February 27, 2017

How to Skip A Law School Class

10 things to do before you skip a law school class | brazenandbrunette.com

I know I'm supposed to be encouraging y'all to have perfect attendance, but sometimes life happens and you need to miss a class. Yes, it is possible to miss a law school class. In college this was nbd but if you're going to miss class in law school, you should be strategic about it so it doesn't end up hurting you.

Try not to skip

I know this isn't exactly step one of skipping class, but I have to caveat this post with my own opinions about skipping. Law professors go over a lot of information in each class so you really are missing out if you miss class. So really, the best way to be able to skip class for something important is to go as much as possible when there's not an important reason to skip.

Read the syllabus

I know you already read your syllabus at the beginning of the year, but double check to make sure you know exactly how many absences you get! And make sure you read it carefully – does it say 4 absences and then your grade gets docked, or your grade gets docked on your 4th absence? See, this is a big difference! 

Try to convince yourself to go to class

Not to be a mom, but sometimes you don't want to go to class and staying in bed all day sounds amazing and on those times you need to give yourself a kick in the butt and make yourself go. If you want to read about how I would end up going to class even though I wanted to skip, check out my 1L in Review post

Don't use up your absences too fast

One thing that helps me go to class is that my professors generally allow 4 absences and there's about 4 months worth of school, so I try to limit myself to one time a month. Because of this, I usually save my absences during the first week or so of each month juuuust in case I end up needing it more later in the month. Seriously, the worst thing that you want to happen is have something big like an interview that you need to skip to get ready for but you can't because the week before you were hungover or something.

Keep track of the days you miss

In all of my classes so far, attendance isn't "for a grade" but your grade is negatively affected if you miss too many classes. I highly recommend that you keep track of what classes you miss and on what days so you don't end up missing 5 MWF classes because you thought you remembered one of your absences to be on a TR day. You can see an example of how I use my planner to keep up with these in my The Best Planner for Law School post

Study ahead

In college if you missed class, it'd be fine because you probably wouldn't miss anything important but that's no longer the case here. By the next time you go to class, you'll be completely confused and then now you're behind. As soon as you can, try to do the readings for the class that you're going to miss so that you're not stuck doing double reading (which could be almost 100 pages!) for your next class. It also wouldn't hurt to try to check a supplement like Quimbee or something to try to watch a video over what you missed.

Don't skip the hard days

If you do your readings and are completely confused, then really you should go to class unless there's an emergency reason for why you're skipping. Most people have the light bulb go off as someone is explaining it to them. Also, make sure that the day you're skipping isn't anything important like the day a professor has a quiz or a handout planned.

Email your professor

If you do have an important reason to miss, it is just courteous to email your professor and let them know what class you will be missing and why. Since it's super common for law professors to cold call during class, this just lets them know to not bother calling on you that day. I wouldn't recommend asking them to tell you what you're missing in class because they'll probably just be annoyed and tell you to ask a friend. But I do recommend you ask them to let you know if they make any special announcements or anything like that. Here's what I said once —

Subject: Monday's Wills and Trust Class

Professor James,

I just wanted to let you know that I won't be in attendance for Wills [here you can specify either your section or class time just in case your professor has more than 1 of the same class] tomorrow because I have a summer internship interview and the only time that they would be able to see me is during this class time. I've already read pages 253-277 for that day, but I would appreciate it if you let me know I miss any important announcements from class. I'll see you on Wednesday! 


Ask for notes

The #1 rule at the beginning of each semester is to make sure that you have the number for at least one person in every class that you have. Luckily this is easy as a 1L because you have the same people in all of your classes. Text them ahead of time if you can letting them know you won't be there and ask them for a copy of their notes. I say do it before instead of after class because for me personally I take kinda sloppy notes but when I know that someone else will be looking at them later, I'll make sure they're more easily understood. 

Don't panic and think that they won't help you out or will try to sabotage you in some way because really law school isn't like those crazy rumors and if they do try any of that crap then cut that person out of your life because it takes a village to do well in law school. But really though, most decent human beans won't mind taking a picture of their notebook or copying and pasting their notes into an email for you. They'll have your back because they want to know you'll have their back if they ever have to skip too.





Also, make sure that after class you double check with them after class to see where they're at in the readings. It will help when you come back to class if you know whether your professor fell behind or got ahead on the syllabus.

Check for slides

I know this sounds like a lot, but it's just because law classes go over a lot of material in one day and if you're not being this extra then you could start to fall behind. If you do the readings on your own, get a friend's notes, and check the slides, then it should be almost like you didn't miss at all. I suggest getting the notes and looking at the slides because sometimes one will explain what you read in the other better. For example if in the notes they have the answer to a hypo problem that your professor went over, then reading that hypo off the slides is a must. Remember that you're trying to get a complete picture of everything that was covered that day in class.

Final Thoughts 

I know this is probably overkill, but being in law school makes you take all of these extra steps so you're not screwed. And although I said to try not to skip when you can, remember that you do have these absences and you shouldn't feel guilty for using them! Even if it's just because you're feeling stressed and need to take a day off, that's ok! Honestly sometimes I realize that I haven't used my monthly absence so I'll decide to take a 3-day weekend and I look forward to it all week 😊

February 24, 2017

Law School Podcast

Hey guys so today my "guest post" comes from a collaboration between me and Chance from Law School Outlines! Recently he reached out to me and invited me to be apart of his weekly podcasts (find those here) and obviously I was super excited to do it. Some things we talked about:

How the LSAT relates to law school finals and the Bar exam 
The one surprising thing I encountered when I was transferring law schools 
And how to stay humble through the good grades and motivated through the bad grades 

A little about today's collaborator Chance, an attorney in Fort Worth
Created Law School Outlines to connect with and tutor law school students
Law School: Oklahoma City University School of Law, Class of 2015
Undergrad: Texas State University
Major: Communication Studies
Minor: English

You can click below to hear our conversation, but you can also find all of his podcasts on iTunes! I hope y'all enjoy it 😊 (P.S. -- if the podcast doesn't work, you can use this direct link)




February 20, 2017

Why I Decided To Go To Law School

why I decided to go to law school and what I love most about law school | brazenandbrunette.com

Hello again! Today I finally decided to share with y'all my story of why I decided to go to law school just for any undergrad who is still considering signing up for this major life change or anyone out there who was just generally curious.


Why Law School

My "why law school" story actually isn't all that great so I hated trying to work it in to my personal statement and still kinda hope that no one asks me about it in an interview because truthfully, I just kinda decided law school on a whim. It wasn't exactly like a Legally Blonde "I think I'll go to law school today" whim but also I definitely am not one of those people who had this great moment in my life that impacted my decision to come here. 

My freshman year I was an extreme type-A person who had my whole life planned out. I was going to be married by 21, a doctor by 26, a mom before 30, and have my own practice by 35... But by the end of the first semester of my freshman year, I was heartbroken and had failed chemistry so my life plan kinda fell apart. I realized that the only reason I was upset was because I had set all these unattainable goals for myself so I decided to become a go with the flow kinda of person. 

The next semester I was complaining to a friend about retaking chemistry and she told me that she didn't have to take that class because she was going to be a lawyer and there were no prerequisite classes for law school (ironically she actually ended up switching to pre-med). My mom had always joked that I'd make a great lawyer because I'm very argumentative so I started to consider law school a little more seriously.

I joined the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta and loved it when we had lawyers come talk about what they actually do. One day we had a panel of current law students come talk to us and I remember this one 3L talking about how she decided to go to law school because she's a lesbian and one day decided that participating in rallies wasn't enough for her so she decided to be a lawyer to work for her cause from the inside. Obviously my story isn't as great as hers, but I loved the idea of the real power that comes from being a lawyer.

And that was kinda that. By the time that I was applying to law schools, I just had this gut feeling that I was doing what I was supposed to be with my life and that being a lawyer was meant for me. Two years later, I'm still just going with the flow and have kinda decided that I want to do business/commercial law but have absolutely no reason except for that I just like it so why not. 


Why I Stay in Law School

First things first, I have come to realize this week that there are two kinds of people in law school — ones who love it (me) and ones who really really don't like it. At first I just thought it was 3L's having senioritis and wanting to be done with school already, but recently I met a girl who was explaining why she sincerely doesn't like it and now I realize that there actually are a lot of people who would drop out but they want to be a lawyer that bad that they stick it out for 3 years. I mean remember how Nick Miller from New Girl dropped out his 2L year because he hated it? I respect their commitment to being lawyers and really feel bad that they're not enjoying it as much as I am. 

