Dear 1L: The Book

Dear 1L book cover

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Dear 1L book cover

About the Author

Amanda Haverstick is founder and managing partner of Writing Law Tutors LLC, a legal-writing consultancy that helps lawyers and law students improve their written communication skills. She spent two decades litigating employment claims and counseling employers at Morgan Lewis, Proskauer, and The Hershey Company.

Amanda earned her BA, cum laude, from Harvard University (1991), and her JD, summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Boston College Law School (1996), where she graded on to law review, served as Executive Editor, and published a student Note.

Amanda lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband, Matt, a managing partner at Kleinbard Bell. They have three daughters, including one budding litigator.

“Dear 1L is what every pre-law student should be reading. Hell, this is something that will help everybody! I’m sure there will be attorneys who read this and find out they’ve been doing something wrong, all along. I REALLY wish I would have had this as a 1L.”
—Gregory Parker, Duquesne Law School (JD 2025)
“Dear 1L is the new ‘it’ book to read before law school and will be something students read for generations. It gives you the practical keys to success in your first year and beyond, all meticulously designed into a fun, easy-to-read format. Any current or incoming 1L would be a fool not to get this book now!”
—Teresa Levesque, Notre Dame Law School (JD 2026)
“Dear 1L is the only book I’ll be consistently referring to throughout my pre-law and 1L journey! Every aspiring young lawyer NEEDS to read this ASAP.”
—Julia Torres, University of California at Los Angeles (BA 2024)
“This is fantastic! I now feel 100% ready to start writing in law school. I can already tell Dear 1L is going to be a book that goes down in history as one of the best!”
—Nate Crespo, University of Albany (BA 2025)
“This book is teeming with wisdom, and Amanda’s passion for helping law students and young lawyers shines through from beginning to end. I recommend Dear 1L to all!”
—Ross Guberman, President of BriefCatch and Legal Writing Pro and author of Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates
“Each time I read Dear 1L, I discover something new that I might not have picked up the last time. This book goes beyond pre-law, law school, and legal practice, because it offers valuable advice for navigating challenges at any stage in life. I feel completely prepared to apply to law school and know what to expect there having read this!”
—Diliana Gresbrink, Boston University (BA 2025)
“Dear 1L is the mentor every student deserves as they take on 1L year. Amanda divulges all the tricks to help you avoid mistakes on the things lawyers know but never explain until you have already gotten them wrong. Every law student needs Dear 1L in their corner rooting for them. It’s an absolute must-read.”
—Jordana Confino, Positive Lawyer, Former Law School Assistant Dean of Professionalism, Founder of JC Coaching & Consulting

About the Book

Law school is hard. Legal writing is, too. But this companion makes both easier for you.

In Dear 1L, a collection of nurturing letters, tactical how-to’s, and advanced legal writing tips, legal-writing coach Amanda Haverstick answers all the questions you didn’t know you need to know.

How do you avoid a dicta trap when writing the fall memo? What’s the winning formula for an IRAC essay? A legal brief? A lawyer’s resume? And what’s the “TICTAC comma,” anyway? Get the cheat codes on these topics and more that trip up 1Ls every year.

Dear 1L gives a witty, insightful preview of what to expect during 1L. What’s more, the writing tips you’ll learn come from decades of BigLaw-litigation experience, and they’ve been “blessed” by thousands of lawyers and law students online. This book is a trusted supplement you’ll refer to throughout law school and beyond.