will probably enroll in a bar prep course through Barbri, Kaplan, or Themis. But they still allow a lot of flexibility in your schedule. I personally chose the \"Live at Home\" option where I \"attended\" lectures daily online - similar to Zoom classes that have been taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a lot of courses have recorded videos for you to watch daily, then additional assignments to do throughout the day. Some courses assign weekend work, some don't. For simplicity sake, I'm going to map out a daily study schedule for your study days. But PLEASE do not forget to take days off and give your brain a break when you can. However, if you're looking to have a productive bar prep day, here is what I would recommend!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWAKE UP - 6:30-7:00 a.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'll be the first to admit, I'm an early riser. But I think maintaining some sort of wake-up and sleep schedule is imporatnt during this time, and it's probably best to work during regular working hours. This is great because you will have a compatible schedule with your friends and family not studying for the bar, and also give you some sense of normalcy.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBREAKFAST, CHANGE, SHOWER - 7:00-8:00 a.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EYou'll be home studying most of the summer, so you might think you don't need to be a presentable human. Which is true. But it's best for your mental health and stamina to be somewhat human. I recommend \"getting ready\" each day. I don't mean putting on a full face of makeup and dressing up all fancy, but at least rinse off in the shower and change out of the clothes you slept in. And eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELECTURES AND NOTES - 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFirst thing in the morning, get your lectures done. Depending on the course you choose this may be a recording or a live video lecture. Use this time to watch your lectrues and take notes, just as you would in law school classes. Don't be afraid to take breaks, I'd recommend taking 5-10 minutes breaks every hour at minimum. And this will be the longest part of your day, so get it done first.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELUNCH - Don't you dare study! - 12:00-12:30 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EActually eat lunch! Personally I loved being home during bar prep summer and being able to cook a decent meal for lunch. But even if you just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, set aside time each day for lunch. It's important to give your brain fuel.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELEISURE BREAK - 12:30-1:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis was actually probably the most important part of my day. I decided that I needed time to get out of the house and away from my bar prep materials, so I would usually go take a walk around my neighborhood. It was great to get exercise, soak up the sun, and I would usually listen to music or an audiobook. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dHKRgY\"\u003EIf you don't have an Audible subscription yet, I highly recommend it.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E Even if you don't take a walk, take 30 minutes to yourself and watch TV, listen to music, play a game, read a fun book, or do something you generally enjoy. This break is what is going to get you through the afternoon.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EASSIGNMENTS AND PRACTICE ESSAYS- 1:00-4:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis part of your day is when you should do the other assignments or practice questions or essays you were assigned for the day by your bar prep course. If you finish early or don't have any, I'd recommend making flash cards, studying outlines, or doing sets of MBE questions. During this part of my day, I would usually post-up at the Starbucks or local coffee shop near my house, or move my studies to the living room with my laptop desk. The change of scenery helped me focus.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EEXERCISE\/LEISURE BREAK - 4:00-5:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETime for another break! About half the time on this break, I would go to the gym and sweat it out. This helped me keep my sanity. On the days where I didn't go to the gym, I would watch some TV or do something else I enjoyed. You get the idea.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EDINNER - 5:00-6:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFood - the best part of the day! During bar prep I really loved making quality dinners for my boyfriend and myself. It was the one productive thing I did outside of bar prep and I really enjoyed it. I bought a variety of cookbooks and tried a couple of new recipes every week which was super fun. If you don't like cooking, that's okay! Just make sure you eat quality brain food and actually take a break to have dinner.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ECASUAL STUDYING\/PRACTICE MBE QUESTIONS - 6:00-8:00 p.m. (*OPTIONAL*)\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUse your after dinner time to do the laziest part of your studying, whether it be flashcards or practice MBE questions on your bar prep course app. The way I though about this was that this was time for horizontal studying - the stuff I could do laying down on the couch. To be honest, I probably only did this nighttime studying a couple nights a week, or I only did about 30 minutes of questioning. Some people think you need to study 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, but that's an idea that I don't subscribe to. Your brain and body need breaks and keeping a balanced schedule helps. Having this optional time at night was really helpful for me because I could use it if I needed or wanted to, but could take a break and not feel guilty if that was what I needed.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENIGHTTIME RELAXATION - 8:00-10:00 p.m.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is your cool down and relaxation time of the day. For me, this pretty much meant TV, skin care, or scrolling on my phone. For you it may be video games, crafting, listening to music, yoga, etc. A couple of times a week my boyfriend and I would walk to the Sonic down the street for half-priced limeades and talk about our days. Pretty much use this as \"me time\" and do anything you enjoy that doesn't stress you out. And of course, get yourself ready for bed.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EGO TO SLEEP!!!\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo I'm a baby and was asleep by 10:00 nightly, but your sleep schedule may vary, especially depending on how much sleep you personally need. Make sure you keep your bedtime regular, and try not to stay up too late - remember you'll get up early tomorrow to do it all again!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESo overall, that was my bar prep schedule and I would definitely recommend it.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm also going to be totally honest with you - I took most weekends completely off. A lot of people would not recommend that, and I had peers tell me I would fail based on that alone. I didn't. The moral of the story is that there are 1000 reccomendations out there, but at the endd of the day, you need to do what works for you. Just make sure you take care of your brain and body and you will succeed!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhat are things you plan on incorporating into your schedule to help with bar prep?\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/9068491654015682870\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/daily-bar-prep-schedule.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/9068491654015682870"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/9068491654015682870"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/daily-bar-prep-schedule.html","title":"Daily Bar Prep Schedule"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HFmi_aG5NtA\/XrwIxlmSKQI\/AAAAAAAABV8\/_VEJIEiFnugfwIKhwlYdfjIKkrA9PbCowCK4BGAsYHg\/s72-w640-h360-c\/Art%2BExhibit%2BBlog%2BBanner.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-2651708147179197192"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-12T14:33:00.039-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T15:15:05.246-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bar Prep Essentials"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-s-z3MQ0AW7A\/XrsDTK2A1pI\/AAAAAAAABVg\/X2It3xRGQnAsnW4Yh9O35rpksEwv7sgogCK4BGAsYHg\/Pink%2BCute%2BChic%2BVintage%2B90s%2BVirtual%2BTrivia%2BQuiz%2BPresentations.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1920\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-s-z3MQ0AW7A\/XrsDTK2A1pI\/AAAAAAAABVg\/X2It3xRGQnAsnW4Yh9O35rpksEwv7sgogCK4BGAsYHg\/w640-h360\/Pink%2BCute%2BChic%2BVintage%2B90s%2BVirtual%2BTrivia%2BQuiz%2BPresentations.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ECongratulations to the law school class of 2020! You guys did it! You are LAWYERS. Now let's work on the attorney part and add that fancy \"Esquire\" title to your name. What does that mean? It's time to PASS THE BAR. Last summer I was in the same position as all of you - getting ready to take bar prep class and spend the entire summer doing nothing but studying... yikes. I'm not going to lie to you. It's not the most fun time I've ever had. However, I successfully made it through and passed the bar on my first try! Thank god. So now, I want to help YOU do the same. I'll be sharing lots of tips and bar prep strategies over the next few weeks. However, first thing's first, I wanted to make sure you have everything you need. So, without further ado, here is my list of all the things you need to successfully study for the bar!\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EA Bar Preparation Course\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo chances are, by now you have already purchased your main necessary item for studying for the bar - a bar exam preparation course. The major companies that provide these courses are Barbri, Kaplan, and Themis. Personally, I enrolled in Kaplan's \"Live at Home\" course, which I will be writing a full review on in the coming weeks. Honestly, any of these courses will give you what you need. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/how-to-pick-bar-prep-course.html\"\u003EI already wrote a post on how to select the best bar prep course, so if you need to pick one, check it out!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/how-to-pick-bar-prep-course.html\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"Caffeine and Case Briefs: How To Pick The Best Bar Prep Course\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-KRZ-6-YvG-A\/XXgM3ADvdEI\/AAAAAAAABPE\/6n9rSOi662og6work9UUAjgXd_gxcys_gCK4BGAYYCw\/w400-h400\/BAR%2BPREP%2BCOURSE.png\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/how-to-pick-bar-prep-course.html\"\u003EAdd caption\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Desk or Table\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis may be obvious, but please don't try to fully study from your bed. Make sure you have a good flat surface for your computer and books, whether it be an actual desk or a dining room table. If you're like me last summer, I had moved in with my boyfriend at the time, and our space was less than ideal. We had a small desk, but he was also in grad school and needed it for school. So I had no table and also no money - because bar prep summer often means being poor.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo what's a cheap solution? \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dEsTMj\"\u003ETry a folding table!\u003C\/a\u003E Easy to take down when you need and it doesn't break the bank. You don't have to be fancy to be successful.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dEsTMj\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"286\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/61hQDGDo4BL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHave a little more money in the bank or space for a more permanent solution? Amazon has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2xVJJHo\"\u003Esome great desks\u003C\/a\u003E they can ship right to you!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2xVJJHo\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/81AdHI6-HtL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EA Portable Laptop Desk\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis was a LIFESAVER to me during bar prep. You know how I just told you that you need a good table or desk for bar prep? Well, that's true. But sometimes you'll want to move around. You might want to sit on your couch, or in a comfy chair, or even your bed. You're studying a lot and you're going to want to change it up. So grab a good quality laptop desk. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WtbFfo\"\u003EWe have this one, with a phone stand and mouse pad and it's possilbly my favorite purchase ever.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WtbFfo\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/71AAfHTniJL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WtbFfo\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBlank Flash Cards\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is an idea I got from Brandy, better known in the blog community as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thelegalduchess.com\/\"\u003EThe Legal Duchess\u003C\/a\u003E. The bar is a test of memorization. One of the best ways to memorize material is a strategy that most law students are familiar with - making flash cards. And with the bar, you cover A LOT of material. So stock up on your blank flash cards! \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2y0S9NQ\"\u003EThis giant pack from Amazon\u003C\/a\u003E comes with different colors and a bunch of rings to organize them and was a total lifesaver for me!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2y0S9NQ\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/81fHHWFxA4L._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2y0S9NQ\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EPoster Boards and Markers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne way to help you memorize is to continuously repeat writing information. You'll make outlines, write essays, make flash cards, and rewrite and read your outlines over and over again. But that all gets boring after awhile. In the weeks approaching the bar, I found myself needing new ways to study. So I decided to make posters of the most important parts of each subject. Not only was this fun, but visually organizing the information really helps you process the information. You can put these posters up on your wall at home, or even on the walls in your hotel room where you are taking the exam. I could not recommend buying these more. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WrlMBm\"\u003ETry a big pack of posters\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SYNrqV\"\u003Ea pack of markers\u003C\/a\u003E and color away - might as well make learning fun!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SYNrqV\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/61mchndF8OL._AC_SL1365_.jpg\" width=\"339\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WrlMBm\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/71kyN-SrnyL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"398\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAn iPad or Tablet - if you can afford it\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you can afford a splurge, I'd recommend buying an\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WPEZLV\"\u003E iPad\u003C\/a\u003E or tablet for bar prep. I used mine daily and it made everything so much easier. During lectures, I used the iPad to write my notes with an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3fOR1xZ\"\u003EApple pencil.\u003C\/a\u003E I also used the Kaplan app to casually take quizzes and practice questions from my couch, which made studying so much comfier. This isn't absolutely necessary, but I'd recommend one if you can afford it!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WPEZLV\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/6162WMQWhVL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"342\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ECaffeinated Water\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo you've read my blog title, right? Yeah. I like caffeine. The problem is that too much coffee can KILL your stomach and absolutely dehydrate you. One thing I found while studying for the bar was caffeinated water - yes, literally just water with caffeine. They had it pretty cheap at my local Walmart, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dJs9Wt\"\u003Eyou can also order a big pack from Amazon\u003C\/a\u003E to be right at your doorstep for those long study days. This is absolutely essential.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3dJs9Wt\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/91jKvtK2qGL._SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESnack Basket\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne thing I did during bar prep was keep a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3fI78gz\"\u003Ebasket stocked with my favorite snacks\u003C\/a\u003E so I could easily grab them when I was hungry instead of fully pausing my studies to prepare something to munch on. This saved so much time and it was so nice to just have snacks available to keep me going!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3fI78gz\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/91oHjYCLMhL._AC_SL1500_.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EDon't forget - you're going to succeed no matter what!\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThese things will help, but if you study hard and persist through the summer, I'm sure you will be passing the bar in no time! What are your essential items you've purchased for bar prep? Tell me in the comments below!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003Eamzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"caffe05-20\"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\"; amzn_assoc_region = \"US\"; amzn_assoc_design = \"enhanced_links\"; amzn_assoc_asins = \"B00FHXI49E\"; amzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit\"; amzn_assoc_linkid = \"6b97e9b7d16191580d961f518a307225\"; \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/2651708147179197192\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/bar-prep-essentials.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/2651708147179197192"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/2651708147179197192"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/bar-prep-essentials.html","title":"Bar Prep Essentials"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-s-z3MQ0AW7A\/XrsDTK2A1pI\/AAAAAAAABVg\/X2It3xRGQnAsnW4Yh9O35rpksEwv7sgogCK4BGAsYHg\/s72-w640-h360-c\/Pink%2BCute%2BChic%2BVintage%2B90s%2BVirtual%2BTrivia%2BQuiz%2BPresentations.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-6193872994708818937"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:42:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:42:47.660-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lifestyle"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Welcome to the new and improved CAFFEINE AND CASE BRIEFS!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-OCmofButJ6Y\/XrreUQ38nqI\/AAAAAAAABVE\/ty_l-MvKjQ4UdGACAleFdcezmfj5cM6wACK4BGAsYHg\/Blue%2BCafe%2BLogo.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"500\" data-original-width=\"500\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-OCmofButJ6Y\/XrreUQ38nqI\/AAAAAAAABVE\/ty_l-MvKjQ4UdGACAleFdcezmfj5cM6wACK4BGAsYHg\/s320\/Blue%2BCafe%2BLogo.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003EI started this blog 4 years ago, almost to the date! Between now and then, I've changed and grown a lot. And so has this blog. When I started blogging, it was simply an outlet for me to document my experience. Now, I've grown a following and some success, and I'm really happy with the progress I've made. With that being said, it was time for a change!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003EIf you've been on my page before, you probably notice that I have completely re-vamped the look of my blog! This is something that I have wanted to do for a VERY long time, but haven't had the time or motivation to do. You see, after law school, I've been searching for a direction for my blog. After all, I started out as another law school blogger, and I'm definitely not in law school anymore. But I do like blogging and being able to reach a variety of colleagues from around the world that share interests and experiences with me.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003ESo, with that being said, Caffeine and Case Briefs is here to stay. But it might look a little different. While I might make the occassional post about law school, most of the blog will be documenting my life now. I might post about\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/how-i-got-my-post-grad-judicial.html\"\u003E my job as a judicial clerkship\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/01\/10-things-you-should-buy-for-new-puppy.html\"\u003Eraising my puppy\u003C\/a\u003E, planning my wedding, or budgeting to buy a new home. Honestly, I have no idea. I also don't know how often I'll post. But as I figure that all out, I hope you hang in there with me and visit often to see the changes taking place. And by all means - if you have an idea for a post, reach out to me! \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/p\/get-in-touch.html\"\u003EMy inbox is always open.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003EI'm excited to see where this adventure takes us!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/6193872994708818937\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/welcome-to-new-and-improved-caffeine.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/6193872994708818937"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/6193872994708818937"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/05\/welcome-to-new-and-improved-caffeine.html","title":"Welcome to the new and improved CAFFEINE AND CASE BRIEFS!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-OCmofButJ6Y\/XrreUQ38nqI\/AAAAAAAABVE\/ty_l-MvKjQ4UdGACAleFdcezmfj5cM6wACK4BGAsYHg\/s72-c\/Blue%2BCafe%2BLogo.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-5494274090971348764"},"published":{"$t":"2020-02-13T11:34:00.005-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:57:02.213-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lawyer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Why Every New Lawyer Should Do a Judicial Clerkship"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kI9818HlIDE\/XkWIm6PR-AI\/AAAAAAAABSU\/yTVCeu4YkMAZe01jgE31km4yKxItZSgkQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/623864CD-0E7D-48EE-919D-1219CEEA38F4.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kI9818HlIDE\/XkWIm6PR-AI\/AAAAAAAABSU\/yTVCeu4YkMAZe01jgE31km4yKxItZSgkQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/623864CD-0E7D-48EE-919D-1219CEEA38F4.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cfont face=\"arial, sans-serif\"\u003EThe perfect first job for any good lawyer who wants to become great.\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cfont face=\"arial, sans-serif\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/font\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EWhen I started law school, my plan was that after graduation, I would immediately go into private practice, start paying off debt with my high salary, and build up savings. In fact, that was the plan until I started 3L year and didn’t get my dream job. I didn’t get an employment offer that I had been hoping for at a firm I spent two summers at, and all of my plans began crumbling around me. As I waded slowly into the job market, I realized that a lot of the positions in the geographic area that I wanted to work in didn’t really fit my interests. Or at least what I thought my interests were. After a bit of soul-searching and job-searching alike, I landed a judicial clerkship with a state intermediate appellate court. I figured it would be a good way to start my career, get a year or two of experience, and then move on. Now, six months after beginning of my clerkship, I think taking this job is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here’s a few reasons why:\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EThey don’t really teach you how to be a lawyer in law school.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EThis is something that a lot of people don’t understand. Law school teaches you mostly doctrine. This is important, don’t get me wrong. The stuff you learn in law school is the basis of your whole career. But what about the practical stuff? Sure, you take legal writing and learn the basics of memos and briefs. You take ethics to make sure you don’t get disbarred. And you make take some types of advocacy class. But what about the day-to-day life of a lawyer? You don’t learn that.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003ENow, a lot of that learning is covered during summer and sometimes semester internships. That’s fair. But 20 weeks isn’t really long enough to get a good grasp on what it’s like to be a lawyer. You don’t learn what makes a good or bad lawyer on more than just a surface level.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EA clerkship is a great way to learn the difference between good lawyers and bad laywers.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EHow? – You may ask. Well. You deal with lawyers all day long. Whether you are at a trial court or appellate court, you are going to be reading material from lawyers, listening to their arguments, and generally reviewing their work. Because as a clerk, you are assisting the judge in making his or her decision. In my court, I am the first to review the record and briefs, and I report back to my judge what is in the record. And believe me, it make a difference reading a brief written by a good lawyer. From proofreading, to following court rules, to sheer analysis of the law, certain lawyers tend to stand out in a good way.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EBad lawyers stand out more.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EThe duty of the judiciary is to be impartial. And we are. However, do you know how poorly it reflects on a party to read a brief laced with errors, that’s missing headings, and where the logic just seems a bit reaching? It doesn’t make their argument or predicament seem more appealing. And I’ve told my judge on more than one occasion something along the lines of\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E“This brief is written poorly. Maybe if the lawyer tried harder, they could have better chance but they just couldn’t make it connect.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EYou also learn which lawyers have good and bad reputations.