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#The1Llife: NARROWING YOUR LIS[Z]T

GUEST BLOG by Dani Gies,
1L at UCLA School of Law

NARROWING YOUR LIS[Z]T, PART I (Liebestraum No.3)

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With finals rapidly approaching, I’m going to deflect by focusing on admissions and planning for law school.  For all the 0Ls out there, this is for you.

Hopefully you’ve been admitted to some schools and now you’re deciding where to go. Here are some quick tips to help focus your decision:

  1. Location: Does location matter to you? If it does, don’t be afraid to admit it. I felt like carrying about location was shallow until I realized that enduring four years of brutal winter and six months a year without sunshine and Seasonal Affect Disorder made it totally reasonable for me to want to go to school in California. Also, after spending four years away from my family and missing four years of weddings, births, and funerals, I wanted to be back in on the family action. I couldn’t be happier that I made location a major factor in my application process. Remember, you’re paying a lot of money to go through a really tough experience—you might as well like where you are while you do it.
  2. Money: Speaking of spending a lot of money, try not to. Bragging about yourself is tough for most of us, but if it’s between being humble and being in more debt, choose more brag and less debt. Let schools know about the scholarships you’ve been offered from other schools if they’re competitive, and let them know if money is holding you back from attending. I was forthcoming about both, and the schools I worked with were very understanding and willing to work with me. If you’re interested in public interest, be sure to ask detailed questions about their Public Interest Loan Forgiveness programs, if they have one. If you’re interested in PI and they don’t have a PILF program, I suggest you reconsider.
  3. Fotolia_70749474_Subscription_Monthly_XXLPeople: If you can (and you should be able to), speak with current students. Admissions officers are a great resource for the statistics and wide-view perspective, but the students are in the trenches daily. You’ll even be in classes with some of them in the future. Every student I spoke to gave me very honest feedback, and it was crucial to my decision-making. The one question I asked every student was, “If you were sick the week before finals and missed class, how would your classmates react?” If the answer was anything other than “give me their notes and be supportive,” I knew it was a community I didn’t want to be a part of. My classmates at UCLA Law are so supportive, and that is exactly the type of law school community I was looking for.

Please tweet me any questions you may have @The1Llife! More tips coming your way in the next post!

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#The3Llife: Legal Writing

GUEST BLOG by Harrison Thorne,
3L at UCLA Law

After three years in law school, two judicial externships, and a summer associate position at a big firm, I have done plenty of legal writing.  I will admit that this type of writing is not my strong-suit.  However, I have gotten pretty good at it.  Here’s how:

  1. Know what you’re talking about
    A lot of people incorrectly assume they know what they are talking about when writing legal papers.  It is very, very easy to make a mistake—especially when you cite a case without Shepardizing first, or rely on laws that have since been repealed or amended.  Make sure to do your homework before stating anything with authority.  And make sure to check your facts.
  1. Plan before writing
    Many people sit down and start writing, only to find out five pages in that their arguments don’t accurately jive with the law, or that they aren’t actually making an argument.  Planning is an art.  Don’t get so caught up in planning that you forget to actually write.
  1. Write early
    Make sure to write early enough so that you have a few days to review and edit.  Unless you are superhuman, you will not be able to proofread or edit your work the day you type it out.  You need to give yourself at least 24 hours before retuning to your paper.  Alternatively, you could have a friend review your work.  However, civilians (people not in law school and not practicing attorneys) might not understand what you are saying, and might find the style awkward.  My friends always focus on the mechanical nature of my legal writing over the substance.  I used to spend lots of time trying to explain the structure and its appropriateness.  Now, I don’t give my papers to friends.
  1. Speak with your professors/bosses/colleagues
    The person grading your paper (or reading the brief you will file in court, etc) is typically available to discuss your work.  If a professor is willing to give his or her feedback on something that he or she will grade, why would you not ask their advice?
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5 Reasons To Get Excited About BARBRI MBE Immersion

BLOG By Mike Sims,
BARBRI President

5 Reasons To Get Excited About BARBRI MBE Immersion, A New BARBRI Bar Review Experience

As finals approach, some of you are already working with BARBRI Early Start Bar Review and, let’s be honest, some are still in a bit of denial that the bar exam is quickly approaching. Whichever camp you happen to be in, all of us at BARBRI are working behind the scenes to help you get ready to #OwnTheBar this summer.

I’m excited to introduce you to a new kick-off experience to your BARBRI Bar review course. We’re calling it the MBE Immersion.

