law school

Commencement Speech Addresses Social Consequences of a Legal Education

by Bitter Editor on May 22, 2013 in Video

It may be a couple of years old, but Leighton Davis’s speech at her Law School Graduation is still relevant. Her humorous reflection on her law school experience will resonate with law graduates of the past, present, and future. She is able to articulate themes that have pervaded discussions of law school and law students [...]

No Experience Offered

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by The Northwest 3L on April 23, 2013 in Columns

As legal employers increasingly fault law schools for failing to prepare their students for the actual practice of law, law schools have responded with an increasing array of student requirements that appear relevant without actually requiring the law school to provide any of that pesky practical experience that most professors don’t actually have. For example, [...]

Going to Law School Again

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by Not an Elle on April 16, 2013 in Columns

About a month into this semester, a classmate told me he “almost wished he could do law school again.” Cue my wide eyes and partially-dropped jaw. At the time, we were less than four months from our law school graduation. As a class, we have spent the last five semesters commiserating together, and I don’t [...]

7 Deadly Sins of Law School

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by The Northwest 3L on April 10, 2013 in Columns

Everything has its own special variations on the classic seven deadly sins and law school is no different. The sins, of course, are always the same, but the manifestations vary.

Avoid the Agony of a Law School Reunion

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by Law Firm 10 on April 3, 2013 in Columns

Q: My law school reunion is coming up (it’s our tenth) and I’m on the fence about going. I’ve been moderately successful in practice but am now actively trying to dump practicing law entirely, with limited success. While I loath having to be around a bunch of lawyers at an “old-fashioned cocktail reception” and reunion [...]

The 3L Exit Interview (and Survey)

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by Not an Elle on April 2, 2013 in Columns

As part of my graduation 3L experience, I have the (mandatory) opportunity to participate in an exit interview. I’m not sure if my school has done this before; I don’t care if they do it again. I do know that I have to spend 15 minutes with an assistant dean I’ve never met sometime this [...]

How to Finish Law School In the Middle of the Pack

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by The Northwest 3L on March 28, 2013 in Columns

With the end of my J.D. classes rapidly approaching, I’ve started to think about what I wish I’d known coming into this bullshit incredibly rewarding process. There are plenty of lists out there for how to succeed at law school, instructions on what to do in the great variety of situations that a law student will [...]

Law School: What You’re Really Paying For

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by Not an Elle on March 19, 2013 in Columns

As my law school career draws to a close, and I realize so many of my friends without degrees are making more money now than I will when I graduate and (if I find a job) start working, I’ve increasingly thought about the actual costs of law school. What exactly am I paying for here? [...]

Top 5 Reasons Why Attorneys Become Litigators

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by Grey Bitter on March 6, 2013 in Columns

Litigation is the common path for most young attorneys. In law school, the vast majority of subjects are taught through case law, i.e., litigation. In fact, most transactional courses are presented through the litigation lens: contracts, debtor/creditor, real estate transactions, etc. So it’s no surprise that most law school grads head straight to the litigation [...]

Making Friends in Law School

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by Not an Elle on March 5, 2013 in Columns

One of the things I didn’t think of when I was thinking of going to law school was how I would have to make new friends. I recognized, of course, that I wouldn’t recognize anyone there. But I forgot that I’d have to remember how to make friends, that this wouldn’t be some continuation of [...]