tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86295956161860941902024-03-19T03:48:20.931-05:00Brazen and Brunette ⚖ law school advice and law school tipslaw school ⚖ lifestyle blogBrazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-57359664833300577012021-06-27T11:00:00.000-05:002021-06-27T11:00:00.169-05:00Law Job Considerations Besides Salary<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjBwlZNZj1sAwOt88-PN_gtWLv67ye8usoULqyt6r7jzMxdkqd6XEszDItbv84s1VZINdxvkNL5_FUy5zZ1XfCAL3ZZoljY_V2uhysnTpez1BQsX7D55oIfJ3tMaLO_4XMJoZ0bddoRQ/s800/what+to+consider+besides+lawyer+salaries+when+job+hunting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Law Job Considerations Besides Salary | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjBwlZNZj1sAwOt88-PN_gtWLv67ye8usoULqyt6r7jzMxdkqd6XEszDItbv84s1VZINdxvkNL5_FUy5zZ1XfCAL3ZZoljY_V2uhysnTpez1BQsX7D55oIfJ3tMaLO_4XMJoZ0bddoRQ/w320-h320/what+to+consider+besides+lawyer+salaries+when+job+hunting.png" title="Things to consider besides salary for law jobs. How to pick a lawyer job. New attorney first job tips | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi I'm Nikki and my toxic trait is blogging once a year and then suddenly a whole bunch :) But for reals, I'm starting to feel less busy in life and I want to get back to blogging because I truly do love it. Today I wanted to write a little post for all your new JD's or even 3L's who are job hunting. When I first started job hunting, I only cared about salary, which I now see was a mistake. I'm lucky that the job I ended up in right after law school just so happens to be a job that I love and I have been at since graduating law school. Now that I'm coming up on my third year at my job, I wanted to share some wisdom with y'all about what else to consider besides the money when looking at a job.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Office culture/The Vibe</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm starting off here because this is actually why I chose the firm that I'm with but also because I think it's one of the more important things I'll talk to today. My interview was with the firm owner and a senior associate at the firm. The owner was wearing a pink polo shirt and the senior associate asked what I thought of him wearing pink. I was caught off guard and said I thought it looked fine, then the senior associate said, "Really? Because I don't think pink is his color!" The owner started genuinely laughing and turned red and the senior associate said, "See! Look! He's already pink enough!" and they both started laughing at each other. I instantly felt more comfortable and relaxed knowing that the attorneys in this firm had that kind of relationship with one another. And now I'm here getting burned by that same associate attorney weekly, and I talk shit to him all the time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you feel comfortable, just go for it. This job was offering much less than I originally wanted to be paid, but I knew that there are a lot of toxic firms out there with terrible work environments and I'd rather be happy with just a little less. On the flip side, if you don't feel comfortable, consider that. Sure, one thing I learned going through recruitment was that what you're shown isn't always what it's like, but trust your gut. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Benefits</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Okay now less fun, more adulting. So, I walked out of the above-mentioned interview, and on the way to my car I saw I had another interview offer with another law firm that paid a little more. I called my sister conflicted because I loved the firm I had just interviewed with, and now I had this seemingly-better job offer. But there was a catch-- this other job couldn't offer any benefits. My sister is an office manager so she really understands employee benefits and wisely told me that health insurance is costly so while this job may pay more technically, I'd probably end up with less money at the end of the month after paying for personal health insurance. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She was right! I've since learned that it's a lot easier to ask for and to receive a raise than it is to ask for and receive health insurance. And there's more benefits than just that! My job actually covers my insurance 100% for me and my family, meaning that 0% of my paycheck is reduced to pay for my health insurance, and when Ryan and I got married, I could add him to our insurance for free. Ryan was able to negotiate that with his job and have them increase his take-home pay for 50% of what they used to pay for his health insurance so it was a win-win. I also get 401(k) matching. <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2021/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">YOU WANT 401K MATCHING</span></a> (or a similar program like 403(b)).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mentors and Growth</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One of my law school friends told me once about how she hated her job. Everyone there had been there for forever and no one really cared about her. She felt that no one took the time to teach her anything, but everyone was quick to point out her mistakes (with no constructive criticism on how to do better next time). You can imagine how long it took her to start considering other job opportunities. Asking about mentor opportunities in an interview is great because it gives you a sense of the firm's hierarchy and shows your eagerness to learn.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another big tip is look into areas for growth. What is this firm's structure like? I talked with a girl that my job was considering and I asked her why she wanted to leave her job, because it paid over double what our attorneys made. She straight up told me because she was stuck at her job. The firm only allowed for raises or promotions when an attorney above you left, and no one had left that job in over 15 years. That is great for the firm overall, but that meant that no matter how great she did, she wouldn't be compensated unless someone quit, retired, was fired, or died. That can a terrible position where you're stuck hoping for someone's downfall just so you can finally get some recognition. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><h4><span style="font-family: arial;">Paid time off</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I learned this tip from one of my mentors from <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/06/law-school-externships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">my externship</span></a> and it is so smart! This is another negotiating tip that benefits you and costs your company very little. Most jobs have a policy that you have to work there for so long to earn PTO or you only start out with so much PTO, but sometimes that can be a flexible policy! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My mentor of my externship revealed to me that before accepting her job, she asked for an extra half-week of PTO, and asked that her PTO be available immediately. She didn't actually need this time off, but her salary was something the company was already paying for, and why not enjoy a day off sooner rather than later? It's also great to have as a backup just in case something happens in the first few months of your job to prevent you from having to take unpaid leave. This also is a good time to negotiate paid maternity/paternity leave for future you. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><h4><span style="font-family: arial;">Bar costs</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fun fact: you have to pay bar dues. And CLE's cost money. This is something very easy to inquire about, because it's common for firms to pay for these. That may not sound like much, but when you're a baby lawyer with your student loans drying out, that couple hundred bucks to get you squared away with the bar really help! This is especially true once you start calculating that bar dues and CLE's are annual expenses that could easily add up for you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My job also sends me to a CLE conference on the area of law that I work in, which saves me gas and hotel for a 3-day trip. If you can save money, why not? </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The work load</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I first started my job, I was talking with a coworker about why he left his old job for this one. He told me that his old job used to have ridiculously long hours and tasks were always being dropped on his desk last minute. Not only did he feel that he lived at his job, he also felt that he could never take a vacation because there was always something new piling up. Yes, we all know that big-paying law jobs require a shit ton of hours. You just have to consider what is worth it to you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Parking</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You may remember how <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/06/summer-internships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I shadowed a judge the summer after my 1L year</span></a>. What you may not remember is that I had to pay $3 for parking <i>every day</i> I was with the judge. That adds up real fast! I actually learned in my negotiations class that paid, covered parking can be a negotiation tactic. A hiring attorney might have a hard time justifying why newly-licensed you should be paid as much as their attorney who has been there for a year, but it's easier to justify why you should have a parking spot (well, this one asked and the other didn't). It can save you a lot of money over time and is really easy for your job to accommodate for little-to-nothing to them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Location, location, location</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If this job is in another city, will they pay for relocation costs? What about a deposit on your apartment? Also, just consider the location in general. How many hours of your life will you spend in traffic? How early will you have to wake up to get there on time, and how late will you get home each evening?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was also a big thing when Ryan and I were house hunting, because our offices are over an hour away in opposite directions from one another. Any house that was close to one job was far away from another. This means we're now both 30-45 minutes away from our job. Oh, and we both have to pay tolls every day. These things add up, so consider them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Little things</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Once you take a job, don't be shy. My job actually paid for the frames for my diploma! Again, doesn't sound like much but saving you a couple hundred bucks really helps out when you're just starting out as an adult. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My job also pays for my phone plan! That got me a new phone because I was a new line added to the plan, and saves me hundreds of dollars each year! Sure, if I leave I'll have to find something new, but that's still worth it to me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, and don't forget about student loan reimbursement! Your job can pay towards your debt, and usually get a tax break while they're at it. Student loans are becoming more and more common, so don't feel shy asking about what they offer to help with law school debt. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Okay, I'm out of wine and out of ideas lol! Really, I just wanted to open y'alls eyes to the jobs you'll be looking at. I say this because I did take a lower-paying job that had a helluva lot of other benefits that I've greatly enjoyed. And I got these benefits <i>and then a raise </i>so I ended up getting the salary I originally wanted, plus some! I am truly truly happy I looked at more than just the pay when I chose my job, so I want y'all to consider that too! </span></div>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-37168499499832724412021-06-20T11:00:00.001-05:002021-06-20T11:00:00.190-05:00Why I Chose My Area of The Law + Tips for Baby Lawyers<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr56CaE-monZ8NbEGvTyPbmyyIidmJv3edm8YLv65xAh0Pc1V4e9r051WkRXvJ5bnFjrpMnERZzr6EmXoSXkgqyvx1sT937KttV0EyHqDJ-PoxGzVnY8Ma2Spf2jU2E6IMeW6aiTHcaRI/s800/Why+I+Chose+My+Area+of+The+Law+%252B+Tips+for+Baby+Lawyers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Why I Chose My Area of The Law + Tips for Baby Lawyers | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr56CaE-monZ8NbEGvTyPbmyyIidmJv3edm8YLv65xAh0Pc1V4e9r051WkRXvJ5bnFjrpMnERZzr6EmXoSXkgqyvx1sT937KttV0EyHqDJ-PoxGzVnY8Ma2Spf2jU2E6IMeW6aiTHcaRI/w320-h320/Why+I+Chose+My+Area+of+The+Law+%252B+Tips+for+Baby+Lawyers.png" title="How to choose an area of law to practice. How to be a workers' comp attorney. How to pick an area of law to practice in. Tips for baby lawyers. How to get started as a new law school graduate | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hellooooo! It's been a hot minute, so thank you to anyone who is actually still reading this. I'm currently procrastinating work + laundry so I remembered that I have this blog. I've been meaning for over a year to talk about being a lawyer but have been so busy that I haven't sat down to write this until today :) </div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let me take you down the twisted path of how I ended up in my area of law. The too long; didn't read version is <i>trust God's plan</i>. To backtrack, <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/life-as-general-counsel.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I spent my entire last semester of law school</span> </a>working with the in-house counsel of Interstate Batteries in Dallas. I loved it and left wanting nothing less than working in-house counsel, even though I knew these jobs were very selective and competitive. Then <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/05/bar-prep-schedule.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I took the Bar Exam</span></a> and honestly <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/08/handling-your-feelings-post-bar-exam.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I felt lost after the Bar</span></a>. I spent all August and September after the Bar feeling lost and unmotivated and only survived off of my remaining <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">law school loan</span></a> money and the generosity of Ryan. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I of ended up working for my now-fiancé's mom as her assistant because she's the CEO of her own company in October.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> This job was a huge wake up for me because, even though I didn't have my bar results yet, I knew I wanted to be doing something with the law. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So I started </span><a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/11/how-to-make-resume-that-will-land-law.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">job hunting</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> (hi, procrastination!) and applying to in-house jobs with no response, then I applied to other corporate jobs with no response, and then I broadened my applications. I can still remember sitting on our balcony with a glass of wine and crying to Ryan as I realized I was at a fork in the road for my career. I had seen the job posting for a workers' comp attorney and honestly I wasn't very on board. I knew if I applied for and/or took this job, I was sabotaging my chances of going in-house. And I felt like workers' comp felt as unglamorous and low-life as it gets</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px;">—</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> like Saul from Better Call Saul. I really didn't want to apply for the job but Ryan talked it through with me and we decided any job is better than no job and to just apply.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After I got my bar results back, <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2020/01/how-to-make-follow-up-email-that-will.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I sent a follow-up email</span></a> to everywhere I had applied to and mentioned that I would now be a licensed lawyer. My current boss called my like that next day for a phone interview, and then we scheduled an in-person interview for the end of that week. To be transparent, it was the first firm that called me back. It was a small 7-laywer firm that only handled the non-sexy workers' comp. But during my interview, I just felt so at home and at ease! I instantly loved it and when they offered me a job on the spot, I tried to stall and told them I needed to think about it before committing so I didn't seem desperate. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As luck would have it, as I was leaving the interview I got an email from another law firm that was an area of the law closer to in-house counsel that invited me to interview but warned that they couldn't offer health insurance, 401k, or other benefits at the time. I called my sister and she wisely advised me to not bother with a firm that couldn't offer benefits. I had lunch with Ryan who wisely advised me to take a job if I felt so excited about it. So, later that same day I officially became a workers' comp attorney.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been at my firm for over 2 years now, and I fully intend to stay here for as long as possible. My gut instinct was right</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px;">—</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> my boss provides guidance and feedback but isn't harsh and we actually really get along; each and every attorney above me has acted as a mentor and has helped me be a better lawyer and more successful in my own firm; one attorney specifically took me aside and told me what to do to get a raise and then championed for me to get that raise; I've been given opportunities to gain new experience without being thrown into something unprepared; and I've already doubled my starting salary. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Constantly, I think back on that night with my wine and tears and Ryan and am so glad that I didn't let my pride and idea of a "dream lawyer job" prevent me from applying to my firm. My job is stressful, as all lawyer jobs are (which is something you really can't understand until you have clients of your own), but I am very grateful with where I ended up and I am lucky to say I love my job. I still talk to my law school friends so I've heard the stories of the ones who change jobs every 6 months because they can't find a job they like, or the ones who has a boss/company culture that could care less about you or your success, or the ones who just hate their jobs but they need the money. I'm just very happy in the circumstances that I'm in.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, this whole life story and humble brag can now lead to lessons I would tell new law school grad Nikki.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't box yourself in to one area of the law, you never know what area you might like more.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Benefits are the same as money. If a job can't give you health insurance, retirement, etcetera, remember that this is something YOU will have to pay. So the salary they're offering will actually be much less because you'll have to be paying a lot out of pocket.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're interested in a job, let them know. My boss actually told me that his excitement for me actually decreased when I didn't accept the job immediately because it made him feel like I wasn't fully committed. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Be humble. Looking back on it, it was VERY arrogant of unlicensed and inexperienced Nikki to turn her nose down at the thought of workers' comp. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Be open minded. I obviously had pre-conceived notions about what law I did and didn't want to do, but now I absolutely love the area of the law that I do. It's very convenient that my worst subject in law school (evidence) isn't really even used in my area of the law. And <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/02/why-i-decided-to-go-to-law-school.html" target="_blank">I originally wanted to be a doctor</a>, and now all I really do is read medical records for a living. Plus, I obviously really like helping people and now that is the majority of my job! You never know what random job will end up being perfectly designed for you. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Do what makes you happy. Money is nice, but talking to my friends who hate their jobs makes it very easy to comprehend that there is no price for your mental wellbeing. If you like a job, don't worry about the money and instead choose your happiness. Again, I fully expected my job to be low paying for life, and now I make six figures. </span></li></ol></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-14578795967335745932021-06-13T10:51:00.007-05:002021-06-17T21:47:01.609-05:00Ultimate Wedding Post<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFXLyCmDGWt89rXqAilrvOQIacPg5L6jmNEdHCquYQwt0FnO9zKW9rL6sCi7iSm13Cnqd6akMpUkV8grMx1YipRJM9cLrb4j-1WlCw2dAryX6YmKTIjkGtPCLG7gx_k5sAy6Ou6E8FVI/s800/wedding+planning+tips+%2526+outfits.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ultimate Wedding Post | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFXLyCmDGWt89rXqAilrvOQIacPg5L6jmNEdHCquYQwt0FnO9zKW9rL6sCi7iSm13Cnqd6akMpUkV8grMx1YipRJM9cLrb4j-1WlCw2dAryX6YmKTIjkGtPCLG7gx_k5sAy6Ou6E8FVI/w320-h320/wedding+planning+tips+%2526+outfits.png" title="Wedding planning tips & outfits. Amazon wedding guide. Etsy wedding gifts. Wedding planning apps for iPhone" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi friends! I try to keep this blog law-school centered, but today we're taking a detour to talk about what I've learned wedding planning. This won't be a whole lot since that's not the point of this blog and let's be honest I'm too lazy to write out everything, but here's just some thoughts :) Oh and wondering how Ry and I met? <a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/nikki-boyd-and-ryan-miller-apr-2021-cd4631d7-9311-40c2-9213-19145ff5191e/our-story" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Here ya go!</span></a></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Wedding Tips</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a lot to say so I'm just going to do several quick bullet points to keep this post relatively short.</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">As soon as you get engaged (or even sooner if you know y'all are heading to an engagement) pick a travel credit card and start saving points. I already had a <a href="https://capital.one/3uH4IW6" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Capital One Venture card</span> </a>for over a year and we were able to use points to book a week long stay at an all-inclusive 5-star resort in a swim-up suite. I had to pay about $300 for taxes and fees, but $300 for a week isn't bad! Then I got the <span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://www2.theexplorercard.com/rewards-cards/explorer-card?CELL=PH6&sitelink=4&jp_cmp=cc/United+Explorer_Brand_BMM_United+Explorer_SEM_US_NA_Standard_Test/sea/p64108555255/Chase+United&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjw2ZaGBhBoEiwA8pfP_k83T1SiivCgCOeDagajQ_6EPOwPRIy9v1QrSBuvK-nS9_aMQMcw0hoCBRcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Chase United card</span></a> </span>for flights. I referred Ryan and they gave me like a 10,000 points bonus. We used my card points for the flight there and his card points for the flight back, and were able to book business class direct flights round trip from Houston to Punta Cana for only like $150 fees and taxes. Each card also came with 2 club passes so for each flight we didn't have to wait at the gate. Not bad to pay less than $500 for a luxury honeymoon with an upgraded flight and hotel room. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Start first with Pinterest. There's two camps for this: either you have no Pinterest wedding board/a sparse Pinterest wedding board or you have a mammoth of a wedding Pinterest board. If you have too many pins, like me, start by deleting all the outdated pins (bye mason jars) and narrow down to ideas you truly will implement. If you don't have much, or any, wedding pins saved, start saving ideas. A tip I learned on tik tok isn't to search for "blue wedding" because you'll get inconsistent results. Instead search for "agate aesthetic wedding" and you'll get more specific results. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Make a separate wedding email. Almost every vendor requires an email to send you a quote. This helps by keeping your personal email from getting blown up after you're on all these stupid mailing lists, and it makes it so much easier to go back through and find a quote when you don't have to sift through all of your personal emails to find a wedding-related email. Ryan and I both use the standard Apple mail email app for our personal emails, so instead of adding our wedding email to that, we both just downloaded <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480?itsct=apps_box_link&itscg=30200" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">the gmail app</span></a> separately just for wedding stuff. This makes it easier to remove from our phones after the wedding, keeps wedding and personal emails completely separate, and helps make sure we're both seeing wedding-related emails. Ours was basic with our names: ryanandnikkimillerwedding@gmail.com but I've also seen people use their wedding hashtag so we could've used loveyounomillerwhat (but I created the email address long before the hashtag). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Use your new wedding gmail to create a Google Drive for your wedding. This way you can easily save invoices and receipts that are emailed to you, and you can share your Google Drive with your parents and planner (see next bulletin). Our folders were broken down as:</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Budget</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">An excel sheet of what we've spent that kept track of our remaining money</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">An excel sheet to keep track of who was paying for what (both my parents and Ry's parents contributed to the wedding)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">An excel sheet of what is due when and when deposits were paid</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Checklists</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">General wedding checklist</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Purchase checklist</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Packing checklist </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Month-of calendar</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Contracts</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">All contracts for each vendor, saved by vendor type rather than company name for quick locating</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Engagement photo ideas (shared this with our photographer)</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Outfit ideas</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Pose ideas</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Location ideas with logistics (we had to rent one venue)</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Guests</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ry's side's guest list</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">My side's guest list</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Seating chart</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Honeymoon</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Flight and hotel confirmations (go to print an email and when you chose a printer it should have the option to save as a PDF, save as PDF, upload to this folder)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Copies of our passports & driver's licenses</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">COVID requirements for entry to our honeymoon destination and return entry to the US w/ testing locations</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Idea board</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ceremony (actual venue photos for reference, top Pinterest photos for inspiration, detailed list of what I did/didn't want)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Cocktail hour (same)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Reception (same)</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Timelines</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Hair/makeup timeline</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Photographer's timeline</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Planner's master timeline </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ryan's sister's wedding timeline for reference </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Screenshots of timeline tips I found on tik-tok </span></li></ul></ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Most venues require you to hire at least a day-of coordinator. Ryan's mom offered to hire us a full-service planner and she was great, but honestly we hired her about 7 months out so I felt we didn't get much more use out of her than if we would have paid for partial planning. Do consider a planner/coordinator, but consider your timeline when you're making decisions about how much help you'll need. If it's not in your budget, honestly <a href="https://www.theknot.com/wedding-checklist" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">The Knot</span></a> has all the tools to keep you on track. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Book your "only one wedding" vendors first. For example, a videographer usually will only have time to film one wedding a day, but a bakery can make cakes for multiple weddings all happening on the same day.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Order your wedding dress sooner rather than later. This will save you from stressing or having to pay rush shipping. Don't forget that once your dress comes in, you'll probably need it to be altered. Take LOTS of pictures of your dress from just about every angle imaginable when you say yes to it and at each alteration appointment (<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205891" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">on an iPhone you can hide these photos from your camera roll</span></a> so your fiancé doesn't accidentally see it!). As I was showing my friends photos of my dress, I realized that when we brought the straps up so the dress fit me properly, it accidentally turned by scoop-neck into a boatneck neckline and made an appointment to have it fixed. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Copy your guest list into an excel sheet and then print it to have your guests easily numbered. Then, use those numbers to number the back of your RSVP's with a <a href="https://amzn.to/3s80xSr" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">blacklight pen</span></a>. This helps both with RSVP's which people forgot to include their name (happened to us) and RSVP's where their handwriting is illegible (also happened to us).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">If you use Minted for your wedding, sign up for the mailing list to get a 20% coupon (see why you'll need a separate email??) but DO NOT use it for your save-the-date's! Invitations can cost hundreds of dollars but save-the-dates cost only a few hundred dollars, so save that coupon for the bigger purchase!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Save money on return addressing!!! You will have put your address on save-the-dates, invites, RSVP's, bridal shower invites, rehearsal invites, bachelorette invites, thank you cards, whatever. This can be like $40 EACH time. Or you can buy a <a href="https://tidd.ly/3siDcfY"><span style="color: #800180;">$20 stamp</span></a> & add your return address yourself (in literally less than 10 minutes) and have something to last you for years. Since we started using this before we were married, I just made the stamp say "Nikki and Ryan."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">You can save a lot of money on your wedding items on <a href="https://track.omguk.com/entryTagRef.asp?AID=2204795&MID=142645&PID=32387&CID=6894854&UID=OMG967f7544-c1e3-49a3-bf55-38a57d3480fb" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Vistaprint</span></a> instead of going through Etsy. We ordered <a href="https://www.vistaprint.com/stationery/save-the-date-magnets?xnav=swsProductOnly_ResultTitle"><span style="color: #800180;">magnetic save-the-dates</span></a>, <a href="https://www.vistaprint.com/marketing-materials/paper-bags?xnav=swsProductOnly_ResultTitle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">welcome bags</span></a>, <a href="https://www.vistaprint.com/marketing-materials/flyers?xnav=swsProductOnly_ResultTitle"><span style="color: #800180;">itinerary cards</span></a>, <a href="https://www.vistaprint.com/marketing-materials/door-hangers?xnav=swsProductOnly_ResultTitle"><span style="color: #800180;">hotel door hangers</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.vistaprint.com/photo-gifts/coasters/paper-coasters?xnav=swsProductOnly_ResultTitle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">coasters</span></a> from them. If you can, wait until around the holidays when they have big sales to entice people to order Christmas cards through them. I used <span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://www.canva.com/search/templates?q=logo"><span style="color: #800180;">Canva</span></a> </span>to design our logo & put it on everything to make our wedding look fancier than it was. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Going off that, if you can, wait until major holidays to make major purchases. Ryan's sister taught us this when she and her husband got their wedding bands on discount during a mother's day sale at their jeweler! Etsy has big sales for Black Friday, Amazon has lowered prices for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/primeday" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Prime Day</span></a>, and I just mentioned how printing companies offer the best discounts during holiday card season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Make<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEblNKAyhI/6gyhTd2_DByA476BaJtdVQ/edit?layoutQuery=wedding%20timeline%20inforgraphic%20poster" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">personalized timelines</span></a> for each member of the bridal party (parents included) and text them out 2 weeks before the wedding. Everyone will know exactly what they are supposed to do and it will save you the headache of answering the same question 5 times.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Download apps like <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hopper-flight-hotel-deals/id904052407?itsct=apps_box_link&itscg=30200" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Hopper</span></a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skyscanner-travel-deals/id415458524?itsct=apps_box_link&itscg=30200" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Skyscanner</span></a> to help you know the best days to book the cheapest flights for your bachelorette/honeymoon. And set a <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Google flight alert</span></a> to help. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-bach/id1433495524?itsct=apps_box_link&itscg=30200" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Bach App</span></a> is great for planning bachelorette parties, especially if there's a lot of details to coordinate. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Buy <a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/bt9DM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">clear storage boxes</span></a> for organizing wedding items. You can write on the boxes with dry erase marker and then later wipe that off with an alcohol wipe or hand sanitizer. For example, I had a "ceremony" box with our ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket, & unity ceremony glasses all together and a "photographer" box with our rings, my perfume, my heels, my earrings, my hairpiece, and my "something old" all together for my photographer. By pre-labeling boxes, it saves you from having to dictate which boxes go where on the morning of your wedding. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Start upping your diet/exercise, teeth whitening, skincare, and haircare regimen now. It will help you feel prepared in time for your engagement photos and you won't be rushed later. I used <a href="https://www.hellorory.com/product/latisse-bimatoprost/?ro_ch=cpc&ro_p=google&ro_con=10&ro_c=1685109503&ro_g=71060282613&ro_a=469459562294&ro_t=kwd-734603169982&ro_n=g&ro_d=c&utm_content=sitelink&gclid=CjwKCAjwm7mEBhBsEiwA_of-TFKbUTLkqO6E73790DVpWhjtY1TLHyExGV_ZVdZRPk5Ohj7mtFpKkBoC1KEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Latisse through Rory</span></a> and was so happy. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Make a separate wedding Instagram. Again, ours is just @ryanandnikkimillerwedding (go check it out for vendor reviews). I actually found it so much easier to find vendors on Insta than The Knot. Just start by following venues you like and you'll see that they'll tag or be tagged by vendors and you can go down the rabbit hole! Having a separate wedding Insta helped me get lots of good recommendations from the algorithm and keeps things organized. Make folders for vendors you like and save photos to those, and make folders for things that you want to incorporate in your wedding or photo poses you like.</span></li></ul></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Purchases</span></h3><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For myself </span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're recently engaged, allow this to be your excuse to #treatyoself. On the other hand, if you have a friend who is recently engaged, these would make great gifts!</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The first thing I bought for myself after we got engaged was <a href="https://tidd.ly/3ntXa5T" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this personalized wedding planning wine glass</span></a>. I use it every time we sit down to wedding plan and I love it, but it did start my aversion to vinyl stickers on drinkware because that makes it hand wash only, so I do encourage you to also look at<a href="https://tidd.ly/3ahBuX1" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">etched wine glasses</span></a>.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I really wanted a <a href="https://tidd.ly/3mroJvo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">personalized ring box</span></a> to keep as an heirloom. I got one to match my color scheme and while it is totally unnecessary, I just had to have it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't like any of the over-priced garters at the salon where I got my dress, so I ordered <a href="https://tidd.ly/3mxLwG4" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this garter set off Etsy</span></a>. I have <a href="https://amzn.to/2IViSRe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this body tape measure</span></a> that I use to measure myself for online ordering/track my weight loss and was able to order the perfect size.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The bridal salon quoted me over $300 for a veil. <a href="https://tidd.ly/3mxLQEM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">My veil was like $50</span></a> and looked almost identical. Another money-saving tip would be to ask your mom or future mother-in-law to borrow theirs as your "something borrowed."</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Not so much a treat yo self, but the straps on <a href="https://www.bellabelleshoes.com/collections/wedding-heels/products/gabrielle-ivory-pearl-slingback-wedding-heel-with-silk-bow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">my wedding shoes</span></a> slipped just a teeeny bit so I got <a href="https://amzn.to/3psIzrU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these strap cushions</span></a>. They are actually intended just to make the straps more comfortable but they added just enough thickness to prevent the straps from slipping down. I just waited until after our photographer did flat lay shots that included my shoes before adding them on. And as an added bonus, they really did make the straps more comfortable. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I also got these <a href="https://amzn.to/39tRsfi" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">heel protectors</span></a> to help me be able to walk in grass for photos.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Instagram ads got me and I ended up LOVING this <a href="https://somethingnewbridalbox.com/products/embroidered-pearl-studded-jean-jacket-for-bride?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgtWDBhDZARIsADEKwgNU70qoMhC6mn0vcUSQQjQ5mC_cpOfLInv9Pp5SAe90sAptviJFCQoaAq3wEALw_wcB" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">embroidered and pearl-studded jean jacket</span></a>! I wore when our rehearsal ended up colder than I expected and loved wearing it on our honeymoon. I disagree with their sizing guide (which is a surprise because that thing was detailed) and ordered my normal size (2 sizes smaller than what they recommended) and my jacket fit perfectly. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I definitely loved wearing this <a href="https://amzn.to/3wyeOKx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white lounge set</span></a> the morning before our rehearsal. I planned for that day to be a massage at Massage Envy for Ry and I followed by a trip to Drybar for me before getting ready for the rehearsal and felt so comfortable yet still bridal. It was also great to lounge in on our honeymoon. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Not purchases, but a few treat yo self items because YOMO (you only get married once) really got to me. I got waxed from the waist down + my underarms the Tuesday before our wedding and had zero regrets being so smooth and not having to worry about shaving on my honeymoon. A few tips- use an exfoliating scrub that morning, spray <a href="https://amzn.to/3xDOVK2"><span style="color: #800180;">Dermoplast</span></a> like 30 minutes before your wax appointment, and the morning of your wedding exfoliate & then shave for max smoothness like you've never experienced. I also got a lash lift/tint which basically curls your eyelashes & perms them that way & then dyes them black. I chose that over false lashes because I didn't want to worry about them falling out or my eye not handling the weight of them. They actually made the false lashes on the day of my wedding better because they were already curled perfectly and looked so great! And then my eyelashes looked so great effortlessly during our honeymoon. </span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bridesmaid proposal boxes</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">None of my bridesmaids lived in the city where I do, so I had to ship all of mine. It took some logistics and it cost a LOT to mail all of them.</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I found a lot of cute boxes on Etsy that were kinda pricey, so I went to Amazon and I found <a href="https://amzn.to/3nvaNle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these bridesmaid boxes</span></a> (it's a set of 5) which I loved. I would recommend buying superglue to glue the corners together because after assembly the little sticky sides don't really stick and the boxes would collapse when they open. Other than that, it is a thick material and it has a nice magnet. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I used <a href="https://amzn.to/2Wp5lom" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this crinkle paper</span></a> as a filler for the bridesmaid boxes. I recommend ordering 1/2 pound for every 2 boxes you make. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I also included <a href="https://amzn.to/2LKJs0D" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these bride-themed scrunchies</span></a> in my box. It comes with a white one for you and I LOVE mine. You could also use it for a bachelorette goodie, but I wanted to include some small things in my bridesmaid boxes. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I got <a href="https://tidd.ly/3nDXWNC" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these engraved tumblers on Etsy</span></a> which I like so much more than the vinyl sticker tumblers because you don't have to worry about the stickers coming off in a dishwasher. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I loved <a href="https://tidd.ly/2Wn3Wyu" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these engraved bottle openers</span></a> because they seemed unique and I hadn't seen anyone use them before. Just be careful placing them in the box because they show scratches easily. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">If you're going to include champagne, I suggest the mini Korbel bottles. They have a beer bottle-type lid instead of a normal cork which I felt more comfortable shipping. Just buy a lot of<a href="https://amzn.to/38f0gEz" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">cheap tissue paper</span></a> to wrap around it and place a lot of crinkle paper around it to keep it from moving.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For shipping logistics, the large flat rate USPS boxes fit the Amazon bridesmaid boxes perfectly. I did add <a href="https://amzn.to/2WmJVIj" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">layers of bubble wrap</span></a> to keep the box from rattling too much since I was mailing a carbonated drink in glass. I think it cost me a flat-rate $16 per box to ship.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Last, I ordered <a href="https://tidd.ly/34m9k9n" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these proposal Polaroids</span></a> to include in my box. Truthfully, knowing what I know about <a href="https://www.canva.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Canva</span></a>, I do think I could've easily done this myself for free.</span></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bridesmaid gifts</span></h4></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The biggest regret/lesson I learned on these is if Black Friday falls between your engagement date and your wedding date, WAIT to order bridesmaid gifts. It was soul-crushing to see things go 25% off a month after I got my order in. If things don't go on sale, I recommend spreading things out and buying one gift a month, because when you're buying for a group it adds up fast.</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I ordered <a href="https://tidd.ly/2WjF4aW" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these personalized champagne glasses</span></a> after I attended a wedding where all the bridesmaids kept losing track of their drinks and it was a germ disaster. I got one for all of my bridesmaids + the moms and I loved the look of the iridescent diagonal names, so now everyone can keep track of whose drink is whose. I will say that getting "Mrs. Miller" on a diagonal was a bad idea, however, because the name was so long it looks weird. But all the other first names look great. If you want to do something special for the moms, there's also <a href="https://tidd.ly/37PZS04" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these MOB/MOG wine glasses</span></a> that are just adorable.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Of course I am a basic bitch so I had to get everyone these <a href="https://tidd.ly/3wfOJ2Q" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">personalized bridesmaid hangers</span></a>. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I spent wayyyy too long debating whether to get my bridesmaids <a href="https://tidd.ly/3sxulrP" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">robes</span></a> (are a little over done), <a href="https://tidd.ly/3rKZk2B" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">sleep shirts</span></a> (can wrinkle easily), or <a href="https://tidd.ly/3ftalmv" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">pj's</span></a> (can be thin fabrics). In the end, I knew <i>I</i> wanted a robe so I decided to get my bridesmaids robes to match, but get my <a href="https://tidd.ly/3cGrWFX" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">MOB/MOG</span></a> and <a href="https://tidd.ly/2Pks7h8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">flower girl</span></a> sleep shirts since they are a little more modest. For myself, I got the <a href="https://www.robedwithlove.com/collections/alanna-robe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Robed with Love Alana robe</span></a>, and although I loved loved the sleeves, I didn't like where the seam was on my but and think I might have liked the <a href="https://www.robedwithlove.com/collections/hildy-robe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Hildy robe</span></a> more (PS these go on major sale around each holiday so wait if you can to order one). I also got <a href="https://amzn.to/3wQmxnv" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this slip</span></a> to go underneath so I wouldn't flash anyone. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">You'll also want to get <a href="https://tidd.ly/34kKjM1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">personalized tote bags</span> </a>for your bridal party. Give these out on the morning of your wedding, not before, so they're not forgotten. Whether your bridesmaids show up in cute matching PJ's/robes or sweats, they're not going home in that! They'll need something to throw their clothes in when they change into their bridesmaid dresses.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">A getting ready item that I noticed was really overlooked was footwear. Either bridesmaids are going around barefoot with cold feet, or mismatched socks show up in photos. That's why I got <a href="https://amzn.to/2O8LrNR" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these matching fuzzy slippers</span></a> for everyone.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I knew I wanted to get my bridesmaids <a href="https://amzn.to/3aB2G3a" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">portable phone chargers</span></a> so they could snap photos all day without having to worry about their phones dying, plus it makes a great gift for later! I grabbed <a href="https://amzn.to/2Jcjj9W" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these cheap mini cords</span></a> to go with them so that they'd have everything they needed.</span></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Groomsmen gifts</span></h4></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel like not enough is talked about for the boys, and Ryan totally agrees. For some reason they're just totally forgotten about! Which really sucks. So let's here it for the boys...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ryan got<a href="https://www.homewetbar.com/oakmont-personalized-whiskey-glass-and-stone-set-p-6674.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA_eb-BRB2EiwAGBnXXgJR6PkyxzToRewP4WOV7g3K500XpuirRrSgiUYH0BE5iZztzjGCcxoC9VIQAvD_BwE" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">these personalized whiskey stones and glasses</span></a> for his groomsmen proposals because he fell in love with the whiskey stones I threw in as a stocking stuffer last year. I'm surprised how many people have never heard of them, but they work great for iced tea or white wine too!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Once I ordered champagne glasses for my girls while we got ready, I realized guys probably had the same problem too. The guys could only drink beer while they got ready so I got <a href="https://tidd.ly/2U3dm4l" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these personalized koozies</span></a> so the guys didn't have the same problem of losing their drink.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">We also got the guys these <a href="https://tidd.ly/3moZJVp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">drawstring backpacks</span></a> so they have something to carry their change of outfits in after the wedding.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I also went ahead and got the groomsmen portable phone charges and loved how<span style="color: #800180;"> <a href="https://amzn.to/3aB2G3a" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these chargers</span></a></span> came in a black and white set so the whole bridal party matches. The <a href="https://amzn.to/2Jcjj9W" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">pack of mini cords</span></a> that I ordered had more than enough cords for all my groomsmen and bridesmaids. Oh and don't forget to charge them up the night before!</span></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bachelorette party outfits & gifts </span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My bachelorette party was a long weekend in Austin. It was really fun, but it made me realize that I'm getting too old to party and in hindsight a relaxing spa weekend sounds lame but would have been just as nice.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For outfits, I got <a href="https://amzn.to/3sa33Ya" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this Bride swimsuit</span></a>. I agree with the reviews that the torso is VERY short so go 2 sizes up. They have a lot of different font options, so you can pick what matches your vibe!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This <a href="https://amzn.to/3vHJWqV" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">ruched mini dress</span></a> was very sexy yet so so comfortable! It is tight though, so if you have too many white claws and start to bloat it will show so be careful haha. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I had purchased <a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/bsTSV" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this white jumpsuit</span> </a>pretty early on in my engagement and just knew I'd find a time to wear it. It is so comfortable I'm definitely going to wear it on our honeymoon (more of that below).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For the drive in, I wore this cute <a href="https://amzn.to/3pMPDBh" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white bodysuit</span></a> with jeans. It is very thick so don't worry about it being see-through. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This <a href="https://amzn.to/2QsAiYY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">4-pack white earring set</span></a> was perfect because I had earrings for daytime and nighttime, and really just about any scenario! </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I knew I wanted to be able to get white girl wasted without worrying about my ring, so I bought <a href="https://amzn.to/3cU5kAv" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this CZ ring</span></a> for the weekend. It looks great on and no one could tell that it was fake (except for my friends who knew that my real ring is oval shaped).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">If you haven't heard of <a href="https://amzn.to/3vOACBm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Liquid IV</span>,</a> I suggest you jump on the bandwagon! They really do help you feel more hydrated! I bought the passionfruit flavor because I like passionfruit La Croix, but this wasn't my favorite flavor and I prefer the lemon-lime. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I got the girls these <a href="https://amzn.to/3934noq" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">bride tribe fanny packs</span></a> for our day out and they actually hold a lot. Fanny packs are great for bachelorette parties because you don't have to worry about getting drunk then setting your purse down and leaving it somewhere. I'm packing mine for our honeymoon too to wear on the beach.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Sad Nikki is sad because she put these matching <a href="https://amzn.to/3tFSDzT" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">rose gold bride tribe beer koozies</span></a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3c89Got" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">rose gold bride tribe white claw koozies</span></a> in her cart, but forgot to checkout. So, please use these so I can live vicariously through y'all! If you'll be making mixed drinks, this <a href="https://amzn.to/3tFT79b" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Mrs. tumbler </span></a>is also great because you can use it long after your bachelorette. Or <a href="https://amzn.to/3xia5MH" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these drink pouches</span></a> are perfect for no-glass areas.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">One of my bridesmaids brought a faux veil for me, but if you're brining your own I recommend a <a href="https://amzn.to/3tKV5oK" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">headband bachelorette veil</span></a> because the comb ones aren't comfortable for drunk shenanigans. </span></li></ul></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For the honeymoon</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't worry this is totally PG! So, I've had this vision for years to have an "all white" honeymoon look. Idk why it just was always something that I wanted to do, and really when else could I wear this much white? I think it works out having a lot of white because it's a timeless color that can mix and match for a lot of different outfits later on.</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I actually had<a href="https://amzn.to/2WMaNS7" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">this criss-cross onepiece suit</span></a> for well over a year before our honeymoon! It is SO flattering without being boring and the reason why I ended up getting it was because practically every blogger ever was raving about it, which it lived up to the hype. The mesh stripe accents make your waist look smaller and the top is very secure and comfortable for bigger chests.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought <a href="https://amzn.to/3nUEn3R" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this mesh V-neck onepiece suit</span></a> for our New Year's trip to Cancun with plans to re-use it for our honeymoon. It's from the same company and again is very flattering and doesn't feel like a Mom onepiece. It is very sexy without being <i>too </i>much. If you're between sizes, size down.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I basically just love <a href="https://amzn.to/2KZThqS" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">the Tempt Me swimsuit collection</span></a>! My last <a href="https://amzn.to/2WR1ccZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">onepiece is this cutout sui</span>t</a> that again is so cute. The straps are very comfortable, and again the waist detail really flatters your figure. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">One more one piece was this cute <a href="https://amzn.to/3sjWz8u" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">ruffle one shoulder swimsuit</span></a> that I thought was so fun and flattering. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't get only one pieces and did actually get bikinis too. I loved <a href="https://amzn.to/3ryEgNC" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this simple white bikini set</span></a> because it felt sporty and I loved that I didn't feel like I was falling out of the top. I also got it in the olive green because I love it so much.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I was also excited to wear <a href="https://amzn.to/354rFbF" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this bow bikini set</span></a> on our honeymoon. It is pretty revealing in the front, but the back support helped prevent it from being unsupportive or uncomfortable.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">And just to have something a little spicy, because it is a honeymoon after all, I got <a href="https://amzn.to/3r5fC60" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this cut out bikini</span></a>.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This <a href="https://tidd.ly/3c50XmP" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">tie-waist monokini</span></a> technically is pink and white so it stays a little from my "all white" theme, but it was just too adorable not to pack!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ht0njZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">This crochet swimsuit skirt</span></a> was another item I found because it seemed every blogger had it. It is definitely more of an accessory than an actual coverup, but it is very cute.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I saw <a href="https://amzn.to/3rwgIc9" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this lacey bikini coverup</span></a> in a Tik Tok video loved it for our honeymoon. It is a very thin material and I'm sure a snag is inevitable, but it looks amazing for the price and is very soft.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">If you want something more sporty, this <a href="https://amzn.to/2RRw3r1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">crochet tunic</span></a> is another great coverup.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">And because I have a history of melanoma, I also had to grab <a href="https://amzn.to/34M7dMv" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this wide-brim sun visor</span></a>. I loved how it was open top so I could wear my hair up or down with it and I think the bow detail is so cute. It also comes with a hidden elastic loop so you can easily roll the visor up and travel with it. Or, if you really wanted to go for the Bride theme you could get<a href="https://amzn.to/2WRmuXM" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #800180;">this</span> <span style="color: #800180;">Wifey sun hat</span></a> or <a href="https://tidd.ly/37PL5CM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this personalized sun hat with your new last name</span></a> for your honeymoon.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I also loved <a href="https://amzn.to/3pN36J6" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this fun beaded headband</span></a> to throw on as an accessory with both swimsuits and my casual dresses.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I really wanted to go with the "bridal" theme and wanted at least one <a href="https://amzn.to/3nSYnUD" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">lacey white dress</span> </a>and found the perfect one that was beachy but sexy and flattering.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This <a href="https://amzn.to/3aK6LBY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">v-neck white dress</span></a> is less formal because I knew we'd have some casual nights on our honeymoon. I recommend sizing down because if it is too big, it looks like a sleep shirt.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I grabbed this <a href="https://amzn.to/3vJKfRP" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">strapless ruffle dress</span> </a>to wear for casual days around our resort.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For something a little swankier, I also got this <a href="https://amzn.to/3c6BBF8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">high-slit spaghetti strap dress</span></a> for dinner and drinks.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I've had <a href="https://amzn.to/37PMEAE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this lacey spaghetti strap top</span></a> since before our honeymoon, but I brought it as an option to pair with shorts for a casual lunch or just as a bikini coverup. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I also packed <a href="https://amzn.to/2WOEfHk" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this front tie-knot spaghetti strap top</span></a> as a causal top to lounge around in our honeymoon suite and while getting ready for dinner. Outside of our honeymoon, I wear this shirt A LOT because it pairs well with so many outfits. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I wore <a href="https://amzn.to/3aLEYBp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this lacey halter top</span></a> for wedding planning days and re-wore it for our honeymoon. It is so cute for brunch and I love the details!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This <a href="https://amzn.to/2RO5see" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white romper</span></a> was perfect to throw on for a casual lunch by the ocean and was lightweight enough to be comfortable sitting outside in the sun in.</span></li><li><a href="http://lonestarsouthern.com" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Kate from Lonestar Southern</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> recommended </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3vLsmC5" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this cute scalloped crop lightweight sweatshirt</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> on her Instagram so I grabbed it to wear both over my swimsuit for when it gets windy/chilly at the beach and for the cold plane ride. For the plane, I paired it with </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3948y3f" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">my favorite high-waisted leggings</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and my favorite </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3cS2jAB" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">yoga bra</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For the casual days, I packed <a href="https://amzn.to/2OVeu7J" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these jean shorts</span></a> and these <a href="https://amzn.to/3c8Ckpi" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white jean shorts</span></a>.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I knew we'd be doing some water sport activities during our honeymoon and ordered <a href="https://amzn.to/3cXrIsy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this silicone ring</span></a> to wear so I wouldn't have to worry about losing my diamond in the ocean.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Ry and I both got new <a href="https://amzn.to/3ti0Vyb" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Chacos</span></a> for our honeymoon because I'm convinced they're the ultimate vacation shoe. You can wear them to the beach as normal sandals, as water shoes in the ocean when it's rocky, parasailing because they have straps, or as hiking shoes. I got a new pair because I had the Z2 (has a big toe loop) with 2 little straps and wanted a Z1 (no big toe loop) with 1 big strap to make it easier to put on and off. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Lastly, I wore this <a href="https://amzn.to/3wyeOKx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">all white lounge set</span></a> for lazy days just laying around and feeling myself. </span></li></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Miscellaneous items</span></h4></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought a whole bunch of other stuff off Amazon and Etsy because I'm #addicted that I wanted to share. I don't have much to say on it, so I'll just cram it all together.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For bridal shower thank you gifts, I bought my hostesses <a href="https://tidd.ly/2OMA7HC" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">personalized wine glasses</span></a> and used these cute <a href="https://amzn.to/2QsHJPS" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">bridal thank you bags</span></a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2QjfWBe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">glitter tissue paper</span></a>. Don't forget to write a <a href="https://amzn.to/3r9KwKp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">thank you note</span></a> to your hostesses! Mine were simple and said, "Name, thank you for the love and time you put in to hosting an amazing bridal shower. Ryan and I are grateful for the support you have shown us." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For the ceremony, I bought a <a href="https://amzn.to/3r1WXI8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">small wicker flower girl basket</span></a> and had our florist add a few of our flowers to match. I also bought these <a href="https://amzn.to/3tDEHqj" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">paper flower cones</span></a> for throwing petals as we left the chapel (tip: get <a href="https://store.petalgarden.com/products/freeze-dried-rose-petals-ivory?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">freeze dried petals</span> </a>for throwing, the moisture in the fresh petals make them clump together too easily). If you want <a href="https://globalrose.com/flowers/rose-petals-white-2400.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzcbWBRDmARIsAM6uChXY0aYu7AByWOf5YwuioyE2Hk5FKQYSQftDMGMdHopOKJWr5jSwAfwaAonxEALw_wcB" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">fresh loose petals for your ceremony</span></a>, they are best for the flower girl and ground décor. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">At first I didn't want to do a unity ceremony because I wasn't in love with a sand or candle option, but then I saw a Pinterest ad for <a href="https://www.unityinglass.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Unity in Glass</span></a> and was so excited! You pour crystal glass beads into a vase together just like a sand unity ceremony, but then you ship it off to this company and they turn it into glass! You can have a glass sculpture or a glass paperweight, but we thought the glass vase would get the most use because Ryan loves to bring home flowers.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For our reception, I got these <a href="https://amzn.to/3tMv6gZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">gold table numbers</span></a> which were such a great price. Ryan's sister insisted we order <a href="https://amzn.to/3vOIVNy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">foam glow sticks</span></a> after she saw how much people loved dancing with them at her wedding. I got these "<a href="https://amzn.to/2QqRSwu" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">wedding slippers</span></a>" to change in to for our reception (don't listen to the reviews, order your normal size) but I wish I would have known about <a href="https://pashionfootwear.com/products/pashionista-decal-collection" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">these convertible shoes</span></a> earlier! For our guests I ordered a set of <a href="https://rescueflats.com/collections/wedding-guests" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Rescue Flats</span></a> that shipped <i>quick</i> and were a huge success. Sign up for their texts & get a promo code. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Off Etsy I ordered a <a href="https://tidd.ly/2NFVIAQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">lucite cake topper</span></a> and a <a href="https://tidd.ly/3c50XmP" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">wooden guest book</span></a>. I found out last minute that our caterer didn't have anything to cut our cake so I bought this <a href="https://amzn.to/3uc7Add" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">cake cutting set</span></a> from Amazon. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I got this <a href="https://amzn.to/2PMsRv9" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">bluetooth speaker</span></a> for the bridal suite while we get ready (make a love-themed party playlist!) and to take to the beach on our honeymoon.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Travel recommendations: <a href="https://amzn.to/3furFaS" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">plane phone holder</span></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rxwQsZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">neck pillow</span></a> that you can can sleep face-down on, <a href="https://amzn.to/2PLxAx7" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">sunglass travel box</span></a>, and <a href="https://tidd.ly/3sfATdJ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Mr/Mrs eye masks</span></a>. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">We ordered a set of the <a href="https://brumate.com/products/hopsulator-trio-by-brumate-matte-black?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgtWDBhDZARIsADEKwgMcVgDis5R6CLPC7KnfCr0z2wveE3Qosj1zdvDSNN0NdsZCrWQ-idsaAvIgEALw_wcB" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Brumate hopsulator trio</span></a> after our NYE trip to Cancun because Ry kept ordering a beer, then would take a nap, then would wake up & want a beer but his beer was hot by then, and would start the cycle over again! Now we can keep our drinks really cold no matter how hot it is, and we can use it for all our future beach trips :) we also got <a href="https://tidd.ly/3dVApnU" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">"mr miller/mrs miller" stickers</span></a> because I'm extra. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I did do boudoir photos through <a href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdhN2VXy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this photographer</span></a>, but I will warn you that I got almost the smallest package and it cost almost as much as our wedding photographer. But damn, they look good! Outfit suggestions (or lingerie party ideas) are: red <a href="https://www.savagex.com/shop/candy-hearts-lace-bralette-bb2145842-6036-11181034?q=Candy%20Hearts%20Lace%20Bralette&psrc=search_results" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">bra</span></a> and <a href="https://www.savagex.com/shop/candy-hearts-crotchless-strappy-undie-ud2145736-6036-11181478?q=Candy%20Hearts%20Crotchless%20Strappy%20Undie%20&psrc=search_results" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">panties</span></a> from Savage x Fenty (photographs VERY well!!!), <a href="https://amzn.to/394pnLr" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">mesh bodysuit</span></a> (comes looking like a tube sock and takes 2 people to put on but photographs very well), <a href="https://amzn.to/3cY1SES" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white cage teddy</span></a> with these <span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3tDKb4n" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">white stocking</span></a>s</span> (my photographer recommends cage bras because they look great in photos), <a href="https://amzn.to/3vN1wd6" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">pink tie-waist teddy</span></a> (the ribbon is flattering to tummies IMO), <a href="https://amzn.to/3c6yCN6" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">black cage bra & panty/garter belt</span></a> with <a href="https://amzn.to/395wMdA" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">black stockings</span></a> (size up to your bra size), <a href="https://amzn.to/3cXG6B4" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">black teddy with skirt</span></a> (size up), and my photographer provided this <a href="https://amzn.to/2OMhGTr" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">beautiful faux bridal veil</span></a> for the photos. I also recommend you bring a <a href="https://amzn.to/3wksxo4" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">lightweight robe</span></a> to wear while getting your makeup done and in between outfit changes. Pro tip: get a <a href="https://amzn.to/2QjTnwu" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">sewing kit with a seam ripper</span></a> or <span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3mJxbb6" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">mustache trimmer scissor</span></a>s</span> and cut out all of the tags so they don't show in your photos. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Okay, that's all that I can think of and I'm sure all that y'all want to read. I hope this helps you brides get started on planning your wedding, and gives you not-yet brides some ideas for when it's your time to shine :) </span></div><p></p>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-17676342951576048262021-01-03T22:04:00.003-06:002021-01-04T08:39:35.515-06:00How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt Year 3<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmridynVW8gicmqF8y02KxifYg6NFyknLLdTa2uY8u74_o4f9r6Z1tYQzYZc-NVNvalRJgTTgC0t4kCAaWzdRemMKA075NV2BAt03t_uWqsliwW7FrW01AKnsaMZLEtm5uHHj2go4Y4o/s800/law+school+student+debt+how+I+paid+over+%252415%252C000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Law School Student Loan Debt Repayment Plan Timeline | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmridynVW8gicmqF8y02KxifYg6NFyknLLdTa2uY8u74_o4f9r6Z1tYQzYZc-NVNvalRJgTTgC0t4kCAaWzdRemMKA075NV2BAt03t_uWqsliwW7FrW01AKnsaMZLEtm5uHHj2go4Y4o/w320-h320/law+school+student+debt+how+I+paid+over+%252415%252C000.png" title="How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt Year 3 | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;">New year, new law school debt goals! For a quick update, </span><a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">I graduated law school with $145,000 of student loans</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and worked really hard to get <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2020/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">my loans down to $130,000 in a year</span></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. And that brings us here, to year 3 and how much I currently owe...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2fxAAHyyv8WWXsJC2k2fHiZlJctbabdtVf6g_3fz_HpW3rtYfE5SK_bPBbSG3Mz1cs3Mo74qlhZpMPS4gScG6vg2FG5UK8AKpAd3LQJr11C_0FtflW092Paekq5tZxYYUX3VB6JKhe0/s1140/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2fxAAHyyv8WWXsJC2k2fHiZlJctbabdtVf6g_3fz_HpW3rtYfE5SK_bPBbSG3Mz1cs3Mo74qlhZpMPS4gScG6vg2FG5UK8AKpAd3LQJr11C_0FtflW092Paekq5tZxYYUX3VB6JKhe0/s320/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>I can't tell you how happy and proud seeing that number dwindle! It's still <i>a lot </i>of debt, but slowly but surely I'm eating into that. This year I was super jealous of everyone who still had federal students loans and didn't have any interest payments. It sucks that when I <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2020/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">refinanced my loans</span></a> I considered all of the benefits of a federal loan that I would be giving up, but never did a global pandemic come to mind. Unfortunately, my refinanced loans are all private loans and the company I currently have my loan with opted not to stop interest payments on their loans. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Luckily, our firm wasn't really hit by COVID and I was fully able to keep my job and not have to take a pay cut. Because I knew I was pretty financially stable and interest rates just kept dropping, I looked in to refinancing my loans again to try to shave about 1% off of my current rate. I went through <a href="http://refer.credible.com/eG4CDk" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Credible </span></a>again and found a new loan that was calculated to save me about $10,000 over the course of my loan and selected this new loan. I went through the whole loan process, even taking a small hit to my <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2020/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">credit score</span></a> when they did a hard credit pull, and right at the end I noticed all of the disclosures. One of the disclosures included all of the loan fees associated with my new loan-- which would be over $12,000! Refinancing this loan would have actually <i>cost me $2,000</i> which is why you always read the T's & C's my friends. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">So, I'm currently still with the same loan provider that I switched to last year, and I'm going to try again to find another lower interest rate. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But even with my current interest rate, I want to stress that my loans ARE manageable. I get a lot of worried comments from prospective and current law students worried that their massive student loan debts will completely take over their lives. I truly don't think student loans are to be too feared. This year, Ryan and I were able to buy a house and I'm still able to keep paying my loans (but also, thank you COVID stimulus!) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My #1 tip for paying down your law school debt is DO NOT pay just the minimum, if you can help it. Paying just the minimum allows your interest to grow and grow your debt, which is how you hear stories of people graduating with $X in debt, paying the minimums consistently for years, and having $1.5X in debt after all that time. With each pay check, try to pay 75% of you minimum, so you end up paying a little each month (so , if you owe $1,000 a month make 2 $750 payments each month, paying an extra $500 without really feeling it). This will help you tackle your interest better and more of each payment will go to lowering your principal, which will lower your interest for next month. I love playing around with <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/student-loan-payoff-calculator" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">this calculator</span></a> to play around with different amounts of extra payments and how they help me reach my goal faster (it only works on a laptop/desktop and won't show you all of the charts on mobile).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When it was right around the time we were getting our house, I slowed down the extra payments a little so that we could have a little extra for our closing and moving costs. I still paid more than just the minimum, so I didn't feel too guilty. This is another good example of why I believe that when you refinance, you shouldn't choose the highest minimum available. Because if you choose a mid-level minimum, you can always pay extra, but if an unexpected cost shows up in your life, you can easily go down to the minimum without defaulting on your loans.