I think the reason why I enjoy it so much and kinda have the attitude that everyone should go to law school is that I genuinely love the challenge of it. That's not to say that I love law school all the time because I definitely don't. Some days I cry because I'm stressed and other days I have to scream into a pillow because I'm so frustrated. Frustrated at professors, frustrated at classmates, frustrated at the casebook author, at the majority's opinion, at the dissenting's opinion, at a certain subject, at the deadlines. It's hard most of the time, tbh. Think of it like college except for you're studying for finals all semester instead of just two weeks and there aren't any frat parties for you to go to after a bad week.

On the flip side, I love that I'm finally learning something that new all the time. Not to be braggy, but in college I felt like most of what I was learning was something that I could figure out on my own. For example, one time I took anthropology and honestly I already knew most of the things we learned from reading an article about it or watching an episode of National Geographic. But here in law school, almost everything I learn is brand new. 

The self-satisfaction you feel after the challenge of learning some hard concept is amazing. And I love that what I'm learning is real-world applicable. I mean honestly I'll probably never use what I learned in most of my undergrad classes again, but I can use my legal knowledge all the time! That's another thing I like, that the legal profession is one where you're always learning. I like this because I still am a perfectionist so I'm always wanting to improve myself.

Lastly, I just love the power that the law gives you. Just like the girl who visited my pre-law meeting, I can change laws one day if I want to, or I have the chance to help someone be righted for a wrong. The other day this very rude man in a Walmart parking lot got heated at me and yelled "I'm going to sue you!" (it was really over nothing, don't worry) and I turned right back around and said "Oh yeah? Under what theory??" If I hadn't gone to law school, I probably would've cried when a huge man was yelling at little 5'2 me, but I wasn't intimidated by him because I knew better. And when my old landlord initially didn't want to give me my deposit money back, I wrote him a nice little letter like I'd learned in my legal writing class and informed him of the various statutes he was violating and he suddenly changed his mind about keeping my money. Again, if I hadn't gone to law school there's no way that I would've had the confidence to stand up for myself against a business owner. 

Final Thoughts

I know my story isn't exactly going to motivate anyone to come to law school, but I hope it helps anyone out there not be dissuaded from coming here. Sure some students' parents and grandparents are lawyers and that's all they've ever dreamed about being, but you don't have to have this big compelling reason to decide to come to law school. Sometimes you just know. So if you're up for a challenge (and no, I don't use that word lightly here), then maybe you'll end up loving law school, too.

February 17, 2017

The Law School Binder System


how to use a binder system to study in law school | brazenandbrunette.com

Today I'm back with another guest post! I'm especially excited for this one because its actually by my DG little (yes obviously I had to find the pre-law girl lol). I've been bugging her to guest post on here ever since I found out that she was going to be taking a law class and I'm glad she finally caved! If you have a great law school experience you'd like to share, use the contact form (on the bottom right) and let me know!


