@akikookmt881 said:

Thank you, @xtrfalcon925, for your great advice! I hope you're doing well in law school!! 😄

It's going!!!! heh

@ninaleaoishi762oshun1 said:

@xtrfalcon925 @paulatkluu515 do you mind my asking which schools you are going to?

I'm a bit of an anomaly. Law school wise, I'm at a regional school. It was my top pick; I applied as a dual degree student and had the LSAT/GMAT under my belt. My only condition was to get full rides to both programs. Heh... needless to say my school ranks around 50 :wink:

@paulatkluu515 said:

@ninaleaoishi762 said:

@akikookmt881 said:

@ninaleaoishi762 said:

@paulatkluu515 Thank you! Do you have any links to examples of a sample law-style resume?

bump

https://law.yale.edu/student-life/career-development/students/toolkit-student-job-seekers/resume-advice-samples

I would check your law school website + other law schools. I did that to build mine. I know it can be hard to identify what is a good sample but some elements it should include: (1) academic history should be the first section (2) skills + language + interests at the bottom (but don't write anything there that you're not comfortable getting asked about by an employer) (3) Must be one page in reverse chronological order.

I recommend thinking about your resume as a writing sample. A lot of resumes run the risk of sounding robotic and unnatural so it's good to try to convey your transferable skills in a manner that's easy to understand. For me, that meant testing each bullet point to see if a high schooler with a high level of intelligence would be able to understand and repeat back to me what it is that I do and why my employers think I'm awesome ;) Take this jargontastic sentence I made up on the spot that's intended to mean nothing as an example: "Collaborating with transformation teams to integrate specialized reporting and technological analysis input mechanism to enhance user database functionality." I've worked on multiple hiring panels before and you'd be surprised how many resumes actually sound like this after you've had to review several dozen.

Ultimately, employers (of all kinds) will not spend the time to try to decipher this and you run the risk of conveying that you don't know how to write well. Think about what lawyers do; they have to take super complicated information and make it understandable to a lay person. Your resume should show that.

TAKE ADVANTAGE of all of the opportunities your school has for 0L events. This means having a good idea of what's important to you (ranking/prestige how it corresponds with your LONG TERM career goals). Specifically, if you're really considering one school's offer, you'll meet a lot of prospective students that I suggest you being normal with. They are your future classmates, colleagues, and ultimately the professionals you practice alongside (or against, as opposing counsel, or in front of, if they're judges :wink:). You'll know who you're naturally going to connect with- so on that front if socializing is uncomfortable- get used to it. You're going to have to put yourself out there. I walked away from orientation with about 4-6 people's phone numbers; made use of the facebook group the law school put together to socialize outside of school orientation week, and since my social circle has expanded and grown tighter.

In terms of connections other folks have even PRIOR to coming to law school; yeah, it happens. Granted, your school will likely have an extremely active career services/development office that puts you in in front of the same firms/attorneys/judges. Attend ALL of the functions that you're interested in, and get your foot in the door the same way. I've made connections through purely social functions, through student orgs, and these coordinated events. It's going to work out. The priority NEEDS TO BE on your first year grades. Regardless of these "connections" your school will likely have an "on campus interview" that may limit who is permitted to interview based purely on your GPA. Granted, as a regional school our "top firms" have a huge presence in other states, but once you make the cut for the interview grades have little to no bearing. It has a lot more to do with "fit" and how well you interview. Obviously those with connections are able to coax their way into a "secured" interview, or maybe even a paying position. But don't stress. Unless you have a "this is all or nothing" approach there are plenty of viable/prestigious opportunities as long as you are putting your best foot forward.

https://www.udayton.edu/law/_resources/documents/law_review/how_to_win_a_cali_award.pdf

@paulatkluu515 said:

I am in my second term of law school and there are quite a few things I wish I did before law school. Some of this is probably really obvious for some reason, no one told me to do these things before starting law school. It's possible my friends thought it was too obvious to mention :P In any case, here are some other things worth considering:

Prepare for a workload that is physically impossible to stay on top of. By that, I mean prepare yourself physically AND mentally for what that will feel like. I took a few months off before starting law school and let sleep schedule shift to ungodly hours. Don't start the year "jet lagged" like I did.

