We did it. It was just 3 yrs ago that I wrote in my book journal:
“10-6-2023: Total failure.
There are too many law school books already.
Some winners. Most losers. And I have no desire to add my book to the losers’ list.”
Today, that book has officially crossed 2,000 copies sold on Amazon.
Some context:
—I didn’t have a publisher.
—I didn’t have a marketing budget.
—I had only social media, a tiny email list, and a promise:
I would write the book that I desperately needed as a scared, perfectionistic 1L who didn’t “get” the legal-writing thing.
(And then I’d spend the next several years getting it into the hands of every future law student I could possibly reach.)
What worked:
—Posting about my ideas until they were undeniable.
—Sharing framework in public before they were “perfect.”
—Obsessing over reader usefulness over what “a law-school book” should look like.
Along the way, I learned some sobering (and totally understandable) truths.
▪️ Many current 1Ls with the book have quietly told me they did not want to share it with classmates—because of that dastardly curve and the reality that everyone is competing for a tiny slice of A‑range grades.
—>It’s unfortunate, but it tracks with how first‑year grading actually works.
▪️ And on the other side of the screen, people on LinkedIn get tired of the same book cover in their feeds over and over again—not because they don’t care, but because the algorithm and our attention spans are wired for “new.”
—>That means I can’t just shout “Buy my book!” more often. 🙂
❇️ At the same time, though, there is SO much opportunity ahead.
In a typical year, around 38,000–40,000 students start law school in the U.S. alone—
—not even including LLMs—the group that may actually serve to benefit most from my simple legal English tutorials.
♥️ I am 100% dedicated to ensuring that no future law student:
—feels scared about starting law school;
—faces 1L without a nurturing mentor’s support; or
—endures the same traumatic legal‑writing experience I did.
So here’s my ask for this year:
If you know an incoming or aspiring law student, will you be that person who quietly hands them a lifeline before 1L starts?
—by getting them a copy of “Dear 1L,” or at least sending them to my website so they can read the free sample chapters?
💌 Amanda
P.S. 🎁 I’m gifting 3 signed copies to incoming 1Ls.
If you’d like to be considered, send me an email explaining why you would benefit from the book (Amanda@Dear1L.com), and if I get more than 3, I’ll choose at random.
Thank you, truly, for helping me nurture the next wave of 1Ls. 🙏🏻
P.P.S. Prefer to get your own?
See the first comment for a link.
#Dear1L