A little about today's writer Jordin from Petite Thoughts

School: Texas Tech University (Junior)
Major: Public Relations

This is the system I developed (or claim to) for my first ever law school class. I personally believe this to be the most fool-proof way to do well in any law class.
To preface, the Texas Tech Honors College allows their undergraduate students to either enroll in an early acceptance program to Tech Law or allows juniors and seniors to take law classes pass/fail for upper-level seminar credit and the possibility to “test out” of law classes at Tech.
I can honestly say this was one of the most daunting experiences of my life. I took an actual law class (holler at me Torts Section 2) with an actual law prof, for actual law credit. Sitting in a room four days a week with a bunch of actual law students who are actually smart and a retired JAG attorney, made me want to have a nervous breakdown weekly. Also, as an MCOM major, I am not particularly used to classes with heavy reading or that rely on tests- most of my classes are essay and project based so this was a whole new challenge for me.
Even though I only had to make a D in this class, there was still a lot of pressure to do well. For starters, what if I was actually so stupid that I didn’t even make a D? And if I couldn’t do well at Tech, I probably wouldn’t do well anywhere. Honor’s professors talk and my prof was the interim dean, so if I applied some day, he’d probably remember I was an idiot.
I was honestly shooting for that C+ to not have to take Torts at Tech someday, and I would’ve been satisfied with that. However, I received one of the highest grades in that class, with one of the hardest professors, AS AN UNDERGRAD. While I will not disclose my actual grade, I received a glowing commendation from my professor. I can 100% guarantee that my success in this class (and domination of actual law students) was due to my system that I have outlined below:
  1. I started by reading every night, which got me ahead in the early weeks where my prof was going slow and I didn’t have a lot going on. Just keep doing the assigned reading- it’ll pay off.
  2. I read each case all the way through and did nothing
  3. Next, I go back and highlight with a color coded system and read the case notes along with the cases.
  4. Next, I added a sticky note to every case with the issue and conclusion. If your teacher cold calls, the highlight system with a sticky note will be pretty foolproof.
  5. Last, I go through and brief every case. (At this point I’ve read or skimmed each case about 4 times)
  6. Make your outlines as you cover each topic. Not only are your notes fresh, it is a good way to review before moving on to the next section. Also, if you want to wait to make your outlines in November… well good luck figuring that out.
  7. This last step seems excessive, but I found it EXTREMELY effective come finals time: take all of your briefs and your outlines and organize them in a binder as you go through the course. I had my outline, then all of the cases I briefed that related to the outline topic after for reference. Then I added tabs so I could navigate quickly from battery to negligence.
  8. Over Thanksgiving break I went through the binder and highlighted (again by a system) the important info and any cases that would be pertinent to reference on the final.
  9. After this, I flipped through the binders MAYBE twice a week and sort of forgot about Torts since it was pass/fail and I wanted an A in my other classes. By this time I legitimately knew the material, all I had to do was memorize my attack outline and I killed it.
(Side note: I highly recommend Evernote, it made it really easy to organize my notes)
I realize this seems like the most excessive 9-step plan to take a law class, but I barely studied for the final and made one of the highest grades… as an undergrad. I will admit, I probably had more time to read than most law students, but that being said even a modified version of this would probably get you close to where I did.
I’m not here to brag, I just wanted to share the system I thought worked the best for me and hopefully works for you too! If you have any questions, want my notes etc., want to talk about Tech law, or any thing else legal related, feel free to reach out to me!
let's be friends!

February 12, 2017

A Law Student's Study Schedule

As a law student, I spend 7 hours every day either in class or reading for class... | brazenandbrunette.com

To be honest with y'all, last semester was probably the easiest semester I'll ever have in law school. For two of my classes there was practically no reading. If you're a 1L, you'll know how amazing and rare that is. And for the other two classes, the reading was very light and only took about an hour and a half each day. In case you don't know, that's way below normal. On top of that, I didn't even have Friday classes at all. It was so easy I kinda regret not saving it until my last semester, but I was grateful to have this as an easy transition semester into my new school.

This semester is completely different. I realize that the "work you to death" of the saying is referring to more extra circulars than classwork. I know a girl who is on a journal and in a clinic. And another girl who participated in a national competition for the Board of Barristers and also is on a journal. How they do it, I have no clue but I feel bad for their sleep schedule/social life. But my semester is still kicking my butt. I'm taking two procedure classes and just like Civ Pro all class consists of is rules, rules, rules. And I have two other classes that are really rule heavy. Only one of my classes is just a normal, read the case and find what you should know. In case you're keeping track, yep that's 16 hours that I'm taking.

So all of this has made me into a more responsible person. I am now one of those people who gets to the library at 9 am and reads before class, then spends her lunch break in the library eatings and reading before my next class, and then staying after my last class to do a little more reading. For the past year and a half I just couldn't stay at school and focus on studying for so long at once and instead would go to class, come home and have a break from the law, and then would study before going to bed. But now as a 2L, professors expect me to cover a lot more readings each night. One of my Tuesday/Thursday classes goes through a chapter a class! On top of that, all of my classes but one require me to have a statute book and a case book so this semester I'm lugging around 9 books!


snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com


New semester, new study habits

I realized that I had too much reading to use my old study schedule so I switched it up to fit this semester and I'm very happy. Here's why I'm glad that I switched from class-relax-study to study-class-relax. First off I've noticed that once I just accept the fact that I'm a nerdy try hard and embrace the library, I get a lot more done because my motivation is higher when I just keep studying rather than allow myself to slack and then try to find motivation again. Also I can enjoy my chill time a lot more when I know that I'm not about to have to start reading again. I also sleep better now because instead of procrastinating and staying up late reading, as soon as it hits my bed time it's lights out. For sure tho the best part is just being done in the afternoons and not having to think about school for the rest of the day!