Start networking like crazy. Try to establish contacts with as many lawyers as possible and schedule coffee/lunch/job shadowing. I don't know why this caught me by surprise but I didn't realize how much of a schmooze fest law school is. I partially expected this to be a post-law school endeavor. I was wrong! Prepare for networking events to start within the first couple weeks of school starting (even during the summer). SERIOUSLY INTENSE job searching will begin by December. You will not want to make time for additional meetings while also trying to stay on top of your course work. It's also helpful to start getting used to how awkward networking is. Btw, it's not unusual to read out to a local bar association section or call a law office and ask if someone is willing to chat with you. My classmates and I do this regularly to my chagrin.

Buy a suit...or two, or three. I find it hard to make time for the dry cleaners when there's so many other things I'd rather be doing. I needed a suit by week 3 of law school for a networking event + professional head shot photo op. Don't forget that tailoring also takes time and many stores don't stock as many sizes, offering instead to order everything for you.

Revise the crap out of your resume and change it to conform to the law student template. Yep, there's a separate format that the legal industry expects. It's mostly the same as a one-page business resume. However, my career advisers wanted revisions for each experience/skill to emphasize skills and accomplishments that will be more transferable to a law firm setting.

Draft a cover letter template that emphasizes transferable skills. At least brainstorm skills or characteristics that are unique to you that all your other law school classmates won't have. This will make it easier for you to draft applicable materials when the time comes. E.g., self-sufficient, detail oriented, etc. If you end up applying for a diversity scholarship or diversity fellowship (definitely look up what that is if you don't know already), you may also need to write a personal statement or diversity statement which will have much stricter parameters than the ones used for law school. All of my friends had to draft new ones over break.

Do some interesting things over the summer so you have interesting things to talk about when you go to networking events. Particularly if you're K-JD and have little work experience, it may be a challenge to connect with professionals and compete against classmates who have a lot more work experiences than you.

Read a couple things. I recommend some leisure reading but also Legal Writing in Plain English (which I didn't read until law school) by Bryan Garner, which was helpful for understanding the types of nuances to legal writing and to get an idea of the types of assignments expected in 1L curriculum. One L by Scott Turow is also great and unfortunately a rather accurate illustration of what it feels like to be in law school. I also just like reading Elements of Style by Strunk & White every one in awhile to get a refresher. If you haven't read it, you're missing out. I know a lot of people recommend Getting to Maybe, which I read, but I actually didn't find that helpful. It sort of contextualizes the law school exam but most of the advice didn't make as much sense until I had contracts, torts, civ pro, etc. They weave the law into some examples and it's explained well but I don't think it actually helped in terms of practical application. I read it again during winter break and it was more impactful on the second read. However, I personally don't think it will really make or break your success on a law school exam. It's better to ask your professors for old copies of their exams, practice drafting short answers, and having them review them. They will give you much more constructive feedback. Most casebooks come with hypos that you can use to draft answers. All my professors recommend doing this and I think it's more insightful than the book.

Hope this helps! Good luck :)

This is by far the BEST comprehensive advice I've seen. In my second term also. I want to add:

Have your personal affairs in order. Some schools require health insurance, FYI. If you have particularized needs then make sure you're walking in with a health insurance waiver. If you're unsure what your options are search the university page for "graduate student insurance" to get policy details so you can make a wise decision. I found my school's insurance terribly overpriced with awful coverage and went through the market place... during my first week of school. What a waste of time. Heh

PROTECT YOUR ROUTINES! Gym memberships, yoga, puppies, relationships.

Learn how to meal prep. On an average class day I've got two full meals, a protein bar, and a meal substitute (protein shake). #lifeonabudget

START MAKING USE OF A PLANNER/SCHEDULER. Doesn't matter if it's written, or google calendar (my choice). You absolutely need to start blocking off huge amounts of time to ensure you are committed and focused. Just have a system in place.