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I will be honest here and admit that I was planning on chilling at a little over the minimum for a while as we got our house in order and had a lot of expenses (<i>so </i>many Home Depot trips!). I was a little wary because I didn't want to get used to spending this kind of money frequently and never getting back the discipline to pay extra on my student loans. Originally I had planned to cut down on loan payments just for 6 months and then get back on track, but thankfully, I received a raise soon after our offer was accepted so I was able to continue paying extra on my loans while still saving for new windows and being able to buy a new hose for our yard worry free.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That's probably the best thing about being a baby lawyer is that there's still room to grow in your income. Ryan and I were very proud about getting a house that was only 3x our combined income (the suggestion is 4x) because we both knew that we were just starting off in our careers and eventually our house would become even more affordable for us as we grew in our jobs and received raises. Now my debt is super high with student loans + a mortgage, but tackling these two debts is a priority to Ryan and I so that is where we are focusing our money.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I currently spend over 1 full paycheck each month just on these 2 loans alone. We got a great rate on our mortgage, so I'm not really concerned about payments on that loan. What's nice about my student loan is thinking about how I'll get such a big "raise" once it is paid off because I'll get so much of my paychecks back and will have more money to spend on other things. I originally was calculated to pay off my loan in 10 years graduation date, but with the way things are going it's looking like I'll actually have them paid off in around 5 years from my graduation date. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ryan and I are getting married this spring, so I'm also saving some money to help pay for little wedding expenses and our honeymoon. And I'm sure in a year or so we'll be ready to start a family. But again, with strategic planning I'm able to save for a honeymoon or expect a baby, and not be terrified about money because of my student debt. Instead, I paid off as much as I could before I had a mortgage, and as much as I could before I needed to pay for wedding stuff, and am paying off as much as I can before we start a family. Then, if later on I need to slow down payments, my principal is already lower and I'm already ahead on my payment plan.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel in control of my student debt because I'm still using the budget I learned from <a href="https://amzn.to/2sgUbGJ" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">IWT</span></a>. Each paycheck, I put a little money in my 401(k), a little in a Roth IRA, a little towards my mortgage, a little towards my student loans, a little in savings, and a little on bills. Then, any leftover money I can spend guilt-free knowing that I've taken care of all of my payments for the month. I treat my credit cards like a debit card and pay them off immediately with each paycheck because I'm trying to get <i>out</i> of debt, not into it-- and this method has helped us rack up massive credit card points to help pay for a lot of wedding expenses. And the day before payday, any leftover money in my account goes to a little extra payment on my student loans because every little bit helps. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And that's a wrap on my 2020 debt progress. I paid a little more off in 2020 than I did in 2019, and I'm hoping that's a trend that continues. As an update on my 2019 goals, I am very happy to announce that I now make more than I currently owe. Which again, I think law school debt is okay when you weigh what it gets you! My other 2019 debt was to get my loans under $100k, which was apparently a little too aggressive for me last year, so I'm going to re-up that as my 2021 goal! Here's to being in control of our debt, rather than our debt being in control of us :) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh and PS- if you like my letter board from Instagram where I keep track of my debt, <a href="https://amzn.to/3hG8A4u"><span style="color: #800180;">here's the link</span></a>. I like to keep it viewable from the front window of our house so hopefully any would-be robber will see it and have pity on me and not break in and steal anything lol! But if that doesn't work, I do recommend getting a <a href="https://amzn.to/38WcbHD" target="_blank"><span style="color: #800180;">Ring security system</span></a> as the first purchase for your new house.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-25791277008834039782020-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:002020-01-26T08:00:05.379-06:00How to Make a Follow-Up Email That Will Land a Lawyer Job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF7PFdLRwCkW0B7wqH6yq8X8wwld5LETDwZJOnbQIoOcuy-fSjC7w0RsdU9_wadFMTmg-6jIn3occ_Xk03wtljxToCP7c-n6-_h6FA_KWlANmaJEQDIO8LIATwHgoCgsT7Y2Qyz7JEaI/s1600/how+to+send+an+email+that+gets+an+interview+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What to say in a follow-up email after you've applied for a job. How long to wait after applying for a job to follow up. Job follow up email template. How to follow up after a job application. How to write a job follow-up email. How to ask about your job application status. How to follow up after applying for a job. Sample email to follow up after a job application. #lawschool blog. law school blogger | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF7PFdLRwCkW0B7wqH6yq8X8wwld5LETDwZJOnbQIoOcuy-fSjC7w0RsdU9_wadFMTmg-6jIn3occ_Xk03wtljxToCP7c-n6-_h6FA_KWlANmaJEQDIO8LIATwHgoCgsT7Y2Qyz7JEaI/s320/how+to+send+an+email+that+gets+an+interview+.png" title="How to Make a Follow-Up Email That Will Land a Lawyer Job | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi y'all! So today's post is part 4 to my job-searching series and I am SO sorry that it has been over a year since I blogged about this! To catch you up real quick if you've forgotten in the past year, <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/11/how-to-make-resume-that-will-land-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">part 1 was over the resumé</span></a>, <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/01/how-to-make-cover-letter-that-will-land.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">part 2 was over the cover letter</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/08/oci-on-campus-interviewing-for-summer.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">part 3 was a guest post all about OCI's</span></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really think the follow-up email is underrated but can be very powerful. <i>In fact</i>, I actually know that the only reason why I even got called for an interview was because of my follow-up email. I'm pretty confident in this email because a recruiter for the company I interned in-house with in Dallas my 3L is who gave me a template for exactly what he wants to see. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've included my email at the end but I'll color-coordinate the parts I'm about to break down so you can scroll back and forth between what I said and why I said it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Timing the follow-up email</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This can be tricky to time. You want to give it enough time after sending in your resumé and cover letter that you don't look desperate. But you also don't want to wait too much time and miss your opportunity because they already found someone for the position by the time you send it in. For me, it was easy because I didn't get around to applying for jobs until about a week before I got bar results, so I used that as an excuse to send a follow-up email. But if you're more together than me, I'd suggest either 3 or 7 days.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ideally the purpose of the email is that whoever is doing the hiring will have posted a job or put out word that they're hiring and are being flooded with so many resumés that they all blur together, so you are sending them a reminder of what makes your resumé stand out. Think of it as a polite "hi, remember me? still interested. k, thx" but more professional.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hit the high points</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your follow up email should have one goal: be a highlight reel of your resumé in a way that reflects the job listing. That's the focus! So if you start to feel like you're just regurgitating your resumé, step back and start over. You have to assume that this hirer is getting 50-100 emails a day and while standing out is nice, they'll only notice you stand out if you actually make the email in a way that they'll actually finish it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep, the recruiter that helped me admitted that usually he doesn't finish the follow-up emails he gets because after 5 seconds he can tell if they're not going to be worth his time. And the ones he actually finishes? If you impress him enough that he actually finishes your email, and then have a solid resumé and cover letter that he actually gets through (or at least thoroughly skims), you're pretty much guaranteed an interview. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="color: lime; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use mirroring psychology </span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is a hirer looking for? I already told you, they want exactly what they're asking for! AKA, they want someone who fits the description they put in their job posting. So if the job uses words like "organized" or "team player," then <i>your </i>email should use "organized" or "team player." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get fancy and try to use synonyms. This isn't HS English; there's something psychological that connects you to their firm if you use the same words. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't think too much into this. You don't have to force their job posting into your email by putting every single adjective you see. Just pick the few that are relevant to your experience and tie them together. For example, you could say "assist junior associate with memos by researching and organizing relevant case law." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll see in the email I sent that I tried to use the description of the job as a model to explain my experience. Here was the actual job posting I responded to:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE0ha5_6nOPj3sDbqn4SYzIRho3YPUoTlPy_B-O3hNSAgB1Hso25w1QwaUdA4c77C9c1qTaIGS_o5xcZ9TX5ebg5F-qwmVL1nto0pmrReww4AihKxZ0k2-r68wem_rhLBt1_8axwjkuk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-25+at+9.59.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Make a Follow-Up Email That Will Land a Lawyer Job | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="793" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE0ha5_6nOPj3sDbqn4SYzIRho3YPUoTlPy_B-O3hNSAgB1Hso25w1QwaUdA4c77C9c1qTaIGS_o5xcZ9TX5ebg5F-qwmVL1nto0pmrReww4AihKxZ0k2-r68wem_rhLBt1_8axwjkuk/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-01-25+at+9.59.48+PM.png" title="How to Make a Follow-Up Email That Will Land a Lawyer Job | brazenandbrunette.com" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One last thing, if you're like me and never know what is supposed to go in a subject line, mirroring saves you again! Just put the title of the job posting as your subject line. This way, they know exactly the purpose of your email before they even open it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make it readable</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm talking beyond no typos. Remember, this is like a first impression, you only get a few seconds and then your reader is probably moving on. So don't be afraid to use resumé-style bullet points. These make it quick and easy for the hirer to find the high points and decide if you catch their eye or not. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And put a little effort into it! If the job listing just says to send it to the Hiring Partner at jobs@firmname.com, don't just address it to Hiring Partner if you can help it. Get on LinkedIn and look up that firm and figure out who is the hiring partner. If that doesn't work, figure out who's is over the department you're applying to or who is the most senior person at the firm. Anything to show you went the extra step to make you stand out from the other generic greetings.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, remember to keep it short and sweet. Your cover letter and resumé are already enough words they'll have to read, so don't add on to that. A few purposeful sentences do a much better job than half-though paragraphs. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember to actually use this to follow up</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't just send them an email and expect them to remember you and your resumé. And definitely don't assume they're going to take the time to go back through the stack of resumés and cover letters on their desk to give you a re-read. Just like the bullet points, a main purpose of this is to make it easier on them to want to invite you for an interview.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Absolutely include both your resumé and cover letter as attachments to the email. And reference them! It's a big pet peeve for most people when an email includes an attachment with no context to the attachment whatsoever. How do I know opening this random attachment that's just thrown in there won't give my computer a virus? Also, it's sloppy to just throw that in there and assume they'll figure out why it's included. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, the email I actually sent that got me an interview and later hired:</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subject: <span style="color: lime;">Associate Attorney position</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.375rem;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Mr. Abbott</span><span style="color: #222222;">,</span></span></span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #222222;">I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to send you an update to let you know that </span><span style="color: red;">since applying for the Associate Attorney position on October 19th</span><span style="color: #222222;">, I have passed the Bar and soon will be </span><span style="color: lime;">licensed to practice</span><span style="color: #222222;"> in Texas. </span><span style="color: blue;">I know your time is valuable, so here are three quick reasons why I'd be a great addition to your workers' compensation practice.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">
<ol>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I have the </span><span style="color: orange;">research and drafting skills</span><span style="color: #222222;"> to </span><span style="color: lime;">draft filings and the experience to negotiate with opposing counsel</span><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">As a </span><span style="color: orange;">certified and experienced mediator</span><span style="color: #222222;">, I am ready to handle our client's </span><span style="color: lime;">mediation appointments</span><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I have </span><span style="color: orange;">experience in</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">client intake, answering legal questions, and providing counseling regarding potential legal outcomes</span><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">If you think I'd be a good fit, I encourage you to review my attached resume and cover letter.</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">Thank you for your time and consideration and have a great day.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nikki Boyd</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(email and phone number)</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-15369608682486534372020-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:002020-01-23T12:17:47.934-06:00How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt Year 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBreuwbn5vi5HdrVmKmK2D__QJ1JJDmowS4S0bRf7ZNlzauWaESwpTMQYduoPq9h6vkd8k1mDKPTH5dDOkgfcxov2Lgg79ns8pY6_CRlSV28kL_GicAr8M_fwwK4Habli12TzJxyTQt1g/s1600/law+school+student+debt+repayment+timeline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Law School Student Loan Debt Repayment Plan Timeline | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBreuwbn5vi5HdrVmKmK2D__QJ1JJDmowS4S0bRf7ZNlzauWaESwpTMQYduoPq9h6vkd8k1mDKPTH5dDOkgfcxov2Lgg79ns8pY6_CRlSV28kL_GicAr8M_fwwK4Habli12TzJxyTQt1g/s320/law+school+student+debt+repayment+timeline.png" title="How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt Year 2 | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New year, same debt! This is Part 2 and you can read <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/01/how-im-paying-off-my-law-school-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Part 1</span></a> from last year here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I had shitty interest rates on my original law school loans and now I don't! Truly living the American Dream :) Some quick stats, this is what I currently owe...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-lwjsDYoVsavdwn5M9zkSsustkrMcApqDvuLVL1crPebEwmZqDCANJ31yPfanuN__dAZ9_v9DvNm_5xlLsyMJpULNo63Evkm4_2fCuDYkdNk9222V03hLheIDp_fP1U296mQDQr6LDs/s1600/IMG_2EBFF2830E94-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How I paid off $15,000 of student loans in one year | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="926" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-lwjsDYoVsavdwn5M9zkSsustkrMcApqDvuLVL1crPebEwmZqDCANJ31yPfanuN__dAZ9_v9DvNm_5xlLsyMJpULNo63Evkm4_2fCuDYkdNk9222V03hLheIDp_fP1U296mQDQr6LDs/s320/IMG_2EBFF2830E94-1.jpeg" title="How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt Year 2 | brazenandbrunette.com" width="185" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know that <i>seems</i> like a lot but I'm actually making a pretty big dent in it. Here's a roadmap of everything I did in the past year that has helped me pay off my law school debt faster.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">January </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Refinanced loans #1. I refinanced my public loans (quick recap-- I had both private loans through Sallie Mae and government loans through my FASFA) last year. This dropped my interest rate down by a full 2-2.5% since I refinanced 3 separate public loans and each loan had different rates. My loans had only become due in November so I refinanced them as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't have to restart on the standard 10-year term all over again.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm surprised I even got to refinance my loans because I had a "fair" credit score. I basically only got even this slightly better rate because I'm a lawyer. Our profession is actually at the top of the lists of "preferred borrowers" because usually lawyers are paid pretty well. Luckily, my check stubs were enough to show <a href="http://sofi.com/share/441228?src=copy"><span style="color: purple;">SoFi</span></a> that I would be able to afford paying the monthly payments. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Refinancing almost was a no-brainer for me because the risks of refinancing didn't really apply to me. Like I just mentioned, I might not be a Big Law lawyer, but I still made enough that I didn't need an income-based repayment plan. And I didn't go into public law so I was never even eligible for a debt-forgiveness program. And I read <a href="http://www.theskimm.com/?r=d65f2577" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">theSkimm</span></a> to know my options when looking at <a href="https://t.co/Axbte2vjLq?amp=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">variable vs fixed rates</span></a> (<a href="https://theskimm.com/money/student-loans-terms" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">here's more terms you need to understand</span></a>).</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I set it up to where I paid my private loan (higher interest rate) with my first paycheck of the month and then paid my gov loan (lower interest rate) with my second paycheck of the month. Then I took the difference between my gov loan payment and my private loan payment and paid that on my private loan with my second paycheck as well. Basically, my private loan payment was lower than my gov loan payment but the same amount of each check went to loans. This was just a couple hundred dollars every second paycheck that went to my higher-interest loan because I'm trying to do the debt avalanche approach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If this is confusing, here's an example (not the real numbers).... Say my private loan is $800 a month and my gov loan is $600 a month. $800 is spent out of every check on loans. So, first check of the month, all $800 would go to private loans. And second check of the month, $600 goes to gov loan and $200 goes to private loan. Meaning $1,000 paid each month total on private loan while gov loan gets paid at a slower rate of $600 a month. Make more sense?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">February</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Credit card #1. I didn't have a credit card before this point because my mom was always concerned that if I had a credit card before I had a full-time job that I would end up in credit card debt. Now that I understand how credit cards work, I wish I would've gotten one earlier. Maybe I <i>was</i> a little too immature to be responsible with a credit card in college, but I think I would've been able to handle it in law school.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason why I'm really focused on the credit card right now is because I'm trying to build up my credit as fast as possible. The biggest way you're going to get ahead with your debt is to be hyper-focused on increasing you credit score because a higher credit score equals lower interest rates. Even though I didn't have that great of a credit score, I thankfully got approved for one! I found <a href="https://capital.one/33yik8f" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">mine</span></a> after an hour of comparing and researching on <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/home/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">NerdWallet</span></a> (and yes, obviously a glass or two of some wine). I decided to get a credit card that gave me cash back rewards and am letting that cash back stock up just in case there comes a time where paying my credit card bill is high. Like an emergency fund in a way.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My credit score actually jumped up 30 points just by opening a credit card because I finally had a line of credit. Before then, all I had was just debt so this helped me out a lot. The rest of my credit score rising has mostly just been making consistent payments on my loans. See how it's all related? Higher credit score leads to better loan rates which leads to paying off your loans consistently and faster which leads to higher credit scores....</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raise #1. I say #1 because you bet your ass I'm going to ask for another raise soon. But anyways, yeah I recently found out that it's pretty standard practice for you to get a 6-month raise. Remember that if you're worried about accepting a job offer at a place where the pay is a little low. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're just starting out and don't feel like you don't have a leg to stand on to negotiate a higher starting salary, come back in 6 months. Then, you'll have a track record to show your boss of how you're adding value and bringing in cash money and therefore deserve a little bit more of what you bring in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tip to getting a raise is <b>don't act like you got a raise!</b> Sure I splurged for some nice bubbly to celebrate, but after that it was back to normal. I calculated out how much I would be getting each paycheck after taxes & everything. Then I put reoccurring calendar events in my phone to remind me the day after my paycheck hit to put that much money towards my highest-interest loan. This is just a little extra each month to help get my loans paid off that much faster.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">August</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Refinance #2. I know most financial articles you read say <i>not </i>to do this, but here's why I considered it. My credit score was so meh to begin with (borderline "poor") that I was able to raise it 60 points in 6 months and go to "good" and then now I'm at the bottom of "very good." </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once I crossed over into that "very good" category, I decided that now would be a good time to look into this again. That's just because once you get so high it gets harder and harder to increase your score so I knew that this was about as good as it was going to get for a while. I figured if I'm going to hover around this score for the next year, I might as well look into refinancing and start paying less now.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm super glad I did! This time I found out about <a href="http://refer.credible.com/eG4CDk" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Credible</span></a> which compares all the different options you're pre-approved for. I looked into the rates and was able to find one that was 3% lower than my original refinance rate (so 5% lower than my original law school public loan) and 1% lower on my public rate. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided just to combine the two because while my public loan was still lower than my private one, it was still kinda high. This did stress me out initially because now instead of having two smaller payments a month, I only have one big payment. When I looked at my refinancing options, I made sure to choose one that was a couple hundred bucks less a month than I could actually pay. This is just because while I am already paying that higher amount and paying more per month would've been a sightly better interest rate, a faster payoff date, and overall savings in interest, it was just too big of a risk. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just made sure that my new refinanced loan didn't have a prepayment penalty. So now the plan is to still pay that extra few hundred every month anyways just to get it paid off faster and save overall in interest, but I'm not locked in to that number. If something comes up and I literally can't afford that in my budget, I can cut down to the minimum payment and still be fine. Now what this all means is that in less than a year, I got one of my loans down 5% and the other 1% and have saved about 3 years off my original repayment window. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">September</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Credit Card #2. This is getting a little excessive and I don't think you <i>need</i> a second credit card but I want to give y'all the full picture of how I've made money moves this past year. One reason why I decided to get a second credit card was to anchor my credit age. A big part of your credit score is your credit age (remember, I'm obsessed with my credit score now) and one big downside to refinancing your loans is that it starts your credit age all over again for those loans.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To illustrate, before I first refinanced my loans were all 1-3 years old because I was taking out new loans throughout law school. When I first refinanced, I only refinanced my private loans & left my gov loans alone. That erased 3 years worth of private loan age so I had a 0-month old new refinanced loan and a 3-year old leftover gov loan, plus a 0-month old credit card. So the average age of my credit was like 1 year (which isn't that good).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then when I refinanced again, I refinanced allllll of my loans so that gave me a 0-month old new refinanced loan but now with a 7-month old credit card, plus a 0-month old new credit card. So now my average age of credit has gone down to less than a year (which is bad). <i>But</i> whenever I decide to refinance for a third time, whether that's in a year or three or whenever, I'll have had these two cards anchoring my credit age so it won't be hit as bad. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't recommend getting a second credit card just for anchoring and definitely don't recommend getting a new card every time you refinance your loans, but I was needing a second card and this seemed to be good timing for me. My goal is to use it to eventually help raise my credit score.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">October</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this tip isn't loan-payoff related but it <i>is </i>money related so I felt the need to include it here. I opened a high-interest <a href="https://capital.one/2CvryHB" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">savings account</span></a> to start an emergency savings. I made a goal to contribute $100 a month (so $50 a paycheck) with a goal of having a $1,000 emergency fund saved up just in case. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is SO SO SO important! Imagine your car breaking down or your dentist bill ending up being higher than you thought because of some treatment you need or your pet needing surgery and you're out $1,000. Can you still pay for your rent <b>and</b> your student loans? You don't want a late or missed payment on your credit score, you don't want late fees for your monthly expenses, and you don't want to go into credit card debt and end up paying a lot of interest on a credit card bill.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once I reach that goal, my goal is to get 3 months' income saved up. This will give me a security blanket in case I ever decide to leave my job or (heaven forbid) I'm let go. Things will be a little easier knowing that I would have 3 months to take my time finding a job that's right for me without getting behind instead of taking a shitty job just because I'm about to default on my loans and be evicted from my place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Later on, this little side money can be dipped in to if I ever have an emergency that costs over $1,000. Another good option is when I go to buy a house, I can either contribute it to my down payment or at the very least show the mortgage lender that I have a healthy safety net saved up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But first, baby steps. Set up an emergency savings account and slowly build that up. Then leave it the fuck alone. You're not going to get rich off the interest gained, but at least you are prepared for life like a #adult and you'll get a lil extra money in the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">November</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again, not loan related, but I'm throwing it in here... November was my one-year anniversary at my job. This made me eligible to contribute to my firm's 401k, and I decided to do so. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went back and forth a lot on this hypothetical question-- If I had an extra $100 at the end of the month would it be cost me more in student-loan interest if I invested it or would it cost me more in lost interest if I paid towards my loan. What pushed me over was the book <a href="https://amzn.to/2sgUbGJ" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">I Will Teach You to be Rich</a>. I randomly decided to buy the audiobook to listen to before an out-of-town hearing and it really helped out (another book I really liked was <a href="https://amzn.to/37WiUix" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">The Millionaire Next Door</span></a>). Basically what I got form his book was the average return on investment for a 401k is 8%, so since my loans were now below 8% I figured I would lose more money not investing than paying off my loans quicker. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the very least, I highly highly highly encourage you to at least contribute what your employer is matching. Let's say you earn $100k a year before taxes. And let's say your employer matches at 3%. That means if you sign up for 3% with your 401k, you pay $3k a year into your 401k and <u>your work pays $3k a year into your 401k</u>. Yeah that's right, you'll double your money!! Same scenario, but you only contribute 1% ($1k a year), so your work will only contribute 1% a year. That means you just lost out on 2% or $2k a free money because they matched what you put in, but they were willing to go higher. On the other hand, if you were to contribute 6% or $6k, they would still only contribute 3%/$3k because that's their max. But hey, still <b>free money</b>. Go talk to your office manager or HR or a more senior attorney and find out what your work does. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">December</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The final step for #adulting in 2019 was I got a Roth IRA and put a little money into it and will also contribute monthly to that. A Roth and a 401k are very similar. Basically the biggest difference is a 401k is taken pre-tax and a Roth is taken post-tax. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So again let's say you make $100k a year. If you're contributing 3% to your 401k then you actually make $997k a year because they take that out of your paycheck before anyone taxes you. This means that you'll have to pay taxes on it once you take money out of it in retirement, but hopefully you'll be in a lower tax bracket by then and it will have grown so much that the taxes for 65-year old you are nbd. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same scenario, so now you take whatever money is in your own checking account once your work direct deposits your check and then you can put that into a Roth IRA. So you've already paid taxes on it. This means when you take it out when you're retired, you don't have to pay taxes on it so it's like free money for future you. The only catch is there is a limit for a Roth. For 2020, you can only put $6k into a Roth.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why do I do both? Because I want to be one of those little rich old ladies who spends my retirement on wine tours in Italy and cruises through the Hawaiian islands. And because of compound interest. The more I contribute now, the more crazy amount I'll have when I'm older. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this about wraps up my 2019 money moves on my luxury-sports-car amount of law school loans. My goal for 2020 is to be even more aggressive and get it down to 5 figures. Or make more than I owe. We'll see which comes first :) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Debt Payoff Tips</span></h4>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your income is not your income. Take how much your boss is paying (X) you and subtract how much you need (or want) to pay a month towards your student loans (Y). <b>That </b>is your income. Get into this mindset. Don't think you should be going out to eat all the time and always buying new clothes because you make X a year and can live the fab life. You make Y a year. You can treat yo self occasionally but only after you know your loans are taken care of.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Set up an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings account on the day after each pay check. If you don't have a savings account then stop what you're doing and get one now!!! Right now I just move $100 a check or $200 a month, which ends up being $2,400 a year. I really don't notice that money being gone. A lot of people get so focused on paying off debt that they forget to save up an emergency fund. Then if something bad happens just once, you're screwed and next thing you know you are being evicted from your place and defaulting on your loans and it's really hard to bounce back from that. Be money smart with more than just your debt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Celebrate the baby steps. Every $5,000 I pay off my total debt, I get a $20 bottle of champagne (which is a splurge for me) and celebrate! It's really motivating to appreciate how much you've accomplished even if in the grand scheme of your debt it doesn't feel like much. The little $5k payoffs add up to eventually being debt free, so enjoy the ride.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find your money-wasting triggers. I unfollowed a bunch of people on Instagram because I realized that I was always feeling like I needed more clothes and started coveting designer bags, too. The truth is, I have plenty of clothes and really only need one purse. Once I stopped trying to live their #sponsored life, I suddenly had a lot more room in my budget.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't focus on the Big Debt. It's really daunting to look at how much you owe and knowing you'll be spending like a decade paying it off, so I just don't focus on that. I stop myself any time I start to think about all the things I could be spending money on each month instead of paying interest off. That doesn't help so why go there? Focus on doing the best you can with what you got, and it doesn't seem so bad. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find one thing that you actually <i>can </i>live without, and do it! For me, as much as I loooove Orange Theory, it did hurt to pay $169 every month! So, I decided to cancel my membership and instead run outside for the low cost of Free.99 and instead put an extra $169 into my loan repayment. And although I still get manicures so I can look professional, I decided to save $60 a month and just do at-home pedicures. I found <a href="https://amzn.to/36KlR5D" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">this nail polish</span></a> that's really long-lasting and again deposit the savings into my loan. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This will save me SO much money in interest by helping me pay off my loans a little faster. Finding an extra $100-$200 in your budget isn't that hard if you monitor where your money goes with an app like <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mint-personal-finance-money/id300238550?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Mint</span></a> or <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/truebill-budget-bill-tracker/id1130616675?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">TrueBill</span></a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay motivated. You know what's lame but addicting for me? Watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts about people paying off their student debts. It keeps this in the front of my mind and reminds me why I want to get my loans taken care of ASAP. It also helps me re-evaluate my current lifestyle and check where I might be self-sabotaging my debt-repayment plan. I've heard of people making paper chains where each chain represents $1k and cutting off the chain link by link as they make their payments. Whatever works for you, find a way to stay focused on your goals.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Extra money = goal money. If you get a Christmas bonus or a tax refund, just put it straight into paying off your loans without even thinking about it. This is money that you didn't have yesterday and probably didn't plan to have anyways, so your budget can stay the exact same but your debt can be just a lil lower. Do it ASAP before you get attached to the extra money and it burns a whole in your pocket. Remember your goals and stay focused! </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-75128711445290390132019-08-04T08:00:00.000-05:002019-08-04T08:00:03.008-05:00OCI: On-Campus Interviewing for a Summer Associate Position at a Biglaw Firm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNDdJpwRlRBh50yaxpw7AoBh3eymxrF4G3oIoi7m5soGl27iNKv0zigoxq21bapwlHL-MzYue2KbAdGtuHt_ah9xRPH8oRkWyy1JrTWpkKbyQ9NDlSXJyjYuiDBZwUY8exOM64366vOk/s1600/a+law+student%2527s+complete+guide+to+a+successful+OCI.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tips and advice for law school on-campus interviews. 1L OCI help. How to prepare for law school OCI. What happens during law school OCI. What to wear to OCI interviews. How to follow up after a law school OCI interview. How to be impressive at a Big Law OCI interview. How to go into Big Law after law school. 2L OCI advice. How to prepare for an OCI call back. OCI Lunch. OCI for Big Law | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNDdJpwRlRBh50yaxpw7AoBh3eymxrF4G3oIoi7m5soGl27iNKv0zigoxq21bapwlHL-MzYue2KbAdGtuHt_ah9xRPH8oRkWyy1JrTWpkKbyQ9NDlSXJyjYuiDBZwUY8exOM64366vOk/s320/a+law+student%2527s+complete+guide+to+a+successful+OCI.png" title="OCI: On-Campus Interviewing for a Summer Associate Position at a Biglaw Firm | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
Hey everyone! I'm excited to share with you another guest post from <a href="http://www.theunbillablelife.com/"><span style="color: purple;">The Unbillable Life</span></a>! I am so happy that she has agreed to share how she figured out the confusing OCI process and was able to go into Big Law. If you're an upcoming 2L looking for OCI advice or a 3L considering accepting a Big Law job, she has literally answered all of your questions an more. A little bit more about today's guest post...</div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4840a108-7fff-0ecc-52c8-ae1189ba32f1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Unbillable Life</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a career blog written by a former Biglaw associate attorney who writes about her experiences at a high-paying and high-stress law firm job in NYC. Along with advice on how junior attorneys can succeed in Biglaw, she also blogs about why she left that career after 8 years to pursue an alternative, less traditional path. During her time in Biglaw, she was active in summer associate recruiting and is excited to share her inside advice on OCI here. Read more career success tips and career change advice on the blog, </span><a href="http://www.theunbillablelife.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: purple;">The Unbillable Life</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, or send an email to </span><a href="mailto:theunbillablelife@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: purple;">theunbillablelife@gmail.com</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with any questions or comments.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interviewing for a Biglaw Job, aka “OCI” </span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Biglaw” is the nickname given to large law firms with offices in cities all across the U.S. and around the world. With very few exceptions, all Biglaw firms recruit law students the same exact way: through an interview process called “on-campus interviews” or “OCI” (or a variation on that name, depending on your school). </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a law student, your first exposure to the world of Biglaw will likely come through the OCI process. Even if you had a career before law school or held a job during college, interviewing for a Biglaw job is a whole new ballgame and an entirely distinct process from any other interviews you will ever have.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When Is OCI?</span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OCI begins in late July or early August after your 1L year and lasts for a few weeks. (Each school is slightly different in their approach for how students sign-up for interviews, so career services at your school is the best place to look to for all of those process-specific details; we won’t get into them here.)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You read that correctly – after just one year of law school and one summer internship, it is already time to apply for summer associate positions. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You will be interviewing for the job you will have the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">next</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> summer – the one after your 2L year. And if all things go well during that 2L summer (i.e., you liked the firm and the firm feels the same way about you), that firm will be the one you begin your career as an attorney at after you graduate from law school. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I say all of this not to make you feel extra-anxious, but rather to illustrate the point that OCI is very important for any law student looking to work in Biglaw. While there are other ways to get your foot in the door of Biglaw, by far the easiest and most traditional way is to secure a Biglaw summer associate position through OCI. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To help guide you along in this process, this post covers: screening interviews, callback interviews (how to prepare for them and how to ace them) and post-interview best practices. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ready to dive in and land that Biglaw summer associate job? Here we go! </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What Year Law Students Participate in OCI? </span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As noted above, the vast majority of students interviewing for summer associate positions are rising 2Ls. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Depending on the firm, there are sometimes positions open during OCI for rising 3Ls, but these spots are generally very limited. A firm might be looking for a very specific candidate (someone interested in their arbitration group, for example) or perhaps they miscalculated the number of summer associates in their class the summer before and are looking to supplement the incoming class with a few more associates, in which case they might interview a few rising 3Ls. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For all of the eager, rising 1Ls out there, some law firms have a select few spots reserved for very promising 1Ls. If, during your fall semester of 1L year, you think you would be interested in a Biglaw summer associate position after your 1L year, reach out to career services at your school to see how this process works. You would have to apply in the winter (sometime after first semester 1L grades are released) in order to get a Biglaw job your summer after 1L year. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every law firm will make it clear in the screening interview portion of OCI whether they are accepting 3L or 1L applicants or if they are only interviewing 2Ls. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before the Interviews Begin – Let’s Get This Out of the Way: What Should You Wear?</span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Career services offices and law students often spend way too much time focused on and fretting over appearance for interviews. As long as you are wearing a suit (both men and women – and for women, that can be a skirt suit or a pantsuit, whatever you feel more comfortable in), you will be fine. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aside from making sure the candidate meets this basic level of professionalism, nobody will spend any time thinking about or judging your appearance. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not once did I come across a candidate where his or her wardrobe distracted me or took away from the interview, and I never discussed or heard any of my colleagues discussing a candidate’s outfit or appearance. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which means, law students are doing something right out there, so do not stress about your appearance! There are more important things to get right in the interview than the perfect blouse. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to the more substantive and important aspects of OCI.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Screening Interviews </span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The OCI screening interview is the first step in the Biglaw summer associate job search process. You will (hopefully) be assigned many screening interviews that take place at your school (hence the name “on-campus”) or at a nearby hotel. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While it sounds weird to have a job interview at a hotel (and it is), because schools don’t have room for all of the interviews that take place during the few jam-packed days of OCI, they rent out nearby hotels where interviews are conducted in actual hotel rooms. Law firms set up shop in a room for the day and students are shuttled in and out for their screening interviews all day long. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The screening interview is a preliminary 20 to 30 minute interview where the interviewer (a partner, counsel or senior associate at the firm) assesses whether you fit the firm’s basic, minimum requirements and whether they see you as a potential, future colleague. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because the screening interview is so short, the interviewer is mostly looking to see whether your GPA is high enough to meet the firm’s standards and whether there was something about you that impressed him or her enough that he or she wants to call you back to meet more attorneys at the firm. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The interviewer is screening you to see whether or not to offer you a “callback interview,” which is when you go to the firm itself (if you are in another city, you will be flown in to the interviews, on the firm’s dime) for a series of interviews with more attorneys. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If all goes well, your screening interviewer will give you a phone call the evening of your interview (or the day after) to let you know they enjoyed meeting you and that the firm would like to have you back for further interviews. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If they leave you a voicemail, make sure to call them back (or, more likely, the recruiting department) to accept the callback and begin to make arrangements for it. If you don’t receive a call, it means you didn’t get a callback from that firm, but don’t be discouraged as there often just aren’t enough spots for all of the qualified candidates. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now that you’ve secured a few callback interviews, let’s discuss in depth what the callbacks entail. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h3 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
</h3>
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Callback: A Series of Interviews at the Firm </span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A callback interview day consists of four 30-minutes interviews with a mix of partners and associates from various groups across the firm. The morning of interviews is usually capped off by a lunch with a couple more associates and a few other interviewees. Let’s dive in to your callback day because this is when the most important part of OCI takes place. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>How to Prepare for Your Callback</u></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few key things you can do to prepare for your callback interviews (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">quick note: these tips also apply to preparation for your screening interviews, although you won’t be expected to know anything about your screening interviewers ahead of time</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">):</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Know your resume really well.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Know your resume like the back of your hand and be prepared to answer questions about any aspect of it. If, for example, you choose to highlight your senior thesis from college on your resume, you better remember what the thesis was about and have a brief summary of it prepared because you’ll definitely be asked about it at some point during the process. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For great tips on preparing a resume that will help land you the job, check out <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/11/how-to-make-resume-that-will-land-law.html"><span style="color: purple;">this post</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Be prepared to answer the question, “so, why do you want to work at Firm X, Y and Z?”</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your interviewer is going to want to know whether you have an interest in their firm or if you are just trying to get any Biglaw job you can. While it might seem like all Biglaw firms are alike, I can tell you that most Biglaw attorneys think their firm is “different” (in a good way) from the others. Try to figure out what sets the firm apart from its competition and prepare an answer based on that. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your answer should suggest that you’ve done a little bit of research and have a real reason for wanting to be at that particular firm. It doesn’t have to be super detailed as to why, but it does have to be applicable (for example, if you speak Portuguese and answer that you are interested in working with clients based in Brazil, but the firm doesn’t have any offices in Brazil, that might not be the best answer. But it would be a great answer if the firm </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">does</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have offices in Brazil!). </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Know a little bit about your interviewers.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before the interview, you are going to be told the names of the interviewers. Do a quick search of their bios on the firm site, but don’t dig too deeply – you are not expected to have memorized their recent deals. Get an understanding of their basic field and be prepared to ask a few questions about it.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note that it is not necessary to know anything about the screening interviewer, as you probably won’t know ahead of time who they are. Even during a callback, sometimes you are given the names of the interviewers, but they change at the last minute (usually because a work conflict arose). If you end up with a last minute change, don’t stress out about this at all, as there is no way you would be expected to know anything about the new interviewer. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Prepare some questions. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of the interview, or if there is a slow spot during it, most interviewers will ask a candidate if he or she has any questions for them. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You cannot answer “no” to this! </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you say no, that indicates that you’re not really interested in the job. Instead, come prepared with a couple of pointed questions about the firm, firm life, what it’s like to be an associate, etc.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s best to ask relevant questions you actually want to know the answer to. For example, if you are a woman and are interested in the women’s network, ask the female associate about it. If you ask someone you thought would be prepared to answer the question, but they don’t seem to know much, ask if they could give you the contact name of someone who would be better suited to discuss that with you (if it is something you really want to know).</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the Interviews</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your goal for each of your four interviews is to show the attorney that you have both the intelligence to do great legal work and the personality to “fit” in at the firm, both with the other attorneys and their clients. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How do you show this? Well, this is the million dollar question and unfortunately almost impossible to answer! </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because every attorney looks for something different in a candidate, the only way to really prepare is to follow the advice above, put it into practice during the interview and hope that you click enough with each interviewer that they give you an offer. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is impossible to say exactly what will land you the job, but a relaxed yet still eager and enthusiastic candidate was usually the one who made my list. Other qualities that people look for include: your level of maturity (can I picture you interacting with the firm’s clients?) and whether or not you are a team-player (can I imagine relying on you when needed and coming through for the team during a stressful situation)? </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the Interviews: Lunch </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The post-interview lunch is meant to be a place for the interviewees to get to know a few more associates and to freely ask questions. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At my firm, unless someone did something crazy at lunch (which I never heard of someone doing) the lunches really, truly were for the benefit of the interviewees. The associates who went to the lunches didn’t even have to formally report back to the recruiting department about how the lunch went. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So try to relax (really try to relax the whole day, but especially at lunch!), enjoy the food and the company and try to get a sense of whether you could see yourself working at that firm and with those people. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Post-Callback: What to Do</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of the day, send a quick thank-you email to your interviewers. This is not a requirement or a make-it-or-break-it tip, but it is the polite thing to do. It’s not going to totally change someone’s mind about you, but if they are on the fence about you, it doesn’t hurt to give them one more positive impression of you.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What should you say in the email? A simple “thank you for your time” is enough, but it’s even better if you can refer back to something you discussed. For example, you could note that you enjoyed learning about the deal they were working on or send them the link to your favorite Mexican restaurant that you recommended during the interview. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4 style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s It!</span></span></h4>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than all of that (which I know is a lot to take in!), there’s not much to do but wait to hear if you get the offer! It can take firms a while to get back to you with an offer (or a rejection), so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back that evening or even the next day or two. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even if everyone at the firm loved you, there are some behind-the-scene things that go into making candidates an offer that don’t necessarily have much to do with how much you were liked or how great of a candidate you are. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, your offer might hinge on how many outstanding offers the firm has made and are waiting to hear back on. Each firm can only accommodate so many summer associates, so it is a numbers game. Often firms will have to wait for one student to reject their offer before they can offer the position to the next student. Be patient and know that your offer might even come a few weeks after your callback took place. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last but not least, good luck to all of the 2Ls going through OCI over the next couple of weeks! It can be a tiring process, but is so worth it if you want to start your career in Biglaw. When you do land that summer job, before you start next summer, be sure to check out my <a href="https://theunbillablelife.com/how-to-be-an-excellent-summer-associate-at-a-biglaw-firm-5-tips-you-havent-already-heard-before/"><span style="color: purple;">top tips on how to be the best summer associate</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And remember that you can reach out to </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Unbillable Life</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at </span><a href="mailto:theunbillabelife@gmail.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: purple;">theunbillabelife@gmail.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with any OCI or other law firm-related questions, comments or suggestions for future blog topics to tackle!</span></span>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-29031414908286353272019-07-29T08:00:00.000-05:002019-07-29T08:00:07.336-05:00Bar Exam Morning Routine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6VB8sXawYM3NFWdz-1A0RwjM9UWZdjg25P1lVDF-ZKNC2VmDm4xWkS9DkGM-fEGa7JLHGiQua62AFnqf5JTtzfotN8B05NQ2Z6WZynG1SpSZA2EbrJAIXnDKhagVsPrQioroPpvDv1c/s1600/bar+exam+morning+routine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6VB8sXawYM3NFWdz-1A0RwjM9UWZdjg25P1lVDF-ZKNC2VmDm4xWkS9DkGM-fEGa7JLHGiQua62AFnqf5JTtzfotN8B05NQ2Z6WZynG1SpSZA2EbrJAIXnDKhagVsPrQioroPpvDv1c/s320/bar+exam+morning+routine.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two posts in two days because it's go time, my friends!! I'll keep my intro short because I know if you have the Bar coming up, I know you don't have time to do frivolous reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/07/bar-exam-evening-routine.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Bar exam evening routine</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4:30 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wake up, put on workout clothes, and go workout. I prefer Orange Theory but you really shouldn't make your very first class the morning of the Bar. I know this sounds like a waste of time and you should be doing a thousand other things last minute before the Bar, but hear me out. You're going to be stressed the morning of the Bar like you've never been. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working out the morning of the Bar didn't necessarily give me a "workout stress relief," but when you're trying not to fall on a treadmill during incline sprints, it tends to distract you for a few minutes. Working out is also the best way to wake yourself up and get ready for the Bar. You don't want to roll in to the Bar still half asleep, and you don't want to chug a whole lot of coffee once you find out the ridiculous procedures it takes to go to the bathroom (not to mention, bathroom breaks take time away from you answering questions). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also is <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise/transcript?language=en" target="_blank">scientifically proven to make you more focused for the next few hours</a>, which is <i>exactly </i>what you need right now. And a lot of people get too nervous to eat breakfast and then halfway through the morning portion of the test get hungry and therefore distracted, so this will ensure that you have a healthy appetite and can stomach a breakfast big enough to last you through lunch. Lastly, you'll be starting the day knowing that you've already accomplished something. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5:00 - 6:00 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The actual workout. Now I'll admit that on the first morning of the Bar I was running on the treadmill, lost in my thoughts, thinking <i>I am so crazy for being here right now, what was I thinking??</i> and stressing about having enough time to get back home, shower, get ready, and get to the Bar on time. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But by Days 2 and 3, I felt confident in my choice to get this done in the morning. On the second day during lunch, one of my classmates was talking about how she went to Orange Theory after Day 1 (my law school was obsessed with this place) and how <i>exhausted </i>she felt trying to work out while her brain was like mush. If you're going to work out during the Bar, I definitely recommend before and not after.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:30 - 7:30 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came home from OTF and did a quick rinse with my hair in shower cap. And then if we're honest, on Day 1 I stood there naked in my towel and had a full-blown panic attack. I felt stupid for even attempting the Bar and ridiculous for thinking that maybe I could pass. I cried for what felt like no reason at all and my heart felt like it was racing even though my Apple Watch said it was at a normal rate. I dry-heaved over the toilet for a good 10 minutes. I kept feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom really bad. I later found out that all of these are physical bodily responses to stress, which is totally not surprising the morning of the Bar. So again, I'm glad that I woke up almost 5 hours before the Bar so that I had time for this.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What got me out of this was a feel-good song. On Day 1 I swear I heard the Voice of God as Shania Twain saying "Man! I feel like a woman!" So obviously I cranked that song and started off crying as I sang along (like Emma Stone in Easy A) to dancing around my bathroom in a better mood. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did do my hair and makeup for the Bar. Not because I'm one of those girls who "has" to always look good. And not because I thought I needed to (like 90% of girls did not even attempt hair/makeup). But because I wanted to not feel like I was hiding from the Bar or scared of the Bar. I wanted to walk into the Bar with the full confidence that you do walking into a bar on a Saturday night in a new outfit. I wanted to look and feel good. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:30 - 7:50 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I overthought about what to have for breakfast before the Bar. Again, I knew from experience that if I didn't eat <i>something </i>that by 10:30 my thoughts would be <i>can't focus, must eat</i> instead of on the test. I also was worried about having something that would run right through me and I'd have to waste precious test timing going to the bathroom. And during my <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2019/07/i-failed-practice-mbe-but-i-passed-bar.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Practice MBE</span> </a>I actually had too big of a breakfast and felt full and tired an hour into the test. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually talked to my Bar prep professor about this (I think she's an over thinker too because she seemed to have thoughts on this) and she suggested bacon (yummy + protein), scrambled eggs (hi again, protein), and buttered toast (a lil carbs & fat). The classic combo made to keep you awake and satisfied without being too heavy in your stomach and bland enough that it wouldn't upset your already nervous stomach. I did this all 3 mornings and it worked just fine for me. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don't have access to cook on the morning of the Bar and egg-white breakfast sandwich from Chick-fil-a or Starbucks also will fuel you up for this mental marathon without slowing you down. Whatever you do, just avoid high-sugar breakfasts like cereal or muffins or Pop-Tarts because that is a recipe for disaster and just asking for you to have a sugar crash mid-test. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7:50 - 8:00 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last minute check to make sure you have your car keys, license, a shit-ton of pre-sharpened pencils, a big eraser, highlighters (if allowed that day) and laptop + charger + extension cord (if allowed that day).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8:00 - 8:30 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drive to the Bar (don't risk it, use Waze because God forbid you traffic makes you late), get there early to get parked, leave your phone/watch in your car, and find the room. I recommend a hype playlist on your way. Obviously on Day 1 I was really into Shania Twain, which I did again on Day 2, and then by Day 3 I was so over the Bar that Tik Tok by Kesha was my hype song.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as you get there, go to the bathroom if you have spare time. Remember, bathroom breaks = less time available to answer questions. Get it all out and resist the urge to drink water. One of my friends did pop some little fruit dummies just to give them a little sugar boost before they went in. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Double check your bag again. Make sure you have your license and ticket pencils good to go. Remember that once you enter the exam room you can't exit, so don't feel the need to get in there real quick. They have assigned seating so you'll be fine even if you're not one of the first people in there. Again, make sure you know how to quickly and efficiently get from the exam room to the bathroom just in case. Before you go in, try to find a familiar face of a classmate so you don't feel so alone/scared.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:00 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is when our Bar officially "started." They closed the doors but there still was the standard reading of the rules, passing out of the ear plugs, passing out the booklets, etc. The most calming thing I found during this time was to say the Lord's Prayer just because we used to do that before cross country meets when I ran in Jr. High & High school so I didn't know what else to do when I was nervous. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then it starts... </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-60688040341454633152019-07-28T20:07:00.002-05:002019-07-28T21:16:54.072-05:00Bar Exam Evening Routine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVt1Zces6qK9h4DUFubhb-9210Kbx3vhCo2BQ34ZllO8sBMHBUTh-eY6qMlDreFVDaS_jVpZwspvq0T5zJ8W3JUtzaPqkp5CHBcPoi2l2CHgTPiHwNDNtdpCcXfeVbI0NQkOO6NmsV78/s1600/bar+exam+night+time+routine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What to do the night before the bar exam. How to stay calm the night before the bar exam. How to prepare the day before the bar exam. A lawyer's last-minute Bar exam tips. What to do in the 24 hours before the bar exam. How to fall asleep the night of the bar exam. Should you study the day before the bar exam | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVt1Zces6qK9h4DUFubhb-9210Kbx3vhCo2BQ34ZllO8sBMHBUTh-eY6qMlDreFVDaS_jVpZwspvq0T5zJ8W3JUtzaPqkp5CHBcPoi2l2CHgTPiHwNDNtdpCcXfeVbI0NQkOO6NmsV78/s320/bar+exam+night+time+routine.png" title="What to do the night before the bar exam. How to stay calm the night before the bar exam. How to prepare the day before the bar exam. A lawyer's last-minute Bar exam tips. What to do in the 24 hours before the bar exam. How to fall asleep the night of the bar exam. Should you study the day before the bar exam | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ready or not, here comes the Bar! If you're starting to feel like u<i>gh let's just get this over with already!!</i> then I have good news– you're ready! I know literally every single person reading this doesn't <i>feel</i> ready, and that's okay because you can never really feel ready or confidently prepared for the Bar. Just take comfort knowing that everyone in that room with you (even if they're licensed attorneys sitting for a new state) is shitting bricks too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's I get in the right mindset for the Worst Test Ever:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8:00 am - 3:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before day 1, obviously on all the other days you'll be taking the Bar. Get groceries and meal prep for the week. Even if your school is providing lunch, make sure you have breakfast food ready and I really encourage <a href="https://amzn.to/2SMdU9X" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">meal prepping</span> </a>supper because you'll want good, normal food but won't want to put in the mental effort to even make a PB&J.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do all your laundry. I laid out my outfits for each day on a shelf in my closet and had undies, pants, bra, shirt, & socks all ready to go for each day. I went with leggings (it likely will be cold), my favorite oversized shirts from college/law school, and my law school sweatshirt that I could take off if I got hot.</span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3:00 - 5:00 pm</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before Day 1, do a dry run to the Bar prep center to make sure you know where you're going. Repeat if it makes you feel comfortable. Double check that you have your Bar ticket, license, at least 10 pre-sharpened wooden pencils, and a big eraser in a clear bag. Check to see if the test the next morning allows highlighters or not and pack those if allowed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prepare your laptop! Double check that you're allowed a laptop the upcoming day. Log in to make sure the software is properly downloaded and works. Practice logging in and out to make sure you remember your password for each day/bathroom breaks. Turn off your screensaver (to save time from logging back in) and set your display to always on. Go ahead and disable wifi because you can't have it on with Exam 360. Quit all apps and make sure you turn off all notifications and set your volume to mute. Open up Exam 360 and leave it open, shut your laptop but don't turn it off so you're all set up for in the morning. Test your charger to make sure there's no wiring out and pack an extension cord in case the plug near you doesn't work. Pack up everything so you don't forget it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5:00 - 6:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life as usual. Lounge around watching an episode of the show you've been secretly binging when you take study breaks. I recommend <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/movie/crazy-stupid-love/id457658502?mt=6&at=1010lwxV" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Crazy Stupid Love</span></a> because a sub-plot is that she takes and <b>passes </b>the Bar. Eat a meal that will put you in a good mood (calories don't count during the Bar). Call your boyfriend or bestie and whine and complain that you have to do this, it's fine.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6:00 - 7:00 pm </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is controversial because everyone on Barbi and online said <i>don't study the day before the exam!</i> but I actually did and I'm glad. I would've felt like a nervous sitting duck knowing that I was about to take a test over the law the next day and not actually look at any legal words. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I get it, if you didn't know it by now then you're not going to learn it and cramming won't help. But I do feel like a light review of quickly looking through the Barbri "key cards" and flipping through my flashcards helped at least give me the feeling that I was doing something and the confidence to know "well if I fail, at least I gave it my best shot." I actually sent my boyfriend Ryan the link to my Quizlet flashcards and had him read the first side to me so that it didn't feel so lonely. Again, don't actually study, but I found a light review actually calmed my nerves.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I turned all the lights off in my apartment by 7:15 pm before the Bar. Because it was summer, there was still enough light coming through the windows that I could walk around and see, but I wanted all the artificial lights to be turned off so my body would start relaxing, unwinding, and preparing for bed. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also took a <a href="https://amzn.to/2Mm4Vew" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">melatonin</span></a> at this time. I know that sounds <i>ridiculously </i>early but trust me you're going to be a ball of nerves from now til you fall asleep so it helps to have this already working to calm down your brain. Plus, you'll want the melatonin <u>totally</u> out of your system by the time you need to be getting up so you don't wake up feeling groggy. If you fall asleep easily naturally so you don't need melatonin or if you're super stressed and don't feel like you'll fall asleep even with melatonin's help, you can take a <a href="https://amzn.to/2JX84Qe" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">cortisol blocker</span></a> (that's your stress hormone) to try to help your nerves enough to fall asleep.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7:15 - 8:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bubble bath time for me. I went all out on the calming. <a href="https://amzn.to/2JY4m8W" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Lavender candles</span></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2SVefYd" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">lavender bath salts</span></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2MkSQWU" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">lavender bath bomb</span></a>, <i>and </i><a href="https://amzn.to/2LLWeul" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">lavender bubble bath</span></a>. I soaked and inhaled and prayed and until I started to feel a little better. Then I took my time pampering myself with lotions and moisturizers to make it feel like a little spa night.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last check before the morning. Breakfast food is at the front of the fridge, car keys are by my clear bag with all my supplies, phone has a full charge so that it will for sure go off and wake me up even if the power were to go out in the middle of the night and also automatic updates are turned off to make sure your phone doesn't accidentally update/restart in the middle of the night and fuck up your alarm (true horror story from a co-worker's classmate), and a "just checking to make sure you're up/good luck motivational call" scheduled from your designated friend/family member.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8:00 - 9:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I laid down and read a book on my Kindle (lowest brightness possible) to help me fall asleep. Luckily, I was in the middle of Little Women at that time so while it was a good book, nothing was really too exciting that it would start to wake me up. I would read until I got tired and then the moment I felt a little tired I would stop, even if mid-sentence, and would pull down my <a href="https://amzn.to/2LOrid4" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">eye mask</span></a> and go to sleep.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you don't like to read, I also really suggest the app <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/headspace-meditation-sleep/id493145008?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">HeadSpace</span></a> and recommend you do one of the longer mediations to help you fall asleep. The guy has a really calming voice.</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-59499271110821917342019-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:002019-07-14T08:00:03.910-05:00I Failed the Practice MBE But I Passed the Bar Exam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahIz9hImt-OMKTJmpaRkxhMMNfh4fas42Pvn4BPAFiMDWWTzSJ-fEgnRszN8ZZ5Kv4ihzBVtmpXXUQitpyU_JyGfwYXqx7JES23V2sG58ndeiuvuK4Ng8cp0QxYNQhMdQFX5YcP7-1Lw/s1600/how+to+pass+the+bar+after+failing+the+simulated+MBE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to pass the Bar exam, how to improve MBE scores, what to do after a bad simulated MBE, how to fix a low score on a practice MBE, Bar passage tips that work, Bar tips for law students, how to increase MBE scores, MBE practice tests, MBE flashcards, last minute bar exam tips | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahIz9hImt-OMKTJmpaRkxhMMNfh4fas42Pvn4BPAFiMDWWTzSJ-fEgnRszN8ZZ5Kv4ihzBVtmpXXUQitpyU_JyGfwYXqx7JES23V2sG58ndeiuvuK4Ng8cp0QxYNQhMdQFX5YcP7-1Lw/s320/how+to+pass+the+bar+after+failing+the+simulated+MBE.png" title="I Failed the Practice MBE But I Passed the Bar Exam | brazenandbrunette.com " width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I got my practice MBE results back from Barbri and it said I had a 14% chance of passing, I obviously freaked out. Panic attacks, full on crying in my Bar prep professor's office, calling my boyfriend crying about how I'm screwed, the works. But once I got that out of my system, I thought of this blog post title and decided that I was going to pass the Bar and make this post, so here it is.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go find a professor to cry on</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bar is an issue that you should really only go to other licensed attorneys about. I mean really, probably only go to a professor because for most lawyers, once they get licensed they shove all things Bar wayyy out of their head so they're not as much help as you'd like. Our school has a dedicated bar prep professor who has the unfortunate summer job of simultaneously talking scared shitless students off the edge and giving the rest a kick in the butt to keep them on track for Bar prep. I feel like not a lot of schools have these (so if you're in SBA maybe try to get one!), so a good back up would be 1) a professor who taught the "Bar prep" class that most schools have or 2) a professor who taught several core MBE classes. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go cry with them and then sit down and work on a personalized plan for you to get back on track. The problem with Bar prep companies is that they can't really personalize for you so their "one-size-fits-all" suggestion on how to improve your MBE results might not be enough for you. Literally get them to help you come up with a week-by-week plan on what to do between now and the Bar. Also use this time to pick their brain on what they thought helped and didn't help when they were taking the Bar. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Review your wrong answers more than once</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You and that failure of an MBE are about to get reallll close. Go through that practice exam and for every question that you got wrong (or guessed and lucked and and got right but you didn't really <i>know</i> the answer), write down the rule of law into an outline. This way you'll start having an outline of what you don't know because I think it worked really well for me to spend the first 6-ish weeks of Bar prep reviewing and the last 2-ish weeks learning what you don't know. This way you'll have an outline of what rules of law you still don't know so you can focus on your weak parts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then go back through your exam. This time for each question you got wrong, ask yourself <i>why. </i>So for me, I had terrible timing. I blew through the first half before the break and had over an hour left of time remaining for that section. I realized this and slowed down a lot for the second half after lunch and then looked up and realized I was going to have to speed through the last several questions. What I learned to do was take timed practice tests to get a better rhythm. I figured out how long I should be working on each question and practiced doing X questions in Y time (sorry I can't remember now!) to get my speed down. Then I did it again, and again, and again, until I naturally was spending long enough, but not too long, on each question.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other thing I realized is that for some reason, every time I had an intentional tort question, I had answered it as a negligence question. To fix that, all I had to do was go back and make a list of what types of issues are intentional torts and what are negligence, and then make that the first thing I look for before answering the question. I realize most people won't have this <i>exact</i> problem but my point is to try to group why you're getting questions wrong and look for a simple fix. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Focus on your weak subjects </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This kinda goes off the point above. Review how many questions you missed on each subject and focus on your weakest subjects the most. Depending on how bad it was, you can either set aside an hour each day to focus on those subjects or maybe dedicate a whole Saturday to them. It's a fine balance between focusing on your weak area and completely ignoring your stronger areas. This was a problem I had when I retook the LSAT because I ignored my strongest subject and then ended up going down in that subject. You never want any of your areas to have your scores decreasing. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like I said above, make an outline of all the rules you don't know and focus on strengthening those areas. Even if you can raise your average on one particular subject just a little, that can be the difference between passing and failing. One of my law professors said something that was my <i>mantra</i> during bar prep – You know what they call someone who passes the Bar by only one point? <b>A lawyer</b>. You don't have to be passing with flying colors in every subject. I mean honestly you can be borderline passing in a few subjects and that will probably be good enough. The goal here is to just not have any subjects that you are bombing.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Practice, practice, practice</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So I truly love Barbri and would recommend them, but they have a <i>major </i>flaw. Sometimes for the explanation for the correct answer it's like "this question is asking about X rule, B applies X rule, therefore A, C, D, and E are wrong. Which isn't exactly helpful. Thankfully I found JD advising and her <a href="https://www.jdadvising.com/product/real-mbe-questions-test/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">real MBE questions</span></a> and I really recommend them! Her answer explanations are more like "this question mentioned Y which is how you know it's asking about X rule. if you answered A you got it mixed up with Z rule, if you answered C you missed this one word, if you answered D..." you get it. I spent $200 on their small package of practice problems and their explanations were 1000% worth it. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, I would make a flash card for each question I got wrong and would study just that one thing. <a href="https://quizlet.com/nikki_boyd/folders/mbe" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Here's my MBE flashcards</span></a>. They're super specific because they're just what I was getting wrong, but I'm sharing these to show you how I'd study for them. Really figure out <i>why</i> you're getting questions wrong so you can study more efficient. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get your timing right</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just like with the LSAT, the last step is to get your timing down perfect. I know I mentioned this earlier, but it's an easily overlooked step. Going through your questions too slow means you run out of time and panic and guess. Going through them too fast means you are missing things. And it's hard to try to pace yourself during the actual exam. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A better solution is to get almost muscle memory. I think I was doing 30 questions in 45 minutes (or whatever JD Advising recommended, sorry it's been a year!). I'd take a little practice test each day to work on my timing. Pretty soon, I was in a natural flow and spending the Goldilocks amount of time on each question, without really trying. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have a glass of wine</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or whatever, you get the point. It's not the end of the world. I strongly believe that the Bar is so much of mental confidence as it is mental stamina and actual knowledge. You don't want to be the girl crying during the Bar! That's just asking for disaster. You need to buckle down, yes, but don't stress yourself out. If you walk into that room thinking you'll fail, you probably will! If you take the time to focus on <i>why </i>and <i>where</i> you're struggling, there's totally hope for you. I mean hey, I increased my pass percentage from 14% to 100% so remember that. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, get in the zone. I kept thinking back to Michael Phelps when there was that one Olympics where he hadn't really been training and he did well but, like, not Michael Phelps well? I remembered reading an article about how he had trained but not as hard as he used to and he hadn't really put in his full effort. Then after that impressive but not record-shattering year he came back 4 years later and was a total beast. That was my focus. I was abso-fucking-lutely terrified that I'd fail the Bar by just a few points. And that was my driving factor. When I wanted to quit, I thought about that Michael Phelps article, and how if I slack off even just a little, it could be the difference between trying to and actually achieving my goals. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, set Screen Time limits on your phone, save TV shows to bing after the Damn Thing is done, and <b>focus</b>. Make it this your fist and last try at the Bar. </span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-76963000825310494442019-06-02T08:00:00.000-05:002019-06-02T08:00:08.599-05:00Bar Prep Study Supplies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfXCAVRjoWX2ZcSMnbvM-hRien9U-AFBoeNGKaMcK2Ipm7uSPC9jncuIXX8_G6nw9I1urZZJ7rS-d8U2wIRSDUHvEn95A-1_fgWvvzR288G0euw5fFLxJFVli2c5TseRnsB2FCol92tg/s1600/bar+prep+study+supplies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What I actually used to study for the bar exam. Bar exam study supplies I'm glad I had. What to buy before the Bar exam. What you'll need to study for the Bar. Study space for the bar exam. Bar exam advice. what to get before the Bar | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfXCAVRjoWX2ZcSMnbvM-hRien9U-AFBoeNGKaMcK2Ipm7uSPC9jncuIXX8_G6nw9I1urZZJ7rS-d8U2wIRSDUHvEn95A-1_fgWvvzR288G0euw5fFLxJFVli2c5TseRnsB2FCol92tg/s320/bar+prep+study+supplies.png" title="Bar prep study supplies | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes you're getting two new posts in a row because I just finished last week's post about my Bar exam schedule and Ryan is gaming and I have a full glass of wine so I'm going 2 for 2. Anyways, today is about all the things that I actually used and really liked for Bar prep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fold-n-Stow-Bookstand-Adjustable-Counertops-Hardcover/dp/B01N7J904M/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=book+holder&qid=1558746074&s=gateway&sr=8-6&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=f8f60c940bb6342b5dcc525a9e91d4dc" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01N7J904M&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B01N7J904M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2W2psLa" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Book holder</span></a> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If you don't already have one, you're going to want one for Bar prep. It will save your neck a lot of pain.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-DSN-01750-SL-Laptop-Stand-Silver/dp/B00WRDS0AU/ref=as_li_ss_il?crid=SAPNCP5JIEWJ&keywords=laptop+stand&qid=1558746194&refinements=p_85:2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=gateway&sprefix=laptop+s,aps,179&sr=8-10&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=b25184a78c5486545a8ae962b5a0b694" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00WRDS0AU&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B00WRDS0AU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2EykrPH" target="_blank">Laptop stand</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This thing made it comfortable to type out long practice MPTs and I feel like saved me from having a double chin looking down all the time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CRN16BX/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=ed2f1418ef25e06c8fbffd215107f61f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07CRN16BX&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B07CRN16BX" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Extocd" target="_blank">Beats </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I know this sounds extra but upgrading my noise-cancelling headphones was such a good call. The stress level during Bar prep is even higher than law school so just the littlest thing can really throw you off. I still use these around the house a lot.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/LifeArt-Blocking-Transparent-Eyestrain-Magnification/dp/B06W2L7NFS/ref=as_li_ss_il?crid=13FOPSRM0XLGI&keywords=blue+light+blocking+glasses+women&qid=1558746382&s=electronics&sprefix=blue+li,electronics,173&sr=1-3&th=1&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=bad1c42eff5e5cbd9f3183cf6455b7c6" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B06W2L7NFS&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B06W2L7NFS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Wvfly4" target="_blank">Blue-light blocking glasses</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Like almost all of Bar prep is you staring at a computer screen all day, every day. These are really cheap and will help prevent a lot of eye tiredness.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Temperature-Display-Personal-360%C2%B0Rotation/dp/B073ZDSNR9/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=desk+fan+with+time&qid=1558746454&s=electronics&sr=1-3&th=1&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=e926b73fd470b5c9cf0df8ca26b0c26f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B073ZDSNR9&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B073ZDSNR9" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2M7iakP" target="_blank">Desk fan</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Hey Bar prep is during the summer so you're probably going to be extra sweaty during the day. And you're going to be living in your study area anyways so you might as well make yourself at home. Yes I did get the one that told me the time and temperature and yes I did use those features like daily.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Soft-Blanket-Compact-Lightweight-Portable/dp/B06XWSVVXS/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=travel+blanket&qid=1558746603&s=gateway&sr=8-5&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=8b7f2951fa2be7603c50780763a10513" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B06XWSVVXS&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B06XWSVVXS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2wl4Y0Q" target="_blank">Blanket </a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the other hand, if your library cranks the AC on full blast all day or your study area gets cold in the evenings, this is great to have to snuggle up with and be comfortable. It's also great for mid-day naps.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A29ZJNC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=6f68c21ac2d3f9ff02b136877348df24" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00A29ZJNC&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B00A29ZJNC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2EtOurW" target="_blank">Convertible pillow</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Ohmygod <span style="background-color: white;">I used this thing <b>so much</b> during Bar prep! I would hold on to it and cuddle it while I was watching videos, I would sit on it when my butt got tired, and I would use it for naps because it worked perfectly whether I had to nap sitting up or could lay down. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-Ultra-Plastic-Storage-Basket/dp/B0063KVRL2/ref=as_li_ss_il?keywords=plastic+storage+basket&qid=1558746978&s=gateway&sr=8-1&linkCode=li3&tag=brazandbrun-20&linkId=747a150c08413898861b0237450e4fbd" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0063KVRL2&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=brazandbrun-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=brazandbrun-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B0063KVRL2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2YKkqQh" target="_blank">Snack box</a> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I had used this box in my spring 3L semester apartment in a drawer but didn't need it at my Bar prep apartment so I brought it to my little study room. I liked that it kept my study area organized. I had smart pop for munchies, beef jerky for protein, kind bars for my sweet tooth, and starbucks hibiscus fresher mix for energy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really, I think that's all I needed. Bar prep is pretty low key and only lasts for a few months so you really don't need a whole new set of study supplies. Oh, but obviously you'll want a full set of <a href="https://amzn.to/2K4POVt" target="_blank">pens</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2Qp5kNq" target="_blank">highlighters</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For exam day itself, basically everything I listed <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/11/the-mpre.html" target="_blank">in this post</a> is what you'll need.</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-73177292040353973262019-05-26T08:00:00.000-05:002019-05-26T13:27:09.365-05:00Bar Prep Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCg0fhPMDNIH24kBcxaMpMXSW7EiaLRCdigbRBTyVtiL47PBAFR9NOjZze0iEOWBwrvj0g-s4UPO7kF-j7nzoR4YJgSnk8e4kMGxLPQEgtqkvG_NQTQJA-BjLuQC6zCryLyTzY9m0bl8/s1600/bar+exam+study+scheudle++%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bar exam study schedule. How many hours should I study each day for the Bar exam? How to study for the Bar exam. When to study for the Bar exam. Barbri schedule. Themis schedule. Texas Bar Exam 3 month study plan. 3L Bar prep. bar exam tips. bar exam help | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCg0fhPMDNIH24kBcxaMpMXSW7EiaLRCdigbRBTyVtiL47PBAFR9NOjZze0iEOWBwrvj0g-s4UPO7kF-j7nzoR4YJgSnk8e4kMGxLPQEgtqkvG_NQTQJA-BjLuQC6zCryLyTzY9m0bl8/s320/bar+exam+study+scheudle++%25282%2529.png" title="Bar Prep Schedule | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surprise bitch, I bet you'd seen the last of me. Okay for real though, being a lawyer is just as time consuming as everyone tells you it is so sorry for the hiatus. But I knew it was time for another blog post when I got flooded with DMs and emails about the Bar. I meant to make these posts a long time ago but hey, no time like the last minute, right? </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I'm giving you an example of what </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> bar prep schedule was like. Oh and if you're wondering, I did Barbri. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want to see a play-by-play of what it's like, go to my Instagram stories!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Month 1 - June</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May is a transition month so to keep things tidy, let's just start with June. June will be one of the busiest months of your life. Remember when you thought college was busy and then law school slapped you in the face? Yep, Bar prep makes law school sound calm. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, a lot of people have been asking me about planner suggestions for the Bar. The truth is that I didn't use a planner and if I were you I would hold off on getting a planner until you are about a week into Bar prep (actual Bar prep, not the early start) to see if you feel like you need one. You'll see why.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7:00 - 8:00 am</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Workout: Workout before you Bar prep. By the time you get a butt in a chair to study, you didn't just roll out of bed 10 minutes ago. You've woken your body up much better than coffee ever can. You've counteracted the junk food you'll snack on throughout the day as you study. You've given yourself a little confidence boost because you already accomplished something. And most importantly, you're too dang tired to get antsy in your seat while you watch the lecture videos.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">9:00 am - 12:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bar prep class: I <i>highly</i> suggest taking the in-person class if you can. You can always later drop out and do it on your own, but I'm proud to say that I only ever missed one day of class and stuck through it all semester. It's nice to lean over and ask "what was the answer?" to your neighbor if you missed something that was said because you were still taking notes on another section. Heck, it's just really nice to not be by yourself all day every day while studying. And it holds you accountable to study for the 3 hours straight.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12:00 - 1:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lunch: Take a full hour for yourself. I meal prepped and I suggest you do too so you are eating semi healthy food and don't have to stress about cooking in the middle of the day. Completely tune out the Bar. I would go home and watch The Mindy Project on Hulu because I needed something lighthearted to distract me. Trust me, if you try to study during lunch you're going to burn out really quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1:00 - 6:00 pm</b></span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Review/assignments: Yeah so this is similar to law school where you have homework every single day. Every day you'll get assignments and are expected to finish them that same day. Avoid getting behind at all costs because slowly every day you get more and more assignments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would aim to get a few assignments ahead but I avoided getting days ahead because at that point you're flying through the assignments too quickly to be learning effectively. This is why I don't think you need a planner because you go to your study area and the website says "do x, y, z" and it marks it off as you do it, so really your Bar prep will be your planner for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Try to make yourself stay at least until either 6 or when you finish all the assignments for that day, whichever was later (not earlier... try to get 1-2 extra assignments done a day and you'll thank me in July).</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6:00 - 10:00 pm</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unwind: Trust me that by this time you're going to want to take several hours to shower, eat, watch TV, drinks lots of wine, and put Bar prep behind you. Just like how law school is way more mentally exhausting than college, Bar prep is way more mentally exhausting than law school.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Weekends</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah that's right, your Bar prep schedule will assume that you study every single day of your life. i think that's what makes it so hard, is that you never really get a break. I actually didn't realize this until the second week of Bar prep I came in after classes and looked at my schedule and realized that I was <i>way </i>behind. Oh and a heads up, both Barbri and Themis share your progress with your school so like when I got behind I got a little "Hey how's Bar prep?" email from one of the professors.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyways, yeah on the weekends I would try to work 9-5 or if I let myself sleep in I'd try to make myself work 10-6. But remember that the Bar exam is at 8 am every morning so you should be spending this summer working on going to bed and waking up early so that it's easier when it comes time for the Bar. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd take a lunch and try to work through lunch just for those days. On Sundays I'd leave a little early use Walmart grocery pickup (HIGHLY recommend) and then meal prep lunches & dinners for the week.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Usually if I had an MPT practice essay that week I would save it for the weekends just because those take like 2 hours each and you don't really want to do them after going to a class in the morning. And remember, always use the weekend to make sure you're caught up and if you can get just a little ahead to give you some cushion for those days when you're just mentally exhausted.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Month 2 - July</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">July is a whole 'nother beast of Bar prep. After the 4th of July, things pick up a LOT and you have a lot more scheduled to do each day. So yeah, enjoy the 4th. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the first 2ish weeks of July you'll still have Bar prep classes every day. The last 2ish weeks are for "review" so you'll be on your own all day just like how last month you were on your own from 1-6 last month. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my professors gave me some really great advice about the review weeks. This is the time when it's okay to leave the Barbri/Themis schedule and do your own thing. I know it's scary to leave what was pre-planned for you by the pros, but that's just a general plan and now is the time to make your schedule personal and focus on strengthening your weaknesses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're not sure where to start on your own schedule, she suggested to me that I break my studying down to be proportional to how the test is. So for example, in Texas it's like 40% MBE, 40% Texas, 10% MPT, 10% Texas procedure & evidence. So I'd spend 40% of my time doing MBE, 40% Texas... you get it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7 - 8</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really focus on being up and ready to go well before 8 so that you have your schedule really down by the time the Bar comes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8 - 12</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spend these 4 hours doing pure MBE practice problems, reviewing the right and wrong choices, and doing flashcards. One of my favorite ways that I studied was a classmate and I would walk around our law school's parameter quizzing each other over flashcards that she had made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">12 - 1</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't fall into the trap and stress yourself into working through lunch. It's not good for your mental health. Take a full hour break every day to allow your brain a chance to recharge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 - 5</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During this time, I would just go through the Barbri Texas parts and did so many practice essays and reviewed through the summary books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5 - 7</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Doing both practice MPT's <i>and</i> Texas crim/civ pro & evidence would be way too much, so my professor suggested I alternated days and would do a practice MPT one night and then P&E the next day. I found that this really helped me because a lot of people forget to do practice MPT's but I'm glad that I did almost every practice one in our book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that's about it! Like I said, it's pretty straight-forward and almost an auto-pilot schedule, but I just wanted to share with all of y'all what I did! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-64032599941833234562019-01-21T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-21T09:00:26.626-06:00How to Make a Cover Letter That Will Land a Law Job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUrN80W-anCLCh7Hq9T_WGk4T-jUKB2AYmgoVFd6kMVJoaCNz6w-BvWciyg69o6vxQjw9ATmzVOfLoyizAo7qXWFu4aLGc3juEB3V2fdsPlrTIwqO4QQB7_8B-JS2SQtBRY_-AKHedgE/s1600/how+to+make+a+killer+cover+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tips for your legal cover letter. What to put on a cover letter for a summer associate, law clerk, or first-year associate position. Law clerk cover letter tips. Summer associate cover letter example. First year associate cover letter sample. Legal field cover letter. Law school cover letter advice and samples. 1L cover letter. 2L cover letter. 3L cover letter. Law grad cover letter. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUrN80W-anCLCh7Hq9T_WGk4T-jUKB2AYmgoVFd6kMVJoaCNz6w-BvWciyg69o6vxQjw9ATmzVOfLoyizAo7qXWFu4aLGc3juEB3V2fdsPlrTIwqO4QQB7_8B-JS2SQtBRY_-AKHedgE/s320/how+to+make+a+killer+cover+letter.jpg" title="How to Make a Cover Letter That Will Land a Law Job | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi hi hi everyone! Today's post is part 2 of my "get you a legal job" series. Whether you're in college trying to find some experience before law school, or already in law school but looking for a summer associate position, or a 3L/law school grad looking for a lawyer job, I'm here to share what advice I was given that I think really helped. In case you missed it, part 1 of this series was <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/11/how-to-make-resume-that-will-land-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">resumé advice</span></a> and stay tuned for the last part, the follow-up contact. I know it's been almost a month since my last post and I'm sorry about that, but now I think I'm getting down my new daily schedule better so I'm going to try to be better about blogging every week now. Okay so here's what you came for...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Intro & dropping names</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm sure you've had the importance of networking in the legal field shoved down your throat enough already, so I'm just going to skip over that part. So you've came across a job opportunity and you have the chance to drop a name. It doesn't matter how you found that job opportunity, you need to drop the name. If someone recommended the job for you, that's easy. But what if someone hasn't? First go to LinkedIn and see if you can find anyone you know who works there. If you can, send them a message saying something like this: </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey [name]! I was looking into applying to [position] with [firm] and saw you work there so I was hoping you could tell me a little bit more about it before I apply. Basically just do you like it and what's it like working there. Thanks!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey [name]! So I came across an opening for [position] for [firm] and thought I'd apply since [reason why you want this job]. Since you work there I was wondering if I could name drop you as a connection and also see if you had any insight for me about the company culture or anything else that might be helpful. I saw that [HR person] is who I'll send my resume too and I know it's a big office but I didn't know if maybe you've met her. I'd appreciate any help you could give me!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901961); white-space: pre-line;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey [name]! I'm not sure if you remember me, but [how you met]. I'm about to send over a resumé and cover letter to [HR person] over at [firm] here in [location] and I saw on LinkedIn that you have a connection with someone who works here. Would you mind if I name dropped you in my cover letter to help make it a little personal?</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901961); white-space: pre-line;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901961); white-space: pre-line;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's definitely a good idea to send them a message first because you don't want an HR person or hiring attorney to come up to them asking about you and your connection is completely caught off guard and like <i>oh Nikki Boyd? I haven't talked to her in years!!</i> Don't worry they'll most likely be cool with it, this is just a heads up. Then say something like this in your cover letter:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.901961); white-space: pre-line;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear [hiring person], <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">[name drop], [their position] at [firm] in [town], suggested I contact you regarding the [position] with your </span>firm.<span style="font-size: small;"> [name drop] thought this position would be a great fit for me as [reason why they should hire you]. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You want to start by name dropping because it instantly makes your cover letter more personal. Remember that people remember the first and last thing they read, so you have to start out on a strong foot to get them to remember you. After this, you can go into the body of your cover letter, which I'll get to in a moment. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Intro to a random job you found</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most likely you'll be applying to a <i>lot </i>of jobs, so realistically you won't always know someone at a firm (or whatever) that you're applying to. That's okay!! Don't let this discourage you from applying. For what it's worth, I ended up accepting a job at a firm where I knew no one and no one knew me before my interview. So definitely still apply!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still start strong and basically say the same thing as above, just get straight to the point faster:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear [hiring person]: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am reaching out to you regarding the [position] with your firm. I thought this would be a great fit for me as [reason why they should hire you].</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay so now we have the basics down. But what should you put as a reason why they should hire you?? Answer- take the job duties that they are looking to be fulfilled by this new employee and relate it back to your experiences! Here's what I actually put in my cover letter that got me hired (I do workers' comp law):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am reaching out to you regarding the Associate Attorney position with your firm. I thought this would be a great fit for me as I recently interned with the General Counsel at Interstate and my experiences included reviewing and editing employment agreements and providing counseling regarding workers compensation, wrongful termination, and employment disability issues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we're being honest, I dabbled in workers comp and wrongful termination issues during my externship. But I did have <i>some</i> experience! So I took whatever I could think of from my old job that would be relevant to this job and highlighted it. The trick here is to really read the job listing carefully or think hard about the position that's to be filled and figure out what they're looking for. Then you explain how you are exactly what they're looking for! This brings me too...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The body</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A mistake that a lot of people accidentally make is that they use the body of their cover letter to just reiterate their resumé. Wrong! The advice I received is use this as an opportunity to tell a story that bridges the gap between what you've done in the past and what you'll do for them. So for example, my resumé and intro statement explained that I have experience with employment law, which is relevant because workers' comp is kind of like an intersection between employment and insurance law. So then my next two paragraphs were me giving anecdotes of my experience. Just pick apart each bullet that you listed on your resumé and try to explain how you gained that experience. What problems were you faced with? What did you do? What did you learn from the outcome? How can you use this experience to help their firm? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know what your'e thinking, because I thought it too... how do I explain all this? Easy! Cheat! Look up [x type of law] lawyer resumé or cover letter. As you read these, get some wording ideas. Maybe the same cover letter includes something similar to yours that you can copy a little, or maybe it will remind you of something else that you did and can talk about. This is why I think it's super helpful to keep a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n6CdXeAsNDaerxhTjWUbPb2hKCVG8SuMB53aFm22-lM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">conflicts log</span></a> all throughout law school. Not only is this something that your future employer will need to have, but it will serve as a little diary of all of the different tasks you've had. Remember, you're telling stories here. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a warning, though, the sample cover letters that you see on your school's career services website and Google will be all full of how graduating in the top 10% of their class taught them the discipline they'll need for being a lawyer or how winning a national moot court competition prepared them for litigation. That's great, but maybe you're like me and you were just an average law student who graduated more like Warner [without honors, without a girlfriend, and without a job offer] than Elle [with an invitation to join a prestigious law firm and class-elected speaker]. That's great, too. Just take whatever experience you have and tell a story connecting that with how it makes you a perfect lawyer/law clerk at this firm.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other tips</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't have much tips for a conclusion of the cover letter because basically they're all the same... thanks for your consideration and blah blah blah. So, other tips that I think are a better use of your reading time today.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Save your cover letter as [name] [position] [firm]. The first two are to help whoever is hiring be able to quickly know whose cover letter they're looking at and what position you're applying for. The last one is just to help make sure you send the right cover letter to the right place.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One time saver is to keep track of your cover letters so that you can plagiarize yourself. On my computer I color-coordinated my cover letters by what types of law I was applying to (<a href="https://www.imore.com/how-set-and-start-using-finder-tags-macos" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">here's how</span></a>). I had a color for Contracts, Employment, In House, Insurance, IT, Litigation, Oil & Gas, and Real Estate. And I would tag a cover letter with everything that applies (so for my workers' comp cover it was tagged with litigation, insurance, and employment). This way, I could steal bits and pieces of my experience with each relevant category to make myself sound the most well-rounded and qualified that I could. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To save time, after doing my initial research on what I wanted to say for each type of law, I would make a basic template cover letter. I would put in red anything that would need to be updated with each cover letter and would have a shell that I could use to plug in these certain paragraphs into the relevant cover letter. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But that brings me to another point, be very very careful with copying and pasting parts of your letter. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Little things like sending a company a letter talking about how you want to join their firm or accidentally using the wrong name are easy to overlook when you're proofreading because all letters start to look the same. But these things are huge to someone because it shows you're lazy and disinterested, and they'll probably just chunk your application right then and there. Tips for this to make sure you're extra careful is to write all your cover letters one day, and then in a day or two come back and re-read them with a fresh mind to make sure you don't overlook anything. Another great help is to find your mom or friend to go over your cover letter and resumé together with the job listing as if they were the hiring partner and make sure that your resumé reflects the job listing and your cover letter reflects your resumé and the job listing too. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It sounds like a lot of work, but it'll be worth it once you have a job. I was lucky (I guess depending on your own experience) and only wrote 25 cover letters before I was hired. It sucks, I know. It's so tedious and as you're writing it you're sure that no one will ever even read these, but don't give up! I would take a glass of wine and go sit on our balcony in the evenings and work on these a little at a time. Even if it's just one hour a day, make yourself get these done until you are hired. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-32644092122433275852019-01-14T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-14T08:00:05.870-06:00How I'm Paying Off My Law School Debt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1KUnJAa6MeeBG0k9ufup5AdWxEEzz1AkRvzbDFFWd-o3nt1Z8urwgSJR_mHMepQqgg7TRuwBBHbyTa6_b181Fk1BTABNznpfMY4QwOS5LShtwwAjyn-Wec9arQao9UlzjUIkpcNIMdM/s1600/how+to+pay+off+your+law+school+student+loans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to pay off your law school loans. How to get out of law school debt. How to minimize your law school loans. How to get a law school loan. Private vs public law school loan. How much debt to expect after law school. How much does law school really cost. Law school debt repayment plan. How to reduce law school loans interest rates. How to refinance your law school loans. Should you refinance your law school loans. Law school debt help for free. Law school grad debt for 2019. How to pay off your law school loans fast. Law school loan refinance. How to budget for law school. Save on law school loans by working during law school. How much does your 1L year of law school cost. How to find law school scholarships. law school blog. law student blogger. law school tips. law school advice | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1KUnJAa6MeeBG0k9ufup5AdWxEEzz1AkRvzbDFFWd-o3nt1Z8urwgSJR_mHMepQqgg7TRuwBBHbyTa6_b181Fk1BTABNznpfMY4QwOS5LShtwwAjyn-Wec9arQao9UlzjUIkpcNIMdM/s320/how+to+pay+off+your+law+school+student+loans.jpg" title="Paying Off My Law School Debt | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy 2019 everyone!! I wanted this post to be my first post of the year because my New Years resolution is to get on top of my financial situation and take on my debt head on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we're being honest, my debt <i>really</i> annoys me sometimes. I look at how much I owe and think about the cute little house I could buy with it instead, or the crazy nice car I could get myself, or the trip of a lifetime flying first class around the world and staying in some nice ass hotels with the money that I've spent on a law degree. I look at my friends who graduated without debt and see all the fun things they get to do because they can afford to go to brunch every weekend and fly home to surprise their parents or buy that thing that they really want, because every though I make more than them, they have more money to blow each month. So, that's hard. BUT, I do think that it was worth it to go to law school and although my debt is a huge thing in my life, I'm still very glad I went to law school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So let's talk about my debt. How much it actually cost me to go to law school, how I helped my debt while I'm in law school, and my plan to not die still owing money!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My law school debt</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, how much I owe...