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EYou’ll end up talking about which lawyers impress you. You’ll hear which lawyers the judges don’t like to hear from. This is especially important for scoping out future employment opportunities. If you know a lawyer is not well-liked by the court, there’s a good chance you don’t want to work for them. But a lawyer that is known to put out good briefs and craft strong arguments? Sounds like someone who could be an invaluable mentor.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EIt’s also good to have experience “on the other side of the bench.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003ELawyers craft arguments for judges to listen to and decide on. It’s much easier to craft an argument if you know what a judge might be thinking. You will learn the ins and outs of how a judge reviews a case, what things are generally appreciated and what might not be appreciated, and some of the little things that can make or break a case\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EFor instance, certain jurisdictions are sticklers for court rules, such as formatting of headings. Courts will sometimes go as far to dismiss cases if these are formatted wrong. If this is the case, you definitely don’t want to be caught making such a simple but dire mistakes. Having experience as a clerk will teach you how to watch out for these kinds of things.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EAnd of course, a clerkship looks great on a resume.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"\u003EAlthough these are some of the lower-paying positions of the legal world, there’s a certain prestige that comes with a clerkship. This benefit will follow you throughout your whole career.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/5494274090971348764\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/02\/why-every-new-lawyer-should-take.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5494274090971348764"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5494274090971348764"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/02\/why-every-new-lawyer-should-take.html","title":"Why Every New Lawyer Should Do a Judicial Clerkship"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kI9818HlIDE\/XkWIm6PR-AI\/AAAAAAAABSU\/yTVCeu4YkMAZe01jgE31km4yKxItZSgkQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/623864CD-0E7D-48EE-919D-1219CEEA38F4.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-7920274019345608530"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-14T08:14:00.001-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:57:46.893-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lifestyle"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"10 Things You Should Buy For A New Puppy"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zvClyqjt-Gs\/XhiH8P3ySdI\/AAAAAAAABRo\/bGv7KwzprPc0qYkV3YgfJ4Hnaft6cufLQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/077228A4-F8B6-47A2-B4E0-3BCCCAF7A415.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1071\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zvClyqjt-Gs\/XhiH8P3ySdI\/AAAAAAAABRo\/bGv7KwzprPc0qYkV3YgfJ4Hnaft6cufLQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/077228A4-F8B6-47A2-B4E0-3BCCCAF7A415.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003ESo as many of my readers know, I recently graduated from law school and have fully transitioned into young professional life. One of the reasons why I was excited to have a steady income and not be bouncing back and forth across the country anymore was that I would finally be able to get a pet! I am an animal lover through and through and have wanted one of my own for a long time. I had a fish for a few years in college, but we all know that isn’t the same as a furry cuddle companion. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EMy goal was to get a new pet sometime between October and December of 2019. I started my new job in August, so this gave me a few months to get settled and build up a little savings so I could afford a new pet. I lasted until October 13, when I adopted this little pup!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-C12iCO-P76A\/XhiITD_EapI\/AAAAAAAABRw\/a-xpqEB93A4Y5tbhcqGNrSfusf_AAw5LACEwYBhgL\/s1600\/2081CA77-35D8-4762-A6CE-52128A38A0F4.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-C12iCO-P76A\/XhiITD_EapI\/AAAAAAAABRw\/a-xpqEB93A4Y5tbhcqGNrSfusf_AAw5LACEwYBhgL\/s320\/2081CA77-35D8-4762-A6CE-52128A38A0F4.jpeg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis guy was part of an accidental litter on a cattle ranch, and the owners were selling the puppies for $150 as a rehoming fee. My boyfriend and I hadn’t planned whether we were going to get a puppy from a shelter or a (responsible) breeder, and we felt like this guy was the perfect in-between.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EOur puppy was only 7 weeks old when we got him, and so far it’s been a crazy couple months learning how to be a puppy parent. We still aren’t fully sleeping through the night every night, and spend a ridiculous amount of time discussing his bowel movements, but we are totally in love. I’m excited to be able to share some fun puppy content on the blog. But now that I am a few months in, I thought I would start out by sharing with you guys a list of things you’re going to want to buy if you get a new puppy!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E1. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EA medium sized bag of food.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003ESo this is probably one of those “duh” items. You need to feed a puppy. But as soon as you go to a pet store, you will quickly see that dog food comes in several different sized bags. We started out by getting a large bag of food. We figured that he would be on puppy food for a year, might as well stock up, right? Wrong! About a month in, our puppy started having tummy troubles with a sensitive stomach, and we had to switch foods before we finished the big bag. We ended up giving the rest of the big bag away to another puppy owner in need, but we learned our lesson and now buy medium sized bags – big enough so you aren’t running to the store every week, but small enough that you won’t waste a crazy amount of money if you don’t use it all.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003EIf anyone is curious, we started feeding our puppy\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/305EkY0\"\u003E Purina Puppy Chow Tender and Crunchy\u003C\/a\u003E - it's what he was eating on the ranch. We recently switched to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.chewy.com\/american-journey-lamb-brown-rice\/dp\/136724?utm_source=google-product\u0026amp;utm_medium=cpc\u0026amp;utm_campaign=f\u0026amp;utm_content=American%20Journey\u0026amp;utm_term=\u0026amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA3uDwBRBFEiwA1VsajEtEmUj1ljIJT7WzmIxSzezs204VIakbUOVqBSvlAguSYH8LjoOcohoCi6QQAvD_BwE\"\u003EAmerican Journey Lamb \u0026amp; Rice\u003C\/a\u003E. He loved both foods! I'd recommend either!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E2. Plenty of toys.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EAgain. Duh. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EYou need toys for puppies. But get a lot. And I mean like, a lot. All different kinds. Hard toys. Squeaky toys, Crinkly toys. Rope toys. Balls. Frisbees. Bones. Get ‘em all. First, puppies LOVE playing with toys. Second, you don’t know what type of toy that your puppy will gravitate toward. Third, puppies destroy toys quickly, so it’s always good to have backup. For the first two months I had my puppy, I was going to Petsmart every week to buy new toys!\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EPro Tip: Buy clearance holiday toys. Chances are that your puppy will destroy them anyway, and it’s better to buy cheap than to get full-priced toys that will be shredded.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EPro Tip #2: Get a toy box and keep all of your dog’s toys are together. This way, their scent mixes and it’s easier for your pup to associate “hey, these are mine”\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003EHere are some of my favorite toys for a new puppy!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00A80X19E\u0026amp;asins=B00A80X19E\u0026amp;linkId=5c1997b4c040d3f7c413a72472da05d1\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00JZIDFKK\u0026amp;asins=B00JZIDFKK\u0026amp;linkId=4d223bfbf4155873c40a69d30f3ef14a\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00P0YQYYW\u0026amp;asins=B00P0YQYYW\u0026amp;linkId=db22261eaf5d5a1f6877b1038efc14ff\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E3. A leash and collar. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EEven if you don’t plan on leash training your dogs, it’s good to get a leash and collar just in case. If you ever board your dog or have to transport them, you’re going to want a collar and a leash and it’s better to get your dogs used to them young. Further, puppies can be naughty and destructive, and sometimes you may even want to leash them inside the house to help keep an eye on them.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E4. Edible Chews\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EOne of the craziest moments as a puppy owner is when you look down and one of their toys are all bloody or when you find a tooth in their water bowl. Yep. Puppies go through teething just like babies. And when they are teething, they will turn into little piranhas that want to chew non-stop. I recommend getting some edible and easily digestible chews for your dogs to gnaw on to help with teething.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003EMy dog is obsessed with pig skin chews - specifically pork chomps brand. He gets one of these bad boys every\u0026nbsp; night:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B01F1N9YL6\u0026amp;asins=B01F1N9YL6\u0026amp;linkId=b7d7a324c1103b975f0a10c0717117b4\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003ENeed something to last a little longer? Try these - but be careful and don't get them until your dog has some of their adult teeth in:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B07JDYXQ87\u0026amp;asins=B07JDYXQ87\u0026amp;linkId=92b09e7d8d6d7851cb13ce170d53e716\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E5. Lots and lots and lots and lots of treats.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EYou’re going to spend a lot of time training your puppy, so it’s good to have a lot of treats on hand. I’ve found that it’s so much cheaper to order treats in bulk on Amazon. I’ve linked some of the ones I like below. Bonus: these are small so you don’t overfeed them in training.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00KRMMJV4\u0026amp;asins=B00KRMMJV4\u0026amp;linkId=c3c2ba5cb06c52e81acfcad1bc0f883a\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B0114BNXQ6\u0026amp;asins=B0114BNXQ6\u0026amp;linkId=63798223ef9f77ebedb60c249b17bb0c\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E6. Puppy Shampoo, Brush, and Nail Clipper\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EDid you know when your puppy is under 4 months old, they will take in anything they experience and learn how to process it as normal? So if you don’t want an adult dog who is afraid of baths and grooming – start early! Plus, puppies are messy. In the first month I had my dog, I gave him several baths. One to get him used to it, then another when he played in mud, and another when he vomited on himself. You’re not supposed to bathe dogs too much, but now my little guy just shrugs off baths. Do the same with brushing and clipping nails. Get ‘em used to it young.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E7. Extra Towels\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EDid I mention puppies are messy? We now have designated dog towels – which are cheap towels I found on Amazon. We use these at the bottom of his crate, to dry him off after baths, to wipe his paws when it’s raining\/snowing, etc. He also likes to chew on them. If you don’t want your good towels being destroyed, get some extra dog towels.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E8. A crate, gate, or play pen\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EI know crating can be controversial, but no matter what your opinion is, there is probably going to be a period of time where you aren’t ready to let your puppy roam the house. You might want to gate off a room, put your puppy in a play pen, or even crate them. For us, we have a puppy who is easily overstimulated and won’t sleep unless he is in a crate in a dark room. It’s gotten to the point where when he is tired, he barks at us until we crate him so he can nap. But before the crate, we also tried a play pen. It didn’t work for us, but now I have a friend who uses it for her Boston Terrier puppy who loves it. We also gated off one of our bedrooms so our cat can have a puppy free space. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B07HM6CNBD\u0026amp;asins=B07HM6CNBD\u0026amp;linkId=a9e9d2d6b2f3cffb17b9ddec15d96b01\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E9. Hard soled slippers\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EThis is a strange one, but I swear to god these have been a god-send for me. With a puppy, you’re going to be going outside a LOT. Often in the middle of the night. One thing I needed was a pair of hard-soled slippers that were warm and also could easily be taken on and off for quick potty breaks. You can thank me later for this tip. The ones I got are similar to these:\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B076F33B4S\u0026amp;asins=B076F33B4S\u0026amp;linkId=0333d93c5112b47a76f2e0a8800389eb\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E10. Dog waste bags\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-tab-count: 1;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EYou might know you need these in theory, but I didn’t realize how quickly we would go through so many. Even if you have a yard and won’t be cleaning up after your dog each time, you’re going to need some in case you take your dog out in public, to someone else’s house, etc. I recommend buying in bulk because they are cheaper and it’s a lot more convenient. \u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;OneJS=1\u0026amp;Operation=GetAdHtml\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;source=ss\u0026amp;ref=as_ss_li_til\u0026amp;ad_type=product_link\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;marketplace=amazon\u0026amp;region=US\u0026amp;placement=B00NABTGY2\u0026amp;asins=B00NABTGY2\u0026amp;linkId=9be77ff1bd222f2eb94f1440f9851618\u0026amp;show_border=true\u0026amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" style=\"height: 240px; width: 120px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003EThose are my major items that you need. Of course, every household is different. Some people may also want to get their dog a bed. I got one, but it ended up being a toy and I realized a bed was probably a good idea for later on. Some people may want a harness instead of a collar. That’s fine too. Mainly find what works for you. And if you need help, a local pet store is usually pretty good at helping you find the right products.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 200%; tab-stops: center 0in; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003EWhat are your puppy must-haves?\u003Cspan class=\"msoDel\"\u003E\u003Cdel cite=\"mailto:frankie.moore@nebraska.gov\" datetime=\"2020-01-06T13:22\"\u003E\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/del\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe border=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"250\" marginwidth=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?o=1\u0026amp;p=290\u0026amp;l=ur1\u0026amp;category=pets\u0026amp;banner=0R20J8BH7NWMY00Z62R2\u0026amp;f=ifr\u0026amp;linkID=e0cbd1356903fae53fc31d6ea0ffa839\u0026amp;t=caffe05-20\u0026amp;tracking_id=caffe05-20\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-family: \u0026quot;Courier New\u0026quot;;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/7920274019345608530\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/01\/10-things-you-should-buy-for-new-puppy.html#comment-form","title":"24 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7920274019345608530"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7920274019345608530"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/01\/10-things-you-should-buy-for-new-puppy.html","title":"10 Things You Should Buy For A New Puppy"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zvClyqjt-Gs\/XhiH8P3ySdI\/AAAAAAAABRo\/bGv7KwzprPc0qYkV3YgfJ4Hnaft6cufLQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/077228A4-F8B6-47A2-B4E0-3BCCCAF7A415.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"24"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-8835924688307103970"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-07T09:11:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:29:38.681-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lifestyle"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mental health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"2020 New Year's Resolutions (Ideas and How to Accomplish Them!)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jyqQL389VIU\/XhSffHlticI\/AAAAAAAABRc\/fuK75hdWsvoDeARDPJwXc99LvSrLFioswCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Colorful%2BNew%2BYear%2BParty%2BFlyer.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1236\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jyqQL389VIU\/XhSffHlticI\/AAAAAAAABRc\/fuK75hdWsvoDeARDPJwXc99LvSrLFioswCNcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Colorful%2BNew%2BYear%2BParty%2BFlyer.png\" width=\"494\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've always been the type of person that thinks New Year's resolutions are dumb. If you want to do something, why wait for a new year? Well, last year I turned a new leaf and decided to try out making a resolution and realized that I LOVE it. The month of January is usually a little cold and sad, and it gives you something to focus on to bring you out of the after-holiday slump. Plus, it starts the new year with motivation and a goal - which gives you the opportunity to accomplish something. Along with all those things, I think it's great to be mindful and set goals to better yourself regular, and doing this at the new year is a perfect way to incorporate self-growth into your schedule.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPersonally, I think it's a good goal to make both big and small new year's resolutions, along with ones that are specific and more vague. For example, you could have a big and specific goal like \"I want to get a job working for a private practice law firm in my home town\" or a small, vague one like \"I want to give out more compliments.\" Don't forget that your resolutions should be personal - you\u0026nbsp; need to care enough to accomplish them! And resolutions are for the whole year, it's not something you accomplish just in January. So don't worry about focusing on something that can be accomplished right away.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/30eCvINj6A3QY\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"400\" data-original-width=\"500\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/30eCvINj6A3QY\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFor me, this year I am trying out a new system where I am going to make three resolutions: one to help myself, one to help others, and a goal for the end of the year. Personally, my 2020 resolutions are:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFOR ME: \u003C\/b\u003EDrink more water! I am the worst at drinking water (I prefer soda and coffee... oops) but I need to get better at hydrating to keep myself healthy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFOR OTHERS: \u003C\/b\u003ETake a reusable cup more often to coffee shops. This may sound vague, but I actually want to be somewhat specific and say I'm shooting for 80%. You may wonder how this is \"for others.\" To me, this is all part of living a more sustainable life so others can enjoy the earth for years to come. However, \"be more sustainable\" is a little too vague for a resolution for me. So I am making this goal more specific in hopes that not only can I be sustainable with my takeout coffee habits, but so I can also be inspired to live sustainably in other ways!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEND OF THE YEAR GOAL: \u003C\/b\u003ESecure post-clerkship employment! This is CRAZY to think about considering I have only been in my clerkship for four months and I am clerking for a two-year term. However, those of us in the legal world know that firms start hiring a year in advance, which means the end of next summer and all of next fall I will be looking for a job. So my goal is to secure a position by the end of the year!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow obviously, I don't expect everyone to share my same resolutions. However, I know that different goals will fit different people. So below I've compiled a list of some ideas and some helpful hints to help\u0026nbsp; you accomplish them!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\"FOR ME\" Resolution Ideas\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/QORItOkyir30Do99Nf\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/QORItOkyir30Do99Nf\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExercise X number of times per week! \u003C\/b\u003EThis is a healthier spin on the classic \"I want to lose weight\" resolution. Losing weight focuses more on body image than health. However, exercising does so much more than burn calories. It helps keep your body healthy, relieves stress, and gives you a fun activity. Different amounts of exercise fit different lifestyles, so set a number that works for you. And help ease yourself into it. If you never work out now, don't set your goal at 5 times a week - that is way too much of an extreme change. Instead, try 1 or 2 days a week to start out.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFind a workout buddy to keep each other accountable\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJoin a gym that costs money! If you're anything like me, you won't want to waste your money on something you won't use.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you're new to exercise, try workout classes to learn things you might like.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDink More Water! \u003C\/b\u003ESo as I already told you, this is mine. I love drinking different beverages - coffee, tea, soda, juice, etc. My fridge is always stocked. But one thing I hate drinking is water. I'm just not into it. However, our bodies are made up of mostly water, so it's probably pretty important to drink quite a bit of it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETry an app that sends you reminders! There are several in the app store, some free and some that cost just a few dollars\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGet a water bottle or cup that makes you want to use it! I personally know I will drink more out of a straw, so I keep \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.walmart.com\/ip\/Built-Double-Wall-Stainless-Steel-Vacuum-Insulated-Tumbler-20-Oz-Mint\/516620580?selected=true\"\u003Ethis tumbler\u003C\/a\u003E with a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/37JLtjf\"\u003Estainless steel straw\u003C\/a\u003E on my desk at work at all times.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd if you want to get really fancy, get a water bottle that helps you track your hydration! A few ideas are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/36sVnWe\"\u003Ethis one that has you move bands for every time you finish a bottle\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/39MGmRf\"\u003Ethis one that will light up to remind you to drink every hour!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMake Mindfulness\u0026nbsp;a Habit! \u003C\/b\u003EI lovvveeee the idea of this one! I'm a big advocate for taking control of your own mental health, and this is a great idea to help. Being mindful basically just means learning to focus on your own thoughts and processing your own feelings in a healthy way. This is a great general goal, because there are so many ways you can accomplish it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGo to a weekly yoga class. For those of us that have attended therapy, I'm sure a professional has suggested yoga at one point or another. While it's great for your body, the practice of yoga focuses on breathing, which can help you learn to concentrate on your thoughts while your mind and body are in a restful place. When I have been going through my hardest times, I have literally cried at the end of yoga classes because it created a space for me to practice being mindful and process my feelings in a healthy way.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJournal! To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to be one of those people who journals, but I've never been able to accomplish it. However, I've found when I am able to keep up with one even for a short time, it has been a great way to focus on my thoughts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETry meditation. There are several apps that can guide you through it and some places even have classes!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\"FOR OTHERS\" Resolution Ideas\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/Mn5fSfVs8LmA952BxJ\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/Mn5fSfVs8LmA952BxJ\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAny type of \"Go Green\" goals. \u003C\/b\u003EListen here, people. The earth is dying. We should all do our part and be more sustainable to help ourselves, those around us, and future generations. Last year my goal was to be more sustainable overall, but that goal was too broad. So I recommend choosing something specific if you want to make a sustainability habit.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBring a to-go cup to the coffee shop. This is simple, but for people like me that grab a to-go coffee almost daily, this is one little thing you can do that inspires big change.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDonate to environmental charities. Even $5 a month can help.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENext time you buy products, switch to something more eco-friendly. Need sandwich bags for lunches? Try \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2tBfJht\"\u003Ethese silicone ones\u003C\/a\u003E instead.\u0026nbsp; Need cotton rounds for makeup? Try \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2sJ4unf\"\u003Ereusable bamboo ones\u003C\/a\u003E instead. Literally whatever you need, search for an eco-friendly idea on Amazon.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EVolunteer X times per month. \u003C\/b\u003EI love this resolution because it's FREE. All you have to spend is your time. Every community is in need of help. Maybe you could volunteer socializing with senior citizens at a nursing home. Maybe dogs at your local shelter need walked. Maybe trash needs cleaned up on the highway. Even giving one hour per month can make a big difference in your community.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECheck for volunteer opportunities with your school or any professional organizations you might be in. This can double as a networking opportunity if you plan right.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELook for places you utilize in your community that might need help. Do you run at a local park? See if there is a volunteer park clean-up committee. Did you adopt your pet from a shelter? Maybe that shelter needs help with something. Utilize free tax prep services? See if they need volunteers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReview every purchase you make. \u003C\/b\u003ESo I'll admit, I'm stealing this idea I saw on my friend Brandy's Instagram comments. Because I stole it, go check out her blog - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thelegalduchess.com\/\"\u003EThe Legal Duchess.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Not only is her blog one of my biggest inspirations, but she's actually the sweetest person. Anyway, I saw one of her Instagram followers comment that they resolved to review every purchase they make online, because we all rely on reviews so much. I thought this was a great idea! It's something so small, but we all use these reviews almost daily.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESet a reminder in your phone for a week later every time you get a new product to review one week later.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGo through your past Amazon orders once per month and review all of your purchases you've made.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\"END OF THE YEAR GOALS\" Resolutions\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/RHLcOWQ4xqyOKvqzAc\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"270\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/RHLcOWQ4xqyOKvqzAc\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo as most of you know, I started this blog to focus on law school things. Since I've now graduated, the focus may drift. But in the true spirit of being a law school blog, here are some resolutions that are law school\/law related.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGraduate law school! \u003C\/b\u003EThis is for all you 3Ls out there. You are so close, make sure to focus in on this final drive and get it done!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep doing what you've been doing. If it's worked so far, don't quit it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep your stress levels low! Not only do you have school stress, but life is about to change in a major way and that can take a lot out of a person. Practice being mindful and make time for a little fun.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnjoy the final run!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERaise your GPA! \u003C\/b\u003ESo for some of you, graduation isn't as near. So in the meantime, do what you can to help your future self out and focus on school so you can get good grades.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHOW TO ACCOMPLISH:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0026nbsp;DO YOUR READINGS. Honestly this is 90% of the battle. Just do your readings.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGet a kickass job or internship! \u003C\/b\u003ENot going to\u0026nbsp; put a long section on this, because I've already written plenty of posts on it. Check them out here:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/07\/my-first-law-firm-internship.html\"\u003EMy First Law Firm Internship\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/04\/how-to-get-law-school-internship.html\"\u003EHow to Get a Law Firm Internship\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/i-didnt-get-my-dream-job-and-its-okay.html\"\u003EDidn't Get My Dream Job... And It's Okay\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/how-i-got-my-post-grad-judicial.html\"\u003EHow I Got A Post-Grad Judicial Clerkship\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EObviously, that is just a snippet of some resolutions out there, but there are so many more. What are your resolutions?\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/8835924688307103970\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/01\/2020-new-years-resolutions-ideas-and.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8835924688307103970"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8835924688307103970"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2020\/01\/2020-new-years-resolutions-ideas-and.html","title":"2020 New Year's Resolutions (Ideas and How to Accomplish Them!)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jyqQL389VIU\/XhSffHlticI\/AAAAAAAABRc\/fuK75hdWsvoDeARDPJwXc99LvSrLFioswCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Colorful%2BNew%2BYear%2BParty%2BFlyer.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-7066558809310973776"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-31T15:37:00.001-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:58:41.834-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lifestyle"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"New Year, New Me "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AGUIb4yYOMM\/Xgu-HMqpwuI\/AAAAAAAABRM\/i6ENeVQAIM0U9I2rFv8WMaeU8R3_zt2ggCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Black%2BWhite%2BToast%2BNew%2BYear%2527s%2BPhoto%2BCard.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1136\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AGUIb4yYOMM\/Xgu-HMqpwuI\/AAAAAAAABRM\/i6ENeVQAIM0U9I2rFv8WMaeU8R3_zt2ggCNcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Black%2BWhite%2BToast%2BNew%2BYear%2527s%2BPhoto%2BCard.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EI'm sure everyone reading this has rolled their eyes when hearing someone exclaim \"New year, new me!\" as one year closes and another opens. I have to admit that I definitely have had that attitude. But as I sit hear and the end of 2019 is just a few hours away, I have to admit that I'm thinking exactly \u003Ci\u003Ethat\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- New year, new me.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENot only is today the last day of 2019, but it's also the last day of a decade. Ten years ago, I was a freshman in high school. At the time, I planned on being a high school math teacher or \u003Ci\u003Emaybe \u003C\/i\u003Ean architect, depending on how I felt entering college. Then the years started flying by and plans began changing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/d3yxg15kJppJilnW\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/d3yxg15kJppJilnW\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 2012, I realized that my dream college - Northwest Missouri State University - didn't quite feel like the right fit anymore. So I turned my focus to the University of Nebraska at Omaha.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 2013, I began college with a Distinguished Scholarship - the highest scholarship offered at my school, which included full tuition and a stipend.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 2014, I took my dream internship - the Walt Disney World College Program. I spent five months cleaning toilets and it was absolutely magical.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 2015, I attended a conference at West Point on behalf of my school. Yes, they let me hold a gun.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 2016, I graduated college, less than 3 years after starting. And in the fall began my law school journey, which everyone can read about on this blog.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFast forward 3 years to 2019, and in the past 7 months I graduated from law school, spent countless hours studying for the bar, began my career as a judicial clerk, and in September I finally accomplished my dream of becoming an attorney.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EYou see, the past ten years has been full of accomplishments. I'm not bragging, but I am very proud of how far I've come and how much I have been privileged to accomplish. But those last 10 years have been centered around one thing - school, education, and finding a career.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/chhIjLZPPPknxv6OB6\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"270\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/chhIjLZPPPknxv6OB6\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ESo now I turn to 2020 and things are looking different.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm no longer in school. Although I'm glad to be done with tests and homework and studying for hours on end, school has been part of my identity for the past twenty years. 2020 is the first year that I won't be a student. I haven't quite wrapped my head around that yet. Yes, I graduated in May, so I've had several months without school already. But I'm still getting used to the fact that being a student isn't a central part of my identity anymore.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm an attorney. Like, holy shit - who let this happen? Today I did a big girl thing and \u003Cb\u003Erenewed my law license\u003C\/b\u003E. If you would've looked at me 10 years ago and told me that I'd be saying that exact sentence, I wouldn't have believed it. I've worked my entire life to find a career that I love and it's crazy to think that I'm just out here doing the thing now.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are some personal things that are different too. In the second half of this year, I moved in with my boyfriend. A couple months ago, we got a puppy named Walter. Let me tell you folks - owning\u0026nbsp; a dog is serious business. I haven't slept through the night in 3 months. But at the same time, I love that little guy with my whole heart.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm excited to see what 2020 brings, and how all my life changes shape the \"new me.\" What things are going to be different about you in 2020?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/xUySTMO8XWIRjp0w4o\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"260\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/xUySTMO8XWIRjp0w4o\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/7066558809310973776\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/12\/new-year-new-me.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7066558809310973776"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7066558809310973776"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/12\/new-year-new-me.html","title":"New Year, New Me "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AGUIb4yYOMM\/Xgu-HMqpwuI\/AAAAAAAABRM\/i6ENeVQAIM0U9I2rFv8WMaeU8R3_zt2ggCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Black%2BWhite%2BToast%2BNew%2BYear%2527s%2BPhoto%2BCard.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-3583357615870158220"},"published":{"$t":"2019-09-27T21:38:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:58:54.254-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lawyer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My First Two Months as a Judicial Clerk"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PI68p5USkxA\/XY7GHoRlTjI\/AAAAAAAABPc\/lZTTw5xP1_4aySWbd5DJlhQ-kTO-h6dogCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1600\/Celebrate%2BLaw%2BDay.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PI68p5USkxA\/XY7GHoRlTjI\/AAAAAAAABPc\/lZTTw5xP1_4aySWbd5DJlhQ-kTO-h6dogCNcBGAsYHQ\/s640\/Celebrate%2BLaw%2BDay.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHey, everyone!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo a couple of months ago, I made a post about not getting my dream job. However, after I didn't get my dream job, I ended up taking a job as a judicial clerk. So far, this has been a wonderful experience. So, I thought I'd update you all on what my first two months as a judicial clerk has been like!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/2x0tJVAL3IqFnZYhYt\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"600\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/2x0tJVAL3IqFnZYhYt\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst things first, you may be wondering how much time I had between taking the bar exam and starting my career. Unfortunately for me - it was less than 24 hours! No - seriously. The bar exam ended at 5:00 p.m. on a Wednesday, and I started my clerkship at 9:00 a.m. the next day. It was definitely a whirlwhind 24 hours. Of course, my judge didn't just schedule the beginning of my clerkship right after the bar to traumatize me. The clerkship always starts on August 1st, and the July 2019 bar exam was on July 30th and 31st. So it was just the way the calendar worked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne thing that was nice about starting my job so early is that I didn't have time to spend stressing out about the bar exam. My brain was occupied with starting a new career - not worrying about how well I did on the exam. The bad thing is that starting right way is that I barely absorbed any of the infomration they told me during orientation. In fact, this ended up causing a small problem with payroll when I took two vacation days I didn't have. Luckily, my judge vouched for me and it wasn't a big deal. With that being said - take notes during orientation, people!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI am working for a state appellate court, meaning my day isn't filled with trials, hearings, or other things you might see in a trial court. My day is filled with reading, reading, and more reading! The job of my court, as an appellate court, is to review decisions of the trial courts below us. This means that I take the entire case file - transcripts of the trial, evidence, pleadings, briefs, etc. - and review it to determine whether the trial court made the right decision, or if they made errors where the parties assert they did. Sometimes I spend multiple days reading through a case file, sometimes it's a fairly quick review. It all depends on the type of case.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/VbnUQpnihPSIgIXuZv\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"384\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/VbnUQpnihPSIgIXuZv\/giphy.gif\" width=\"256\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter I review the case file, I typically converse with my judge about what way she thinks she wants to decide, and then I start researching and writing an opinion. For us, the parties each file a brief, so a majority of the argument and research is done for us. Of course, I have to always double check and make sure the arguments and research in the briefs are accurate - but that is a lot quicker than starting from the very beginning! Once the opinion is written, my judge and I pass the opinion back and forth and exchange edits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn some cases, we might have oral arguments, where the parties are each allowed ten minutes to argue their side of the case. During that time, the attorneys have to be prepared to answer questions from the judges. Sometimes these oral arguments help us clear up fuzzy details, or help tip the scale when we are having a hard time making a decision.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd that pretty much sums up my job! So far, I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot. It's been a great first job and a wonderful immersion into the world of lawyering. A part of me feels a yearning and longing to get out and practice, but it is also nice to have a slow and easy transition into being a young professional.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/aZ3VUGofiNDry\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"239\" data-original-width=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/aZ3VUGofiNDry\/giphy.gif\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIf you have any questions for me about my clerkship, feel free to drop 'em below. And as always, make sure you give me suggestions for what you'd like to see me post about next!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/3583357615870158220\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/my-first-two-months-as-judicial-clerk.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3583357615870158220"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3583357615870158220"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/my-first-two-months-as-judicial-clerk.html","title":"My First Two Months as a Judicial Clerk"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PI68p5USkxA\/XY7GHoRlTjI\/AAAAAAAABPc\/lZTTw5xP1_4aySWbd5DJlhQ-kTO-h6dogCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Celebrate%2BLaw%2BDay.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-8908270178340039454"},"published":{"$t":"2019-09-10T15:52:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:59:07.253-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To Pick The Best Bar Prep Course"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-KRZ-6-YvG-A\/XXgM3ADvdEI\/AAAAAAAABPE\/6n9rSOi662og6work9UUAjgXd_gxcys_gCK4BGAYYCw\/s1600\/BAR%2BPREP%2BCOURSE.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-KRZ-6-YvG-A\/XXgM3ADvdEI\/AAAAAAAABPE\/6n9rSOi662og6work9UUAjgXd_gxcys_gCK4BGAYYCw\/s400\/BAR%2BPREP%2BCOURSE.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHey, friends!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is a post that I've been wanting to make for awhile, ever since I picked my bar prep course last fall. However, I decided to hold off on making a post because I didn't want to be that person that advertised my methods for picking a bar prep course and then subsequently failed the bar. Can you imagine? Luckily, I got the news back recently that \u003Cb\u003EI PASSED THE BAR EXAM! \u003C\/b\u003EThus, I am starting my series on the bar exam and all things about it. And when it comes to the bar exam, I was trying to think of what would make sense to post first and I figured, why not talk about picking a bar prep course? So here we go!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKnow Your Options\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis might seem obvious, but the first thing that you need to do when picking a bar prep course is to know your options. Of course, there are the commercial course available. You've probably seen student representatives tabling at your school trying to sell you a course since first semester 1L. Barbri, Themis, and Kaplan seem to be the main courses available. Quimbee, AdaptiBar, BarMax, and other companies also offer courses, although they seem to be less popular.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnother option is checking with your school. A lot of schools offer bar prep courses, either during the school year or for the summer after 3L. Sometimes these are meant to be comprehensive, sometimes these are meant to be a supplemental tool to another full, comprehensive course. A lot of the time, these are either free or included in tuition, so definitely check with your school!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELastly, there is a self-study option. You can gather books, materials, and your notes from law school and study on your own. I'll be honest, I don't know a lot of people who do this because it's a lot harder. You have to be extremely disciplined, and there's something to be said for getting instruction from someone who knows what they are doing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWhen to Buy\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis was a question I struggled with - when is the right time to buy a bar prep course???\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWell, truth be told, if you are buying a commercial course, it is cheaper to buy early. But you don't necessarily have to make a decision and purchase a course 1L year. To me, that's far too early. So when I say you should buy early, I mean second semester 2L through first semester 3L year. For me, I purchased a course in October my 3L year. I got a good deal, and it allowed me time to think through my decision and not commit to something I didn't want too early. It seems like most law students choose a course around this time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHow to Decide\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe hardest part about picking a bar prep course is probably actually deciding which one you want to get. And truth be told, the right choice is different for each person. You're probably thinking \"\u003Ci\u003EBut Bailey, just tell me which course is best!\u003C\/i\u003E\" But the truth is, I can't. Because what worked best for me might not work best for you. So instead, I'll tell you some things you can do to help you decide!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMost bar prep companies (at least the three major ones - Kaplan, Barbri, and Themis) offer a free MPRE course. When you take the MPRE, I recommend trying out the free course and seeing which ones you like. The bar prep course will likely be similar (at least in format) to the MPRE course, so it's basically a free trial.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI can't emphasize this option enough. I took the MPRE three times - twice using one course, when I failed. Third time I used another course - increased my score by 30 points and passed by a huge margin. Took the bar prep course from the company I took the passing MPRE course with and I passed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELook at your budget and consider costs. If you've started looking at bar prep courses, you know that they can be pretty expensive. Obviously, at the end of the day, it's worth paying for something that can be integral to passing the bar. But, that doesn't mean you should throw out your whole budgeting plan to pick a top course. If you have a firm paying for your course, this might not matter. If you're going into public interest or a clerkship, a cheaper option might make a big difference.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAsk your friends who just took the bar what their honest reviews of the courses they took are. Ask what they like, what they didn't - not just general thoughts. Some people may want a course that focuses more on writing practice, others may need more multiple choice help. Some may want to be in a more guided course, others may want more freedom. Ask lots of questions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELastly, ask student reps and the companies themselves. Obviously, this information would be a little more biased because at the end of the day, these companies are trying a product. However, it might help you get answers you need.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThen, take these considerations and weigh them. You might have a clear answer, or they might all sound the same to you. Truth be told, if you take a course and honestly put effort into doing the work you will probably pass the bar. They are all good courses. So don't let it stress you out too much.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWhich Course Options to Pick\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnother thing you might have noticed is that once you pick a company, you have to pick a course. Some companies offer in person classes, some offer live stream classes, and others offer fully self-paced online classes. When it comes to choosing which of these options you want, my biggest advice is to know yourself and your study habits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDo you want flexibility with time? Maybe an online only option is great for you. Do you want a bit more structure in your day to keep you on track? Maybe go with an in-person class. A combination of both? The live stream class might be best. Think about whether you want to be social, whether you want to study at home,\u0026nbsp; and what structure has previously worked for you in the past.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor me, I wanted something scheduled in my day to keep me on track. I originally chose an in-person class, but that class unfortunately got cancelled and I switched to a live stream class. This was great for me. I had class from 8:00 a.m. to noon daily, and then spent the afternoons and evenings on my study activities like practice questions, essays, and reading. However, I had a friend who travelled a lot in the summer and needed flexibility, so she chose an all-recorded option.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust consider your lifestyle, study habits, and summer plans!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESupplements?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe last thing I want to address is whether you should get any sort of bar prep supplementary tools in addition to a course. When it comes to bar prep, you can get a number of different study aids in addition to commercial bar prep courses. As if spending literal thousands of dollars on a course wasn't enough. So you might be wondering whether or not you should also pick up one or two of these supplemental tools.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETo be honest, I did use a supplemental tool. I used an MBE outline set from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/crushendo.com\/product\/ube-suite\/\"\u003ECrushendo\u003C\/a\u003E. These were audio and written outlines that helped me supplement the materials I had from my bar prep course. It was nice to have something written differently for subjects I didn't understand, or to be able to play the audio outlines when I was cooking dinner or working out.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI know several people swear by buying a set of commercial flash cards. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/34whUku\"\u003ECritical Pass Cards\u003C\/a\u003E seem to be a favorite, with\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/34HfKP8\"\u003E Kaplan flash card\u003C\/a\u003Es trending right behind.\u0026nbsp; While I love flash cards, I chose not to get these because part of why I like flash cards is because actually making them helps me learn. However, I know people SWEAR by these.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo, I would recommend getting a supplement of some kind. It's nice to have information that is written differently than the way your bar prep course has written the information, and it's especially nice to be able to change up your routine. However, if you can't afford an extra tool, do not stress about it!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOverall, you have to choose the bar prep course that is right for you - and that means something different for everyone. However, most of the commercial courses out there are pretty good and I am sure you will do fine with whatever course you choose.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/8908270178340039454\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/how-to-pick-bar-prep-course.