@akikookmt881 said:

@paulatkluu515 said:

So I just got into my top choice for law school! I quit my job in December and have been relaxing/fooling around since. But I'm starting to get bored and feel unprepared for law school. I have all this time (Feb-August) before everything starts up again this fall and would sincerely appreciate any advice on how I could be utilizing my time wisely!

Thank you in advance!

I'm a 0L too so please take this with a grain of salt. Some say that 0L studying is worthless and we should do nothing and relax. But I personally don't want to learn about

legal concepts for the first time in class and I want to familiarize myself with the basic rules (black-letter law) of each area of law.

So I just started reading A Short & Happy Guide to Contracts (Short & Happy Guides) and I bought other Short & Happy Guides for other first-year subjects on Amazon and they're arriving soon. For Civ Pro, I bought Joseph W. Glannon's Civil Procedure: Examples and Explanations (7th Edition), which everyone seems to recommend (I bought last year so the latest version is 8th). I also bought a cheap used Barbri Conviser Mini Review, which summarizes all of the 1L subjects. And I think I'll do some practice exams after studying with these books.

I'm thinking of reading at least a couple of law school guides so I'm reading Getting To Maybe and recently bought 1L of a Ride.

@akikookmt881 YOU ARE GOING TO SLAY! For those of you going for CALI or A's this is crucial. What she's laid out is a great start. Breaking some of this into laymen's terms:

LEARNING BLACK LETTER LAW: Use the supplements. Anything will do; your professor may have a personal favorite. Ultimately it has no bearing as a 0L because your textbook + PROFESSOR'S WORD needs to be your bible (meaning, if there's a specific supplement keyed for your textbook you won't know until you get your syllabus). Creating an outline based on those two things take precedent over ANY SUPPLEMENT because those should be used just as that; to get extra practice and supplement your understanding of a concept that you're not confident on.

LEARN HOW TO MEMORIZE: If you're a flash card maker, visual learner, audio, etc. FIGURE IT OUT. I DO NOT ADVISE learning the entire course in advance, but here's a nice practical way to test your memory: pick one subject area, and a topic (e.g., torts - intentional torts; contracts - excuses for enforcement). Commit 4 hours to pounding it into your brain. You have to get to a point where you can cite it cold. Apply it using a supplement that has practice problems and see how you do!

READING CASE LAW: Enrolling at a law school will allow you access to supplements (Lexis Summaries, Quimbee, CALI, BARBRI etc.). As a 0L this is probably where I wouldn't bother doing any advance work, you're going to do a massive amount of this and everyone is likely on an even playing field unless you are gifted with photographic/exceptional memory. My recommendation: see if you can access "High Court Summaries keyed to...." This is one of the most comprehensive case law summaries I've seen.

LEARNING TO WRITE: Your school will have a preferred format, likely a variant of the "IRAC" structure. Take basic grammar (maybe advanced, lol), sentence structuring, etc. You'll be fine. Know what passive voice is, do some reading on what objective writing or objective legal analysis is and you're going to get crushed in school and learn along the way anyway.

Sending much love everyone's way as I take half an hour away from law school to relive the 7sage community. XOXO You are all amazing, beautiful people. Best of luck!

Yup. Got a bit of work in today and will tomorrow as well. Able to swap with some time to edit by this weekend :smile:

Hi Leah! Just finished a third revision of mine and am at a point where I could use a swap. Let me know if you are still interested :)

Merry Christmas, I guess! Lol

Would love it!

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 said:

@xtrfalcon925

I'm really sorry about the events yesterday morning. Glad to hear a fellow 7Sager living in LV is ok though!

Good on your for stepping up and doing something. Do you mind if I share your post on my feed?

Not at all! In fact it would be greatly appreciated. :)

@pcainti665 said:

Your last name is Falcon and that is so badass.

Thanks. Lol

Ah. For the life of me I am not sure why that link is invalid.

