They:
—read the question;
—try to figure out the answer;
—then write an essay to justify that answer.

That’s the worst thing you can do.

Instead, you should:
—read the question,
—write one side’s best arguments;

1️⃣ MISTAKE 1:
You post with a FIREWALL. 👺

You post an article you’ve written,
but you give us no info about it.
And the full article’s behind a firewall. ❌

So we can’t read it, so we don’t like it or comment on it, and we definitely don’t save it. We just scroll on.

I thought I’d share this here, too.

1️⃣ Dear 1L (this one’s by me & is written directly to a 1L, so if you only get one book, it should be this one)—Read before law school and then use as a supplement throughout the year.

The RIGHT way is below each example.

🔹 DON’T say that “the plaintiff is like the Jones case . . .”

What you mean is that your plaintiff is like the PLAINTIFF in the Jones case.

You can apply these 3 steps to test if something’s set in parallel structure:

1️⃣ Test with the stem to make sure it would make sense standing alone.

▪️ Ex:
“The tenant must provide proof of income, a photo ID, and sign the lease.”

You should set up your essays that way.

To illustrate:

Imagine Negligence as a big corporation, “Negligence, Inc.,” that has a clear corporate hierarchy.

At the top sits the President, “Negligence” herself.

But we legal writers MUST use it, even where others don’t.

RULE: DO use a comma before “and” or “or” in a list or series that has 3 or more.

❌ A, B and C
🟢 A, B, and C

❌ He walked home, ate dinner and went to bed.
🟢 He walked home, ate dinner, and went to bed.

I’ve been saying those things for 4 years.

I’ve put up maximum resistance to anyone and everyone who’s tried to get me to venture outside the LinkedIn pool.

The truth is, I’ve been too scared.

And I’m still scared.

But:

Dear 1L, I don’t give out model cover letters for a reason.

A “model” is the antithesis of what a cover letter should be.

Instead, your cover letter should scream:

“I'm different; I’m better; you want me; you want only me!”

—What’s that you say? “However, . . .” is grammatically correct?

Yeah, yeah, I know.
I still cringe.

Here’s why you should reconsider using it:

🟦 Your reader is bored.

So while I have networking tips for you below, I am mostly writing to tell you I am thinking about you.

I don’t think this fall-2025-recruiting gambit is either good or fair, and I really wish you didn’t have to be its guinea pig.

But adjust, we must.

Some firms are already interviewing 1Ls.
Others open Dec 15.
This is for 2L summer jobs.
Sound nuts? It is.

Stunned is how I felt coming out of Monday’s BigLaw recruiting panel (four major firms, hosted by Summer Associate Hub—thank you, Albert Tawil, for doing this!).

✔️ Defendants ask the Court to reconsider.
❌ Defendants request the Court to rule in their favor.
❌ Defendants move the Court to grant summary judgment.

You may “ask” the court “to” do something.
But you should NEVER “request” or “move” the court “to” do anything.

I’m sending all my 1Ls so much positive energy during this, THE hardest month of law school. 💌

Brandon Farrow

J.D. Candidate at University of Baltimore School of Law I B.A. in Political ScienceJ.D. Candidate at University of Baltimore School of Law I B.A. in Political Science

By prioritizing efficiency over mentorship, have we created a culture where editing is mechanical and learning is minimal?

I submit: Yes.

🔹 In the past, legal writing growth demanded active engagement: