Dear 1L, Learn these 5 law-firm sayings before you work in a firm/BigLaw. That way you won’t hear them, feel clueless, and be left to wonder.

🔸 “I forgot how ‘green’ they are.”

This is something more senior lawyers say after working with summers and first-year associates. “Green” means “inexperienced.”

🔸 “He tends to have a ‘heavy pencil.’”

People say this when they think an associate pads their time or counts too many hours for working on a project.

🔸 “I’m in the weeds.”

This expression derives from waitressing (and other contexts) and means you have too many tables (or cases), so you can’t chat with colleagues or take on more work.

🔸 “I’m ‘brief-blind.’”

You say this when you’re at the very end stage of writing a brief and can no longer see the typos because you’re too close to things.

🔸 “Don’t ‘drink your own Kool-Aid.’”

This admonition applies when you have completed the brief and become convinced that your client will win and has nothing to worry about.
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💌 Amanda

#Dear1L

📫 What other law-firm expressions might I teach law students about?