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA-8Y5rf2BLdR_uZiKm_KumN1A8F0J1A89KuHbAmnXbFHgYgn4MqojrKUwqoRsguNIlluJCnH0-GZAQfKyjEYJK1b5Fg8BFlLKw6QBwvqeWsEaFZlDpMinpIXYJOg1E0JBbCtmYPirUU/s1600/IMG_4786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How to pay off your law school loans. How to get out of law school debt. How to minimize your law school loans. How to get a law school loan. Private vs public law school loan. How much debt to expect after law school. How much does law school really cost. Law school debt repayment plan. How to reduce law school loans interest rates. How to refinance your law school loans. Should you refinance your law school loans. Law school debt help for free. Law school grad debt for 2019. How to pay off your law school loans fast. Law school loan refinance. How to budget for law school. Save on law school loans by working during law school. How much does your 1L year of law school cost. How to find law school scholarships. law school blog. law student blogger. law school tips. law school advice | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="929" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwA-8Y5rf2BLdR_uZiKm_KumN1A8F0J1A89KuHbAmnXbFHgYgn4MqojrKUwqoRsguNIlluJCnH0-GZAQfKyjEYJK1b5Fg8BFlLKw6QBwvqeWsEaFZlDpMinpIXYJOg1E0JBbCtmYPirUU/s320/IMG_4786.jpg" title="Paying Off My Law School Debt | brazenandbrunette.com" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I keep track of my debt using <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/turbo-scores-income-credit/id1242998361?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">this app</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yep. It's a pretty big number. But I am grateful that my parents were able to support me through college so my debt is only law school and doesn't also include college debt too. Also shoutout to my dad for helping cover <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/11/the-mpre.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">my MPRE fee</span></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette/status/928449293685534720" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">my Barbri fee</span></a>. My loans are made up of the maximum amount that I could get from FASFA (government loan) and whatever FASFA didn't cover was paid for by Sallie May (private loan). My government loan definitely gave me much better interest rates than my private loan, but sadly my 1L year my FASFA wasn't even enough to cover my tuition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/08/live-blogging-my-way-into-debt.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to get a student loan for law school</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big part of why that number is so high is because my 1L year I went to a private school which cost almost double than the school that I went to my 2L/3L year. This is kind of a bummer because it means that my biggest loan has been accruing interest the longest, but it is what it is. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another reason why that number is so high is because I used student loans to pay for everything— tuition, books, housing, groceries, gas, <i>everything </i>that I had to spend money on for 3 years came from loans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/10/should-you-go-to-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">A breakdown of my 0L, 1L, and 2L expenses</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How I minimized my law school debt</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The easiest way to minimize your law school debt is to look for scholarships!! Try to get as many scholarships as you can before law school, and then after every semester 1) go in to the financial aid office and try to negotiate a better scholarship [assuming you have decent grades, if you need help with your grades <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/06/how-to-save-your-law-school-gpa.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">go here</span></a>], and 2) see if you qualify for any external scholarships. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/08/how-to-find-law-school-scholarships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to find law school scholarships</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing I started doing after my 1L year was to take out my scholarships after each semester instead of one big loan at the beginning of every year. The idea is that if you take out say $15k in August and another $15k in January, then the spring semester $15k isn't sitting there accruing interest while it's not being used during the fall semester. I haven't done the math to see how much it actually saves, but I do feel like it helps. One downside though is that doing this means more "hard credit checks" on your credit score so it might lower your credit score a little (idk by how much) which might make your new interest rate higher for your private loans. Ask your parents or someone who's good with math help you calculate it and find the best option for you. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Probably the thing that felt like helped me the most with my debt was working during the summer between my 2L and 3L year and for the whole fall semester of my 3L year. This helped make the money that I was taking out stretch so much further. In fact, I was very excited that I was able to save enough both semesters of my 3L year that I had enough leftover money to pay for 2 months' rent and groceries during the Bar so I actually didn't have to take out a Bar prep loan!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/09/should-you-have-job-while-in-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to decide if working during law school is right for you</span></a> and <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/10/how-to-work-during-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to have a job during law school</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The last thing that I did to help my debt while I was still in school was that I signed up for automatic payments on my loans each month. It wasn't much-- I think I paid like $200 a month of my private loans and like $75 a month of my government loan. I realize it sounds absolutely counter-intuitive to use loan money to pay off your loans but hear me out. First off, I was able to choose a better interest rate from the start by agreeing to opt-in to pay I think it was $25 a month on each private loan (I chose to pay extra each month). Secondly, this helped keep my interest rate down by juuuust a teensy bit. Yeah it's not much but hey if it helps, I was all for it. Third, it boosted my credit score to be consistently paying on my debt so with each new loan that I took out (remember I took out 5 private loans [1 1L, 2 2L, and 2 3L]) I qualified for a better interest rate. I ended up having an interest rate on my last loan be about 1 full percentage lower than on my first loan! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/05/budgeting.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to budget for law school</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My law school debt repayment plan</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here's my focus for 2019! The first thing that I've already done in 2019, even though we're only like 2 weeks in, is refinance my loans through <a href="http://sofi.com/share/441228?src=copy" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">SoFi</span></a>. What this means is that basically I have them pay off all of my private loans and then now I owe SoFi for my loans but instead of having 5 loans to pay off that all have different interest rates, I have 1 loan to pay off at 1 interest rate. And because as I just mentioned my credit score went up from when I was a 0L to now, I qualified for a new interest rate that's 2% lower than my highest old interest rate and 1% lower than my lowest old interest rate (I realize this gets confusing because of math but bear with me). This will end up saving me <i>thousands</i> over the course of my repayment plan. If you want to learn more about refinancing with SoFi, <a href="http://sofi.com/share/441228?src=copy" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">use this link</span></a> and you can get $100 if you sign up.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The second thing that I'm doing this year is that I'm paying every other week on my loans. I received a 0.25% lower interest by signing up for automatic payment on my loan, but I'll actually be paying extra each month. The idea is that if you pay every other week you end up paying a little extra each year because some months have 5 weeks in them, but to you it doesn't <i>feel</i> like you're paying extra. I just set up a reminder in my phone for every other Saturday to pay a little extra on my loan.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And as for my repayment plan, what I've decided to do is the <a href="https://talkingcents.consumercredit.com/2014/11/25/tuesday-tip-debt-repayment-strategies/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Dave Ramsey approach to debt</span></a> where I'm going to make the minimum payments on my government loan each month and use any extra money that I have to pay off my private loan first (called the debt avalanche). Using this method, I'll completely put all of my attention on my private loan first because it has a higher interest rate, and then after that's completely paid off I'll turn my focus to my government loan with the lower interest rate. The idea behind this is that if you focus your attention to the higher interest loan first, you'll end up saving money on interest in the long run. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's talk numbers. What does this look like for me. I'm in the 20-year repayment plan for my private loan, which costs me somewhere around $650 a month. I'm in the 15-year repayment plan for my government loan, which costs me somewhere around $750 a month. Ideally, which my debt avalanche approach to debt I wish the year payoff plans were swapped but I'm working with what I was given. Anyways, my plan is to spend about $1000 from each paycheck on my debt— $1k from my first paycheck of the month to my private loan, and then $750 from my second paycheck to my government loan and $300 from my second paycheck to my private loan. To do this, Ryan and I are really focused on our budget (we each use <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mint-personal-finance-money/id300238550?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">this app</span></a> to budget) and we actually live a pretty frugal lifestyle most of the time.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/08/saving-money-in-law-school-with-meal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How meal planning saves us money</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, my plan is for any raise I get in the future to go directly to my debt. I've read from so many people to just act like you never got a raise (I mean you're already making your salary work for your budget). The problem is that if you use your raise to treat yo self, then it's really hard for you to scale back to being #poor after you've gotten used to the good life (it's called the golden handcuffs problem). Another thing that I'm planning to do is use any tax refunds that I get to go to my loans, for the same reason. When I first started my job and was filing out the paperwork, I actually elected to have less money taken out of my paycheck each month/less or no tax refund just so that I could have more money each paycheck to work on spending at least $2k a month on my loans.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay congratulations you've made it to the end! Sorry it's such a long post but also I haven't posted in a while so I guess this makes up for it lol. I'm very much brand new to this whole student debt situation, so we'll see what I end up changing, what works out really well for me, and what else I find out about. Right now, my plan is to do a law school debt update at the beginning of every year because I know these posts can be boring/scary so I think once a year will help y'all see how it's going without being too much. Okay so I guess we'll see where this goes in 2019!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-78388955869577828982018-12-31T09:10:00.002-06:002018-12-31T09:10:26.412-06:00Top Blog Posts of 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvv1asH58jVszP79lG0r0IJwPKoWA6lU01Cho6AYQYlQlOM4fSZ6Dkt0V4fEdCD4w2YSf1nGmBBxEH4jfhlCccUkNyBNn3Iy7lAuvzsruwE_q20XKRUK2WbYg0G2-eVMtziGfEgiIEgc/s1600/top+posts+of+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvv1asH58jVszP79lG0r0IJwPKoWA6lU01Cho6AYQYlQlOM4fSZ6Dkt0V4fEdCD4w2YSf1nGmBBxEH4jfhlCccUkNyBNn3Iy7lAuvzsruwE_q20XKRUK2WbYg0G2-eVMtziGfEgiIEgc/s320/top+posts+of+2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy NYE everyone!! The one thing I really miss about being a student is the extra long Christmas/NYE break that you get. I'm working a half day on NYE but at least have the first off so Ryan and I are doing a little staycation in a nearby town (it's so cute so I'll post where we go on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Instagram </span></a>stories). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyways, I can't believe it's been a full year since I did my <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/12/top-blog-posts-of-2017.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Top Blog Posts of 2017</span></a>! This has been a <b>whirlwind </b>of a year and I'm so grateful for what 2018 brought me. This year I spent a semester <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/life-as-general-counsel.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">interning as corporate counsel</span></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi4iuyPF0R4/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">graduated law school</span></a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette/status/1056912733453668354" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">passed the Bar exam</span></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqfJ-VQFPYj/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">became a licensed attorney</span></a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BqpmaHfluRj/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">got a job</span></a>!! It has been a <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/09/the-time-i-almost-dropped-out-of-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">long</span></a>, <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/07/about-my-situation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">long journey</span></a> to get here but I am so blessed to finally be where I knew I was supposed to be all along. I'm getting sentimental so I'll stop, but I truly do what to thank all of y'all for coming back week after week, following along with my road-to-lawyer story, and sharing yours with me. Honestly, this blog will forever be my favorite part about law school and I have y'all to thank for that!! Okay so now here's a recap of the top 10 posts that y'all loved this year....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/the-best-law-school-backpacks.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">The Best Law School Backpacks</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEm0y2VV_2HjWeLhj4EQTtg1fJ6cnUz5yYPCd9eSj5NW6p4u_koIH7ghODK-Vm6vJlNFu3uf_BwsXMymTxgtaHUt2XHMoUONAY_OK-SJ3mZYAs9BrfbSZVHx8PefkXLeIpyIDSpn9IG8/s1600/the+best+5+law+school+backpacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEm0y2VV_2HjWeLhj4EQTtg1fJ6cnUz5yYPCd9eSj5NW6p4u_koIH7ghODK-Vm6vJlNFu3uf_BwsXMymTxgtaHUt2XHMoUONAY_OK-SJ3mZYAs9BrfbSZVHx8PefkXLeIpyIDSpn9IG8/s1600/the+best+5+law+school+backpacks.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To summarize this post, look for a backpack that is sturdy, spacious, and strong. It's funny because I spent 3 years of my life rolling my eyes at people who used the briefcase-on-wheels as their backpack but guess what Christmas present I got really excited for?? Yep.... a briefcase on wheels. But I still stand by my opinion that these are better for carrying a huge case file into a hearing than taking with you to class every day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/whats-in-my-work-bag.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What's in My Internship Work Bag</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZPaUhVTwwsnqVorX1ahgYoOnYzcjd6xzbV3yDuVxFDvCyUJJXvk65qN9w3w2nSS2I8eoCWKIboBx8Zs0aew6irOucLVTfVTzbGx0FytR4aInbAuenWMBbZud0c3bQLgEOzbmrieEXyA/s1600/what%2527s+in+my+work+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZPaUhVTwwsnqVorX1ahgYoOnYzcjd6xzbV3yDuVxFDvCyUJJXvk65qN9w3w2nSS2I8eoCWKIboBx8Zs0aew6irOucLVTfVTzbGx0FytR4aInbAuenWMBbZud0c3bQLgEOzbmrieEXyA/s1600/what%2527s+in+my+work+bag.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much has changed between what I bring into work every day now as an actual lawyer and what I brought in as an intern. I definitely don't have time to bring a Kindle and read anymore because my lunches are spent either watching daytime court TV shows with my coworkers and being grateful that our clients aren't like that and actually doing work for my clients because lunch time is when a lot of them have the free time to communicate with me. I originally intended to use my first big-girl paycheck to buy a new purse as a present to myself for this past year, but student loans happened first so instead I'm putting away a little each month.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/03/5-best-work-basics-from-amazon_14.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">5 Best Work Basics from Amazon</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-MzzhjEVZQL08HqjzrmBBzHmuG4QmbZkI_laitOIHXAQMOixiirVxd9wxEH20czfmQaRtAhBG_lituEtJLSttjmdozdULAxP2MV8RDohDlNU0qqwaSATxEjHVQDvc_ypw4f_f8Kd_3o/s1600/5+best+work+clothes+basics+from+amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-MzzhjEVZQL08HqjzrmBBzHmuG4QmbZkI_laitOIHXAQMOixiirVxd9wxEH20czfmQaRtAhBG_lituEtJLSttjmdozdULAxP2MV8RDohDlNU0qqwaSATxEjHVQDvc_ypw4f_f8Kd_3o/s1600/5+best+work+clothes+basics+from+amazon.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my most-worn work tops is included in this post! This post is actually one of my favorites from this year because it features affordable pieces that a broke law student can afford to help get her lawyer wardrobe going. We've <i>all </i>been there when you have your first interview or 1L competition where you need some professional clothes, but your bank account is saying "bitch, please." If you missed this post, I promise you it'll be worth it to go check it out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/establishing-your-brand-as-young.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Establishing Your Brand As a Young Professional</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg9kRsYSEncjVHQEKJ_66f56IfH1FGf-YfgpsP1-rePABCmCRob_y7KvOsEaHvOmxF3u5jZQnbDmI5NGVAn7BiYbFFskFc7orE0jWaBDZWWO8r-Io4UuHw0J0ZDEWNvsRX9-BzWMpWfE/s1600/building+your+personal+brand+as+a+young+professional.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg9kRsYSEncjVHQEKJ_66f56IfH1FGf-YfgpsP1-rePABCmCRob_y7KvOsEaHvOmxF3u5jZQnbDmI5NGVAn7BiYbFFskFc7orE0jWaBDZWWO8r-Io4UuHw0J0ZDEWNvsRX9-BzWMpWfE/s1600/building+your+personal+brand+as+a+young+professional.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is advice that I received in 2018 that I still try to live by every single day because it really is super important. As we're starting out our law career, we're establishing a reputation that will follow us for the rest of our career, and you only get one chance to make a first impression. I take this to heart because I want to be respected in the legal community. If you'e a 3L, I <i>highly</i> recommend that you consider what you want your personal brand to be. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/06/how-to-save-your-law-school-gpa.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to Save Your Law School GPA</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHIMWgOd6a3-FZyhJ0q2r47qZ1HvDxMudGMTILTnRZjlTti1qcMKr0Tq6DykIjVkJV4_gKtU_zsKfGSs3YrBA4xm5OFDlJLx9rq73HsMUNsai8cKHZClNGP4b-oJwXgbIOFPX_QKPGYM/s1600/how+to+save+your+law+school+GPA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHIMWgOd6a3-FZyhJ0q2r47qZ1HvDxMudGMTILTnRZjlTti1qcMKr0Tq6DykIjVkJV4_gKtU_zsKfGSs3YrBA4xm5OFDlJLx9rq73HsMUNsai8cKHZClNGP4b-oJwXgbIOFPX_QKPGYM/s1600/how+to+save+your+law+school+GPA.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully you don't need this post, but this is actually really perfect timing to reshare this. If you do need this post, just remember that plenty of successful lawyers were on academic probation at some point and you really can turn your GPA around. But even if you have anything less than a 4.0, this post has some tricks I picked up on how to slowly climb your way up the GPA ladder. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/09/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-taking-lsat.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What I Wish I Knew Before Taking the LSAT</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEmRQNPUVizW4OHZJDTkmVrpsseVZWf0dwcxNVPsEAKABfm0WJwWla-e6er1yKZj-4JOqyIySyS0EichN7Y-MZyE64PVgSe4IxOJ9be9W83WxjI4T2HZvr6yz4s441k7QLh7gxLXdS_Y/s1600/What+I+Wish+I+Knew+Before+Taking+the+LSAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEmRQNPUVizW4OHZJDTkmVrpsseVZWf0dwcxNVPsEAKABfm0WJwWla-e6er1yKZj-4JOqyIySyS0EichN7Y-MZyE64PVgSe4IxOJ9be9W83WxjI4T2HZvr6yz4s441k7QLh7gxLXdS_Y/s1600/What+I+Wish+I+Knew+Before+Taking+the+LSAT.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're a pre-law reader, please please please go read this! All the time I'm asked for LSAT advice and while this isn't the advice you wanted, it's the advice you didn't realize you needed. I promise I have plans to do another LSAT related post, but for now read this and send it to your other pre-law friends because it's probably something y'all hadn't thought about yet. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/5-lists-for-organized-semester.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">5 Lists for an Organized Semester</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1Irl6pS5kyDhyL7khMETJhgJ99m4bklbEwpRCAK-nT9lsCNgT8uiVC4c3JUe9JZ9jbcCXohNnaDjLfHKowdwW3HYRg2IXYmb_T2kbPWNtDYuIWD6EIX9v1M_jqpHv_GoTOy6wWZIy8/s1600/5+Lists+for+an+Organized+Semester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1Irl6pS5kyDhyL7khMETJhgJ99m4bklbEwpRCAK-nT9lsCNgT8uiVC4c3JUe9JZ9jbcCXohNnaDjLfHKowdwW3HYRg2IXYmb_T2kbPWNtDYuIWD6EIX9v1M_jqpHv_GoTOy6wWZIy8/s1600/5+Lists+for+an+Organized+Semester.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If last semester started to be a big overwhelming for you, then this post is for you!! I'm a firm believer that the right lists can keep your life on track. I still use every single one of these lists every single day and I swear they help me stay on top of my clients, my apartment, and my budget. I realized that five is probably overkill, but maybe pick just one and make it your 2019 goal to use it daily. You can thank me next December!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/02/work-makeup-dos-and-donts.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Work Makeup Do's and Don't's</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKcSw6-YmdchYWXbOyhJ5ErPrumzU1xgi6vCtRmEnIrbNVrfsdv2lbmQ-21OyO9f0WM2QRCS5vV8iV7LGCUNgJL2m7za0m5YZuPCT3sXWRO2cRVV0301G2Et6-kLPLxIeV82RZByDHIY/s1600/Work+Makeup+Do%2527s+and+Don%2527t%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKcSw6-YmdchYWXbOyhJ5ErPrumzU1xgi6vCtRmEnIrbNVrfsdv2lbmQ-21OyO9f0WM2QRCS5vV8iV7LGCUNgJL2m7za0m5YZuPCT3sXWRO2cRVV0301G2Et6-kLPLxIeV82RZByDHIY/s1600/Work+Makeup+Do%2527s+and+Don%2527t%2527s.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is actually a two-in-one post with the first half giving you some basic tips on how to do your makeup that doesn't scream <i>I'm a millennial!!</i> but still is your style and the second half is some great ways that I organize my makeup. I stayed in a little studio apartment during my internship and finally figured out how to make the most of a small space.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/05/how-to-pick-perfect-graduation-outfit.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to Pick the Perfect Graduation Outfit</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EqvimPy6zPSJHbYq2AhsIMzFoksW4BJjJ5iPm1h2N89EX2j4wKxk3dsd6IUUC34EGp_Zaj24PxVhvgrqXSU2sowG_qNOSxEwCod6sbmiQCGdEDJCMrvlrZkd-5OljOof4sF4zkgivpI/s1600/how+to+pick+the+perfect+graduation+outfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EqvimPy6zPSJHbYq2AhsIMzFoksW4BJjJ5iPm1h2N89EX2j4wKxk3dsd6IUUC34EGp_Zaj24PxVhvgrqXSU2sowG_qNOSxEwCod6sbmiQCGdEDJCMrvlrZkd-5OljOof4sF4zkgivpI/s1600/how+to+pick+the+perfect+graduation+outfit.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moment of sadness because I just realized that I will literally never get to graduate again. Followed by a moment of guilt because I just realized that I never blogged about my law school graduation, so I guess that's a post for 2019. Funny story about what I wore to graduation, another one of my classmates wore the <i>exact </i>same dress in the same color and everything! I wasn't annoyed in the slightest because 1) no one would see our dresses anyways and 2) someone wearing my dress just reaffirmed my decision that it was a perfect dress to graduate in lol. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/05/graduation-guest-outfits.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Graduation Guest Outfits</span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBcLgayqwqFKZogAvW68cIKGFUpnRdLP4nDMQqXvEBjcJdlirq9wafs_kCpMkttEBWmjAxa64G6woFdNefCer9h4f7VMC5dwu5nG2foS5zfUQZSg10jPHyfXDtX8cRplx_7AeaL7zByo/s1600/graduation+guest+outfit+ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBcLgayqwqFKZogAvW68cIKGFUpnRdLP4nDMQqXvEBjcJdlirq9wafs_kCpMkttEBWmjAxa64G6woFdNefCer9h4f7VMC5dwu5nG2foS5zfUQZSg10jPHyfXDtX8cRplx_7AeaL7zByo/s1600/graduation+guest+outfit+ideas.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have one law school graduation to attend in 2019 and I'm already starting to shop around for what I'm going to wear. What I love about this post is that it's similar to #3 on this list and everything is from.... Amazon! It seems like there's always another graduation to go to for one of your friends or family members. And who else remembers the scene from the Lizzie McGuire movie where Kate screams out "Lizze McGuire you are an <i>outfit repeater!</i>" at graduation?? Still to this day I won't rewear an outfit to two graduation ceremonies lol. So if you're like me and need a bunch of cute outfits for this spring, this post has lots of affordable options.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we're done! Thank you guys for making these posts your top 10 most read posts! Like I've mentioned already today, I have lots of post ideas that I'm working on for 2019, but the most read posts are the ones that y'all requested because you know what you want to read. So please if you have anything you want to see, go ahead and comment on this post or use the "questions and suggestions" box on the bottom right to email me an idea.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-74431009579824010572018-12-10T08:00:00.000-06:002018-12-10T08:00:04.668-06:00Preparing for Law School While in High School<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZTrRLJvHD-aOB_r9fUuLQMTbuORWIDuvtEhMt816cwWQ6lkCz3fhaALJkTE4CH6DhGwpKeuKzdiYUAlvnXXFoEB6U-aTJO9XinObXnnPRbIuv-ZsPzugmAN1LCqK9H-1XeyvpkTk390/s1600/how+to+prepare+for+law+school+in+high+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to prepare for law school while still in high school. What to do in high school to prepare for law school. 7 Things High School Students Can Do To Prepare For Law School. 7 tips for Preparing for law school early. Prepare for law school as a high schooler. Prepare for law school as a teenager. law school application tips. law school application advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZTrRLJvHD-aOB_r9fUuLQMTbuORWIDuvtEhMt816cwWQ6lkCz3fhaALJkTE4CH6DhGwpKeuKzdiYUAlvnXXFoEB6U-aTJO9XinObXnnPRbIuv-ZsPzugmAN1LCqK9H-1XeyvpkTk390/s320/how+to+prepare+for+law+school+in+high+school.jpg" title="Preparing for Law School While in High School | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lately I've been getting emails from high school juniors/seniors who are already setting up their 5 year plans which includes <span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">law school</span> as the end goal. Good for you! I really can't stand the people who tell teenagers "oh you'll probably change you mind about being a lawyer.'' Sure, there's a chance that you might end up realizing that law school is for you, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared in case *gasp* you actually <i>do </i>end up applying to law school. So pause the How to Get Away With Murder or the Law & Order because I'm going to show you things you can do that will actually help you, right now, as a high schooler to prepare for law school.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><span style="color: #222222;">Related: </span><a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/10/should-you-go-to-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What to consider before deciding to go to law school</span></a></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take AP (or any advanced) research/writing classes</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very, very important part of law school (and being a lawyer) is researching and writing. If you want to be successful in law school and eventually get a high paying lawyer job, you're going to need to be excellent in research and writing. By starting in high school, you'll be ready to take on researching or formal/business writing classes each semester in college. Then by the time you get to law school you'll have a really strong foundation to build upon. Look for classes that have you learning how to use a research database and have a persuasive writing aspect listed in the syllabus. Your 1L self will be so grateful if you show up on day 1 already knowing the basic components of how to write a memo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/09/how-to-choose-pre-law-major.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">College majors that are helpful for law school</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get help with test taking skills</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The great thing about high school is that a lot have a testing counselor available for you for free. Even if you have a 4.0 GPA, it's still worth it to go here. College is harder than high school so if you are already improving how this skill now, you'll be setting yourself up to get great grades in college (which are necessary to get into law school). Always strive to be improving yourself academically.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we're on the subject, get really really good at standardized tests. I thought the ACT and SAT weren't fun, but they also didn't seem like this huge challenge to me. The LSAT is <b>much</b> harder than the ACT/SAT, costs way more, and LSAT prep takes a lot of money and time. Take advantage of any free standardized testing help that your school offers. Even if it's not free, it's still probably a lot cheaper than standardized testing help you can find after high school. Oh and remember that you'll have one last standardized test- the Bar. And if you don't pass this one, you don't become a lawyer. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/09/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-taking-lsat.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What I wish I knew before taking the LSAT</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be involved</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only will this help your college applications go smoother, it will prepare you for law school. You need to learn prioritizing and time management skills now so that you'll already know how to get good grades while having a busy schedule before you get to college and then eventually law school. Your 1L year will have you so busy at times you don't seem to have a moment to yourself. This can be very overwhelming if you're not used to it and has been the downfall for more than one 1L. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lot of people try to join debate teams or mock trial teams at their high school because they think it's necessary to be a law school contender, but it just isn't. If you're interested in that then definitely go for it, but don't waste your time doing something you're not interested in just because you think it'll help. It's better to do </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">something you're passionate about and form hobbies than to sign up for something just because you think you should.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/02/what-to-put-on-law-school-application.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What you'll want to put on a law school application resumé</span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Shadow as many lawyers as possible </span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Judges, practicing attorneys, non-practicing attorneys, criminal, civil, private, government. There's so many different areas of the law and the best thing you do is exposure yourself to as many legal fields as possible before law school, starting now. Hopefully you have a family friend or distant relative or even just that one person who graduated in the same grade with your older sister years ago who you don't really know but somehow are Facebook friends, reach out to these people and I'm pretty sure they'd be flattered to let you shadow them for a day. If you don't know anyone, just Google for lawyers in your city and start cold emailing them explaining that you're in high school interested in becoming a lawyer and want to learn more about it. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Pay attention to questions you've started getting ever since you started talking about going to law school: what made you want to be a lawyer? what kind of law are you interested in? why law school? Ask these questions to those you shadow! This will help you realize your own answers to these questions you'll be getting a lot and will give you sample answers of how to explain yourself and your goals. Other questions to ask them: </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">what they do/don't like about being a lawyer, why they got in to their particular area of the law, how law school/being a lawyer is different than what they expected, what do they wish they would've known before law school, etc. Knowing this can maybe help you decide what kind of law you're interested in and can help you make sure that you're making an informed decision regarding your future career.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take notes </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">about what kind of law you're shadowing and things that stand out to you. This will help you later on when you try to talk about your legal interests and goals in your personal statement. And learn the magic word of the legal profession— <i>networking</i>. Meeting tons of lawyers will help you when you want to try to find a summer job while in high school and college, a clerking job while in law school, and a post-graduation job. Speaking of...</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Get a job</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you can, try to find a legal job. This can be legal assistant, legal secretary, or even a receptionist at a law firm. This exposure and experience will help you so much during the next 7 years when you need a legal job. However, I know a paid legal job can be hard to find if you only have a high school diploma (or not even that yet). Now is a great time to suck it up and take an unpaid internship (or offer to help out in an office for free) because you still live at home with your parents so concerns like rent or groceries aren't really on your radar yet. Taking these unpaid internships now might help you out later when you do have bills and need a paid internship.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/10/how-to-get-your-pro-bono-hours-in-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Where to find legal internship opportunities</span></a> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alternatively, just take any old high school job. Getting a paycheck is really nice so you can go to the movies or mall with your friends, but it's better to be <strike>boring</strike> responsible and save up as much as you can. Having a few thousand dollars saved up from years of working while in high school will really help out future you. This can mean you'll end up taking out less student loans for college (or if you get help with college, less student loans for law school). Remember tuition for law school is about double that of college, and all together someone's going to have to pay for 7 years of schooling. This is how many law school grads end up with $100-200k in student loan debt.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/08/how-to-find-law-school-scholarships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to get a scholarship to law school</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Volunteer</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is another thing that will look good on your college applications and also will really help you out. When people come to lawyers, usually they're at the lowest point in their lives— whether it be because they've been arrested, their house is getting foreclosed on, the need a divorce, their personal company is going bankrupt, they've been severally injured... the list goes on and on. You have to be compassionate to be a lawyer (despite what TV might tell you) but you also have to be strong for those who come to you at their worst. Almost anywhere you volunteer, you're going to build these skills.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Want a good place to start volunteering? Google [your city] legal aid center or [your city] free legal help. Then call those places, let them know you're in high school and interested in the law, and ask how you can help. It might just be handing out intake forms to a crowded waiting room, but this kind of volunteering will expose you to the real challenges that lawyers face every day. Then when it's your turn to be a lawyer, you'll be ready to spring in to action helping people in ways that you've been watching other lawyers do for years.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/10/how-to-get-your-pro-bono-hours-in-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Where to find legal volunteering opportunities</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make college choices wisely</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember how I was talking about the crazy amount of debt that most law grads are in? I could have a lambo for the amount I've paid for schools! The best way to minimize your post-law school debt is to have little to no college debt. How do you do that? Work really, really hard on getting scholarships for college. Do this by having the highest grades possible, being close to your teachers for scholarship recommendation letters, and applying for every scholarship you can find. Even if your parents are going to pay for all of your college, the more you save them in college tuition the more they'll have still in that college fund leftover to pay for your law school. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/10/how-to-ask-professor-for-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to ask a teacher for a rec letter</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, put some thought into the colleges you'll be applying for. Don't go to a college that you don't think you can succeed at. Remember, the closer to a 4.0 college GPA you have, the easier literally everything about the law school application process will be for you. Law schools don't really care where you went to college so they'd be much more likely to admit someone who got a 4.0 from a Division II state school than a 2.9 from a prestigious private school. And if your parents can't pay for your college, consider going to a cheaper college so you'll have less debt. Because remember, law schools don't care where you got your college degree from so it's a smarter move financially to go to a cheaper state school and also load up on summer classes from a community college.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/03/5-college-regrets.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">My 5 biggest college mistakes</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess to sum up this post, the way to prepare for law school while still in high school is to just start being intentional about the choices you're making. Yeah you have 8 years from freshman year of high school until your first year of law school and this may sound a long ways off, but by planning ahead you can make things a little easier down the road. Once you're a senior and you're getting ready to go to college, come back to this blog and I'll help you with Phase 2 of Operation Go To Law School. Lastly, enjoy high school and don't try to grow up too fast because you have your whole life to be an adult!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/08/0l.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to Prepare for Law School in College</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></div>
