In fact, it’s my No. 1 tool.

(And it’s not some fancy, new AI program; I’ve been using this same tool for decades.)

A big part of my inspiration all along has been Justin Welsh.

He was the first person whose posts I looked forward to every morning on LinkedIn back in 2021.

Try these 6.

Let’s strip some weight from everyone’s load today—

🥵 HEAVY ———> LIGHT 🎈

Even worse, people think they 𝙙𝙤 know how to use it, so they use it too much, like a crutch. —Let’s learn to tell wrong from right, today, OK?

🔷 THE WRONG WAY

It also has nothing to do with English:

-grammar
-punctuation
-usage
-syntax

(Although many associates get those wrong, too.)

I owe ALL of my happy news to YOUR consistent support, and I am so, so grateful. 🙏🏻

My dream is to make Dear 1L the book that EVERY law student reads:

True, “I think you should go” = “I think 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 you should go,” and each version is correct.

So there, you can cut the “that” to save space—no problem.

🔷 DEFINITION:

The word “myriad” means “a countless number of specified things,” (Oxford English Dictionary), or “an uncountable number.”

▪️ I reached 1,450 books for the year—a HUGE jump of 47 copies since 6 days ago, when I posted an offer to send a free book to 3 incoming 1Ls.

At first, I was embarrassed when only two incoming 1Ls took me up on my free book offer.

—> “Regard” creates clauses that are long, clunky, and awkward.

Instead, try using “On” or “As to.”

❌ “Regarding the first claim, plaintiff cites no support.”

At first, I hesitated when I got that question—was it even appropriate? (It’s kind of a sensitive topic to me—like asking my weight or salary.)

I also felt embarrassed: “Dear 1L” is never going to be some New York Times bestseller.

What’s your first move?

Try my P-E-N-C-I-L approach. It systematically roots out the 6 worst sins in legal writing:

Here’s my run down of the big changes I see:

🔹 1990’s:

-Use complex words nobody knows.
-Use no charts, timelines, or photographs.
-Use boldface & italics, for emphasis.
-Stick to Times New Roman font.
-Use acronyms for party names.
-Use footnotes to save space.
-Maximize use of legalese.

This is AFTER both the student and their school’s Career Office have signed off and think the resume is “final.”

➡️ Please do not rely on Career Services to proofread your resume. That is not their job. The job is yours alone.

So I created this checklist for you. It targets the 10 mistakes I see the most often.

They’re an exclusive club, and I’ve definitely never been “in” it.

In fact, before doing what I do now, I failed to get the 3 professor jobs I applied to.

 👉 That made me feel like the entire law-school universe disapproved of me.