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8908270178340039454"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8908270178340039454"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/how-to-pick-bar-prep-course.html","title":"How To Pick The Best Bar Prep Course"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-KRZ-6-YvG-A\/XXgM3ADvdEI\/AAAAAAAABPE\/6n9rSOi662og6work9UUAjgXd_gxcys_gCK4BGAYYCw\/s72-c\/BAR%2BPREP%2BCOURSE.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-1696366003938621632"},"published":{"$t":"2019-09-08T13:55:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T11:59:22.203-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"I Passed the Bar Exam!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Hey, everyone!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, I'm coming at you with some good news here...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EI PASSED THE BAR EXAM!\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThat's right, folks. You heard me. Might as well get me a spray tan and call myself Kim Kardashian because I am a straight-up, full blown laywer. Honestly, this has been a surreal weekend processing the news. But now that I have a chance to sit down and think about it all, I am so incredibly grateful and happy to be blessed with the opportunity to pursue a career that I've dreamed about and that I know I will love very much.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI want to thank each and every reader of mine who has been on this journey with me. I want to thank other bloggers who have inspired me. And I want to put out nothing but intense gratitude for everyone who has really helped me acheive my dreams.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis last few weeks have been insane. I took the bar, moved into a new apartment, started a new job, and spent six anxious weeks waiting for results. I'm hoping that now that things have settled down a little bit, I will be able to get back into blogging. I plan on blogging about my bar exam experience and about starting my career as a judicial clerk. Obviously, before now I have mainly focused on being a law school blogger. While I love talking about law school and helping law students, I don't know that I necessarily will be able to produce a lot of content about law school without continuing to go through it. So, this blog will likely switch to focusing on my life as a baby lawyer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you have anything you want me to blog about, please let me know!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThanks everyone, and I'll see you with some more posts soon!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/1696366003938621632\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/i-passed-bar-exam.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1696366003938621632"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1696366003938621632"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/09\/i-passed-bar-exam.html","title":"I Passed the Bar Exam!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-4862381089154050644"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-26T21:58:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:03:08.509-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"\"Must Have\" Supplies for Law School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-IEvTJNG9tTs\/XTu8aAJkPtI\/AAAAAAAABOI\/v3vR0y_tUcwmtK2GoToWXEib1o5NfsgyQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/back%2Bto%2Bschool.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"408\" data-original-width=\"528\" height=\"308\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-IEvTJNG9tTs\/XTu8aAJkPtI\/AAAAAAAABOI\/v3vR0y_tUcwmtK2GoToWXEib1o5NfsgyQCLcBGAs\/s400\/back%2Bto%2Bschool.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHey, friends! Sometime during 3L, I was on the phone with my mom and said something somewhat profound and a little bit humorous:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\"You know, it's funny, but I think after almost twenty years of being in school, I've finally figured out what study tools work for me. And now I'm almost done\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe truth is, through years of college, my study habits have changed and developed, and I've really figured out what does and does not work for me. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/07\/school-supplies-for-law-school.html\"\u003EI wrote a post a couple of years ago\u003C\/a\u003E about what supplies you should get for law school, and I stand by everything in there. I repeated some of the supplies here, but for a comprehensive look, check out \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/07\/school-supplies-for-law-school.html\"\u003Ethat post \u003C\/a\u003Etoo! And by now, I definitely have figured out what my favorite things are, especially for law school. So I thought I'd share some of those products with you! Below is my list of must-have supplies for school, with links to specific product recommendations if I have any. If you know of brands or products that you would rather use, choose those. These are just the ones I like.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETechnology Products\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDesktop Monitor\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESo this is something I actually bought during 2L, but I wish I would've bought it when I first started law school. And to be honest, I use this more than anything else. I originally got my desktop computer monitor for writing papers so I could have two screens - one for displaying my research or notes, the other screen for the actual paper. Now I love it for so much more. The bigger screen alone is a bonus, and a real keyboard and mouse makes things much more comfortable. Now I don't have to squint at a tiny screen, waste time flipping between windows, or get neck cramps from typing on a small, flat screen\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis is the one I actually have - a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2BbWHzk\"\u003ESamsung 27-inch curved monitor\u003C\/a\u003E. It looks sleek and cool, and the screen is massive. I love it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ijbEFRiusG0\/XFC2iUaHRRI\/AAAAAAAABJk\/bKoFNEWj2fgxMclsEQSQ33uiu82DSwOPQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Monitor.PNG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"760\" data-original-width=\"1020\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ijbEFRiusG0\/XFC2iUaHRRI\/AAAAAAAABJk\/bKoFNEWj2fgxMclsEQSQ33uiu82DSwOPQCLcBGAs\/s320\/Monitor.PNG\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis was my second choice if you want something a little cheaper and smaller - an\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WvzXU3\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;HP 23-inch monitor\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENOTE: Don't forget to buy the right cord to connect your monitor to your computer, likely an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2MF41bh\"\u003EHDMI\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Tm8ylh\"\u003EMini DisplayPort-HDMI\u003C\/a\u003E. It also helps to have a keyboard and mouse. You don't need anything fancy - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2lBjSOz\"\u003Ehere is a great basic set!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EiPad - or other Tablet\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt's pretty obvious that you are going to need a good laptop for law school. In fact, certain schools require you to have one, and may even have certain specifications that you laptop needs to meet. So I won't bore you by telling you that you need a good laptop. You already know that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBut for those of you that are curious, I have \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2lzyvSu\"\u003Ethis laptop \u003C\/a\u003Eand LOVE it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHowever, one thing I didn't realize that I really loved having is an iPad. In fact, after I bought my iPad at the beginning of 3L year, I never brought my laptop to class. This espeically makes sense if you take notes the way that I do - where you type out your reading notes but handwrite your class notes. The iPad allowed me to pull up those reading notes, without having to bring my entire laptop to class. I loved the portability and ease. The ability to check my text messages in class quickly without much distraction was also nice. Plus, I liked it for playing games, watching Netflix, or browsing Pinterest when I wasn't in class.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI chose the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2lAQqYZ\"\u003Estandard, 10.5 inch iPad with WiFi, with 128 GB memory.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBig, over-the-ear headphones\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn law school, you're probably going to spend a lot of time studying in public. This might be at the library, in a coffee shop, in airports or train stations - basically anywehre you might have some down time. So you're probably going to want to have some headphones to cover up the noise around you. I spent the first semester of law school using my ear buds and after awhile, my ears started to hurt and I hated being attached by a cord. I decided to spring for some big, over-the-ear bluetooth headphones and they seriously changed my life! I loved them to drown out noises in the library, really focus in at home, and especially loved them for airplanes.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YV_ILfvmwA4\/XS90ZlGuyNI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/XRKKoIFAIHksmPwYlvjexO74-OXMn2JVACLcBGAs\/s1600\/beats.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"640\" data-original-width=\"448\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YV_ILfvmwA4\/XS90ZlGuyNI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/XRKKoIFAIHksmPwYlvjexO74-OXMn2JVACLcBGAs\/s320\/beats.jpg\" width=\"224\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"goog_1324840530\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"goog_1324840531\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA lot of people really like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2k5Ipej\"\u003EBeats by Dre\u003C\/a\u003E, which are a great option. However, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2lKrxds\"\u003Ehere is a more budget-friendly option that I got\u003C\/a\u003E and love.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExtra Phone Chargers\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI cannot recommend this enough! I literally had four chargers during law school. One by my bed, one in my car, one at my desk, and one in my backpack for school. It's nice to not lose your charger taking it to and from every location you need, and it's nice to always have a full charge if you need it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFor your bed, I recommend getting an extra-long charger. I have an iPhone, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/30Xerc2\"\u003Eso I use these chargers!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFor everywhere else, I find that the regular chargers are great - especially in the car, at your desk, or in your bag where you don't want a cord to take up a lot of space. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/30UsLlq\"\u003EYou can even buy them in multi-packs!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EStationary and Writing Utensils\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHighlighters\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou will do a TON of highlighting in law school. Like way more than you actually think. I literally went through a highlighter a week in law school - no exaggeration. I have a couple of different product recommendations here.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-u8WqZR0R_Pc\/XS92fuahyKI\/AAAAAAAABNQ\/7JTI1WxBcfQ38p3215uZEBUDznAU_VpegCLcBGAs\/s1600\/51Zu9qANF4L.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"500\" data-original-width=\"379\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-u8WqZR0R_Pc\/XS92fuahyKI\/AAAAAAAABNQ\/7JTI1WxBcfQ38p3215uZEBUDznAU_VpegCLcBGAs\/s320\/51Zu9qANF4L.jpg\" width=\"242\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFor standard, yellow highlighters - my most used tool - I prefer \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SjQSah\"\u003ESharpie, thin, chisel-tip fluorescent yellow highlighters.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;I bought this 36-pack, because it made it so I wasn't running to the store for more every month. These are bright and thin, making it easy to highlight exactly what you want and the color is happy and stands out.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFor colored highlighters, I recommend \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2XK1HbE\"\u003ESharpie Clear-View highlighters\u003C\/a\u003E. (I really love the Sharpie brand, y'all. I love the clear view because you can see what you are highlighting through the little window. It's seriously cool. They are more expensive than the plain yellow ones, but I primarily used only yellow highlighters, so when I needed colored ones I splurged on these.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFor gel highlighters, I actually recommend my only non-Sharpie favorite, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SkXTYm\"\u003EBible highlighters!\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;These are a great price and are nice to use on books with thinner pages that ink highlighters bleed through. Sharpie and other brands have gel highlighters, but I've found that the bible ones are thinner and more accurate.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPens\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn my mind, pens are so personal. We all like what we like. And that's fine. Whatever you like, get a ton of your favorite kind of pen. I personally prefer the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2YaEmPI\"\u003EPilot G2 Gel Pens\u003C\/a\u003E. In fact, they're still what I use for bar prep.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENotebooks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CuEFPNlzTzw\/XS94FQdqHRI\/AAAAAAAABNk\/WzcsGsFB4VIUW5NU8Z8eLmK03bQvi2KWQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Notebooks.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1000\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CuEFPNlzTzw\/XS94FQdqHRI\/AAAAAAAABNk\/WzcsGsFB4VIUW5NU8Z8eLmK03bQvi2KWQCLcBGAs\/s200\/Notebooks.jpg\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESome people prefer taking notes on their laptops. I personally believe that your in-class notes should be handwritten, because it helps retention and helps you focus. Thus, notebooks are SUPER important to me. However, even if you are someone who prefers to type your notes, make sure you at least have a notebook or two. You never want to be that person in class who has to ask around for a piece of paper if you need one. Plus, what if your laptop dies or something?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Sn5Egl\"\u003EHere are my all-time favorite notebooks\u003C\/a\u003E. They are simple, but I love them. I would recommend them to anyone.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlanner\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStudI am probably in the minority of law students who don't think you need a big, fancy planner to get by. However, you do need some sort of planner. You will have a lot on your mind, and the last thing you need to worry about is keeping all of your due dates or appointments in your head. So get an academic planner. I prefer ones with weekly views as well as monthly views for different things.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI prefer the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Y71mPt\"\u003EBlue Sky Planners \u003C\/a\u003E- I get these every year. They are available at Target and Amazon, usually for $10-20 so they are great!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFood \u0026amp; Drink Items\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELunchbox\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELaw school is a lot like high school. You have lockers. All of your classes are with the same people. You might even have a lunch room. Our school had a cafe, a couple fridges, a couple microwaves, and eating utensils available. This was great, because although I lived close to school, going home was sometimes a hassle. So I brought either lunch or a lot of snacks every day.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI bought a basic lunchbox from Walmart for like $5 during back-to-school sales. However, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2XTiFo7\"\u003Ethis one\u003C\/a\u003E is similar to the one I bought and I am looking at ordering for my big kid job starting soon!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWater Bottle\/Tumbler\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI feel like on every suggested school supplies lists, the writer lists a water bottle. It's important to stay hydrated. But on top of that, whenever I was nervous about being called on in class, my throat would get SO DRY. So I was always grateful to have my water with me. And let's be real, it's 2019 and single-use plastics are lame. So get a reusable water bottle or tumbler to bring to class with you - or even for using at home!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA lot of people like a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/32v2kEN\"\u003EHydroflask \u003C\/a\u003E- and I agree! They're great - they literally keep ice frozen for 2 days.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBut, I needed a cheaper option! Law school has me on a budget, y'all. I got \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.walmart.com\/ip\/Tal-24-Ounce-Teal-Double-Wall-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless-Steel-Ranger-Sport-Water-Bottle\/942028882?wmlspartner=wlpa\u0026amp;selectedSellerId=0\u0026amp;wl13=5361\u0026amp;adid=22222222227139506411\u0026amp;wl0=\u0026amp;wl1=g\u0026amp;wl2=c\u0026amp;wl3=249934485833\u0026amp;wl4=aud-566049426705:pla-603345278632\u0026amp;wl5=9024587\u0026amp;wl6=\u0026amp;wl7=\u0026amp;wl8=\u0026amp;wl9=pla\u0026amp;wl10=8175035\u0026amp;wl11=local\u0026amp;wl12=942028882\u0026amp;veh=sem\u0026amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwscDpBRBnEiwAnQ0HQCvcWYAMqiZCPwAkDLOyfCNKFN2SOnaAnnJAudlTsz29hMl7bDeR_RoCSUwQAvD_BwE\"\u003Ethis knockoff water bottle from Walmart,\u003C\/a\u003E and it's seriously my favorite water bottle I've ever had. I admittedly bought it as a cheap thing to take to tailgates, that way I wouldn't care if I lost it and now I treasure it!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOr, if you prefer a straw, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/32yPTrt\"\u003Echeck out this totally cute tumbler!\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;I also use straw cups every day, so you can't go wrong.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReusable Food Containers\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI mean by now, you get the point. You're going to want to bring lunch, snacks, and possibly other meals to law school with you. So save the earth and bring your food in reusable containers in you lunch box. Here are some of my favorites:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/32VMZNK\"\u003EThis Pyrex set is my go-to choice for meal tupperware.\u003C\/a\u003E I prefer the glass over plastic, because you can microwave it and it's a little bit sturdier. I especially like the different shapes and sizes in this set.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/32UqBEg\"\u003EA salad container for you law schoolies who like your greens!\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;We sold these at a retail store I worked at in high school, and I always thought they were school. On days where I want to take a salad, or honestly anything that has a sauce I want to keep separate until meal time, this is awesome.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd lastly, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SHnhb9\"\u003Ea to-go silverware set!\u003C\/a\u003E In case your law school doesn't have cutlery... plus it's super cute.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Reusable-OHFUN-Stainless-Silverware-Dishwasher\/dp\/B07P7QLF8D\/ref=as_li_ss_il?crid=2BKDGBQA86E0L\u0026amp;keywords=eco+friendly+silverware+set\u0026amp;qid=1564154914\u0026amp;s=gateway\u0026amp;sprefix=eco+friendly+silver,aps,164\u0026amp;sr=8-5\u0026amp;linkCode=li3\u0026amp;tag=caffe05-20\u0026amp;linkId=afe468734e4b7181383657c20f56eaea\u0026amp;language=en_US\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=B07P7QLF8D\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=caffe05-20\u0026amp;language=en_US\u0026amp;l=li3\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=B07P7QLF8D\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELocker Snacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELastly, I'm a big fan on having snacks available at all times. Keep some snacks in your locker for an emergency sugar rush, or for days you didn't plan on staying for lunch but did anyway. I recommend keeping some \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SHuCqS\"\u003Efruit snacks\u003C\/a\u003E for a quick grab between classes, or some \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2YvAeKc\"\u003Emacaroni and cheese cups \u003C\/a\u003Efor emergency meals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EStudy Space Supplies\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAmazon Echo Dot\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDuring my 2L year, I decided to check out what all the buzz was about, and purchase an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/310hUGR\"\u003EAmazon Echo Dot\u003C\/a\u003E. Now, I absolutely love it and could not imagine a study space without it. It's so easy to just shout out an instruction to play music on spotify, ask the weather outside right before you head to class and you're trying to pick a pair of shoes, or set a timer when you are trying to convince yourself to study for just 20 minutes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI actually also just ordered the bigger \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2LJvN8C\"\u003EAmazon Echo\u003C\/a\u003E so I could have a better speaker, but it is a little more expensive. So it's an option, but the Echo Dot is great for budgeting.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA Good Lamp\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOne thing about law school is that your eyes will suffer. You'll spend so many hours staring at a computer screen or reading books, and vision headaches might become frequent. One way to combat that is to make sure you study and read in adequate light. my desk lamp was a lifeseaver. Luckily, I lived in an apartment that was furnished with a built-in desk and desk lamp. However, I found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2JWtME4\"\u003Ethis great option\u003C\/a\u003E that looks plenty bright, comes in several colors, and has a USB port for charging your phone! Great for small desk spaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBlanket\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt's super important to be comfortable when you study. It makes things way more tolerable. I always had a blanket slung on the back of my desk chair to wrap up in when I studied. It was great for when the AC was running or just feeling cozy. If you're anything like me, you probably have a million blankets already you can use. But if you're anything like me, you never pass up on an opportunity to buy another cozy blanket. I love sweater blankets, and just ordered \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/30VL4H1\"\u003Ethis one on Amazon\u003C\/a\u003E for my new apartment!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEssential Oil Diffuser\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo be honest, I always made fun of people who used essential oils. I thought they were a hippie thing. Then my grandma bought me a diffuser and I realized that they are AMAZING. It's basically an air freshener, but there's something so soothing about it. I also like mine because the diffuser itself changes colors and lightens up the space.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Yp6jzb\"\u003EHere is a diffuser similar to mine!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou can pick up essentil oils at places like Target, Walmart, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or even Amazon!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo those are all of my must-have supplies for law school. At least the ones I can think of right now. To be honest, the bar exam is in a few days and thinking is a little difficult at this point. Let me know what your must haves are, or if you tried any of these products!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/4862381089154050644\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/must-have-supplies-for-law-school.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4862381089154050644"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4862381089154050644"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/must-have-supplies-for-law-school.html","title":"\"Must Have\" Supplies for Law School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-IEvTJNG9tTs\/XTu8aAJkPtI\/AAAAAAAABOI\/v3vR0y_tUcwmtK2GoToWXEib1o5NfsgyQCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/back%2Bto%2Bschool.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-5475769051999857845"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-15T12:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:08:48.707-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"0L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"What I Wish I Would've Known Before Law School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cg0q_s1k_D4\/XSfq-Iv2GQI\/AAAAAAAABMw\/0m5NrOuTgPoAvV7kUQA3ruMuyNtJMZWRACLcBGAs\/s1600\/What%2BI%2BWish.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1478\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cg0q_s1k_D4\/XSfq-Iv2GQI\/AAAAAAAABMw\/0m5NrOuTgPoAvV7kUQA3ruMuyNtJMZWRACLcBGAs\/s400\/What%2BI%2BWish.png\" width=\"368\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETwo months ago I walked across the stage where I shook hands with my University's President and received a piece of paper signifying the most important accomplishment of my life thus far - my Juris Doctor degree. That's right, folks! I'm a lawyer now. While I am very thrilled to be in this new phase of life, I can't help but think about where I was just a few years ago. . .