Since this is an update, I decided to show y'all what my typical day is now because it's changed a lot since I was a 1L. Specifically, because I get to the library early and read during my breaks, once I leave the school I'm usually done with studying for the day and have the rest of my evenings to myself. If you're curious how my daily schedule was when I was doing a class-relax-study schedule, here's my previous post A Day in the Life of a Law Student. And since I haven't posted a "snapchat of a law student" in a while, journey with me through this Wednesday and see what it's like to go from 9-4 without a break. Studying = major key.

Reading - Trial Procedure

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

Even though my first class isn't until 11, I try to get to the library by 9 and get to going. For my Trial Pro class I had to read pages 115-136 and 170-174. My readings still take me a while, mainly because I have to take a lot of notes about the steps for a part of trial from the book so it slows me down.

Reading - Evidence

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

As for evidence - I normally have that class on Monday's and Friday's and during this time I'll do my reading. Since I don't have it on Wednesdays but I'm at the library anyways, I use this time to type up my notes from my book and class notes since my evidence professor doesn't allow laptops in her class.

My local book store sells notebooks with an extra-wide margin and I'm really starting to love it because I can use the "Cornell method" to take my notes. The bookstore calls this "law margin" but you can find them as Cornell notebooks if you're interested in getting one. On the left side I'll put the black letter law and on the right side I'll elaborate more and add cases and examples.


a law student's study schedule | brazenandbrunette.com

Related: How I Take Notes

Class - Trial Pro

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

One thing that I've noticed that I like about reading an hour or so before class is that all of the information is still fresh in my mind so if I get cold called to go over a case, I'm not as likely to get it confused with any of the other cases.


Lunch/ Reading - Criminal Procedure 

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

I used to drive home for lunch since I get an hour and only live a few minutes away from school, but I've gained like 30 minutes back in my day since I'm not walking to my car and driving home and then driving back and walking back to school. It's a little thing, but I'm glad I'm not wasting time anymore.My school has study carrels in the library so I have my own that I share with 3 other transfer students. I bring my lunch and then will just hole up in my carrel and read for later that day. For my crim pro class I had to read pages 199-232. 

Last semester when I was studying mostly at home, I just used my study carrel as a locker to store all of my statute books. Now that I spend all day at the school, my carrel has become my own little room so I've started storing the essentials there. Here's what I keep in mine (besides the obvious 20 books) -

Book stand - after reading for a few hours in a row, my neck will start hurting from looking down so this sets my book up so I can read without straining my neck
Travel lotion - some law books have this weird paper that dries out my hands
Travel Tylenol - for the rough days
Jacket - I made sure to get one that's a full zip instead of a pullover so that it won't mess up my hair. I also went ahead and got one that's a size too big so that I can use it as a little blanket when I don't want to full on wear it
Small hair brush - since I'm at the school all day I always end up needing this. I also keep a spare hair tie and a few bobby pins as well
To-go eyeshadow and travel-sized mascara - ok not going to lie already once this semester I was running late so I had to quickly do my makeup at school since I had a meeting with a professor and didn't want to look like I just woke up. This eyeshadow is surprisingly good!
Snacks - I usually alternate between trail mix and peanut butter crackers for the days when I'm extra hungry

Pro Bono/ Reading - Professional Responsibility 

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I normally have Evidence at this time, but that class doesn't meet on Wednesdays. Since I had an hour break, I signed up to get some pro bono time in. I'm not sure if other states have it, but in Texas how I get my pro bono is through volunteering for a legal help website

What it is is a website where people can find forms to do legal work for themselves for free if they can't afford a lawyer. I'm basically like customer support where if someone can't find what they're looking for they go to this chat and I find it for them. Like for example, they're wanting a divorce but don't know where to start so I'll send them links to our information sheet on how to file a divorce yourself and send them the forms they'll need to fill out. It's pretty easy because all you have to do is listen to their problem and then figure out what they're needing and connect them with it. Also, it's an easy way to get a lot of pro bono hours because for this semester and last semester I've been getting in two hours every week so that adds up fast.

Related: 8 different ways to get pro bono hours

I also get some reading in while I'm doing this. Usually while I'm waiting for them to type out what they're looking for or whatever, I have time to read a few paragraphs. I do my professional responsibility (it's an ethics class that's required by the ABA) reading during this hour because the reading is easy. On this day I just had to read pages 185-196 and then IRAC out a problem issue.