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-59371437867532754422018-11-26T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-20T13:59:58.295-06:00How to Make a Resumé That Will Land a Law Job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0nA-7-1h1uWPmGonIiF0c94au3pTYwpTDRgZSYb-KQ8EpSPgIkG_B9eePyRv0kdkAYLlBeHAP1lGW6Stkx5hEAcADpUluZ0YbgFHJzbQSjZ-1piA-BoUZbMLnH3zDImYwkFdHnxfvG4/s1600/how+to+make+a+resume%25CC%2581+for+law+jobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tips for your legal resumé. What to put on a resumé for a summer associate, law clerk, or first-year associate position. Law clerk resumé tips. Summer associate resumé example. First year associate resumé sample. Working for law resumé. Skills and verbs for legal resumé. Law school resume advice and samples. 1L resume. 2L resume. 3L resume. Law grad resume. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0nA-7-1h1uWPmGonIiF0c94au3pTYwpTDRgZSYb-KQ8EpSPgIkG_B9eePyRv0kdkAYLlBeHAP1lGW6Stkx5hEAcADpUluZ0YbgFHJzbQSjZ-1piA-BoUZbMLnH3zDImYwkFdHnxfvG4/s320/how+to+make+a+resume%25CC%2581+for+law+jobs.jpg" title="Tips for your legal resumé. What to put on a resumé for a summer associate, law clerk, or first-year associate position. Law clerk resumé tips. Summer associate resumé example. First year associate resumé sample. Working for law resumé. Skills and verbs for legal resumé. Law school resume advice and samples. 1L resume. 2L resume. 3L resume. Law grad resume. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com " width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the story of a girl, who had finals coming up but also was stressing about her summer clerking applications. Haha sorry I had to, but really I fell y'all that this time of the year is <i>stressful </i>AF. But that's why I'm here :) So before my externship my 3L year ended, I met with our company's corporate recruiter and learned <i>a lot</i>, which I'm here to share with you! Today I'm passing on what I learned about resumé tips that you can use whether you're applying for a pre-law legal job, a 1L/2L summer clerking position, or a post-grad real-girl job. So let's talk about resumés!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/02/what-to-put-on-law-school-application.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Law school application/transfer resumé advice</span></a></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the left is my resumé before I worked with our recruiter. It's not bad because I'd worked with career services to get it to this point, but if you look at the one of the right which the recruiter helped me do, you'll notice it's a <i>lot </i>better. (side note, if you're wondering why my ODR job isn't on my old resumé, it accidentally got deleted a long time ago and this is an old resumé so I didn't bother to fix it lol)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03J6dZURwxKmTpwsQVVIiWJ0RBDKo7ajyHXTt7Frkv8ttAdVFXQNqxr04GpqVLEcgRjFCtB4VjeByuyhyRERpSQ47qwTdwrPbRJX_8KKgTuapShrrS-lLl70jGb70KZ0BcUCJLAi-2kw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+10.31.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img alt="How to Make a Resumé That Will Land a Law Job. Tips for your legal resumé. What to put on a resumé for a summer associate, law clerk, or first-year associate position. Law clerk resumé tips. Summer associate resumé example. First year associate resumé sample. Working for law resumé. Skills and verbs for legal resumé. Law school resume advice and samples. 1L resume. 2L resume. 3L resume. Law grad resume. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03J6dZURwxKmTpwsQVVIiWJ0RBDKo7ajyHXTt7Frkv8ttAdVFXQNqxr04GpqVLEcgRjFCtB4VjeByuyhyRERpSQ47qwTdwrPbRJX_8KKgTuapShrrS-lLl70jGb70KZ0BcUCJLAi-2kw/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+10.31.13+AM.png" title="How to Make a Resumé That Will Land a Law Job | brazenandbrunette.com" width="260" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPn6qKwwZ7QwTzZlNCaGhB79OCLew79rB-pUrTsFfXCsQ9WcaJ7xGkrrRnYb_Biq-x2xPPqucw-E5PrPDl3nk_fB_SNAqzadSR8An5xaBNbZYDDHLnYLl2jSYlvvPeEBK9W7veJgTbgM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+10.32.17+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Make a Resumé That Will Land a Law Job. Tips for your legal resumé. What to put on a resumé for a summer associate, law clerk, or first-year associate position. Law clerk resumé tips. Summer associate resumé example. First year associate resumé sample. Working for law resumé. Skills and verbs for legal resumé. Law school resume advice and samples. 1L resume. 2L resume. 3L resume. Law grad resume. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPn6qKwwZ7QwTzZlNCaGhB79OCLew79rB-pUrTsFfXCsQ9WcaJ7xGkrrRnYb_Biq-x2xPPqucw-E5PrPDl3nk_fB_SNAqzadSR8An5xaBNbZYDDHLnYLl2jSYlvvPeEBK9W7veJgTbgM/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+10.32.17+AM.png" title="How to Make a Resumé That Will Land a Law Job | brazenandbrunette.com" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bullet points</span></h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both resumés have bullet points, but my "after" resumé utilizes them much more! The first bullet point describes the area in which I have experience, and the lower bullet point describes more in detail what experience I have in that area. This helps whoever is reviewing your resumé because they get a lot of relevant information quickly. The recruiter was very honest with me and explained that he does not read every detail in a resumé. In fact, he doesn't even finish the bullet points often. So a practically full sentence won't give them as much info as a quick take-away. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For example, if you had 30 seconds to look over my resumé, you'd know I have experience in contract, real estate, employment, insurance, litigation, research, and drafting. Whereas before, in 30 seconds all you'd know is that I have experience in the verbs I used. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Verbs are still good so your career services isn't wrong! It's just that everyone has similar experience so that shouldn't be what you lead with. Save the verbs for the second half of the bullet point and use the first to grab their attention and show them how you are a perfect fit for the job because your first set of bullet points describe exactly the type of law they want to hire you for. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As personal proof, I am now a workers' comp lawyer. It's easy to see that my boss scanned over the contract/real estate/employment bullets and that the insurance bullet caught his eye and made him pause because workers' comp is a niche of insurance. And boom what do you know just so happened to be listed under that bullet. I realize most of y'all won't have such a variety of experience because in-house really is unique, but you can see in my previous jobs I was still able to break down the type of work I did. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Experience</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wording can be a hardest thing to come up with because you can remember that you had a job, but can't remember what all you did for that job. Here's a pro tip: steal working for job postings that you're applying (or applied) for! That's literally where I got all of the wording for my Interstate internship is that I just stole what they had listed as the duties of the job in the posting for their summer internship position. Just get on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=summer%20law%20clerk&origin=GLOBAL_SEARCH_HEADER" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">LinkedIn</span></a> or <a href="https://www.lawcrossing.com/law-student-jobs.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">LawCrossing</span></a> and search for [X law] associate position and steal their wording. This is extra helpful for you because again, you want your resumé to mirror their job posting so that you look like their ideal candidate. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the future, it helps to keep a running list of the work you're doing. I did this for my last two jobs in two ways— 1) about every week or so I would just add a bullet point to my resumé, and 2) I kept a conflicts log. For the bullet points, I would just write down stuff like worked on X project, did Y to help Z and eventually had like 50 bullet points for my job that I could group together and condense. If want to keep your resumé pretty, you can either do this in a separate word document or even do it on your LinkedIn section and just not include names. As for a conflicts log, you really should have one. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n6CdXeAsNDaerxhTjWUbPb2hKCVG8SuMB53aFm22-lM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Here is the template that I use</span></a>, and I keep mine on Google Drive so that I can update it on my work computer but still access it from my personal computer after I leave my job or just if I'm working on my resumé on a weekend. After my internship, I was able to go back and be like <i>oh yeah I forgot I worked on X project involving Y person/company. </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just trust me, you </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>will</b></span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">forget most of what you do right after you do it since you're doing so much, so just keep track of it, k?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Education</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll notice that my education section went from top of the page to almost last of the page. Why? Because if you're applying to a summer internship position, people are going to assume you're in school and if you're applying to a post-Bar job, they'll assume you've graduated. So in the balancing test between experience and education, your job is going to prefer experience first (because remember they don't read the whole thing on the first take). I also didn't list the years I graduated because I found out that most people who have been out of law school for a while drop the year and I didn't want this to age me and scream that I just graduated and am totally inexperienced in life.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If this is your first legal job and you don't have any relevant experience, then yeah definitely put your education first. How you can fill this up is by putting your GPA, rank (only if it's top 50% or better), scholarships you've earned, relevant classes you've taken, your involvement, etc. I'd go to career services to help you fill this up the best way possible. But really you do a lot in law school so it's easy to find things to add to this. For example, at my school all 1L's had to participate in a moot court. It was mandatory and I didn't make it past the first round but you bet I threw it in there when I was looking for jobs because at least it's something relevant. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/05/what-to-do-if-you-still-dont-have-job.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to find summer law jobs</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Achievements</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For this section, I combined my "activities and interests" section with my "involvement" section because I was running out of room. If you don't have a ton of experience or education bragging points to talk about, this is a trick to take up more space so you don't have a half-empty page (although 3/4 full is still okay so don't feel like you need to add too much fluff). Here's the trick here— put something relatable and interesting! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At first I was nervous to sound like a millennial by saying that I have a blog, but at each interview I've had since putting it there it has been brought up! It's great because they just ask in general what I blog about and I get to talk about how I started the blog (shows personal growth), how I help y'all (shows I'm caring), and how I managed it while in law school (shows time-management skills). But the best part is that it breaks up the interview from the standard what law school did you go to and what did you do and makes you stick out in your mind so that later they can be like <i>yeah I liked that girl who had the blog thing. </i>Remember that you're going up against a group of people whose resumés look <b>identical </b>to yours, so you have to find a way for them to remember you. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the thing... if you say you love to cook but actually don't and they ask you about it, you'll won't have that much to say. If you don't currently have any hobbies, it's fine to say "teaching myself to cook" and then make a commitment to try out a new recipe each week or say "training for a 5K" and then sign up for a 5K and start running. If you don't have a hobby by now, I really can't encourage you enough to try to find one because it is <i>so </i>helpful to have a distraction from law school sometimes. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But a word of caution: don't lie here!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I put watching football not because I thought <i>oh a guy will probably be interviewing me and guys like football so I'll throw this in here</i>. I actually do love watching my college play football and when one of my interviewers told me she went to OU (which is in the Big 12), we were able to talk about times when our schools have played each other. If I had lied, that would've been super obvious when she brought it up!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, this is a selfish reason of why you should be doing pro bono! I actually got my job at the ODR office because the work I had been doing for my pro bono was <i>exactly </i>in line with the work I ended up doing! During the interview, I was able to chat with my boss about stories of things I've done and then he started to be like <i>oh well I've actually been thinking about doing X project for a few years now and since you've done this before maybe now is the perfect time to start on it</i>. That is the exactly what you want in an interview— for the employer to be thinking of how they can use you and how you already fit the position they're looking to fill!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/10/how-to-get-your-pro-bono-hours-in-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to find pro bono opportunities (and time for them) in law school</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last tips</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use tables to make everything even and symmetrical on your resumé. Just remove the gridlines when you're done and everything is all nice and neat. This is actually a lot easier than trying to always tab something out when instead you can just put it in a little table box and adjust it to be either left-aligned or right-aligned.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Long lines break up information better. You'll notice that my after resumé looks a lot easier on the eyes because the lines under each of my headings goes all the way across. Remember, you want to make it ridiculously easy for your employer to find information. So if they're just concerned about my grades, they can quickly find it because I've made the headings pop out even more for their convenience. Again, you can easily do this by using the tables to your advantage and leaving a gridline on top of your next section. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're running out of room, try to make your contact information all fit on one line; i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f you need to fill up space, break up contact information. And again, remember you can add your involvement in a separate section to add information. Oh and after you graduate, change your email to your personal email because you never know how long you'll have access to your school email after graduation and also a school email address screams that you just graduated.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Save your resumé as a PDF. This helps you so that when your interviewer opens up your resumé they don't see the little boxes denoting the edge of your resumé. In my case it helped because my information just kept always being two lines over a page-long, I didn't want a 2-page resumé with just two lines on the second page, I didn't have two lines that I was willing to cut, and I couldn't make the font size smaller while keeping it readable. So I had to use the narrow margins setting. In a PDF, the margins were saved so whoever opened it always saw it how I wanted it to, but in a word document, my resumé would open to their last-used margins which would be normal and make the spacing totally off. Plus, it just looks more professional as a PDF. I always have two copies saved, a word document that I can keep editing as I go and a PDF that is the actual resumé I send off.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay that's about all the typing my fingers can handle, and probably all the reading that your eyes can handle! So the end :) If you've received a helpful resumé tip from career services, a co-worker, mentor, or anyone else, I'd love to hear about it! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-45729472037780263232018-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:002018-11-19T08:00:03.321-06:00My First Week as a Lawyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCJi69ud9V5jSSymwoWV5Qgno4BAEf_7a0S4qsUOiB7VUGW9-xq3foMqGO_yafAf79XFx5Jx-2AmpgIiusAjhlxFhYJbrftrI4zK-7BJNhN43-ATByTZpeH5L2F5DyjOEUIJ9nhYup2E/s1600/what+to+expect+for+your+first+week+as+a+practicing+lawyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What to expect your first week as a practicing lawyer and what to expect when starting a new job at a law firm. Advice for first year associates. First day at law firm. What does a first year associate do. First law job. First year as a lawyer. What my first week as a baby lawyer was like and what it's like to work as a lawyer. How many hours a week does a lawyer work? Is being a lawyer like being in law school? Is being a lawyer harder than law school? What it's like to be a practicing attorney. How to prepare for your first day at a law firm. What to do with your first legal client. lawyer blog. first year associate blog | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCJi69ud9V5jSSymwoWV5Qgno4BAEf_7a0S4qsUOiB7VUGW9-xq3foMqGO_yafAf79XFx5Jx-2AmpgIiusAjhlxFhYJbrftrI4zK-7BJNhN43-ATByTZpeH5L2F5DyjOEUIJ9nhYup2E/s320/what+to+expect+for+your+first+week+as+a+practicing+lawyer.jpg" title="What to expect your first week as a practicing lawyer and what to expect when starting a new job at a law firm. Advice for first year associates. First day at law firm. What does a first year associate do. First law job. First year as a lawyer. What my first week as a baby lawyer was like and what it's like to work as a lawyer. How many hours a week does a lawyer work? Is being a lawyer like being in law school? Is being a lawyer harder than law school? What it's like to be a practicing attorney. How to prepare for your first day at a law firm. What to do with your first legal client. lawyer blog. first year associate blog | brazenandbrunette.com " width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hello everyone! In case you missed it, I am now a licensed, practicing attorney!! Honestly it is such a sigh of relief to be able to say that. Law school graduation was great (post about that coming soon!), but I wouldn't allow myself to celebrate just yet. Even after I took the Bar, we all went out that night but that was all the celebration I allowed myself. Because all this summer, I knew that I truly hadn't accomplished my goals. I didn't let myself exhale that sigh of relief until everything was signed, sealed, and delivered. So now after literal months of holding it all in, I can finally say I'm an attorney!! It's just a good feeling to be filling out some mundane forms and get to put "lawyer" as my occupation instead of "student."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay enough rambling about that haha. I just haven't done a "diary" blog post in a while and life lately feels like a big enough event for me to live-blog about it. It figure it'll be fun for me to have in a decade to look back on, and nice for y'all to have to look forward to. Maybe this is a good time for y'all to be reading this post because I know finals are looming around, so take this as a reminder of the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a <i>very </i>long tunnel, but I promise it's worth it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/01/establishing-your-brand-as-young.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to establish your personal brand at your firm</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first impressions of being a lawyer</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So my first day at the firm wasn't too off from what you'd expect. If you've seen Suits, a lot of my first day was like Mikes first day... meeting my coworkers, learning who helps me and who I'm to help, and learning how the firm operates. Basically, the first few hours of my day were pretty typical and not that exciting. But one thing that I've experienced at this job and my externship is that the best way for you to learn, is to do. AKA baptism by fire. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Starting at a law firm is kinda a lot like starting law school. It's scary because you are suddenly very convinced that you're an absolute idiot, that you're destined to screw things up royally, and that someone really messed up when they let you in. But it's also very exciting because you're like holy shit I'm a lawyer (or law student)!! I'm here! I'm doing it!! I hope everyone who's ever talked shit on me sees my life event in their Facebook timeline so they know I'm actually doing something with my life haha. Basically yeah, a lot of conflicting emotions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The good news is that my first day as a lawyer was much easier than my first day as a law student (so there's hope for you!!). Most lawyers hated the socratic method and they let that die after law school, so while your co-workers and boss might ask you questions to see what you're retaining, they're much more straight forward. I still get nervous when someone quizzes me on something, even if it's an easy question, because, just like law school, you put this pressure on yourself to not mess up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One hard thing about starting law school is that everyone around you is brand new to this too, so if you ask them questions, it's the blind leading the blind. Or worse, people make law school a competition so even if they know the answer, they won't help you. As a lawyer, you'll be surrounded by people who have been doing this for years so they can actually help you. And even better, it's in their best interest that they help you. Because if you screw up, it makes the whole firm look bad, and if the firm looks bad, then they look bad. I mean, obviously there's the chance that there will be other fresh-faced lawyers hired along with you or a petty coworker who doesn't want to help you, but overall you should have more people to turn to who can actually help you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And let's just get this out of the way- no, I don't work 9-5. I work 7:30-6 actually. And I have a work laptop at home for catching up on the weekends or evenings. That sounds like a lot, but for me the day actually really flies by because I'm so busy all day. And the working from home isn't necessarily mandatory, just like reviewing your outlines in October isn't necessarily mandatory. It's mostly just to help you in the long run because you're staying on top of your to-do list. And at least right now if I do work from home, it's just a quick little thing to get ready for the next day, so don't be too intimidated yet. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is a big adjustment because while I always felt busy in law school, it was </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">schedule. So if I truly wanted to say fuck this reading I'm going to go take a nap because I slept terribly last night, I could. But at a job, it's no longer your schedule. I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t's just another adjustment, like how you had to go from practically doing no work in college to working your ass off in law school.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first clients as a lawyer</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On day one I got my first client and honestly I did not know what to do with this client. This particular case was passed down to me from another attorney because it was pretty low-profile and essentially I couldn't mess it up. That was relieving for me to hear because the entire time my first day I just kept hoping that I wouldn't be completely incompetent and make the partner question why he hired me. What everyone says is right, as a baby lawyer you really do know <i>nothing</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's a quick list of a few things to do once you get a new client:</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Review their file. Figure out everything that has gone on up until today. Take notes on what you've learned so you can reference them later because you never know how long you'll have this client. Think of it like the facts part of your case brief. This might be billable hours so check with your firm about this.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call and introduce yourself to them. Give them your contact information and ask if they have any updates on their case. Again, make sure you know if this is billable or not because firms don't like it if you do something that qualifies as billable but you don't bill for it.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Billable hours is still something I'm getting used to because it's a weird concept for me. Like I definitely bill more per hour than I make per hour. But also, I work more in a day than I bill for. So even with a high billable rate, you still might not make your firm that much money in the beginning because most of your day is just learning how to function instead of doing billable hours. You also have to learn what is/isn't billable and how long do you bill for something. Just this week I called and tried to do step #2 above and they were like hey I'm driving can you just send me this in an email and so I had to find out, do I bill for the call or the email or both?? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back to the client... there's a lot more steps but I feel like after this it could really change depending on the kind of law you practice and how your firm operates. The easiest way to find the rest of the steps is just to ask the friendliest looking person <i>what do you do once you get a new client???</i> This is exactly what I did and now I have a little checklist saved to my computer of 9 steps to do and in what order and what is/isn't billed for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is something I did at my last job and suggest that you do, too. I literally am writing a "how to be a lawyer at this firm" instruction manual to myself. Then when I forget what I'm supposed to do, I can reference this instead of bothering someone and solve my own problems. I also like it because it trains me to get in the habit of doing things the right way and making sure I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing and not leaving out a step on my checklist. And eventually when a new lawyer joins our firm down the line, I can just send him/her my little guide and help them out!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The hardest part of being a new lawyer</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So far, the hardest part of my journey of being a new lawyer is just not knowing what's going on in a lot of situations. For example, this is my first ever real job so when I was told to pick out a new chair for my office, I didn't know what price range of chairs I should be looking at. Or I signed up for TSA pre-check since we travel a lot for my job, and didn't even think about how that would be something my firm would reimburse me for. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another struggle I've had is when people pop in to my office offering to answer any questions I might have, and I don't have any questions because at this point I'm so new I don't even know what I don't know yet. But then I get frustrated because I know it doesn't look good if I'm not asking questions and I'm not learning anything by not asking questions. However, I'm not allowing myself to stress out too much because I know within the next few months as I start to figure out what I'm doing, I'll have a lot more questions for my co-workers.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll be honest, it is hard finding a balance between<i> I need to figure out how to do this on my own because I'm a grown-ass adult with a law license</i> and <i>it just took me 2 hours to find a word document that would've taken me 5 minutes if I've asked someone so I just wasted 1/4th of my day looking for a document</i>... A very important lesson I learned at my last job is to try to do things on your own, but pay attention to how much time you're doing this and put a limit on yourself. It's better to try to do something on your own before you ask someone, but remember things are trickier with billable hours. So if you did waste 2 hours looking for a document, either you're going to have to bill your client for that and they're going to be pissed and think you're just running the bill up on them, or you're not going to bill your client and your boss is going to be pissed that you were wasting your time and therefor costing the firm billable hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, this brings me to another point that I know you're all dying to know... No, your first job isn't going to expect you to know what you're doing. I mean obviously they expect you to be competent and learn quickly, but they knew when they hired you that you <i>just </i>graduated from law school and likely haven't even been licensed for long. I've had some great advice about how to approach your first law job: it doesn't matter if you make a million mistakes so long as you don't make the same mistake twice. So when you start to feel embarrassed because you have to keep asking for help on something, just remind yourself of that. I understand not wanting to be an annoying burden, so one thing I try to do is rotate through who I ask questions so that each person only gets like my every 10th question instead of every single question.</span></div>
<div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a></span></span></div>
</div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-23400466976375409072018-11-05T08:00:00.000-06:002018-12-09T13:37:00.646-06:00Visiting Law School Professors Office Hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z7JJ3heraK0y8dSyUqehJsnefMWX5Q2lAZHx73zAwY6xaF1-yAr0YwFeSQNce7776078ZTU3zH1gQh4FM2rbA28BhL5rGNcMPidIS3EjOGqXd_JSYBWCmeJA4qd5T1B0UAA1DYkXj0Y/s1600/how+to+maximize+law+school+office+hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to prepare for visiting your law school professor's office how's, why you should visit your law professor's office hours, what to do when visiting your professor's office hours after your law school midterms, why you should visit office hours to prepare for your law school finals, what to do at law school office hours, and how visiting office hours can help you in law school. law school exam help. law school studying tips. law school finals advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z7JJ3heraK0y8dSyUqehJsnefMWX5Q2lAZHx73zAwY6xaF1-yAr0YwFeSQNce7776078ZTU3zH1gQh4FM2rbA28BhL5rGNcMPidIS3EjOGqXd_JSYBWCmeJA4qd5T1B0UAA1DYkXj0Y/s320/how+to+maximize+law+school+office+hours.jpg" title="Visiting Law School Professors Office Hours | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, well, well. If it isn't finals, sneaking up right after you thought you were safe from midterms. Sucks, right? Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, "this sucks" is a general theme of law school and like you've probably noticed, it won't get easier from here but you're just going to get used to it now. If you're stressing about the idea of finals looming in, take this moment to take a breath and calm down but then resist the urge to run away from your responsibilities and finish this post. For my sake at least so I don't feel like a loser who makes blog posts that no one reads lol :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyways, let's talk about midterms real quick (and not the elections haha). Let me first acknowledge that most of you did worse than you were expecting. That's okay! It's rare to do well on your first law school test, and it's even rarer that anyone actually thought they did well and also happened to do well on it. It's just part of the fun, self-esteeming boosting method of law school </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;">🙃</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, when I was a 1L the ABA was just starting to recommend midterms because as you might've heard in the news, law school performances are all over the place and the ABA thought it might be nice for schools to realize that all of their students are struggling hard core <i>before </i>they're one final grade. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know midterms suck, but be grateful for them!!! Yeah you probably did bad. Remember how I failed one of mine? It's better to find out you were failing before the big test than in January when you find out you're on academic probation! This is a scrimmage game to help you see where you're killing it and where to improve. How do you know these things? Well, my friend, please refer to the title of this post!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/09/the-time-i-almost-dropped-out-of-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">The time I almost dropped out of law school</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call ahead</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not literally, but do give your professor a heads up. It's not a great plan to just show up willy nilly at office hours expecting to get anything out of it. First off, there's a whole class full of people with the same intentions as you. You're not going to get to talk with your professors about their personal suggestions on how you could be an A student if there's 10 other people in their office trying to do the same. Second off, professors have a life and job outside of office hours so you don't want to be rushed trying to review the answer key before your professor kicks you out because he has another class in 10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a very critical step in beating law school, so don't rush through this. Email your prof ahead of time and schedule a time to meet with them. You're an important ray of sunshine and you deserve a full hour (or however much they schedule it for) and deserve their full, undivided attention. I know that some professors will just be like <i>just stop on by during office hours</i> and if that's the case then fine, but don't just assume that and at least first try to get the solo VIP treatment that you deserve.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No matter the grade, GO</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Luckily for the purposes of this blog, I've been through it all— from surprising myself with better-than-expected grades to embarrassing myself with WTFFFFF went wrong grades. Even if you got an A+ you still need to hop off your high horse and go see the professor about your test. Why? Because they is <i>always </i>room for improvement in the legal field. That's why it's called <i>practicing </i>law. Be a learner, not a knower! Trust me, even the top scorer from a T14 school has tons of room for improvement because you are far from being a qualified attorney. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the flip side, yep it's embarrassing as hell to participate in class and put forth all your effort and get a disappointing grade. Lick your wounds because I know it hurts. But, my dear, that is the way of the law. Every single person in this profession has thought they killed a cold call, exam, motion, trial, and ended up looking like an idiot. Anyone who says otherwise is a damn liar. So have a little comfort knowing you're not the only one who has messed up and take it from me that you <b>can </b>turn this semester around. Your mission (that you have no option of "should you choose to accept" because it's your future on the line, nbd) is to figure out your strengths to keep those up for next time, and figure out your weaknesses to strengthen up for next time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Approach it with a game plan</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't just come in and expect your professor to do all the work. Remember, this is law school so the hand holding pretty much ended at orientation. Take a notebook with you and find out these answers while you're there:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Essays</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was a model answer? Either from last year's final or a sample of one of your classmates of what they like to see.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where was I the weakest at? Most 1Ls have a problem of stating a conclusion without backing it up (using "because" in their analysis). But some have a problem of missing the issue completely so their whole response is off. Some have problems articulating their arguments. And sometimes you just flat out didn't know the rule. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is one of my strengths? Find out the best one or two things you did on that paper, and learn how to improve them. This can help you go from getting 2 points on the conclusion to 3 points and all these 1 extra points can help you when it comes to the curve. Remember, no matter how great you are there's still room for improvement!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Multiple Choice</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What areas of the law am I missing the most? (example, for Torts I somehow forgot that intentional torts existed and answered all of my questions based off negligence)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What type of questions am I missing the most? (do you know the rule but are missing the issue, spotting the issue but missing the rule, getting confused in the facts, missing double negatives in answers)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are there any old tests I can review? What supplements do you recommend?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why am I missing these questions? This is more for you to consider because a professor probably won't know. (were you rushing through it and will need to work on timing, are you misapplying rules because you don't know them well, are there similar rules that you're getting confused) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/05/law-school-finals.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to prepare for different law school test questions</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shoot your shot</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This will not work for most professors, but like the heading says, shoot your shot. Come in with your outline (or schedule this later for time concerns) and ask your professor to look over it. Are you being too broad with the concepts and missing points by leaving out the details? Are you too hyper-focused on minute details that you're slowing yourself down? Don't ask them to edit your outline for you, but just ask if they think you're adequately studying the material.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/09/making-outline_14.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to make a law school outline</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This can actually be a major help for you if your professor is willing to do this. If you're zoomed too much out or in and they can help you with this, then you can improve your studying for the final. If your professor isn't up for this, try to have them steer you in the right direction for help, like to a tutor. And if you don't get this, still reach out to an upperclassmen who did reasonably well in this class with this professor and knows what they're looking for. Making your own outline is super helpful when studying, but also nerve-wrecking because you never know if you're doing enough or too much, and this is how you find out that answer. Remember, you never get what you don't ask for! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be professional nice</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi do I sound like your mom yet? But for real, take this piece of advice seriously. I've felt and seen everything from walking in all hot because you just aced the test to wanting to cry because you're sucking it up to wanted to yell because you just can't believe you did that poorly. Resist all these urges. Go out with your classmates for drinks and get your emotions out <i>before </i>you even email your professor about your test.