\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/xTiQywlOn0gKyz0l56\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"324\" data-original-width=\"576\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/xTiQywlOn0gKyz0l56\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhen I started law school, I was newly 21 years old, fresh out of college, with my dreams and my cardigan - just like Miley taught me. I remember spending the summer before law school endlessly searching for blogs with any tips or advice for how to handle the brand new adventure that was waiting for me in law school. I researched diligently, and felt like I was entering law school extremely prepared. And for the most part, that was true. I generally knew what was going on and what would happen, plus I had a few good study tips ready to try out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately, despite my diligent research, law school had a few life lessons waiting for me. Like any big adventure, law school came with its own set of difficulties. And those difficulties taught me a few things during my three year journey to my JD. So, I thought I'd write a list of \u003Cb\u003Ethings I wish I would've known before law school,\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;as if I were writing to my younger self.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe Biggest Key to Success is Taking Care of Yourself\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/hrk8ehR4lCZ27FtjPA\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"400\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/hrk8ehR4lCZ27FtjPA\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EI learned this lesson in the hardest way. During my 1L year, I had a full blown breakdown in January that involved me\u003Ci\u003E getting on a plane and flying away.\u003C\/i\u003E Seriously. I had done extremely well during my first semester of school academically, ranking in the top 10% of my class. Unfortunately, that academic success came at the sacrifice of my own mental and physical health. Luckily, with a not-so-gently push from my family and friends, I took the time to learn about taking care of myself and fostering a postive mental health environment, and really began to thrive.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy grades weren't as top notch as they were first semester, but I ended law school in the top 25% of my class and started actually enjoying my life in law school as well. I made tons of friends that I already miss so much, got a job I'm super excited about, and made it out of law school in one piece. Had I not learned to take care of myself properly, I am 100% sure I would've dropped out of school.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaw school is hard. It's stressful. It's competitive. So, make sure you take care of yourself. Don't forget to eat. Make some friends you can trust. Set goals and explore your passions. And most importantly, don't forget to set aside some time to treat yourself. Take a vacation, take weekly bubble baths, get food you enjoy, etc. Just take care of yourself first, school second.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EGrades are Important, But They Aren't Everything\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/3orif1xSQnwOkYIRjO\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"362\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"241\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/3orif1xSQnwOkYIRjO\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne thing you will hear over and over again before law school, during orientation, and over the course of your studies is how important it is to get good grades. It's honestly super overwhelming during that first semester when all anyone tells you is that you should be studying because grades are the only thing that matters. You know what happens when you listen to that advice a little too closely? Refer back to the item above.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo here's the truth. Grades do matter. The top jobs go to the top of the class, and getting good grades can really help you get ahead. However, here's the other half of the truth: not everyone can get the best grades. Law school grades are typically curved, meaning that as great as it is to be in the top 10% of the class, someone has to be in that bottom 10%. And guess what? That bottom 10% can still get jobs and become very successful lawyers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you find yourself not getting the grades that you want, don't panic. Yes,\u0026nbsp; take it as incentive to study a little harder. But also use it as incentive to round out your law school resume. Try to get involved in organizations and maybe take on a leadership role. Think about trying to \"specialize\", perhaps by focusing on public interest or a certain subject area. I know plenty of people who graduate toward the bottom of the class and found wonderful jobs early on. I also know plenty of people in the top of the class still looking for work. So yes - grades are important, but they aren't the only thing that matters.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EIt's Okay to Not Know What You Want to Do After Law School\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI mean, sort of. Obviously you came to law school to be a lawyer. That's step one. An important step. But what about step two? Figuring out what \u003Ci\u003Etype\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;of lawyer you want to be. That opens a whole myriad of possibilities. When I first entered law school, I told everyone I wanted to be a tax lawyer. Yes, that's a little weird but I have always loved all things tax and loved that being a lawyer was a way for me to work in the tax field. While I still do love tax law, I've backtracked a little. I'm not completely sure that I want to work in tax law. I think I could be happy doing that. I also think I could be happy doing a lot of other things. At this point, I'm even open to working in litigation. So even if you do know what you want to do when you enter law school, you might change your mind or expand your interests.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOn top of that, plenty of people have no idea what type of lawyer they want to be going into law school and that's completely and totally okay. Law school is a time to explore and figure that out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you are one of those people that happens to know exactly what you want, good for you! But if not, that's completely okay.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EIt's Your Last Three Years Before Real Life\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/toBxQPipB6daIvr3D6\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/toBxQPipB6daIvr3D6\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI feel like we spend so much of our life focused on our next step. In high school, you're focused on getting into a good college. In college, you're focused on getting into a good law school. In law school, you're focused on getting a good job. And then once you get a job, you realize so much of life has passed you by. If you were anything like me in college, you probably forgot to have a typical college experience while you were hyper-focused on your law school future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI spent my first year of law school the same way - focused on the future. By my second year, I realized that it was also important to enjoy life. Tailgates and football games on the weekend made life a little more fun. Napping in the middle of the day is a luxury. And living off kind of gross fast food and cheap groceries can be a great way to bond with your friends. Enjoy the last few years you have of youth, before true responsibility and real life sets in. You'll have the rest of your life to be a boring lawyer. Life it up and be a student for awhile.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EYes, You're Smart. So is EVERYONE ELSE.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/eMu0803X2zkWY\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"268\" data-original-width=\"350\" height=\"245\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/eMu0803X2zkWY\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMost law students are acheivers - we are used to being one of the smartest people in the room. Getting into a law school is a huge accomplishment in this world. But here's the problem: when you get to law school, everyone is smart. Everyone has gotten into law school. Everyone is an achiever.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis kind of relates to the item above about grades being important, but not being everything. Most law students are used to getting As, getting the job, getting into the schools we want, etc. Well, now you're in an environment that is concentrated with equally smart and possibly smarter people. It's probably a good idea to humble yourself a little bit before starting school.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EIt's a Long Three Years, But it's Worth It\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELastly, yes. Law school is three years. And they are a long three years. Some of the most grueling years of your life. But they fly by faster than you think, and at the end \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EYOU WILL BE A LAWYER. \u003C\/i\u003EKnowing everything I know now, I truthfully would do it all again. And I mean all of it. The hard parts, the learning moments, and the rock bottoms were a big part of my growth and my journey throughout law school. And now I'm a lawyer. It is all so worth it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETo anyone getting ready to jump into law school - good luck! Feel free to drop some questions below. I love to answer them, and I might even write a post about your question if I have enough to say.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/5475769051999857845\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/what-i-wish-i-wouldve-known-before-law.html#comment-form","title":"10 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5475769051999857845"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5475769051999857845"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/what-i-wish-i-wouldve-known-before-law.html","title":"What I Wish I Would've Known Before Law School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cg0q_s1k_D4\/XSfq-Iv2GQI\/AAAAAAAABMw\/0m5NrOuTgPoAvV7kUQA3ruMuyNtJMZWRACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/What%2BI%2BWish.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"10"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-1424440712070400174"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-12T11:59:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:09:03.554-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How my law school study group saved me (Guest Post!)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LjJjcD-EwMU\/XSfNYtiOyVI\/AAAAAAAABMU\/754vLgrwydcBEqCjgQR1yzTyc5HhgOABQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/HOw%2BMy%2BlAw%2BSchool%2BStudy%2BGroup%2BSaved%2BMe.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"789\" data-original-width=\"940\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LjJjcD-EwMU\/XSfNYtiOyVI\/AAAAAAAABMU\/754vLgrwydcBEqCjgQR1yzTyc5HhgOABQCLcBGAs\/s400\/HOw%2BMy%2BlAw%2BSchool%2BStudy%2BGroup%2BSaved%2BMe.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003EGUEST POST by ADAM BALINSKI\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOh, crud. What have I done?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EIt had been only two weeks and I already felt like my soul was withering away. Seemingly endless days buried in books. A competitive culture. Classrooms haunted by an Ancient Greek philosopher who was turning out not to be quite as cool as \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v%3D8XJKUITfiv4\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1562855701485000\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNH3EiNQnzeb2-sPwRkxwnjXTOxLig\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8XJKUITfiv4\" style=\"color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EBill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E had led me to believe. The Socratic Method is sometimes accused of being a law student torture apparatus. That’s because that’s exactly what it is.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EMaybe I'd made a mistake. Maybe law school was not for me. Gone were the days of being surrounded by friends and the collaborative learning environment I had once enjoyed as a corporate trainer.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EIt probably shouldn’t have taken me two full weeks to start to question the sanity of quitting an awesome job, selling my house, and squeezing my growing family into a small, two-bedroom cinder block apartment. There was at least one red flag by day one.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhen you opened up the main doors to enter the law school I attended, you were immediately greeted by a dark brick wall. Though a reliable receptionist, the school may have well hung a sign that said, “Abandon hope, all ye that enter.” That wall could be an accurate metaphor for the experience of many law students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThat brick wall could have been a metaphor for me. But it wasn’t. I could have emerged from law school depressed and cynical. But I didn’t.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWeek three changed everything: It gave me a killer study group.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EForming the right team\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOne study group strategy is to team up with gunners. Gunners sometimes get a bad rap for holding the grip too tight, brown-nosing with professors, and other socially destructive behaviors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThere’s a sliding scale between the laziest students and craziest gunners. You don’t necessarily have to be a self-absorbed, ultra-competitive freak to be a gunner. Some gunners manage to be well-prepared and engage in class without damaging their reputation or relationships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EGood gunners can come in handy when it comes to study groups. Well-prepared students can often explain things in a more digestible way than professors. This is probably because they recently walked the bridge between ignorance and competence. Professors may have a harder time remembering just how long that bridge can be.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EYou may be tempted to make a gunners-only study group (or at least a group where everyone else has to be a gunner. . . ). I can see how that approach may seem at least a little appealing, but it's shortsighted.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EGunners are good, in moderation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EFor starters, gunners are highly competitive and a study group where everyone is aggressively competing with each other, even if they're pretty nice about it, won't be much fun.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EA more important issue is that a gunners-only study group may lack diversity of personality types and approach. During law school, you'll likely learn about the prudent investor rule. Something prudent investors almost always do is diversify. Your study group is an investment. Make sure your portfolio of study group compadres is a good mix.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThat's what I lucked into when I haphazardly approached several classmates about joining my study group. A couple of us were genuine gunners (and probably took law school a little too seriously), a couple probably could have taken law school a little more seriously, and a couple were somewhere in between.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWe balanced each other out. We kept each other sane. And we opened each other's eyes to fresh perspectives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EFormula for study group success\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe traditional mid-semester study group model is pretty simple: Study the assigned reading, then come together to discuss. (When finals come around, it looks a little different, but I want to focus this post on more of the day-to-day class preparation.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThere's nothing fundamentally flawed about the traditional study group formula. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EIf\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E you have the time for it. The problem is many law students don't have the time to carefully read every case on their own, let alone get together to talk hypotheticals and theory after.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EBeing married with children, active in the community and in my religion, I personally had a hard time keeping up with the reading. Before my study group, I found myself often resorting to online case briefs, which left me feeling less confident and less prepared for class. I didn't want my study group to make my time management challenges even worse. I wanted to find a way to use my study group to save time, be more prepared, and have more fun than I would preparing on my own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe formula I came up with accomplished all of those things better than I anticipated.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EDivide and conquer, return and report\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EEach week, we rotated who would be the \"experts\" for a given subject. We decided to have two experts at a time for each subject to create a bit of an internal auditing system or safety net. We rotated subjects to keep us all comfortable reading and analyzing cases across all subjects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhen you were an \"expert\" for a subject, you would read very carefully and take thorough notes which you would post to a shared Google Drive folder. Then about 20 minutes right before each class that you were an expert in, you and the other expert would get together with the whole group and explain anything confusing and answer any questions the group might have.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EBeing an expert took more time than preparing independently, but it resulted in more critical reading and better note-taking because you knew the others in your group were relying on you. As a little aside, I found this process to be helpful in preparing me to be an effective attorney after law school because any time I read a case, I was reading carefully with a client in mind (my study group).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThough being an \"expert\" in a subject took more time than typical preparation, being a \"non-expert\" in the other subjects saved more than enough time to compensate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhen you were a non-expert for a subject, you could skip reading the case book entirely and just read through two sets of thorough notes the night before the class. That's what I usually did. It typically took only about 20-30 minutes to read through both sets of notes. I did it before bed, so that it would be easier to remember the following day. Then right before class, I would show up to my study group to enjoy whatever else I could learn from the experts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EI was often surprised to find that many of the questions we discussed before class specifically came up during class. I always felt prepared and my professors had no clue when I hadn't \"done the reading\" (at least in the conventional sense).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EResults\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe folks I recruited to my study group initially only committed to a two-week trial using the above-described method. After two weeks though, everyone enthusiastically wanted to continue and we even picked up another member. Though it made an odd number, we figured out a rotation that gave each of us a week \"off\" every so often (which helped us make time for papers and such). We followed the formula for two semesters straight.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOne nice thing about the law school I attended is that you are in the same classes with many of the same students for the entire first year, which made this model work well. However, the model didn't work as well for my second and third years because everyone was taking different classes. Our first year, with only one or two exceptions, we performed better in terms of grades than we did during our second and third years. In other words, we generally outperformed ourselves academically when we worked together using the model above. And we saved time and had fun.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ELifelong benefits\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EPart of the value of a study group is the friendships you create. We still do BBQs and Christmas parties together. Most of us are heading up to Canada this summer to attend the wedding of one of the guys in our group. I consider the crew among my very best friends.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAnother part of the value of a study group is the professional network it eventually creates.\u0026nbsp; And here again, the more diverse, the better. One of us went to work for a huge firm in London. Another is working for the FBI. Another is a real estate broker. Another is working for a small firm. Another is working for a legal aid organization. Another is working for a mid-size firm and beginning a pivot into politics. Another is working for a tech company. And then there's me, who did a stint as an assistant attorney general in American Samoa, before founding a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/crushendo.net\/\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1562855701485000\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNFX2Tv5a_QdVJ-NNZJzMghLUdUA5A\" href=\"https:\/\/crushendo.com\/\" style=\"color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003Erevolutionary law school study aid company\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E and returning to work for my alma mater.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EFigure out something that works for you\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThough a study group makes sense for most students, it may not make the most sense for you. Also, if you do form a study group, the type of study group I described may not be the Holy Grail for you, like it was for me. Your circumstances may be different than mine were. Your law school path is your own and I only hope that you walk away from reading this with some fresh ideas about study groups and how you might make the most of them.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;\" \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3Oo7HzNb5YE\/XSc6AMcIYOI\/AAAAAAAABMA\/jbIi_OpK0iAW50dRWWy4vdaYv4yMmVA3ACLcBGAs\/s1600\/adam%2Bbalinski.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"868\" data-original-width=\"868\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3Oo7HzNb5YE\/XSc6AMcIYOI\/AAAAAAAABMA\/jbIi_OpK0iAW50dRWWy4vdaYv4yMmVA3ACLcBGAs\/s200\/adam%2Bbalinski.jpg\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAbout the author:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E Adam Balinski graduated \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003Esumma cum laude \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003Efrom BYU Law and scored in the top 5% nationally on the Uniform Bar Exam. He founded \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Ca data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/crushendo.net\/audio-outlines-comparison\/\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1562855701485000\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNHZmyppCs4iSakvjX-QfjGSx3GIVQ\" href=\"https:\/\/crushendo.com\/audio-outlines-comparison\/\" style=\"color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECrushendo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: blue;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E the leading audio-based bar prep and law school study aid solution, and is currently writing a book called, “\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EThe Law School Cheat Code: Everything You Never Knew You Needed to Know About Crushing Law School\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/1424440712070400174\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/crushendo.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1424440712070400174"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1424440712070400174"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/07\/crushendo.html","title":"How my law school study group saved me (Guest Post!)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LjJjcD-EwMU\/XSfNYtiOyVI\/AAAAAAAABMU\/754vLgrwydcBEqCjgQR1yzTyc5HhgOABQCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/HOw%2BMy%2BlAw%2BSchool%2BStudy%2BGroup%2BSaved%2BMe.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-8762608684681517755"},"published":{"$t":"2019-06-21T11:38:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:09:24.674-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"lifestyle"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Life Update: I'm A Lawyer (But not an attorney)!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Hey, all!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, it's the middle of June and I am knee-deep in my bar review course. My lecture on torts got done a little bit early this morning, and I'm going to take advantage of the Friday vibes and give you guys a little bit of a life update instead of doing some extra flash cards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo here's my big update:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EI'm a lawyer!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003EAlright - this might be a little bit late. But, about a month ago I finally graduated with my JD.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere's a fun candid of the day, post ceremony, when I was tired of pictures.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7RFuMO8QR6E\/XQ0HbW3UzWI\/AAAAAAAABLY\/p3mrW3buzC0TRubldXppKPybH-AjiKwtgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_1074.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7RFuMO8QR6E\/XQ0HbW3UzWI\/AAAAAAAABLY\/p3mrW3buzC0TRubldXppKPybH-AjiKwtgCLcBGAs\/s400\/IMG_1074.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003ELaw school was undoubtedly the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the thing I'm most proud of. The girl in that picture above is a completely different person from the girl that started as a 1L in the fall of 2016. I've learned, I've grown, I've made lifelong friends, and I've developed into someone who is capable of doing a career that she loves.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI want to thank anyone who has read this blog along the way and other bloggers who inspired me. This blog has provided a fun little respite from the law school stress, and I love sharing my experience with others.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI'll keep working on providing content for you, just be patient with me as I ajust to bar prep and then life as a lawyer!