Class - PR

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

I have the same professor for evidence and PR which I don't mind because my professor is great, but unfortunately she doesn't allow computers in this class either. PR is my favorite class this semester because most of the time we'll read a hypo and then people will debate over whether this lawyer broke a PR rule or not, and then discuss what we'd do in this situation. It's a lot more relaxed than your typical cold calling or going over cases in a lecture. Last semester I was in a group project for my Wills class and now 2 of the members from that group are in my evidence, PR, and crim pro so on Mondays and Fridays and we have 3 hours worth of class in a row together. This just goes to show you to always try to get along with your group!

Related: Everything you need to know about the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam

Class - Crim Pro

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

My latest class this semester is my Crim Pro and if my professor wasn't so engaging I know I'd be falling asleep during it just because it's right there at the mid-day slump. This professor in particular is very traditional and when he cold calls on you, he still does a full socratic method. The socratic method has gotten easier for me after my 1L year because now I know what professors mean by their questions so I spend less time trying to figure out what they are asking and can just go straight to thinking about what the answer is. But I still pull up the case briefs in class just in case.


snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

And finally by 4 I'm done for the day. Since I'll get to the library early again the next day, once I'm out of my last class then I'm done with reading for that day and have from 4-10 completely free (on my Tuesday/Thursdays I get done at 4 but stay at the library to work on anything that I didn't get done that morning or get started for my Wednesday/Friday assignments). I've found that I like this so in the evenings I don't have to be stressed over needing to read and doing chores around the house. I also like that I can just mentally check out from the law and return to a normal civilian life instead of having to be a law student practically all day every day.

Weekends - Review

snapchats of a law student | brazenandbrunette.com

I started out this semester again trying to read a little on the weekend so I don't have to read as much during the week, but now that I'm better about working my reading in throughout the day I no longer do that. However I will admit that the one downside that I've found about only reading before/in between classes is that sometimes there's a time crunch to get the reading done in the allotted hour. The times that I've had this problem was when the material was particularly tedious.

Now what I do on the weekends just depends on what all material I've gone over during the week. Since 4/5 of my classes are heavily dependent on memorizing codified law, I usually will make flashcards for the rules I just learned. Later, I plan to switch to spending some weeks doing this and on other weeks I'll just simply review the flashcards. Since half of my classes are core classes, I usually try to watch a video from Quimbee if they have one about whatever we went over in class this week. I also will eventually get started on my outlines and updating them, but it's too soon for me to get started on that yet. 

Related: How I Study on the Weekends


February 10, 2017

What to Put on a Law School Application Resumé

free law school sample resumés. law school application resumé | brazenandbrunette.com

Recently one of my readers emailed me asking about what to put in her resumé and I realized that I haven't talked much about the application process so I figured I'd share what I put on my resumé when I was first applying and then applying to transfer. Application resumés can be hard because they're a little different than a job resumé and I know from experience that if you Google law school resumé all they have as examples is someone who was super involved in undergrad and when they got their masters and oh yeah they have like 10 years of experience working in the legal field. This is a little more realistic post.

From Undergrad to Law School

So here's everything what mine had:

Heading
Just like everything you put on a job resumé

Education 
My school name and location, graduation date, degree, minors, and GPA

Honors and Scholarships  
Scholarship I was awarded because of my ACT score and the GPA I maintained to keep that, and that one time I made the deans list (with dates)

Leadership experience 
I tried really hard to make being in a sorority and pre-law fraternity sound like I was really involved when really I just chose what flowers we'd use one day during recruitment (dates again)

Extracurricular activities 
This is where I put those organizations that you get in to based on your GPA but only meet like once ever and that I was a part of my school's pre law program too (dates)

International experience 
Where I studied abroad and where I worked during my internship for one of my classes. a friend of mine hard participated in our school's DC internship at the Capitol so she put that here and I just kinda copied that section of hers :)

Volunteer experience 
Basically just all of the philanthropy participation I had to do because of my sorority and fraternity

If I had any legal experience like working at a law office or shadowing a judge, I definitely would've added that in here and put it towards the top because it is the second most relevant part after my education. If you have it, good for you. If you don't, just know that it's not going to ruin your chances. You also might consider having career services take a glance at your resumé before you submit it to get any tips on how to improve your wording.