While we understand that you may not feel as excited as we do about studying for the bar exam, here are 5 reasons to get excited (or at least feel good) about the BARBRI MBE Immersion:

  1. Mean MBE scores are the lowest they have been in 10 years.
    As you’ve likely heard, more and more students are struggling with the MBE portion of the bar exam and we’re doing something to help. The first two-days of BARBRI Bar Review, BARBRI MBE Immersion, will focus solely on the tough MBE.
  1. MBE Immersion is built upon an evidence-based approach to improve law student performance on the MBE portion of the bar exam.
    The two-day deep-dive experience is designed to accelerate the pace you learn the law and, in turn, successfully answer MBE bar exam questions.
  1. MBE Immersion starts with BARBRI’s Systematic Problem Solving approach to MBE questions.
    You’ll learn secrets from MBE experts and have the chance to put those skills to work with a specially selected set of MBE questions.
  1. It introduces you to the most frequently tested topics.
    The MBE Immersion takes you subject-by subject through each of the MBE topics and is the best way to start acquiring, applying and assessing your MBE knowledge.
  1. It provides you with a mental framework for the large amount of law you need to master for the MBE.
    Nothing replaces that work that you have to personally put into studying for the bar exam, but it, along with every part of BARBRI Bar Review, is designed to help you maximize every second of study time so you can study smarter, not harder.

And best of all, the MBE Immersion is included with your BARBRI Bar Review course. Join the over 25,000 members of the class of 2016 who have already chosen BARBRI Bar Review to #OwnTheBar.

All of us at BARBRI look forward to helping raise your MBE score and seeing your name on the pass list this fall.

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#The2Llife: Where The Going Gets Tough

GUEST BLOG by Lauren Rose,
2L at University of Detroit Mercy

*Cue the horror movie music*  Finals are almost here.

This is where the going gets tough.  The entire semester leads up to the end, the final exam, the finale. Now is the time to buckle down and start hitting the books. Here are a few of my tips for final exams.

  1. combinedAsk for outlines. It is so beneficial to ask other students for outlines. Ask students who took the class before you for a copy of their outline. Your school may even have copies of outlines in an outline bank. As always, make sure to edit the outline with updated cases and class notes!
  2. Review BARBRI videos. I cannot stress this enough for your main courses. Barbri finds a way to condense an entire semester worth of information into short, informational videos. During 1L year, these videos were a lifesaver.  I am currently watching the evidence video and it has been very helpful.
  3. Review commercial supplements. If you’re in need of more information, check out a commercial supplement. These books break down the subject into incredible detail. I find it helpful to look at supplements when I am unclear about a topic or want to learn more about it.
  4. Find what works for you. I like to write things down. I study by writing, rewriting, and rewriting my outlines 17,000 times. I also make flashcards to memorize big topics. However, I know a lot of people do not like to write things down. Figure out something that works for you and stick to it!

Good luck on finals! Do you have any tips or tricks for law school finals? Tweet me @The2LLife!

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#The3Llife: Planning Ahead for Finals

GUEST BLOG by Harrison Thorne,
3L at UCLA Law

Finals are around the corner.

Many law students will begin spending longer hours in the library. Panic will ensue. Instead of joining the masses, here are my suggestions:

  1. Prioritize what matters.
    Reading for classes is very important. However, late in the game, finals prep is more important. If you have not begun outlining, then I would suggest allocating your time that way instead of meticulously reading every page and underlining/highlighting key phrases. Think about it—how many times have you gone back and looked at what you highlight?! Instead of reading, consider getting a Quimbee account and reading well-written case briefs.
  2. Collect past outlines.
    Many schools have outline databases. If your school does not, reach out to former students, or search for outlines on an online outline-bank (they’re out there).
  3. Meet with teachers.
    This cannot be emphasized enough. Teachers are the people writing and grading the test. If you speak with them about any and everything you don’t understand, you will be ahead of the game.
  4. Take practice tests.
    Many students wait until they feel sufficiently prepared before even considering practice tests. This is a mistake. Do not take practice tests before you have done any preparation, but do not wait until the day before the test, either.
  5. Stay calm.
    A lot of law students turn into piles of anxiety during “finals season.”  Do not do this.  Worrying excessive does not change your test date or help you study. In fact, worrying causes decreased memory retention, and ruins your life! A bit of healthy fear is fine, but do not freak out.  And do not look at what other people are doing. Do your own thing, work hard, and let the results fall where they fall.
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