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/8762608684681517755\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/06\/life-update-im-lawyer-but-not-attorney.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8762608684681517755"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8762608684681517755"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/06\/life-update-im-lawyer-but-not-attorney.html","title":"Life Update: I'm A Lawyer (But not an attorney)!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7RFuMO8QR6E\/XQ0HbW3UzWI\/AAAAAAAABLY\/p3mrW3buzC0TRubldXppKPybH-AjiKwtgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/IMG_1074.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-4048048899778518872"},"published":{"$t":"2019-02-02T12:00:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:09:59.257-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Building Your Law School Resume - Free Resume Template!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-uBwWRAiEZ20\/XFCf69DgboI\/AAAAAAAABJQ\/oZfZ2WxZULU5MOE7uc2YQl5MLt-ioKcLwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/LAW%2BSCHOOL%2BRESUME.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-uBwWRAiEZ20\/XFCf69DgboI\/AAAAAAAABJQ\/oZfZ2WxZULU5MOE7uc2YQl5MLt-ioKcLwCLcBGAs\/s320\/LAW%2BSCHOOL%2BRESUME.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHey, friends! Anyone who has been following along on my law school journey has probably ready by now that I recently went through my post-grad job search and ended up getting a judicial clerkship! One thing that I included in that blog post was that I was never too worried about my prospects, because I had built a pretty impressive resume (in my \u003Ci\u003Ehumble\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;opinion). One of my readers asked me to expand more on how I built a good resume in law school, and I thought that was an \u003Cu style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Eexcellent\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;idea - so I decided to make a whole post about it! In fact, I'm kind of shocked I haven't written this post before now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESo let's dive in!\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/2598qLXNHViM33XD6u\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"510\" data-original-width=\"510\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/2598qLXNHViM33XD6u\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOverall, I would say that there are two different ways to make your resume great - your format, and your content. So, I'll split this post into two sections to address those.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFormat\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBefore anyone reads your resume, they are going to have a first impression based on the look of the resume itself. Therefore, you want to make sure that your resume looks impressive before they read a single word.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe biggest thing you want to do is make sure your resume looks clean. Not too cluttered, a simple and easy-to-read serif font (you really cannot go wrong with Times New Roman), all on one page, readable font size, and black and white. Basically, a legal resume should be low-key boring. Also, I said it once, but I will say it again - KEEP IT TO ONE PAGE. Nobody wants to flip through pages of a resume. Truthfully, they don't care that much.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EYour law school career services office probably has resume templates that you can utilize, and will absolutely review your resume for you. Use those services! However, on the off chance that they don't provide you with a template, I have created one for you to use! Check out the link below. This template is pretty similar to my resume that I use. Feel free to tweak it and make it work for you, but this is a good start for formatting.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1-cHBcnHJGqmfWGvfPsv5jOEiqA3KUuzn\/view?usp=sharing\"\u003ERESUME TEMPLATE DOWNLOAD\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003E(it works best when downloaded and used in Microsoft Word)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/l2R098V90nJfuHKg0\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"298\" data-original-width=\"529\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/l2R098V90nJfuHKg0\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EContent\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow that you've figured out what your resume should look like, it's time to put some meat on the bones and figure out the content. This can be pretty hard, because it is obviously very important. And as I mentioned above, you want to keep things simple - so you have very little space to convey the information you want. So here's a list of things you absolutely want to include:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour law schoool information (duh)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPut your law school, expected graduation date, GPA, class rank (if impressive), and activities\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour undergrad information\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYes, it's over and you obviously have a Bachelor's degree - but they still want to see where you got it, what you majored in, and how you did overall\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAny legal work experience!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you are a 1L, you might not have any legal work experience. But if you do - put it!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPut your position, what you did, where you did it, and any other imporatnt things you learned that you would want an employer to know.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour basic contact information\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis seems simple, but often overlooked. I've had people tell me that they hate it when they have to go search for someone's email address because they don't just simply list in on their resume.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPut your name, address, phone number, and email address.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThose are the absolute, must include things that you should have on your resume. But chances are, there are more things that you should (and probably want to) include on there if you can. Here's a list of other good things to put on your resume:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOther work experience\/internships\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDid you have a job or internship in college? Put it down! Sometimes this grabs the attention of the interviewer, other times it just shows that you're a well-rounded person.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStory time: I did the Disney College Program in college, meaning that I spent a semester cleaning up trash at Disney World. It was technically an internship, but not really academic and \u003Ci\u003Edefinitely\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;not related to law. But I put that on my resume EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Why? Because interviewers and recruiters \u003Ci\u003Elove\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to talk about it. It stands out. It's fun. Disney is a fantastic company that everyone loves. No, sweeping streets at Disney World did not help me learn how to write a memo or research the law. But it helps interviewers notice me.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELaw firms and other legal jobs love when you have customer service experience. They like seeing that you have work ethic and people skills.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJobs, internships, etc. tend to show personal interests and tell the interviewer something about your personality\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA personal interests section\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EI highly recommend having this! In mine, I include that I like the Toronto Maple Leafs and listening to podcasts. It shows that I have a personality. In fact, my old HR manager emailed me on my first day of work to tell me that he was so excited to have another Leafs fan in the office. People eat this stuff up.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMake it one line with two or three interest.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour LinkedIn URL\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis is the technological age, they are going to look you up. Why not make it easier?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBut if your LinkedIn sucks - don't put it. That's just embarrassing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnything else you want people to know!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAny cool awards? Let them know!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESpecial skills. Especially if you know other languages or other potentially useful skills.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThose are my main tips as far as content goes. I included a link above to a resume template I made for you guys to use.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E******\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are a couple of other things to consider when making your resume. First, you have to live or die by what you choose to put in there. If you have something that might be slightly controversial or could be interpreted badly, think about whether you are prepared to not get a job because of that line. For example, I know some people who have interned with activist groups for specific causes that would be considered controversial. It might be important to them, but if an employer feels otherwise, it could end up costing them a job. So be sure to consider that.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESecond, if you're like me, you might have a lot of things you could include on your resume. I had two internships and three jobs in college. I include my Disney internship because it's always a great conversastion started, and my full-time customer service job because it shows off my work ethic. This allows me to include some of my experience in college, but leave enough room for the legal stuff. Just pick the items that you think will yield the best results.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELastly, remember that your resume is likely going to be accompanied by a cover letter and transcript. Yeah, your resume might be simple, but some things can be expanded upon in a cover letter, or explained better through a transcript. The resume is just the cover sheet for it all.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOverall, a resume is a pretty important thing, so take the time to make it good. Any questions? Leave 'em in the comments below and I'd be happy to answer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/4048048899778518872\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/02\/building-your-law-school-resume.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4048048899778518872"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4048048899778518872"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/02\/building-your-law-school-resume.html","title":"Building Your Law School Resume - Free Resume Template!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-uBwWRAiEZ20\/XFCf69DgboI\/AAAAAAAABJQ\/oZfZ2WxZULU5MOE7uc2YQl5MLt-ioKcLwCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/LAW%2BSCHOOL%2BRESUME.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-2647136878370109799"},"published":{"$t":"2019-01-30T11:00:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:10:10.898-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"1L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Difference: 1L and 2L - Guest Post!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHey everyone, Bailey here! Below is a guest post by my colleague Paul at \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lawschoolstudyguide.com\/\"\u003ELaw School Study Guide!\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;I'm sure many of you have checked out Law School Study Guide before - it's a great resource on all things law school. I wrote a guest post for him too, so make sure to go look at that once you're done with Paul's post here. Without further ado - enjoy!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-y-gEYb1uy3o\/XFCMV9MTfiI\/AAAAAAAABI8\/nlxAjE77XBINXtiWrQJ3xquDcABPvAv9QCLcBGAs\/s1600\/GUEST%2BPOST%2521.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-y-gEYb1uy3o\/XFCMV9MTfiI\/AAAAAAAABI8\/nlxAjE77XBINXtiWrQJ3xquDcABPvAv9QCLcBGAs\/s320\/GUEST%2BPOST%2521.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EMaybe you just finished your first year of law school and are wondering if you should drop out. \u0026nbsp;Don’t give up so fast!  You are through the hardest part of law school, with one exception: taking the bar! \u0026nbsp;The first year of law school is difficult, for multiple reasons.  The second year is much better, mainly because you know what to expect. \u0026nbsp;Let’s take a deeper look at the similarities and differences between 1L and 2L year:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E1. A New Place\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAs with starting any new class or job, or moving to a new location, starting 1L year can cause anxiety. \u0026nbsp;Don’t worry.  Everyone else probably feels exactly the same way you do even though some are able to hide their anxiety better than others. \u0026nbsp;Having some anxiety is completely normal!  After all, you are most likely in an entire new building and being taught by professors of whom you have never met. \u0026nbsp;Additionally, the first year of law school can cause anxiety because it is held out to be the most important year in law school.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ESo you may wonder, does 2L year get any better? \u0026nbsp;The answer is, yes!  Your first year in law school is very important, but don’t overlook your second year. \u0026nbsp;Your second year of law school can help boost your GPA and may just get you your dream job.  When you start your 2L year of law school, you will likely have some of the same professors and know how to take a law school exam. \u0026nbsp;Because law school is entirely new to you as a 1L, your second year naturally seems easier.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003ETIP: \u0026nbsp;If your school offers a summer course before your 1L year, this can help you ease into law school and it is a good way to get rid of the anxiety ahead of time that many other students will face during their first semester of law school.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-cdb34666-7fff-20e0-1ff7-77505793f376\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E2. Expectations\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOne of the biggest differences between 1L and 2L year is the level of expectation of the professors. \u0026nbsp;Your first year, you may feel as though you are back in kindergarten with someone holding your hand along the way. \u0026nbsp;Once 2L year comes along, most professors have heightened expectations and assume you know how to write a legal paper, how to respond in class when cold called, etc.. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ERemember that, in 1L year, everyone in your class is new to law school. \u0026nbsp;The professors don’t expect you to always have the right answer when they cold call on you . . . at least most don’t. \u0026nbsp;Additionally, your professors don’t expect you to know how to draft a legal memorandum.  During your 1L year of law school, your professors may ask you to brief a case, or write a memo, with no direction. \u0026nbsp;This is simply a “test” to see how you react under pressure.  After all, most partners at a law firm are not going to tell you exactly what they are looking for when you have an assignment to complete.  While you may not be given much direction, it is always okay to ask the professor for more detailed instructions. \u0026nbsp;The worst that can happen is that the professor says, “I don’t have any other instructions.” \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EYour second year in law school will get better, however, the expectations of your professors will rise. \u0026nbsp;During your second year of law school, you will have more work to complete, you will be expected to know how to brief cases, and you will be expected to know how to apply the law to facts the professor provides to you in hypotheticals. \u0026nbsp;You will likely see the amount of reading increase for your second year of law school, but you will also know how to complete readings in a shorter amount of time.  While expectations may increase during your second year of law school, just remember that you made it through the hardest year of law school. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E3. Activities\/Experience\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EMany students come to law school asking about what clubs they can join, where they can find jobs on campus, and what activities are open to 1L students. \u0026nbsp;You will quickly learn that in law school, activities are not tailored towards 1L students.  In fact, many organizations require that you are at least in your second semester of law school before getting involved. \u0026nbsp;You may ask, why don’t law schools let 1L students participate in activities?  This is a valid question.  The reason most law schools don’t allow or don’t encourage students to participate in extra-curricular activities during their first year of law school is because the law school wants you to focus on doing well in class and getting good grades. \u0026nbsp;Because your first year grades are incredibly important to obtain summer associate positions, most law schools strongly encourage students not to work during their first year of law school.  While there are few events and organizations that permit 1L students to participate, it is recommended to not get too involved.  The important of your 1L year grades cannot be stressed enough!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ESo you start your second year, and now you are bombarded with organizations looking for members, in addition to having stacks of books to read for class. \u0026nbsp;What should you do?  While class should always comes first (I know I sound like your mother), employers like to see that you have legal experience and are involved in some organization(s) on campus. \u0026nbsp;Employers often look for whether their job applicants have law review and\/or journal experience.  Additionally, employers like to see that you have some legal experience.  Therefore, during your second year of law school, you may choose to work as a law clerk at a law firm. \u0026nbsp;Law firms are often willing to hire law school students to do their legal research at a cheap rate!  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\" style=\"white-space: pre;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhile your 2L year of law school can be just as stressful as your first year due to the amount of work and experience you are expected to do, just remember that you are over one-third of the way through law school and will be a lawyer before you know it! \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: \u0026quot;helvetica neue\u0026quot;; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/2647136878370109799\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/the-difference-1l-and-2l-guest-post.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/2647136878370109799"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/2647136878370109799"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/the-difference-1l-and-2l-guest-post.html","title":"The Difference: 1L and 2L - Guest Post!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-y-gEYb1uy3o\/XFCMV9MTfiI\/AAAAAAAABI8\/nlxAjE77XBINXtiWrQJ3xquDcABPvAv9QCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/GUEST%2BPOST%2521.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-8019790783863752494"},"published":{"$t":"2019-01-29T16:51:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:10:21.340-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"travel"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Why You Should Travel During School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-F2zewd3PvuY\/XEzkccAVqsI\/AAAAAAAABIo\/nNN-cN7DQYYys_OknzGVLhGgDlEeP1rdgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/WHy%2Byou%2Bshould%2Btravel%2Bduring%2Bschool.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-F2zewd3PvuY\/XEzkccAVqsI\/AAAAAAAABIo\/nNN-cN7DQYYys_OknzGVLhGgDlEeP1rdgCLcBGAs\/s320\/WHy%2Byou%2Bshould%2Btravel%2Bduring%2Bschool.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaw school is such a busy time. We spend hours and hours studying or in class each day, and it seems like the weekends are spent endlessly catching up on school work. While semesters are short in the grand scheme of things, the weeks can really drag on if you end up doing the same thing on repeat. For me, I go to law school in a place where there are cold, snowy winters. So when the days get shorter and darker, and I follow my routine, it's easy to start feeling trapped and isolated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring my 1L year, the feelings of being trapped got to be too much, and I ended up buying a last minute plane ticket to visit my family. While I now comically refer to this as \"The Great Mental Breakdown of 2016,\" this incident showed me that I needed to be more intentional about getting out of my college town, and experiencing something different than just the mundane daily law school classes I was taking. So I made it a goal of mine to travel more during my 2L and 3L year. And that decision has seriously been life-changing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-jj_Et8HMp9s\/XEzh1Ina-7I\/AAAAAAAABII\/AsO3_sBXFNURjHe3Et60--t8U47TxgV-wCLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_5730.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1281\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-jj_Et8HMp9s\/XEzh1Ina-7I\/AAAAAAAABII\/AsO3_sBXFNURjHe3Et60--t8U47TxgV-wCLcBGAs\/s320\/IMG_5730.JPG\" width=\"256\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow, I know you might be thinking that it's impossible to travel during law school, especially because travelling during law school comes with two big challenges:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETravelling is EXPENSIVE, and takes a LOT of time!\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe first challenge - cost - is something that can be hard to get around for some people. As law students, we are already on really tight budgets. And while I like to think of myself as someone who is fairly good at \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/03\/budgeting-in-law-school.html\"\u003Emaking a budget\u003C\/a\u003E and sticking to it, this doesn't mean I have a bunch of extra cash floating around. However, there are ways to travel without spending too much money. Further, if you work travel expenses into your budget at the beginning of the year, the travel splurge will feel like more of an anticipated expense than like you are spending money you don't have. I personally set aside some of the money I made from my paid summer internship as a travel fund, so I knew that I would have the money for my adventures. I've also figured out ways to reduce costs when I'm travelling as much as possible. See some of my tips listed below!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DfUa71zrEkA\/XEzh5-DuJMI\/AAAAAAAABIM\/4y0Yk75R8lsPJ18-O9zJHZhm6lUBNldxwCLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_3488.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DfUa71zrEkA\/XEzh5-DuJMI\/AAAAAAAABIM\/4y0Yk75R8lsPJ18-O9zJHZhm6lUBNldxwCLcBGAs\/s320\/IMG_3488.jpeg\" width=\"240\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe second challege - time - is something that I think is easier to get around. Being able to figure out time management is an important skill in law school anyway. Thus, this is just one way to exercise those skills. If you plan ahead and get a little bit of extra work done \u003Ci\u003Ebefore \u003C\/i\u003Eyou travel, you won't have to worry about catching up. Further, planning out your \"break\" days to travel may save you some of the exhaustion burden that can hit you later if you don't take time away. In some ways, I think planning some trips can actually be a great way to ensure you are spending your time in law school more wisely. Plus, it's a lot easier to skip a day of class than it is to take vacation days once you start your career. So might as well travel now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWays to Save Money Travelling:\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPlan early and shop around for deals! Turn on Google alerts for flights, or wait for holiday sales on attraction tickets or travel necessities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDon't be afraid to make last minute changes! Sometimes if I'm going to a city where I know there are plenty of places to stay, I will wait until a few days before to book a hotel room or an AirBnB to get some last minute deals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUse rewards programs! I exclusively stay at Mariott Hotels, so that I can save up my rewards points to get free rooms. I also use a\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/refer.amex.us\/BAILERqhrv?xl=cp27\"\u003E Delta American Express Credit Card\u003C\/a\u003E for flights, and in the last year alone I've gotten three free flights using my points.\u0026nbsp;Apply for an American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you're approved! http:\/\/refer.amex.us\/BAILERqhrv?xl=cp27\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETravel with a buddy! Splitting the cost of a hotel room or gas on a road trip greatly reduces costs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGo to places with free or cheap activities! I've gone on trips to place like Washington D.C., Philadelphia, or National Parks where the cost of activities is low or free because they are operated by the government. This means I've had trips where all I pay is travel costs, lodging, and food.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECut spending in other areas to increase your travel budget. Are you someone like me who is addicted to coffee? One time I realized that if I cut out my Starbucks habit for a month, I could pay for another night in a hotel room easily. It really made me think twice about ordering my matcha latte.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESmall trips are okay! You don't have to travel to Italy to make it count. Take a small trip to the closest big city, or travel to Disney World. These trips are cheaper but still amazing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-W9jK6lSOrXk\/XEziIsrq_XI\/AAAAAAAABIU\/qqDC6yzAiu0V6u-Y3iJMXY7doY6L-5UyACLcBGAs\/s1600\/IMG_3173.