Facebook profile:

By Facebook: /johnny.falcon.3

Email on Facebook: xtrfalcon@gregoryalexanderdevine723

PS: I have adjusted settings on Facebook and hopefully my page is accessible to the public. I am sharing for a cause; please let me know if it appears like that isn't the case.

Very much looking forward to this!

Feedback was indeed a bit lame. Would have preferred to see a bit more of the older test analysis versus this general, by question type overview.

Interested as well if not too late.

@aaronkeegan92975 You got this! Swallowing that pill and buckling down for a second time shows tremendous growth as it is. Have confidence in this ability to remain vigilant, no matter the score on your PT. We're all in the same boat, and are here to support! You're going to do fine.

@gitanjalistevens1780 said:

As you get more Y, you get more X. As you get more X, you get more Y. This is unavoidable. If this relationship did not hold, then X and Y would not be positively correlated.

Edit: so I think the issue here is really more about what is a correlation, how will the LSAT try to imply correlation or trick you with something that sounds like a correlation but really isn't.

This was a nice way of putting it. Pay attention as to whether the premises gloss over the fact that they are indeed, correlated (by saying they are, or are inversely so) versus providing you with two events that have happened (that lead us to believe they may or may not be correlated). Just want to emphasize what Allez said when it's probably more important to understand whether they are tricking you with something that isn't actually correlated.

As to your other thoughts, you seem to have a solid understanding that I can't add much value to. I would be keen on seeing similar examples that have prompted your cause/effect relationship reversal issue to come to the forefront.

@nicholasthomas127 said:

1: Yes I did have prior exposure to Logic Games before 7sage. When I first stared studying I bought the Powerscore Logic Games Bible along with the "Powerscore Logic Games: Game Type Training (Volume 1)". I don't recommend getting the Game Type Training because it teaches you to train games by specific type instead of getting a mix like you would do during Fool Proofing. I also used a different prep company during my first time studying which also game me a list of games to do that also separated by type. Not a good experience my first time around.

2: During my original studies before officially joining 7sage, I discovered the Fool Proofing method about 2/3 of the way into my studies. When I did discover it, I basically gave half the effort I should have since I was already deep into my study. When I signed up for 7sage, I went through the Core Curriculum like normal until I got to the frime games lesson which is where I started to Fool Proof every game. Since I already knew how to do sequencing, grouping, and hybrid games, I didn't need to wait to start Fool Proofing before I got to those sections in the Core Curriculum.

@xtrfalcon925 Thanks for the questions! Hope this helps!

This is absolutely what I was looking for. It looks like our LSAT prep has been somewhat similar. With games I felt like I had a great notation strategy and I don't recall if it's from powerscore or my course whose notations are actually similar to what 7sage teaches. I'm inclined, at this point, to start aggressively fool proofing as I've at least been exposed to every game type out there several times as well, versus waiting until I finish the CC. Thanks!!

Thanks for sharing your experience Nicholas!

Questions: 1) did you have prior exposure to LG before 7sage? 2) At what point did you start the fool proofing?/Did you start fool proofing immediately after your first lesson in LG (sequencing)?

You deserve it!

I noticed this today as well. I was instantly like... "what happened to 100% :(" lol

Really, really appreciate you laying out your plans after CC. I am terrified of going over that hill as well.

Hey Tim! IMO, it sounds like you're taking the right steps when you're sitting through the timed sections. It's also amazing that you are able to have a full 5 minutes at the end while implementing a skipping strategy. Let me just ask- is finishing the section in 30 minutes worth the pacing you're at right now? I would just see if you're skipping the right questions; are those the ones you ultimately miss? If that isn't the case, I'd recommend against feeling pressured to finish the entire section the next time you sit down for a timed section. Try to focus on upping your accuracy (just spend more time up front; your last post indicated that you felt you didn't have the luxury of breaking down ALL of the stimulus). This will ultimately help you with item choices 2 and 3 you listed for yourself above. Keep your skipping strategy the same, and see where your score is at after.

I'm interested to see whether the gap between your timed and BR scores go up or down.. that should also tell you where to go next. Hope this makes sense!