Dear 1L,

Let’s talk about the “Statement of Facts” for the brief you’re writing this spring. It needs to be much more than a list of events:

Your goal is to relay a compelling narrative that engages your reader and elicits sympathy for your client.

In fact, don’t use “since” to mean “because.”

❗️ But Amanda, every thesaurus says ‘since’ & ‘because’ are synonyms.
❗️ ‘Since’ is also 1 syllable & 2 letters shorter than ‘because.’
❗️ And ‘since’ is MUCH smoother 7 sleeker than ‘because.’

Well, I agree with you on all points. But here’s the thing:

AND it’s got helpful advice on interview prep for you!

Start in the comments.
Practice post ideas in comments.
You can warm up to it.

But START!!

I don’t care: whatever your class rank, your post-law-school-job plan, or the numbers in your GPA. If you’re prone to anxiety & depression like me, the specter of law school ending may seem NOT A-OK.

As I’ve written about before, my anxiety got so debilitating during my 3L spring that I ended up lying flat on my back at home.

Dear 1L, Justice Elena Kagan apparently didn’t rush to “write home about” her 1L fall grades, either. She only received two, according to reports, and they came as a shock:

a B in Crim;
a B- in Torts.

— A handful of top schools are entirely pass/fail, and at the T14s I’m aware of, no one really gets below a B.

— Yet at many other schools, a large % of students fail or lose scholarships after 1L fall. The “average” is B- or even a C.

If you didn’t get what you’d hoped for, please know there’s nothing wrong with you, and you are not some sort of screw up.

—> What happened is you got screwed by a brutal curve.

Below is some info I’ve gathered for 2024. I hope you’ll help out by adding what you’ve been seeing and hearing in your location.

🔷 Some perspective:

We’ve been enjoying family time with the girls at home, playing lots of games by the fire and indulging in Matt's delicious dinners. I will be back to posting again next week.

What should your tone be with so many potential, diverse readers?

Try this:

Have ONE specific person in mind you’re writing to and write your post as if you are speaking ONLY to them.

People in the go-go, law-firm-corporate-legal world are busy.

I’d fallen out of the loop. I didn’t have anything interesting to say anymore, I suppose, so they just stopped calling. I get it.

This is for all law students about final exams. I’ve been working really hard on something for you.

It’s a template for an IRAC essay.

It shows my mental process and how I OUTLINED my analysis of each issue--BEFORE I wrote a single word.

—EXAMS: How to Structure an IRAC Essay—

Dear 1L, Follow these 9 steps to make sure you don’t miss out on points.

***

1️⃣ Identify the BIG ISSUES.

1: What kind of lawyer are you going to be?
2: Where will you be working this summer?
3: Where will you be working after law school?

🔸 For 1Ls, they likely have absolutely no idea.

Your questions will surely cause great stress.