On this note I'd like to add that a lot of people tend to get super involved their junior/senior year once they decide they want to go to law school so they try to make their resumé sound great. My word of caution is don't get too involved and sacrifice your grades for it. Grades & LSAT > rec letters > resumé  Just to put things in perspective. Also it looks better to be really involved in a few things than barely involved in a ton of things. 

Related: 0L Advice

law school sample resume | brazenandbrunette.com



If you're interested in seeing what other law students did for their resumé, then check out
Telling Twenty's Application Process: Step-by-step and


From Law School to Law School

Heading 
Shocker 

Education 
Law school name and location with GPA and class rank first, undergrad second just like what was in ^that^ one

Extracurricular activities 
The scholarship I got and the information similar to ^^, my participation in my 1L moot court, and that I volunteered for this event that my professor held

Organizations and memberships 
The two organizations I joined my 1L year

Legal experience 
My summer internships. I put the information just like I have on my job resumé too about my job requirements. 


Language skills
I got a degree in Spanish so yeah everyone is going to know that

If I had been on the ball my 1L year and did pro bono service, I definitely would've listed that on here. I feel like that looks a lot better to a school but again, if you have it great, if you don't obviously it won't ruin your chances.  

Related: 6 Steps to Transferring Law Schools


law school sample transfer resume | brazenandbrunette.com

February 6, 2017

How to Build a Lawyer Wardrobe

Lawyer and law school outfit ideas including skirt suits, pant suits, blouses, work heels, work flats, and work totes | brazenandbrunette.com

These past few weeks back at school I have been busy applying and interviewing for summer clerk positions because here at my school it's time for Spring OCIs (on campus interview). I missed out on the Fall OCIs because a lot of those were nabbed during the summer, so now I'm trying to play catch up. Since I'm broke right now, I'm slowly trying to build up my wardrobe by buying like one or two things every couple of months so that when I do get a job I'll have everything I need.

Related: Internship Interview Prep


Skirt Suit

Right now I only have one skirt suit but I eventually want to have a few on hand. Skirt suits are more traditional and more conservative than pant suits so this is usually what I wear for an interview just to err on the subtle side. Panty hose is starting to not be a thing anymore so I usually don't wear it but if your from requires it, I've been told to get skin colored ones instead of black. 

The most traditional color is black but navy and gray are generally accepted and are even okay for court. I take my suit jackets in to get hemmed so that the sleeves aren't too long to make my suit perfect for my body. One tip that I've been given on suits is don't dry clean it until it gets dirty because it'll help it last longer.

Pant Suit

I also have one pant suit that I bought with my skirt suit as a set so the material and the shade of black match perfectly so my jacket can be interchangeable. In general, go a size up to prevent bunching around your crotch or being inappropriately tight in your butt. Fit it to your thighs and then for about $20 you can have it taken in at the waist and hemmed. When I get closer to graduating I think I'm going to ask my mom to help me buy a nice custom tailored Ann Taylor suit!

Don't get a suit to be "fun" or "show your personality" or stand out." The suit should say "I'm a professional" and your attitude and personality can show the rest. I know this sounds strict, but lawyers are generally expected to be one of the most conservative in the business style.

Blouses

Get white, off-white, blush, or nude shirts for interviews and other big days. If you're looking for a little color, I've been told that powder blue is your best option for that. Later down the road once you get the feel of your firm, you can go with other colors. Jewel tones like sapphire, emerald, ruby, or amethyst are great power colors without being overpowering. If you get the right top, it can be worn under a suit jacket or with editor pants and a blazer for less formal business outfits.


Business Professional Dresses

For just regular days at the office, usually you can get away with a nice dress. I tend to love the wrap, sheath, and pencil shapes because they're flattering without being inappropriate. Always make sure the dress has a little sleeve, isn't too tight, doesn't end more than about an inch above the knee, and doesn't have a pattern that is too bold and is distracting. 

Related: The Difference Between Business Professional and Business Casual


Black Heels

My black heels were the first thing I added to my business professional wardrobe because they can go with almost everything. Make sure that the heel no more than 3.5 inches. Stay away from heels that have a platform because it's not very professional. Also, don't get open-toed shoes. Most importantly, make sure that the shoes you get are comfortable! It's worth it to invest a little more for shoes that you can work long days in while you run around the office.



Nude Heels

Next after the black heels, you need a pair of nude heels. Technically I have a pair of nude heels from my recruitment days, but they're a little too high for the business world and are in pretty rough shape after years of stacking. Nude heels are great for dresses or other colorful outfits so a new pair is the next thing on my list.






