Amanda’s Archive
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Amanda’s Archive
Dear 1L: on “However, …”
Dear 1L: On Starting a Sentence with “However,”
Dear 1L: MSJ Primer
Dear 1L, Most of you are writing summary judgment briefs this spring. You approach…
Dear 1L: IRAC Outline – Standing
Dear 1L, Here is the start of an outline template for an IRAC exam…
Dear 1L: Interview Tips
Dear 1L, I have been conducting mock Zoom interviews of law students during the…
Recent Posts
Dear 1L: Summary Judgment Primer & Sample Phrases
Many of you are writing summary judgment briefs under Rule 56 this spring. Yet…
Dear Legal Writer: “Making Your Case” by Bryan Garner and Justice Antonin
Scalia
Dear Legal Writer: “Making Your Case” by Bryan Garner and Justice AntoninScalia Dear Legal…
Dear 1L: Networking to Build a Book of Business in BigLaw
If you work your way up through the BigLaw associate ranks like I did,…
Dear 1L: How to Find the Best Briefs to Use as Models for the 1L Brief
Dear 1L, When you have to write -the kind of brief you’ve never written…
Dear 1L, How to Turn Around Spring Grades
Dear 1L, I wish I had a magic potion. You all could take it…
Dear Legal Writer: Capitalization after a Colon (“:”)
Today I write about a writing question I just faced: Should you capitalize the…
Dear 2L, How to Prepare for the Economy’s Impact on the Availability of Legal Jobs
“What will the economy mean for law-firm job offers after this summer—and beyond?” That’s…
Dear 1L: Streamline Your Meals to Maximize Productivity
Dear 1L, This may sound silly, but one thing I did during 1L weekdays…
Dear 1L: Feeling Lost in ConLaw
Dear 1L, From Day 1, I was lost in Con Law. Out of my…
Personal Branding
Dear 1L, Today I have news to celebrate: #Dear1L has 2,000 followers! I’ve never publicly celebrated…
Dear Legal Writer: Be an Active Reader & Writer Plus 3 Legal Writing Tips
Conventional wisdom says the best way to become a better writer is to read…
Dear Legal Writer: While vs. Although
Dear Legal Writer: Don’t create ambiguity by using “while” to mean “although.” Here’s the…
Dear 1L: Advice for Your First Legal Job Interview
If you’re feeling anxious about upcoming interviews for your first “legal” job, that’s normal….
Dear 1L: How to Do Exhaustive Caselaw Research
Dear 1L, Legal research takes time. How do you know when you’ve done enough?…
Personal Branding
The personal-branding gurus tell me it’s time for a reintroduction, and Saturdays are a…
Dear 1L: Cover Memo Tip for 1L Writing Samples
Dear 1L, One job I do is reviewing writing samples for lawyers and law…
Dear Legal Writer: Introduction
Dear Legal Writer: Welcome! I’m starting #dearlegalwriter to collect my writing posts and offer a space…
Dear 1L: Take Comfort from Justice Kagan’s Experience with 1L Fall Grades
Dear 1L, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan reportedly was unhappy about her 1L fall…