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-W9jK6lSOrXk\/XEziIsrq_XI\/AAAAAAAABIU\/qqDC6yzAiu0V6u-Y3iJMXY7doY6L-5UyACLcBGAs\/s320\/IMG_3173.jpeg\" width=\"240\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo there are some of my reasons why you should travel in law school, or even in college. You're only young and able to travel with no job or family ties for so long. You might as well take advantage of it. Plus, you'll make memories of a lifetime, and finally be able to post a pic from somewhere other than the library on your instagram. What more could you need?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/8019790783863752494\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/why-you-should-travel-during-school.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8019790783863752494"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/8019790783863752494"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/why-you-should-travel-during-school.html","title":"Why You Should Travel During School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-F2zewd3PvuY\/XEzkccAVqsI\/AAAAAAAABIo\/nNN-cN7DQYYys_OknzGVLhGgDlEeP1rdgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/WHy%2Byou%2Bshould%2Btravel%2Bduring%2Bschool.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-1649630973125886901"},"published":{"$t":"2019-01-26T16:16:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:10:46.872-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How I Got My Post-Grad Judicial Clerkship"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-p1UoNOQ-XMQ\/XEaFPo2LwOI\/AAAAAAAABHw\/8SnmnAhBYesg6hiGEkbV2Qzz2iFfKIXyACLcBGAs\/s1600\/Law%2BDay%2B2020.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-p1UoNOQ-XMQ\/XEaFPo2LwOI\/AAAAAAAABHw\/8SnmnAhBYesg6hiGEkbV2Qzz2iFfKIXyACLcBGAs\/s320\/Law%2BDay%2B2020.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHey, everyone! A\u0026nbsp; couple of days ago I wrote a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/i-didnt-get-my-dream-job-and-its-okay.html\"\u003Epost telling you all that I didn't get my dream job\u003C\/a\u003E, which was an associate position at a law firm that I had interned at for two years. While I was extremely devastated at the time, I knew I had to quickly spring into action and find a new plan for after graduation. After all, I have student loans that are going to need paid back, so I need to find a way to earn a paycheck. And I am pleased to say that at the end of October last year, I accepted a judicial clerkship! This is the story of how I landed on that position.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter getting the bad news of not receiving an associate position, I took a day or two to gather my thoughts and go over my options. I thought about going to get an LLM in taxation, because I have a pretty heavy interest in pursuing tax law for a career. However, after I already didn't get a job due to the fact that I wasn't open to some areas of law, I figured that narrowing my interests even further would probably have negative results. And truth be told, I am more than ready to be done with school for awhile. Maybe in the future an LLM will be an option for me. But until then, I needed to find a job.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESince the beginning of law school, I have had my eyes set on a law firm career, doing some sort of transactional work. I knew that I wanted to be in one of two cities after graduation, mostly for personal reasons and family ties. So I made a list of all of the law firms that I could think of in the area that were about the size of firm I was interested in and that I knew had a strong transactional practice. I sent emails to all of the recruiters or HR managers at those firms. I also used my most basic research tool - Google - to look for more firms in the area. Basically, I sent out SO many unsolicited emails. And with the way these things go, I received a few rejections, a few contacts to set up a meeting, and a whole lot of silence. I met with two firms - one on the phone, and one on a coffee interview. The phone interview went well, but I didn't really like the people I talked to. On top of that, they hadn't ended their summer program yet, and whether or not they could move further with me was conditional on one of their interns not accepting an offer. The coffee interview went great. I loved the people and everything I heard about the firm. But they had never hired someone directly out of law school, and were hesitant to make any decisions until the summer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd before I knew it, I was back and school and hearing mostly silence from anyone I sent emails too. Now, I try to be a really positive person, but I was starting to really get discouraged. I contacted my career services office at my school, and got them to get me reciprocal access to the online job boards at the local law schools in the cities I was interested in. I turned on Google job alerts and asked around with my colleages. Basically, at this point I was waiting for opportunities to arise. Here and there I was able to apply to a couple of things, but nothing I was really interested in. I applied to a job fair, but the organizers lost my application and that limited my chances. A lot of what I was finding was that firms needed litigators, which always stung a little considering that is why I didn't get the job I wanted.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow, I am the type of person who really enjoys security. So I wanted to have a job picked out by the time winter break rolled around. And to be honest, when I started my job search, I didn't think it would be too hard. I had a pretty impressive resume, usually great interview skills, and was thorough in my application process. But nothing was coming easy. I figured I would have something before the end of August. And then September rolled around. And then October. I was really discouraged, and starting to get to a bad place emotionally.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/l378BQcSJnA8YeI24\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"401\" data-original-width=\"480\" height=\"265\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/l378BQcSJnA8YeI24\/giphy.gif\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EI met with my career services advisor a couple of times, and realized I needed to change my focus. I was still stuck on finding my dream job - you know, like the one that had just rejected me. But really, I just needed to be looking for my first job. Although it would be nice to start where you want right away, but the reality is that doesn't happen for most people. I realized I needed to be looking for something that would give me good experience, an opportunity to grow, and the ability to make connections that would bring me success later.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn considering all of my options, I actually also applied to two \"JD Advantage\" jobs. These are jobs where you don't necessarily need a law degree, but they prefer to have lawyers in that position. One of these jobs was at a bank, in an entry program that places you in one of many departments after a year. It would be risky, but I really loved the people I interviewed with, and some of the jobs I could get after the program would've been amazing. Another was with an insurance company, in a claims position that was similar to an in-house job. I was contacted by a recruiter for that one. But I was worried that with these positions, I would potentially hurt any future chances at ending up in the type of firm I wanted to work at.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThen, one day, as I was doing my daily job searches on Google and job boards, I saw a position that just kind of felt right and fit. It was a judicial clerkship with a state court of appeals. I was definitely intrigued, and compelled to apply. Now, here's the thing - I had never wanted to do a clerkship. Never even considered it, actually. Clerkships are usually an entry-level position for future litigators, highly sought after and some of the greatest experience you can get if you want to spend your career in a courtroom. I had always been interested in transactional practice, so a clerkship was never on my radar. But for some reason, I was like, \"Hey. This seems like exactly what I need right now.\" A year or two to learn and grow, network, and wait for the job market to turn around and need transactional lawyers again. Or if it doesn't turn around, at least I will know a little bit more about litigation and might feel comfortable taking one of those positions. So I went ahead and sent an email to the judge with my application materials.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWithin an hour I had an interview set up.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETwo weeks later I met the judge in a hotel lobby where the state bar association conference was going on. I was wearing my favorite suit and heels, and walked up to the judge confidently and introduced myself. We sat down for an interview, and things went pretty smoothly. It felt more like I was talking to a friend, and I knew that I would love to work for this judge. We talked about my past experience, terms of the clerkship, things like that.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe biggest thing I was most nervous about was explaining why I didn't have a job at the firm I interned at for two years, and why I was suddenly pursuing a clerkship. I had met with my career services advisor and asked a couple of friends how to address it, but they all suggested I say my interests had changed or something of that nature. Sitting in the interview, I realized that wasn't right. So I just told the judge the truth. About how I loved my old firm and was devastated not to work there, but how it caused me to reflect on what I need to do. About how I couldn't find a perfect job, and needed a year or two to figure it out and learn. And about how a clerkship would help me learn and grow without hurting my career. And the judge was actually really cool about it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EShe told me she needed to do a few more interviews and call some references, but that she'd be in touch in a week or so. And to be honest, I walked not feeling worried anymore. As soon as I got back to my boyfriend's apartment, I told him \"I think I just got a job.\" I flew back to my law school and, although I was still a little nervous, that extreme anxiety that I had before was gone.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAbout a week and a half passed, and I got a call from the judge offering me the job.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/Is1O1TWV0LEJi\/giphy.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"198\" data-original-width=\"350\" height=\"226\" src=\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/Is1O1TWV0LEJi\/giphy.gif\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI immediately accepted while on the phone. Now, there are conflicting ideas as to whether or not you should accept or you should make them wait, but I was sure this was the right opportunity for me. And I could not be more excited about it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you had asked me six months ago if I would be interested in a clerkship - the answer would be absolutely not! But now, I realize that it is probably the best position I could have asked for at the time. If anyone is going through their job search and not finding the right fit, my advice would be to be patient, open your mind to what you might need, and the right job might come along. I've come a long way from the devastating moment six months ago where I was rejected from my dream job, and now I am looking forward to starting my first big kid job as a judicial clerk this August!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/1649630973125886901\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/how-i-got-my-post-grad-judicial.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1649630973125886901"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/1649630973125886901"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/how-i-got-my-post-grad-judicial.html","title":"How I Got My Post-Grad Judicial Clerkship"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-p1UoNOQ-XMQ\/XEaFPo2LwOI\/AAAAAAAABHw\/8SnmnAhBYesg6hiGEkbV2Qzz2iFfKIXyACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Law%2BDay%2B2020.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-5334864821940336709"},"published":{"$t":"2019-01-22T17:00:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:10:57.307-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"YP"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"I Didn't Get My Dream Job - And It's Okay"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5S67MjUaV4\/XEKYsG4g0gI\/AAAAAAAABHc\/OusCZrJtn7Ilopzg3AEiTl7O4lujbRGPgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/A%2Breminder_.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5S67MjUaV4\/XEKYsG4g0gI\/AAAAAAAABHc\/OusCZrJtn7Ilopzg3AEiTl7O4lujbRGPgCLcBGAs\/s320\/A%2Breminder_.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEver since my 1L year, I decided that I was going to be really vulnerable on this blog, which means sharing both the highlights and the low points of my law school journey. This really became important to me when I started s\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/02\/struggling-in-law-school-mental-and.html\"\u003Eharing my mental health struggles\u003C\/a\u003E that became especially apparent during my 1L year. This is because that I started this blog to help other law students and guide them through the struggles that law school entails. Although I haven't been great about posting, this last year has been full of many ups and downs and it's time I share them without you. So without further ado, I want to tell you guys about the absolute worst thing that happened to me during 2018 - I didn't get my dream job. But don't worry, it's going to be okay.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst thing's first, let's back it up a little bit. Ever since I began law school, I knew that I was absolutely made for law firm life. I could just see myself putting on a suit every day, riding the elevator to the top of a high rise, and eventually securing a corner office where I'd spend my days. And that dream started to become a reality when I got my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/07\/my-first-law-firm-internship.html\"\u003E1L summer internship\u003C\/a\u003E, at a prestigious law firm from my hometown. It was everything I dreamed of. Not only did I do fulfilling work, but I loved the attorneys I worked for and could truly see myself working at that firm forever. So you might imagine how excited I was to be invited back to intern at the same firm my 2L summer. I accepted right away, and looked forward to it for the entirety of 2L year. One of the partners had told me that I had \"passed their test\" and as long as I didn't mess anything up, he saw me getting a post-grad job offer. Fast forward to 2L summer and I have another amazing summer. I receive completely positive feedback on all my work. Things were falling into place, and I was so happy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen, on the last day of my internship, I walked into my final review with one of the partners. Again, we went over all of my projects where I received positive feedback and told wonderful things. And then the bad news came. They didn't have any positions available for me next year - they only needed litigators, and I had indicated pretty strongly that I was only interested in transactional work. And this news had come to the hiring committee fairly late in the summer, meaning it came as a shock to everyone in the office. I was, of course, absolutely devastated. But I thanked my boss, and said goodbye with a smile.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then I ran to my office where I cried. And I don't mean like one tear just rolled down my cheek. I was sobbing to the point where I couldn't breathe. I cried to two of the younger associates that had been my friends. I was so embarrassed, but it was basically a panic attack because my entire plan had unraveled. So I gathered my belongings and left my dream job behind.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm not going to lie, this still stings a little bit. Even writing this post right now, I am getting teary eyed. I desperately wanted to be mad at everyone I worked with for giving me false hope. But the truth is, I wasn't mad at all. I was completely and totally heartbroken because I truly wanted to work there with my entire heart. To be totally and completely honest, I still want to work there in my heart. But that isn't the opportunity that is available to me, and I have no choice but to figure it out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELuckily, now it's five months later, and I know I was able to recover well (more about that later), but at the time all I wanted to do was sob on the couch and eat ice cream. But that wasn't a possibility - I had to start looking for a post-grad job, update my resume, sharpen my interview skills, and most importantly, find a new dream to motivate me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo be honest, I have never been someone who deals with failure well. And that's exactly what this felt like to me - complete, and utter failure. Now reflecting back, I can see that this was not the case. I did the opposite of failing. I excelled at my internship, receiving completely positive feedback and making strong connections with professionals in the community. Although my hope was to receive a full-time offer, this taught me to adapt to big changes and figure them out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis experience taught me a lot of things. First, it taught me that my plan might not always work out, but even when it doesn't, I can adapt to the hardships and figure them out. This experience helped me brush up on my job search skills. This experience taught me to value the opportunities that I have had and how they can help me in the future. This experience taught me that disappointment isn't the end of the world. And this experience taught me that even something that feels like failure can't break me like I thought I could.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut most of all, this experienced affirmed that I am taking the right steps toward my goals and that my long-term goals, hopes, and dreams mean something to me. Like many law students, I think that I have had times where I wondered if I was on the right path, or doing the right thing by being in law school. However, after having such an emotional reaction to not getting this job, I realized that I am completely and totally on track. I'm somebody that doesn't consider myself to be emotional, so for this to devastate me so much means that becoming a lawyer at a firm I love is so important to me. This experience only made me want to fight for that dream more.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo overall, I didn't get my dream job. Yet. And that's okay."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/5334864821940336709\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/i-didnt-get-my-dream-job-and-its-okay.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5334864821940336709"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/5334864821940336709"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/i-didnt-get-my-dream-job-and-its-okay.html","title":"I Didn't Get My Dream Job - And It's Okay"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-v5S67MjUaV4\/XEKYsG4g0gI\/AAAAAAAABHc\/OusCZrJtn7Ilopzg3AEiTl7O4lujbRGPgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/A%2Breminder_.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-7875041710185285224"},"published":{"$t":"2019-01-18T20:19:00.001-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:11:10.214-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Textbook Tips for Law School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Dazr4BvvyA8\/XEKJPwqTdPI\/AAAAAAAABHI\/wYEcKTiaYEox62k_S56YxZrHblvzMv7aQCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Interior%2BStyling%2B101.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Dazr4BvvyA8\/XEKJPwqTdPI\/AAAAAAAABHI\/wYEcKTiaYEox62k_S56YxZrHblvzMv7aQCLcBGAs\/s320\/Interior%2BStyling%2B101.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHello, friends! It's the start of a my LAST semester and I cannot believe it's here. But the start of this semester has brought quite a bit of stress to my life in the last week related to one specific thing... textbooks. For some reason, buying and receiving my books has been \u003Ci\u003Ethe bane of my existence\u003C\/i\u003E. For real - I have had to fight my school's bookstore, Amazon, and some of my professors on this. First, both Amazon and my school bookstore sent me books that were supposed to be new that definitely had highlighting throughout. So I had to make extra trips to refund and exchange. Law books are expensive - I'm not about to pay $80 to $100 more for a book that already has writing in it! On top of that, my professors have had issues letting us know which books to buy for classes. Needless to say - it has been rough.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"\u003EBoth my school bookstore and Amazon don't have one of my textbooks in stock yet and the professor just emailed to say he is going to start cold calling today \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZfwBOCXbV4\"\u003Epic.twitter.com\/ZfwBOCXbV4\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E— Caffeine\u0026amp;CaseBriefs (@cafandcase) \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cafandcase\/status\/1085222441415311361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003EJanuary 15, 2019\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut, with all the stress this textbook fiasco has provided me, it has brought me some inspiration to create a quick list of textbook tips for y'all. When I first started blogging a few years ago, I wrote my first post on law school textbooks, which you can find\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2016\/08\/law-school-textbooks.html\"\u003E here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;However, I have learned A LOT since then, and there's some stuff I'd like to add. So here we go!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuying Textbooks\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo the first thing that law student's typically realize about law school textbooks is that they are \u003Ci\u003Ehella expensive\u003C\/i\u003E. Like, more than my car payments for six months expensive. Let me remind you about how much my textbooks cost from my first semester of law school, if you didn't go back and read my original post:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Eysa3jHs4MY\/V6QKuBKOW2I\/AAAAAAAAAfE\/goUCgwO5xtwI1Si5kLUFrOT5j0I9I61QACPcBGAYYCw\/s1600\/IMG_0788.PNG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"450\" data-original-width=\"750\" height=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Eysa3jHs4MY\/V6QKuBKOW2I\/AAAAAAAAAfE\/goUCgwO5xtwI1Si5kLUFrOT5j0I9I61QACPcBGAYYCw\/s320\/IMG_0788.PNG\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow, luckily I realized this right away and budget for it every semester. If you haven't ready my budgeting post - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/03\/budgeting-in-law-school.html\"\u003Ego read it now\u003C\/a\u003E, make a budget, and type in \u003Ci\u003Eat least \u003C\/i\u003E$1,000 for books every semester. But, with that being said, here are a few things you can do to make your books cheaper:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBuy used!\u003C\/b\u003E So this is a little hypocritical, because I don't do this. I absolutely loathe used books, and can't stand highlighting or writing that is not my own. However, if you don't mind that (I know some people even prefer the highlighting already done for them!), buy a used book and sometimes you can reduce costs by 50%. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2T4KV0s\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E, Chegg, and your school bookstore probably all have used options. Or buy them off your upper-classmen friends and help them make some cash.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERent! \u003C\/b\u003EThis is how I save most of my money when it comes to buying textbooks. Although I am picky about used books, my school bookstore allows me to rent my books new, which can save on the sticker price of the book a lot. You can also rent through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2T4KV0s\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E, Chegg, and likely your school bookstore, so feel free to price shop. Some professors and students think you shouldn't do this for \"bar\" classes, so you can keep your book. But that decision is really up to you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShop around! \u003C\/b\u003EWe have been blessed with the gift of the internet - use it! Spend an extra hour and search around for the best price. Your wallet will thank you. Or, if you want to take the work out, use a tool like bookscouter.com, which will search the internet for you. Not an ad, just my favorite tool.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESell back your old book! \u003C\/b\u003EOne thing that \u003Ci\u003Eis\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;nice about expensive textbooks is that sometimes you can sell them for a lot of money too. I mean, there is the chance that you will buy a $300 book, and the most you can sell it for is like $25. But, worth checking at least. And bookscouter.com can find you the best price for selling books too!\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBuy old editions! \u003C\/b\u003ESo, I'll be the first to admit - I'd never do this. But I know plenty of people that do because you can save a ton of money. Just use discretion on what classes this might work well for. Torts? Contracts? You can probably get away with an older edition. Federal Income Tax? Definitely not. When in doubt, ask your professor.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAll in all, textbooks are still going to cost a lot. One thing to keep in mind is that typically textbooks get cheaper for 2L and 3L years. My textbooks this semester ended up costing just under $400 - which is much more reasonable than that first semester of 1L. So for all you 1Ls, at least that's one thing to look forward to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EUsing Textbooks\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ETo highlight or not to highlight, that is the question?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIf you're in any law school, one thing you probably notice over time is how marked up most students' books are. Seriously, I have seen some students with books with more highlighter ink on the page than ink from the actual printer. Now, I can't judge too much. I also highlight in my books. But many law students have questions as to whether or not they should highlight, and how much. And to be honest, this can be answered with the infamous law school answer: it depends.