Break the semester up in your mind.  Don’t think about everything you must accomplish by May. That is too large a mountain to climb. Focus only on March 1 as a goal. Pretend there are midterms then. They count for half your grade.

Would you be ready to write an A+ exam on the Jan-Feb content by March 1?

Dear 1L,

January is hard. How do you find motivation? With grades in, but summer employment still uncertain for most, how do you become energized to re-engage this semester? Try this.

Break the semester up in your mind.  Don’t think about everything you must accomplish by May. That is too large a mountain to climb. Focus only on March 1 as a goal.

Dear 1L,

I have been trying to think of more ways you might change things up this spring, should you be disappointed with fall grades.

Here are two to consider.

1. Here you tried taking class notes by hand? Here’s why it might work better for you than that laptop note-taking.

✏️ Write to a 4L.

The person you ultimately need to persuade is the judge. But the judge may never read your brief. The gatekeeper is the law clerk. That clerk will make a recommendation to the judge about which side should prevail.

That law clerk just graduated from law school—likely is a 4L—not much different than you. That is your Reader.

I confess, I was terrified.

For me, there were two camps when it came to Con Law. In one, were the PoliSci/U.S. Gov. majors. And their friends: the read-the-newspaper-every day types. They assembled in the library lounge to read each day—the library’s hard-copy subscriptions. They then gabbed about politics. I stayed away.

I was out of my league.

Dear 1L,

I have been trying to think of more ways you might change things up this spring, should you be disappointed with fall grades.

Here are two to consider.

1. Here you tried taking class notes by hand? Here’s why it might work better for you than that laptop note-taking.

Dear 1L,

How are you feeling about Con Law?

I confess, I was terrified.

For me, there were two camps when it came to Con Law.

In one, were the PoliSci/U.S. Gov. majors. And their friends: the read-the-newspaper-every day types.

Dear 1L,

I hope you are ok. Everyone is in some state of reeling, it seems, this weekend.

My message is that you did nothing wrong. It is just the brutal curve. 90% or more of you will not be in the top. You are, in no way, alone.

I do not fully understand why law schools grade this way, but that debate is for another day.

It is a bit of an uncertain, anxious time, now. Waiting for grades.

Also, we are in limbo this week. It is still a holiday week, but Christmas is over, there is no schedule to any day, and January starts this weekend. So we are “supposed” to be relaxing, but the specter of everything that we have to do looms.

How does one self-evaluate, or know how one should be feeling at all?

I am writing to you from Day 3 of quarantine. My oldest daughter (age 22) tested positive for covid early Christmas morning. Hoping it is a mild case and that we don’t all get it.

IN any event, I hope that your holiday has been covid-free, and that you have had time to recover and enjoy some fun. Here is a start to some job-search information, as you think about things this week.

My message is that you did nothing wrong. It is just the brutal curve. 90% or more of you will not be in the top. You are, in no way, alone.

I do not fully understand why law schools grade this way, but that debate is for another day.

Today: It is frustrating, for sure.

I am writing to explain something simple you can do to make your resumes appear more professional. I also supply an addendum to an earlier post.

RESUME TIP

I believe that all, or most, law school career offices advise you to include your LinkedIn address with your name and contact info atop your resume.

Also, we are in limbo this week. It is still a holiday week, but Christmas is over, there is no schedule to any day, and January starts this weekend. So we are “supposed” to be relaxing, but the specter of everything that we have to do looms.

How does one self-evaluate, or know how one should be feeling at all?

Dear 1L,

I am writing to you from Day 3 of quarantine. My oldest daughter (age 22) tested positive for covid early Christmas morning. Hoping it is a mild case and that we don’t all get it.

IN any event, I hope that your holiday has been covid-free, and that you have had time to recover and enjoy some fun. Here is a start to some job-search information, as you think about things this week.

Dear 1L,

Congratulations!!! It is hard to believe—1L fall is in the books! What a tremendous accomplishment.

You have finished the hardest part of law school. I promise it will never be as daunting or scary again. So so proud of you.

I hope you can indulge in sleep and have lots of “do nothing” and “fun” time.