Amanda’s Blog
My letters are often described as a light in the storm. I share the unwritten rules that no law professor will ever tell you. I aspire to simplify and improve the quality of your law school journey and to promote your greatest possible success there. A significant portion of my letters is also meant for all lawyers and law students. I write a lot about legal writing (my greatest passion). Thank you for reading!
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Categories: Dear 1L, Dear 2L, Legal Writing, Spotlight
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
A “Statement of Facts” should not read like a rap sheet.
Dear 1L, Let’s talk about the “Statement of Facts” for the brief you’re writing…
Follow Laura Frederick
When I first showed up on LinkedIn in Sept 2021, the name Laura Frederick…
“Terminate” vs. “Fire”
Dear Legal Writer: The verb “terminate” is NOT a synonym for “fire.” I learned…
Don’t use “since” to mean “because” in legal writing.
Dear Legal Writer, Be careful with “since” in legal writing. In fact, don’t use…
Dear 3L, This is a mental-health check-in.
Dear 3L, This is a mental-health check-in. I don’t care: whatever your class rank,…
Dear 1L,
If you’re a law student who’s curious about LinkedIn and starting to post content…
Inspiration from Justice Kagan
Dear 1L, Justice Elena Kagan apparently didn’t rush to “write home about” her 1L…
Try my editing P-E-N
Dear Legal Writer, We’ve all been there: The brief is done, but it’s several pages…
Learn the law-school curve
Dear 1L, I was shocked when I learned how WIDELY the grading curves vary…
I hope you are okay.
Dear 1L, Hi. I hope you are ok. Everyone seems to be in some…
“Never end a sentence with a preposition.”
—Did YOUR middle-school teacher try to sell you that “rule,” too? And did she…
Dear 1L,
Recruiting starts EARLY this year—even earlier than last. Below is some info I’ve gathered…
Dear 1L,
Matt and I wish you all a very merry holiday. We’ve been enjoying family…
A recent remark by a BigLaw partner stopped me dead in my tracks.
Dear Legal Writer, A recent remark by a BigLaw partner stopped me dead in…
Dear 1L,
It can be hard to get started posting on LinkedIn. What should your tone…
Dear 1L,
When I stopped practicing law in 2016, I didn’t expect the harshest part to…
Dear Legal Writer:
Dear Legal Writer: If you write “is comprised of” or “is comprised by,” you…
Dear Legal Writer,
Want to get faster at legal writing? Try the Flowers Paradigm.* Here’s the “how-to”:…