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EReally, my best tip is going to be to highlight in whatever way helps you study and take in the information. For me, I highlight for two reasons. First, it helps me pay attention when I read, by forcing me to focus on what is or is not important in the reading. Second, it helps me quickly reference pieces of the text in class whenever I get called on. Thus, I don't need anything fancy. So I specifically use a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2W3goC8\"\u003Eyellow, thin highlighter\u003C\/a\u003E that I \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2T4NEXU\"\u003Ebuy in bulk\u003C\/a\u003E. It's nothing special, but it does what I need.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther people use book highlighting as a way to take notes and brief within their casebooks. For this purpose, I have seen people with intricate color coding systems. In these situations, people typically use \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2CuytQt\"\u003Emulticolored highlighters\u003C\/a\u003E. I specifically like the ones previously linked, because they have a little window that allows you to see what you are highlighting, which is amazing. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have over highlighted something.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome textbooks have thin, uncoated pages and ink highlighters just soak through. These textbooks annoy me to no end. However, once I discovered \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2W22K25\"\u003Egel highlighters\u003C\/a\u003E, this all changed. The gel highlighters don't leak through, which is nice. They do smear a little bit more, which is unfortunate. So I guess you have to choose whichever annoys you less. I've linked some gel ones above on Amazon, but if you prefer to buy them in person, they can be harder to find. They are often marketed as Bible highlighters, so check your local religious stores.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EDo I actually need to read?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm going to keep this one really simple. Yes. Read your books as assigned. Otherwise you will look dumb.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EHow much time do the readings take?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne thing that shocked me when I started law school is how long it took me to read my assignments. I had been a fast reader since elementary school. So when my first forty page law school assignment took four hours, I was devastated. But this is normal. Therefore, this is something to prepare yourself for and try to get used to. Luckily, with the time, the legalese comes a bit more naturally and reading goes a lot faster. Every now and then, I still have a case from 1864 that takes me awhile to work my way through. But overall, I can do most of my readings in less than an hour now. I would say to be safe, always over estimate and always try to have your readings done the day before just in case. I know this isn't always possible, but I used this system pretty strictly during 1L and it saved me.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/7875041710185285224\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/textbook-tips-for-law-school.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7875041710185285224"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7875041710185285224"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2019\/01\/textbook-tips-for-law-school.html","title":"Textbook Tips for Law School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-Dazr4BvvyA8\/XEKJPwqTdPI\/AAAAAAAABHI\/wYEcKTiaYEox62k_S56YxZrHblvzMv7aQCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Interior%2BStyling%2B101.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-4210126708969691537"},"published":{"$t":"2018-08-28T00:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:13:01.624-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school misc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Buying a Laptop for Law School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-APcPZvbs92U\/W3yuf1ByRiI\/AAAAAAAABE0\/EWvSj6ltHSkUjPm5DJ9OnwbLyPHhNSwUACLcBGAs\/s1600\/it%2527s%2Ba%2Bgirl%2521.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-APcPZvbs92U\/W3yuf1ByRiI\/AAAAAAAABE0\/EWvSj6ltHSkUjPm5DJ9OnwbLyPHhNSwUACLcBGAs\/s320\/it%2527s%2Ba%2Bgirl%2521.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHey, everyone! So during finals my second semester of 2L year - my laptop decided to stop working. Don't worry - it wasn't tragic or anything, it worked enough to get through finals. But some hardware broke that made it so I couldn't connect to my school's internet network. Thus, I had no choice but to get myself a new laptop. After a few weeks of shopping around and saving up my money from my summer internship, I finally made a choice. However, I found a lot of contenders and wanted to share those possible choices with you!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst, I'll let you know my requirements for a law school laptop, because those definitely impacted my decision. My main requirement is that I wanted something thin and lightweight. After all, I have to lug around casebooks in my backpack all day - I don't need to carry a super heavy laptop too. Another requirement is that I needed it to have a decent battery life. One thing that annoys me a lot is having to charge my technology in the middle of the day. There's nothing I hate more than a person who interrupts a class by loudly fumbling in his bag for a laptop charger. Plus, a charger is just one more thing to carry. Thus,\u0026nbsp; I wanted something with a long battery life. Lastly, I needed to make sure the laptop could do a couple basic things - let me access the internet, run Microsoft office, and install final exam and bar exam software. Pretty simple, right?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne thing I wanted to stray away from\u0026nbsp; was super complicated computers. I don't need somthing I can game on, or is going to be the best machine around. I just need something I can use for class that isn't going to die on me. So, I had a couple top choices, which you can see below. To be fair, I think any of these would be a good choice for law school. Anyone looking for a laptop for law school \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2N7aVFD\"\u003Eshould definitely consider the following:\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2N7aVFD\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2PpVnhw\"\u003EMacBook Pro\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2PpVnhw\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"679\" data-original-width=\"679\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-xsn1fABYBJI\/W3yp-mtT1dI\/AAAAAAAABEE\/FLKImiurWeo7aeAEEyIO81sfDgaG4xj0gCLcBGAs\/s320\/81rngIRLjTL._SX679_.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe first laptop I originally considered buying was a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2N7aOtH\"\u003EMacBook Pro\u003C\/a\u003E. I would say that this is the most common laptop I see law students using. Which, of course, makes sense. Macs are notoriously reliable and last forever. However, this choice just really ended up being a little too heavy for me and the battery life wasn't as good as comparable Windows models. However, especially for die hard Mac fans, this laptop is a surefire win for any law student.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2LhIhjf\"\u003ELenovo Yoga\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2LhIhjf\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"696\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"222\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1DXrdjtloL8\/W3yrIM7gzPI\/AAAAAAAABEM\/0Zynh1fZ5mUObCEDKAH_mFj0WSv8vBAJwCLcBGAs\/s320\/515NvCGUEsL._SL1000_.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnother laptop I considered was a\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2LhIhjf\"\u003E Lenovo Yoga.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;To be honest, the look and feel of this laptop is what really drew me in at first. It's a sleek looking computer. It's also very lightweight and the battery life is great. I also know from using Lenovos before that they are very durable laptops. I really like the 360 degree capabilities as well. I ended up not choosing this one because I simply liked another one better, but this would also be a great choice.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Pr3xGB\"\u003EHP Spectre x360\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Pr3xGB\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"825\" data-original-width=\"1500\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-DszBeG1mO30\/W3ysJMpSgSI\/AAAAAAAABEU\/m9RQ-NBwN9g41ptGVLH-ChQlr49cKZ_pQCLcBGAs\/s320\/spec.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo I actually had an earlier version of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Pr3xGB\"\u003Ethis laptop\u003C\/a\u003E before and LOVED it. It met all of my requirements, worked flawlessly, and the battery life was incredible! It also was durable and withstood my abuse for about four years. The only reason I didn't purchase a new one was the price. This isn't a cheap laptop, but I'd dare say it's worth it to get a new one. Also, it's literally beautiful, so highly recommend.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2nVaQd3\"\u003EMicrosoft Surface Laptop\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2nVaQd3\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"728\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"194\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-LI0oVcuo9p4\/W3ytGx92-XI\/AAAAAAAABEg\/0eOHLtW5ItMJkA2bvPH3libVRugSmsbygCLcBGAs\/s320\/Surf.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELast, but not least, is the laptop I ACTUALLY BOUGHT - the\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2nVaQd3\"\u003E Microsoft Surface Laptop.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;It meets all my requirements - it is super lightweight, the battery life is about fourteen hours, and it does all the things necessary for law school. On top of that, it's SO pretty, and comes in lots of fun colors. I would highly recommend this laptop - it has been perfect for me so far. I also considered the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2PsuGc4\"\u003ESurface Book\u003C\/a\u003E, which converts to a tablet if you want to get even fancier.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/4210126708969691537\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2018\/08\/buying-laptop-for-law-school.html#comment-form","title":"26 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4210126708969691537"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/4210126708969691537"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2018\/08\/buying-laptop-for-law-school.html","title":"Buying a Laptop for Law School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-APcPZvbs92U\/W3yuf1ByRiI\/AAAAAAAABE0\/EWvSj6ltHSkUjPm5DJ9OnwbLyPHhNSwUACLcBGAs\/s72-c\/it%2527s%2Ba%2Bgirl%2521.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"26"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-3047298524310652273"},"published":{"$t":"2018-08-21T11:24:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:11:37.942-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How To Choose Classes in Law School"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eMUK-R9kJoE\/W3w8qGe3EII\/AAAAAAAABDs\/iYhP9d7VxF4Iq7HNEoZ8JJjzTvpqR9GggCLcBGAs\/s1600\/how%2Bto%2Bchoose%2Bclasses%2Bin%2Blaw%2Bschool.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eMUK-R9kJoE\/W3w8qGe3EII\/AAAAAAAABDs\/iYhP9d7VxF4Iq7HNEoZ8JJjzTvpqR9GggCLcBGAs\/s400\/how%2Bto%2Bchoose%2Bclasses%2Bin%2Blaw%2Bschool.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHello, everyone - and welcome to another exciting year of law school! Some of you may be starting on the daunting journey that is the begginning of law school, and starting 1L year, with classes set by your school and curriculum requirements of the ABA. Others are starting 2L and 3L year, and have more control over classes. As I'm now in my last year of law school, I am taking classes that I selected completely for myself which is so cool - but a little scary. After all, what I know after law school will be shaped by the classes I take - meaning that I need to pick well.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI remember how scary it was to pick classes for myself at first. After all, my law school didn't provide much advising, so I was basically on my own to make my schedule. Thus, I wanted to write this post to help other people know how to choose classes when the time comes. So, without further ado, here are my tips on how to choose classes in law school!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFirst, check your school's degree requirements.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere's a reason I put this first is because it's likely the most important tip I can give you. After all, the point of this whole \"law school\" ordeal is to walk away with a Juris Doctor degree. How embarrassing would it be to get to the end of your 3L year, and find out that you can't graduate because you forgot to ever sign up for that ethics course you needed?! Mortifying. Most likely, your school website or student handbook will provide a list of degree requirements. Make sure to check that and cross reference your plan with it. You don't have to immediately get all of your requirements, but make sure you have planned to get them before graduation.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFor example, my school requires certain \"experiential\" courses before graduation, whether it be an externship, practicum, pre-trial advocacy, or other classes. I had to make sure I planned to get all of my credits in this area during my 3L year so I can graduate in the spring.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENext, take classes that will prepare you for the bar exam.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOf course, after that ultimate goal of getting a JD, comes the goal of passing the bar. As much as I don't want to think about the bar yet - some planning is necessary. Many of the subjects on the bar are not required classes for law school. And while they aren't required, you might want to think about including them in your schedule for law school at some point. Some classes that I recommend you take to prepare for the bar are:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETorts\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECriminal Law and Procedure\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECivil Procedure\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EConstitutional Law\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EEvidence\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EProperty\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWills and Trusts\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECorporations\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESecured Transactions\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFamily Law\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow, some of these classes, you can theoretically learn by taking a bar prep course. Others are probably required in your first year. And others, you may just not want to take a full course on. All in all, at least consider what level of course you want to take to prepare for the exam,\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt's also important to note that you will likely be required to take some sort of legal ethics or professional responsibility course at some point, which you should take before you take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. This isn't part of the bar exam, but in most states, you also have to take and pass the MPRE, so it would be a good class to take as well.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EConsider taking classes in the areas you are considering practicing.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is probably a given for most people. I am interested in tax law, so I have of course taken every tax law course that my school offers. I know people that want to do corporate law, so they take every business course. This can be good because it makes you a marketable candidate for jobs, as you are knowledgeable in certain areas. However, I would throw out some caution and say don't focus too much, because then you are limiting your job options and might lose sight of some other things, like bar classes or graduation requirements.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EMake sure you balance your course load in a way that is best for you.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne thing that is extremely improtant to your overall enjoyment of life while in law school, is managing your course load. You don't want to take too many credits one semester and feel like you're drowning, or take too little and get bored. It's important to balance. For me, this meant trying to keep my course load consistent. I basically figured out the number of credits I needed to graduate, and divided by the four semesters I had left, and figured out that I needed fourteen credits per semester to graduate. I tried to stick with this as much as possible to maintain balance. I know a lot of people that did a heavier 2L year, so they could coast more their 3L year. Do whatever works for you, but make sure you at least consider a balance.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EPay attention to classrooms and class times.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm a morning person, so that means I prefer morning classes. On the flip side, my brain can't function after 5:00 P.M., so night classes aren't really my thing. I know this when making my class schedule, so I try to avoid taking classes that are primarily at night if I can avoid it. I also know that I hate taking classes in my school's courtroom or basement (natural light is \u003Ci\u003Every \u003C\/i\u003Eimportant to me), so I try not to schedule more than one class a day in those rooms. These details might sound picky, but I just know I won't be able to focus in a basement classroom at 6:00 P.M. in November, so I might as well plan ahead an put myself in the best envrionment possible. Thus, I try to at least pay attention to these factors and consider them when making a class schedule.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ESchedule at least one class you enjoy every semester.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhether you pick a class with an interesting topic, a class with your friends, or a class with a cool field trip - make sure you have at least one class you're excited about every semester. This will really help the semester be more manageable, and help keep you happy.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOverall, all these tips are a lot to consider, but your class schedule is basically going to control your life for five months. Thus, choosing classes is an important choice. Overall, don't let it stress you out, make your schedule, and look forward to each semester!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/3047298524310652273\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2018\/08\/how-to-choose-classes-in-law-school.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3047298524310652273"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/3047298524310652273"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2018\/08\/how-to-choose-classes-in-law-school.html","title":"How To Choose Classes in Law School"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-eMUK-R9kJoE\/W3w8qGe3EII\/AAAAAAAABDs\/iYhP9d7VxF4Iq7HNEoZ8JJjzTvpqR9GggCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/how%2Bto%2Bchoose%2Bclasses%2Bin%2Blaw%2Bschool.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4724601585783973951.post-7612575747446957401"},"published":{"$t":"2017-10-28T15:22:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-12T12:11:54.696-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2L"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law school"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How 2L year is Better than 1L Year"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_AU2lbVDgU\/WfTnD9X8ZOI\/AAAAAAAABAg\/l0eHP5-qfSUGD4lYURmPolqjSeigtlOwgCLcBGAs\/s1600\/Hello%2B%25281%2529.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"800\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_AU2lbVDgU\/WfTnD9X8ZOI\/AAAAAAAABAg\/l0eHP5-qfSUGD4lYURmPolqjSeigtlOwgCLcBGAs\/s320\/Hello%2B%25281%2529.png\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHello hello to all you lovely law nerds! If you haven't noticed, I've been blogging a hell of a lot less lately. I guess you could say it's writer's block, or maybe I'm just busy, or maybe I just haven't felt like blogging. Either way, I apologize for my absence and I promise I'll try harder to better... but then again, we all know how law school takes over every aspect of life. So who knows what will really happen?\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESetting all that aside, I'm about 2 and 1\/2 months into my 2L year. How did that happen? At this time last year, I was just starting to get this whole \"law scthool\" thing figured out. And by that, I knew how to study and was no longer completely terrified of getting called on in class. Now one year later, the nerves have eased substantially, and I think I'm as settled into law school as well as I'll ever be. Throughout these last few months, I've definitely noticed some big differences between 1L and 2L year, so I thought I'd share these differences with you.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFirst of all, \u003Cb\u003EI am way less nervous.\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;I remember being a little afraid of about everything that happened. I was nervous that a professor would call on me and I wouldn't know the answers. I was nervous that I wasn't studying in the right way for finals. I didn't know the right places to study, or where to go for financial aid help, or what questions to ask my professors. Luckily, over time I started figuring these things out, and now I barely have any nerves. I pretty much roll into school, do my work, go to my classes, and just sort of do life without thinking too much. It's so nice to be able to just go to school and feel settled, rather than worry about everything all the time.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENext, \u003Cb\u003EI spend less time studying\u003C\/b\u003E. Honestly, I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I studied \u003Cu\u003Eso much\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;last year, and I ended up getting really good grades and being so proud of what I accomplished. Now, I feel like since I know how to do law school better, I don't have to study as much because I've learned how to study more effectively. One of my law school friends said we're all learning to study smarter and not harder, and I think that is definitely true. Thus, because of this more effective studying, I've spent less time reading, taking notes, and studying all together. The extra time I've had from not studying has been so nice, which brings me to my next point...\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EI'm going to the gym... like, regularly\u003C\/b\u003E. Part of my fitness enthusiasm is likely due to the fact that I have more time, since I haven't been studying as often. Part of it is that I've spent all of last semester getting my mental health to a good point, and now I feel like it's time to focus on my physical health. I'm going on walks, going to yoga a few times a week, and recently just signed up for a personal trainer. Is this what being a healthy, fit individual is like? Because I kind of dig it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnother thing I've noticed with my extra non-study time, is that \u003Cb\u003EI have time to read for fun again. \u003C\/b\u003EAs a kid, I always loved reading for fun. It's probably why my reading skills are up to par for law school. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2iHoxx0\"\u003EMy most recent read is a book written by two of my favorite podcasters, Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson. The title of the book is literally \u003Ci\u003EF*cked,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;so as you might expect, the material is a little explicit\u003C\/a\u003E. But it's been a fun read that \u003Cu\u003Edefinitely\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;takes my mind off law school. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2iddcRt\"\u003EAnother one of my go-to recommendations is this book that teaches people how to be better adults - something every law student will have to do soon.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhen I'm not filling up all of my free time with reading or going to the gym, \u003Cb\u003EI spend my time planning ahead\u003C\/b\u003E. While everything is a mystery 1L year, it's hard to \u003Ci\u003Ereally\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;think about the future. However, now that I've got the first year under my belt, a little bit of work experience, and more time to think about the future - I'm trying to make life plans. Although it's impossible to have everything figured out, I've noticed that I'm thinking more about my goals, where I'd like to be, what I'd like to be doing, etc. It's nice to be able to look toward the future and have an idea of what I want.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd of course, \u003Cb\u003EI am having so much more fun than I did during 1L year. \u003C\/b\u003EListen, it's not like last year was awful. But it definitely wasn't the most fun year of my life. This year, the tides have turned. I'm going on vacations, hanging out with friends, and living without a mountain of stress on my chest. Here's the real deal - 1L year is going to be stressful. It's inevitable. But if you use the entirety of 1L year to just settle into law school and figure everything out, you might just find that 2L year and beyond could be so much fun.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/feeds\/7612575747446957401\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/10\/how-2l-year-is-better-than-1l-year.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7612575747446957401"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4724601585783973951\/posts\/default\/7612575747446957401"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com\/2017\/10\/how-2l-year-is-better-than-1l-year.html","title":"How 2L year is Better than 1L Year"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Bailey"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05697191305396387000"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-EvDs94-QfUI\/V55fOIFc0lI\/AAAAAAAAAcQ\/rpsvX2Stk3IjQwWKzxT-yUBqMGJGeatOACK4B\/s113\/Blogger%2B2.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8_AU2lbVDgU\/WfTnD9X8ZOI\/AAAAAAAABAg\/l0eHP5-qfSUGD4lYURmPolqjSeigtlOwgCLcBGAs\/s72-c\/Hello%2B%25281%2529.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}}]}});