Dear 1L (Rising 2L?),

It seems cruel. Your “reward” for finishing the hardest year of law school is staying around to do an onerous Bluebook test and—yet another—big legal-writing project.

I would be SO tempted to skip the whole thing.

Dear Matt,

Marrying you was the best decision I ever made.

What an extraordinary life journey we’ve had together.

Happy, happy 25th Anniversary—

I am so excited for another 25, and more!

By the time I graduated law school, I had had enough of men.

I moved states, bought my own apartment in NYC, and set out to start my life as an independent “career woman.”

(That is what we called women who didn’t marry and just had careers back then, in 1996.)

“What will the economy mean for law-firm job offers after this summer—and beyond?”

That’s a common question I’ve gotten from a lot of you lately. (And same query as to other legal jobs.)

The concern seems to stem from the last bad recession in 2009, when many started 3L with deferred offers, or none at all.

For some of you, these decisions will come at an age where, for the very first time, you’re making “adult” choices all on your own, too.

What kind of law will you practice?
At what kind of employer will you work?
And in what city will you live?

Dear 2L,

My thoughts on how to stand out when you reach out to a lawyer by way of LinkedIn:

🔹 1: Read a little about the lawyer first.

What does their firm website say about them?

Dear 2L,

When you are just starting to “network” in the big, legal world, it may be a bit intimidating. You may feel like you’re asking for help, or for a favor, from the person you reach out to.

—Reaching out to anyone “cold” takes guts. You really have to put yourself out there.

Dear 2L,

You’re often advised to first choose where, geographically, you want to work. Then, make and invest in a networking plan. Although that order makes sense to me, if you’re struggling with your location choice, remember that your choice today very well may change.

It may feel like you are making a decision about where you will spend the rest of your life.

Dear 2L,

Please don’t overextend yourself with extracurriculars.
If it’s all fun, fine.
If it gets frenetic, though, step back and evaluate.

🔸 I know, the something-something student leadership organization has a meeting tonight, or the something-something bar association hosts some event you “should” attend.

Dear 2L,

We spoke a lot about IRAC essay exams last year, but it’s been several months. I thought a refresher was due.

Key Reminder: You must do an IRAC analysis for every Element of every Claim and Defense raised by the exam hypo. Only then, do you maximize your score.

Below are 10 Steps.

Dear 2L,

If you feel “burnt out” & “unmotivated” right now, I am so sorry. I’ve been there, and I know how hard it is.

I hope the below thoughts will help. I’ll keep reading and thinking about ways to help feel engaged again.

Dear 2L,

I don’t like to ask any of you directly about how the job-search is going. I don’t know whether you have an offer and feel good about things, or, like most, feel discouraged and not sure what to do next.

I remember there being a pall over my entire class that 2L fall. There was uneasiness in the air, as we were no longer “all in the same boat,” the way we were when we bonded during early 1L days.

📧 Dear 2L,

Facing the broad array of extracurriculars you might pursue this year can be dizzying. How to make sense of them all and find what works best for you?

Here are some thoughts.

_______________________

Dear 2L,

I don’t know how often I’ll write to you specifically this way, but I do know this:  You are my original gang.

▫️ I started posting last fall. You started law school.

▫️ I felt out of my league—an imposter.  You had your moments, too.

▫️ I tried to figure out this thing called LinkedIn. You did that about law school.