Black Flats

Warning: I've been told to avoid flats for interviews and the courtroom. I saved up for a pair of Tory Burch Reva flats and love them! I wear them on less dressy days to work or on dressy days will wear them walking from my car to the courthouse and then will throw them in my bag and change into heels when I get there. They also look great with skinny jeans for class!


Nude Flats 

My 2L year I invested in another pair of Tory flats, a nude Jolie bale slipper. I think the Jolie are more comfortable on my toes than the Revas, if any of y'all are trying to decide. Thanks to a reader's tip, I went for a nude shade just a little darker than my skin tone so it doesn't look like I'm barefoot. I love it because these flats go great with my navy outfits, but really they go with just about everything. I wear both my nude and black flats to work but actually get even more use out of them because they're perfect to wear with skinny jeans and a nice top to class so that I look put together even though I'm super comfortable.

Related: How I dress for class in law school



Professional Bag

I love my Louis Vuitton bag, don't get me wrong, but the traditional brown monogram doesn't exactly go with a black suit so I'm saving up to get a work bag and just use my Louis as an everyday bag. So if you're needing a new bag, learn from my mistake and get one that is in a versatile color (I'm thinking black since it goes with everything). Make sure that it's plenty big so you can fit a portfolio, planner, wallet, and even maybe a change of shoes in. There's lots of tote bags that are the perfect size for this! I personally think that bags are worth the investment because they last you years, so it might be worth it to use up a Christmas or Birthday request on a quality bag.



Subtle Jewelry

The key word here is subtle. I have a pearl necklace that I got for my birthday in college and I wear it all the time because it's just so classic! If pearls aren't your thing/not in your price range right now, look for simple necklaces that compliment rather than distract. 

And although I love my Kendra Scott Danielle earrings, I would never wear them to work! Make sure that you stick with studs at first because a lot of employers aren't fans of any dangly jewelry. Gold is the most traditional, but silver is fine if that better compliments your skin tone. Rose gold is iffy because it might be considered too trendy, so if you do wear it, make sure to stay subtle.

Last but certainly not least are watches. Even if you're not a watch person, you might consider putting one on for an interview because watches give off this "I'm punctual" vibe. yAlthough I love my Apple Watch, I still swap it out for a traditional watch for interviews because the sport band isn't exactly professional and I don't want it to be distracting.



Lawyer-esque Nails

If you did recruitment with your sorority then you should be familiar with this. I always try to get my nails done or at least do them myself before an interview and keep them polished. Pale pinks and nudes are perfect but French tips are fine too! Although red is a classic, I've always been told it's too bold for interviews. If you don't like polish, then you should at least get them buffed. 

Don't try to get trendy with pointy or almond shapes. In fact, some employers don't even like squared edges. I get that a lot of this is picky stuff but that's just something you have to embrace to work in the business professional world.




Money saving tips

Shop off-season by buying pants and jackets in the summer and blouses in the winter during end-of-season sales. 

Focus on a few items that you need the most and slowly save up and buy them throughout the year, and then slowly save up and expand on what you have. 

Invest in a few quality pieces that will last you all through law school and beyond instead of having to replace cheap pieces every few years, because it will save you money in the long run (same goes for shoes!). 

Use birthdays and Christmas to ask for these pieces or gift cards to stores that sell them because #adulting means birthday presents are now gift cards to tailor a suit instead of fun things. 

Use a tide-to-go pen and spot clean little mistakes as soon as possible to save from having to pay for dry cleaning. 

Buy pieces that easily mix and match so you have a capsule wardrobe. Borrow what you don't have!

Other tips

While I've been slowly upgrading my wardrobe, I've been slowly upgrading my closet supplies as well. I've ordered a pack of these velvet dress hangers this summer to put all of my new work clothes on and I noticed how they take up less room on the rack than plastic hangers (so I can fit more clothes in the same space) so now I've ordered another pack and my goal is to have my whole closet matching! I also got these dress pants hangers for my jeans so they'll match with my black shirt hangers. Another thing that I strongly recommend you consider investing in is this mini clothes steamer! I've had mine for a few years and I always have friends rush over the night before their interview to use it.

If you're looking for more outfit inspiration, resume advice, or interview tips, then check out my Pinterest Board for more help!
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