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This person in front of you has a lot of power, but it's easy to forget that. If you want a job next summer or a scholarship next semester, the person you're going to right now might be just the person to help you out through a little thing called a rec letter. And if you show up prepared and work with them on improving yourself, then maybe you'll be in a prime position to take them semester after semester and go from getting a B to a B+ to an A- and wow hello good GPA. Beyond that, remember that your professors are still remembers of the legal community and likely have a million lawyer friends (because no one else will put up with our lame law jokes) and can recommend you for a job or hook you up with a mentor later on. Basically, just remember to be strategic with your moves in law school because you're building up your reputation and career opportunities right meow.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/10/how-to-ask-professor-for-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to ask a professor for a rec letter</span></a> and <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/06/how-to-save-your-law-school-gpa.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Tips to raise your law school GPA</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look, I know that visiting professor's office hours seems like one of those things that everyone says to do but you don't actually do it... but DO IT!! It's one of those things that feels like it'll be really awkward and embarrassing at first but then once you do it, you're sooo glad you did! Oh and once you go, make it a personal mission to go again at least once more and no later than 2 weeks before the final.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What's the most helpful question you've asked (or wish you would've asked) during office hours? And how often do you actually go to office hours? Let me and all your fellow law students know in the comments! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-13245426525481526212018-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:002018-10-08T11:08:07.336-05:00How to Ask a Professor for a Law School Application Recommendation Letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9BmKcVAq0N8PeJZVJEXG4r4UDdW8Rvc5T6KkL-CAogWlOw-3kFKBzh7pTMpRNAVEGxdcQbkzPDEeq8PK3SwNCsTZf2mSm3_4LpxTvWYFz55nefUVxwd3Yuqri8fvTlTBpJTEd4JAKcE/s1600/how+to+ask+for+law+school+rec+letters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to ask for law school letters of recommendation. When to ask for law school letters of recommendation. How to ask a professor for a recommendation letter. How to ask for a recommendation letter for law school. Mistakes to avoid when asking for law school recommendaiton letters. When to ask for a law school rec letter as a freshman. When to ask for a law school rec letter as a sophomore. When to ask for a law school rec letter as a junior. When to ask for a law school rec letter as a senior. How to choose a professor to write a rec letter for you. How to ask a professor to write a rec letter for you. What goes in a law school rec letter. Is a recommendation letter required for law school? Do law schools require letters of recommendation? law school advice. law school tips. | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9BmKcVAq0N8PeJZVJEXG4r4UDdW8Rvc5T6KkL-CAogWlOw-3kFKBzh7pTMpRNAVEGxdcQbkzPDEeq8PK3SwNCsTZf2mSm3_4LpxTvWYFz55nefUVxwd3Yuqri8fvTlTBpJTEd4JAKcE/s320/how+to+ask+for+law+school+rec+letters.jpg" title="How to Ask a Professor for a Law School Application Recommendation Letter | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hellooooo! To all you 0L's out there, application time is coming up! I have actually had to ask for application rec letters twice since I had to get some for when I originally applied and then again when I transferred and I know they can be a pain, but you have to do them for your application. Today I'm walking you through a step-by-step process of how to get a great rec letter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/10/for-undergrads.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Law school admissions timeline</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Freshman - Junior year</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ideally you'll start on this sooner rather than later because it just makes it easier on yourself. I wouldn't really worry too much about this your freshman year because you're still adjusting from high school and usually end up taking lots of basics your first year of college, but if the opportunity presents itself definitely take it! If you're like me and like to overthink and have a game plan, here's what I would do. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Obviously you want to be aiming for B's and A's in all of your college classes because you're going to want a good GPA when you apply to law school so step one would be the obvious of plan on doing great in all of your classes. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About once a month, visit your professors office hours so he/she can get to know you. A head's up email to them is always polite but you definitely can just drop by during their office hours. If you have class or our busy during their office hours, you can instead email them and set up a time. This is a great time to make sure you're fully caught up and understanding what's going on in class to help you get those good grades, but it doesn't have to be a full-on study session. A quick 10-minute drop by just to ask a question or get clarification is enough to get a rapport going with your professor. During these office hour times, it is great to casually mention something like how you especially want to do good in their class because you hope to go to law school or somehow find a way to plug in law school.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the semester progresses, you might notice that some professors are just not a perfect fit for you that probably wouldn't be your best bet to ask for a rec letter, and that's okay. Hopefully you'll find at least one professor who you really click with, are doing great in their class, and you think they would have the time eventually to write you a fabulous rec letter. At the end of the semester you could sign up to take another one of their classes so you can continue on building this relationship (if it works with your schedule) or if you don't think you'll be seeing them in class again then you can go ahead and ask them if in a year or two they'd be willing to write you a letter.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep repeating every semester until you graduate! Number 1 this will help you have great grades because you're putting in more-than-average effort into this class. And number 2 it's always great to have a stash of available professors for rec letters! Some may be willing to now but then get busy or move before you need them (or even say no) so it's best to have more than you need. Plus you can always use these recommenders for things like scholarships or program applications too!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/08/how-to-find-law-school-scholarships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to find scholarships for law school</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senior year</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you waited until the last minute to ask for rec letters, don't worry you're not totally screwed! Sit down with a copy of your transcript and look back on what classes you did the best in. Remember that law school is a graduate <i>school </i>so ideally your rec letter will sing your praises as a law student, and someone can't exactly do that if you barely got a C in their class. Then go through this list and think back to your relationship with your professors and pick the top 6 (remember it's always better to have more for backups) that you really got along with and schedule a time to come visit their office hours. Some people to look at our professors from classes where you participated in a lot (for me these tended to be smaller classes) or people who were a faculty advisor for something that you were involved in.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One important thing for finding a recommender no matter what year of college you ask for it— choose the person not the class! I mean obviously if you did well in business law or any college class that was taught by a lawyer then they will really be able to know if you're law school material or not and talk on that. But seriously, if you got along way better with your Anthropology professor than you did with your PoliSci professor, pick the Anthropology one! Law schools won't weight one professor over another just because of what class it was. They're looking for some reassurance that you're a great learner who will be able to survive a studious workload, and they don't really care which professor is saying so. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyways, stop by as soon as possible for a little reunion. Since some professors have literally hundreds of students each semester, you're probably going to have to remind them of who you are. Remind them what class you took with them and in what year, and what grade you got. It would be helpful if you had a graded paper or test by them to bring with you to help jog their memory or at least show how you performed in their class so they don't feel like you want them to make up parts of their letter. Ask them if they'd be okay with writing a letter and then schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss the rec letter if you're running out of time or go in to your request right then and there.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Asking for the rec letter</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, make an appointment with your professor for when you ask them to write a rec letter for you. I think it's much more polite and professional to ask for a rec in person rather than in email. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do this ideally </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at least</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> a month before you need the letter because you don't want to be cut-off halfway because they already had plans with another student or professor. Take this time to make sure that they understand 1) that they're writing this rec letter for law school; 2) why you want to go to law school; 3) why you want them in particular to write a letter for you; 4) how they will have to go to LSAC and upload their rec letter; and 5) a due date 2 weeks before you actually want to have the letter in (because they get busy).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the day you go to ask your professor with a rec letter, make sure you bring a copy of your law school application resumé with you! It'll help your recommender know even more about you and why you would make a great law student so they can mention some of that in their letter. This can be longer than your law school resumé if you have even more involvement, accomplishments, or anything else that you think might be helpful for them to think about as they're writing your rec letter. Oh, and definitely make sure you have your GPA on it because at first I didn't have that but then had a professor ask for it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/02/what-to-put-on-law-school-application.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What to put in a law school resumé</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have good grades and feel comfortable showing these to your professor, it's okay to print off a copy of your transcript. This way you can talk to your professor and point out some of your other strong areas. So if in my example above you're asking your Anthropology professor to write a rec letter but all your work in that class was multiple choice quizzes and tests, you could point out if you've been getting good grades in writing classes so that they know you're also a good writer. They might not end up needing/using this information, but it's nice to have a little packet all ready for them to make it easier on them to write a great and compelling letter for you.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last tips</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One tip I have for all law school applicants is <u>choose quality over status</u>! I know this post has been all about professors, but really you can ask a wider variety of people for rec letters. But I have heard over and over again about how political figures in your community or who you have interned for tend to have a rec letter template that is completely generic and used for you and the 3 people who also asked for a rec letter that same day. And partners at a big law firm that you interned for over the summer are usually just as busy and sometimes have a member of their staff write something about you for them, which again will probably a little generic. If this person did not get to personally know you, don't waste your time. The ideal rec letter would be enough that it could convince the ad com committee that they just <i>have </i>to admit you to their school. Sure, they probably won't based off only this one letter, but it definitely won't help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't procrastinate and stay on top of your due dates! Remember that these people have full-time jobs and most likely a family, too. They're busy and have papers to grade, conferences to attend... you get the point. You want to be able to give them enough time to write the rec letter because it's just really rude to ask them to do you a favor, but then be demanding that they set aside their entire life to do you this favor right now since you waited until the last minute. If you haven't heard back from them for a few weeks after you asked, you might want to send a follow-up email reminding them of your highlight points and due dates. Basically enough information that they could quickly type something out on their phone right then before they go to bed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do as much work for them as possible! After you leave their office, go to LSAC and register them as a recommender (<a href="https://www.lsac.org/applying-law-school/jd-application-process/credential-assembly-service-cas/letters-recommendation" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">here's how to do that</span></a>). Fill out as much as you can and have it all ready for them just in case they decided to upload your letter that day. You probably still can't navigate around LSAC that easily, so imagine how confusing and frustrating it would be for someone who has maybe never even heard of LSAC. Remember that you're the one asking them for the favor, so try to make to make it as easy as possible for them so they don't end up regretting it. Especially because you never know if you'll need them to write you another rec letter in the future.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/11/law-school-application-checklist.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Law school application checklist</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 242px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 597px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;"></span></span></span>
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-26502272991148159612018-10-01T08:00:00.000-05:002018-10-01T09:23:55.770-05:00How Working Out Helped My Law School Anxiety and Depression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrXcqj4NZeR_BV2_WSIpvtgrifBNbqt9Te24n0spX1e7LrUwngaSa4VNGVN1-L6eTgVbqcQ3forjNjl2ol7Aa4WMwHybXLWa6kIlEadlMy4jwBAbm_lbtAzz0V0ip8AMIYAqECAB2BB8/s1600/how+exercise+helped+my+law+school+depression+and+law+school+anxiety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="7 ways exercise helped with my law school anxiety and my law school depression during my first year of law school. How to handle law school depression and anxiety. How do you cope with law school depression. How exercise helped with my depression. Ways to handle law school depression. What to do if you feel depressed in law school. My struggle with depression in law school. How to deal with law school stress. How to deal with law school anxiety. Exercise for stress and anxiety | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrXcqj4NZeR_BV2_WSIpvtgrifBNbqt9Te24n0spX1e7LrUwngaSa4VNGVN1-L6eTgVbqcQ3forjNjl2ol7Aa4WMwHybXLWa6kIlEadlMy4jwBAbm_lbtAzz0V0ip8AMIYAqECAB2BB8/s320/how+exercise+helped+my+law+school+depression+and+law+school+anxiety.jpg" title="7 ways exercise helped with my law school anxiety and my law school depression during my first year of law school. How to handle law school depression and anxiety. How do you cope with law school depression. How exercise helped with my depression. Ways to handle law school depression. What to do if you feel depressed in law school. My struggle with depression in law school. How to deal with law school stress. How to deal with law school anxiety. Exercise for stress and anxiety | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well hi there! Okay so... pretty deep post, I know. I always care about how my fellow law students are doing both academically and emotionally, but around October I always become a bleeding heart for y'all, and especially for the 1L's. This is because for me, October was really when I started to feel like I was sinking more than I was swimming, all the stressors of law school finally caught up to me, and TBH it was hard for me. I've heard between 25%-33% of first year law students feel depressed so t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oday I'm sharing what helped me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/09/the-time-i-almost-dropped-out-of-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Why I almost dropped out of law school</span></a> </span>and<span style="color: purple;"> <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/10/6-tips-for-when-you-feel-mid-semester.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to get over a mid-semester burnout</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Obviously to each their own and what works for one person might not work for another, but maybe after hearing <i>how </i>working out helped me mentally you'll be able to find your own thing that has the same benefits. I should forewarn you though that I don't get a runner's high nor ever claim that a workout flew by because I was having so much fun. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reality is that while I'm working out I truly don't enjoy myself and instead count down until it's over. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually stressed out over still being stressed while I was working out and kept worrying that if I wasn't able to "clear my held" during a run or while doing yoga, that there was no hope for me. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's how I found out it helped me anyways.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For another law student's take, check out <a href="http://www.caffeineandcasebriefs.com/2017/04/depression-and-anxiety-in-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">this post</span></a> by Caffeine and Case Briefs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It got me in to a routine</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I was feeling depressed my 1L year, I slowly shut out the world and stopped doing anything. Seriously, my life was just school, come home and read for school, and then just nothing. I'd just lay in bed for an entire weekend and not do anything because I had no motivation to participate in life. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But once I started working out, I had to add this to my daily to-do's and it started to get me back in to a routine. Instead of just school and then nothing, I had school and working out. It doesn't sound like much, but just having something to take away from how much "nothing" time I had really helped. Instead of thinking <i>okay now that class is over I guess I'll go get in bed and stare at the wall </i>I was thinking <i>okay now that class is over I need to go change for my workout</i>. Just this little thing helped me get back in to my pre-law school, normal routine.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It made me sleep</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The absolute worst night of my 1L year was when I went to bed at 10pm when my bedtime alarm went off, and I just laid there listening to my sleep noise app for the entire hour and a half and realized that I was still awake at 11:30 even though my body felt tired. So I sat there and just thought because my mind was wide awake and the next time I checked the clock it was 2am. This continued as I tried every suggestion that Google had to help me fall asleep until I finally passed out sometime after 6am. I had a 9am class the next morning and it was literally hell. Those 2 hours of sleep were the worst I ever got, but it was very common for me at that time to just never get a good night's rest because I was just so unhappy and unconnected from the world.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After I started working out, my body became sore and needed sleep to rest and recover my muscles. This made me exhausted in a different way than how feeling depressed made me exhausted and I finally started to actually fall asleep without hours of effort and would sleep soundly the whole night and actually wake up feeling normal. This started to make such a huge difference in me because I no longer felt like a shell of a person just going through the motions but actually felt like a normal person again.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/12/sleep-better-be-happier.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">9 tips to help you sleep better</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It gave me an appetite</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Usually I'm a stress eater so it was totally foreign to me when I suddenly had no appetite at all and was having to force myself to choke down buttered toast just to make the hungry headaches go away. It was actually scary for me because I've never had an eating problem and was afraid that this was going to spiral into something that I couldn't control like the people you see on Dr. Phil. Plus there was the obvious effect of not fueling my body so I just felt drained all the time and was starting to not be able to even focus in class.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But oh boy, I did a good hour-long workout and for the first time in weeks I was starving! Before the loss of appetite I had been falling back on junk food and it felt revitalizing to eat some real, nutritious food for once. By the end of my first week of working out I was starting to eat like a normal human again and it felt like I was getting back to myself.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It corrected my bad habits</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You've probably heard plenty of times that lawyers have a high tendency to be alcoholics, and I can totally see why. It's super common to have some drinks after you bomb a cold-call or a test and that's what all 1L's seem to do together, which is fine in moderation. But when it stops being fine is if you start to drink every single day or start to get drunk constantly instead of just having a drink. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Working out turned out to be a solution to that. One kinda tipsy workout made me learn to never drink the same day I'm working out and one hungover workout made me learn to limit my drinks the night before I workout. Both times were absolutely terrible and nauseating, but they were good tools to help me remember what are and aren't normal (and healthy) drinking patterns. Now I'm still not a person who has a bad day and wants to go straight to the gym to workout my frustrations, but at least now I'm the person who is like <i>okay I'm stopping because I've already had one drink and I don't want to throw up during tomorrow's workout</i>. I realize how ridiculous this sounds but I'm also grateful that I already learned this lesson and found a solution that worked for me before it ended up ruining my career.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It helped with the everyday tasks</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One weird thing about feeling depressed is that the repetitive everyday tasks just really upset me. I would either feel so physically and mentally exhausted that I couldn't even entertain the idea of washing the dishes or I would just cry thinking <i>what's the point of washing and putting up dishes if I'm just going to have to get them down and dirty them up again?? </i>And this didn't just apply to dishes— laundry, washing my hair, shaving, picking up around my apartment all just made me feel like <i>what's the point?? </i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But a 3-mile run will make your clothes and body sweaty and my new appetite made me dirty up dishes again, so I had to get back to normal cleaning duties. Like I mentioned above, this helped me get back in to my normal pre-law school routines. It also made me self-conscious about how I was presenting myself and it's amazing how shaving and actually doing your hair can make you feel like your old self again. This is also why now I firmly believe in the saying a cluttered house is a cluttered mind.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/09/small-apartment-cleaning-checklist.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Small apartment cleaning checklist</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It gave me confidence</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A nice side-effect of working out frequently is that you start to tone up. Class wasn't so bad when my shorts went from being a little too tight and uncomfortable while I was sitting at my desk to being a little looser and more comfortable. I felt better going to events when I wore a dress that I used to look fine in suddenly made me look damn good. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wasn't necessarily body-conscious before, but having baby abs show up definitely made me feel good about myself! And then this confidence started spilling over into how I felt about myself at school and it helped break me out of this negative mindset that I had been in for way too long. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It helped me live out Legally Blonde</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy. Happy people just handle law school stress better than truly unhappy people. All jokes aside, it really did help me get out of all the ruts I found myself in when I was having severe anxiety and feeling depressed from law school. If you're starting to feel like you're in a law school rut, I encourage you to try out exercising for everyday for a few weeks and see if it helps! Even if it just helps you feel like a 4 instead of a 3 on a given day, that's still an improvement. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/search/label/getting%20fit?&max-results=10" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Law school fitness posts</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if you're reading how I was feeling and realizing that you've been feeling the same way, please try to talk to someone. Whether it's your pet, your bestie at another school, your classmate, or your school counselor, I promise you it really does help to have someone that you don't have to say "fine" when you're asked about law school. In fact, it feels kinda freeing to be able to message/talk to them and be like this is just a really shitty week and talk to them until you forget what you're upset about. If you don't feel like you have someone like this, you can always just anonymously reach out to me by using the Questions and Suggestions box at the bottom right :) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For all you on the struggle bus rn, hang in there!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/10/what-to-do-if-you-hate-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What to do if you hate law schoo</span>l</a></span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-35489270217393485382018-09-24T08:00:00.000-05:002018-09-24T12:26:33.300-05:00What I Wish I Knew Before Taking the LSAT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2jFtilaqvYUDYvtOMlxmjgY5-El8BqbffFW4tSTrxxhEDMgu9g_EsJUoXv4fFKAJNjjuKgmtnryREsA7QJdMgQoyddm1o0z0XxPDBxafM9lJew2k17oaWlw376WXCo3n9dEH0pvxgkA/s1600/What+I+Wish+I+Knew+Before+Taking+the+LSAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 things I wish I knew about the LSAT before I took the LSAT. LSAT advice and tips for law school. What to know about the LSAT before LSAT prep. 5 important things to know before the LSAT. Make sure you know this before taking the LSAT. Don't register for the LSAT until you know this. 5 things to consider before taking the LSAT. What is the LSAT? How do you study for the LSAT. Taking the LSAT to get in to law school. What to know about the LSAT for law school. law school tips. law school advice. law school blog. law student blog | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2jFtilaqvYUDYvtOMlxmjgY5-El8BqbffFW4tSTrxxhEDMgu9g_EsJUoXv4fFKAJNjjuKgmtnryREsA7QJdMgQoyddm1o0z0XxPDBxafM9lJew2k17oaWlw376WXCo3n9dEH0pvxgkA/s320/What+I+Wish+I+Knew+Before+Taking+the+LSAT.jpg" title="5 things I wish I knew about the LSAT before I took the LSAT. LSAT advice and tips for law school. What to know about the LSAT before LSAT prep. 5 important things to know before the LSAT. Make sure you know this before taking the LSAT. Don't register for the LSAT until you know this. 5 things to consider before taking the LSAT. What is the LSAT? How do you study for the LSAT. Taking the LSAT to get in to law school. What to know about the LSAT for law school. law school tips. law school advice. law school blog. law student blog | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi friends! Sorry I've been gone for a hot second but that's life. Speaking of which, as a programming note, I've decided that at least for now I'm only going to put up a new post on Mondays instead of M/W/F. Just because I don't want to be posting for the sake of posts and end up making this blog oversaturated with too many posts that a 0L wouldn't have time to read before starting law school. Plus, now that school has started obviously y'all are busy busy so I'm assuming that no one will view this as an absolute tragedy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyways, back to the purpose of today's post. I know a good majority of y'all have recently taken the LSAT and either have your scores back already or are currently waiting on that, and another good chunk of y'all are gearing up for an upcoming LSAT. I always get asked about LSAT advice so let me just forewarn you that while I consider this some of my honest advice about the LSAT, don't get too hyped thinking that I'm going to magically make logic games easy for you in this post. Now that I've actually graduated from law school and taken the Bar, I've had some time to reflect back on the LSAT. So grab some wine (I'm one step ahead of you), because I have some truths about the LSAT that I think need to be told. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't underestimate the LSAT</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I truly love Legally Blonde and will probably never get tired of the movie, but the one thing it get's wrong (besides alcohol being allowed so casually at a sorority house) is the LSAT. Elle studies for a few weeks and brings her grade up to a 179. Let me tell you right now that a 179 is dang near impossible to get. Heck, even the guy who created LawSchooli.com even brags about getting a 172, which is also really hard to get. I mean really even in the 160 range is a struggle for almost everyone. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't say this to be a Debbie Downer, but to prepare any of you who haven't taken the LSAT yet (if you have, don't stop reading yet because the rest of this post is for you too). I say this because </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">underestimated the LSAT and got a rude wake up call. It takes more studying than just squeezing in time in the evenings and weekends. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, and don't fall into the whole "I'm sure I'll do better on the real test than I have been on practice tests because it'll be go-time that day" mentality. Truth is, you've probably put a ton of weight on this test which will add some test anxiety and from literally everyone I've ever talked to about the LSAT has told me that it was harder than their practice tests, even the old official LSATs they've taken. I don't want to stress you out more than you already are, but I do think it's my job to help you go in to this thing with realistic goals in mind.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/10/for-undergrads.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">When to study for and take the LSAT</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The LSAT isn't <i>that </i>important</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll admit that I do agree that the LSAT/GPA combo is what gets you through some major "cuts" with the admissions committees. And it does make sense when people mention how it takes 4 years to earn a GPA but only 4 hours to earn an LSAT score, so it makes sense to push really hard for something there at the end. But that's all it is. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I see <i>so much </i>emphasis and unnecessary stress put on it. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember, all the LSAT does is help you get in to law school. That's it. I've never seen so many companies offering services for things like helping you get your GPA up for law school admissions, helping you find and request rec letters, or helping you brainstorm, draft, and edit your personal statement like there are for the LSAT. Sure, having a good score really can help seal the deal on getting you in to your dream score and save you thousands of dollars through a scholarship, but after that it's all you to keep up the good study habits and keep earning great scores for the next 3 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3kvv3n/i-took-the-lsat-with-zero-preparation" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Here</span></a> is an interesting article on the importance of not overthinking or overstudying the LSAT.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The LSAT doesn't predict law school</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, yes, there is a correlation between high LSAT scores and law school graduation rates and Bar passage rates so it does show <i>some </i>insight, but not all. I think of the LSAT as a way to test your dedication to studying something you've never even heard of before and trying to figure it out for yourself, which is a lot like what you have to do when you hear the term <i>res judicata </i>for the first time and can't remember how that's different from collateral estoppel (if you don't know what I'm talking about yet just trust that you will soon). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But remember, the LSAT is <b>not </b>what you learn in law school. Instead questions like "which of the following is most likely the principal's argument for changing the school's dress code" or "which student received the most books and how many books did he/she receive," you get questions like "explain all relevant legal facts presented in the following story." There are literally no laws to learn for the LSAT and literally all you learn in law school are laws (surprise!), so it's just not a fair prediction. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look I'll just say this, I personally know people who scored really well on the LSAT and did average in law school, people who scored average on the LSAT and did really well in law school, and obviously the people who did great in both because they're just really, really, really <strike>good looking</strike> smart. Why all the different outcomes? Because LSAT ≠ law school.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one cares what you scored*</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Obviously the Dean of Admissions is interested in this and yes, during orientation and the first few weeks of law school it's common for 1L's to brag about their score or use it as a measuring stick ("the girl next to me got a 165 so I bet she'll get the A in our class"). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But by the second semester of 1L and for the rest of law school, you'll have a much more accurate measuring stick, grades and rank. I mean, getting a 172 means nothing if you never learned the difference between intentional and negligent torts, got half the questions wrong on your final, and are sitting at a C- in torts.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Literally I have never heard of 2Ls or 3Ls talking about their own or classmate's scores because that's just not important anymore. Oh, and your professors won't know nor care what you scored and no hiring lawyer really gives a damn either. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So if you got an amazing score, don't waste too much time bragging and if you got a terrible score, don't waste too much time being embarrassed. All that score does is help you get in to law school. And like I just mentioned above, by week 3 of law school it won't matter what you scored at all.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can still be a great lawyer with a low LSAT</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, I'd like to use my personal story as an option for those of you who just can't seem to get your score up. LSAT companies will tell you that you <i>have</i><b> </b>to get a great LSAT or your dream school is out of the question. Not necessarily true. Sure maybe you won't get to go there your <i>first </i>year but a do-able workaround is to work hard your first year and then transfer and <i>graduate </i>from your dream school. I understand this isn't necessarily feasible for absolutely everyone, but it definitely is a legitimate option.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/07/im-transferring.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How I transferred law schools</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second, LSAT companies will tell your only two options are get a great LSAT score and go to a high ranked school with a scholarship so you can graduate debt-free with a $100k/year starting offer, or just not go to law school at all. Yes, you probably will have to take on debt if you don't get a 180, and yeah you might not get accepted into a school that is known for it's grads getting high-paying jobs right off the bat, but that's okay! Everyone (even the LSAT companies) will tell you not to go to law school unless you want to be a lawyer and don't go to law school just to be rich, but then the LSAT companies tell you that if you can't be rich by 30 don't even bother going to law school/it'd be a waste of time and money.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite rebuttal to this is a story I heard my 2L year at Tech about a lawyer who graduated from my 1L school St. Mary's (<a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/06/most-unlikely-district-attorney-in-america-mark-gonzalez-218322" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">here's a story on him</span></a>). He barely got in to a lower-ranked law school, graduated at the bottom of his class, took several attempts to even pass the Bar and even then it was only by 1 point, but guess what. Now he's a successful prosecutor doing what he loves! Isn't <b>that </b>the end goal?? You don't have to end up with the big fancy office and money like Harvey Spectre in Suits to be "successful." </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's all about perspective</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay I'm going to get off my soap box now, but I really do wish I would've known and thought about these things before I took the LSAT. If anything, I just wish I would've put it in to perspective and acknowledged how hard it is but also how it shouldn't be put on this pedestal. If you're studying for the LSAT, my biggest advice is pay attention to what does and doesn't work for you. Figuring this out won't only help you get a great LSAT score, but it will lead to you getting a better law school GPA and eventually when you have to take the BAR.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/01/retaking-lsat.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">The top reasons why you should and shouldn't retake the LSAT</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: Montserrat, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-62573016884630982492018-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:002018-09-12T08:00:02.148-05:00Why You Should Make Friends in Law School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qOPYrKLOvGZs5A6ce8ZN3S3DMQb7QVAiBxHurT1dMUpJSdd0supbIgpcQc6O5mezMYDInUMgiB549pmnK-TAjR8tBqat4oLON4owzYq-kM-RRrYPpBIEmMePjN8zPvLcy6hyphenhyphenZ5Tbw5k/s1600/why+you+should+make+friends+in+law+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Why you should make friends in law school. The benefits of friends in law school. How to make friends in law school. Why it's important to make friends in law school. Making friends your 1L year. Socializing in law school. How to make law school fun. Should you be friends with your law school classmates? law school tips. law school advice. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qOPYrKLOvGZs5A6ce8ZN3S3DMQb7QVAiBxHurT1dMUpJSdd0supbIgpcQc6O5mezMYDInUMgiB549pmnK-TAjR8tBqat4oLON4owzYq-kM-RRrYPpBIEmMePjN8zPvLcy6hyphenhyphenZ5Tbw5k/s320/why+you+should+make+friends+in+law+school.jpg" title="Why You Should Make Friends in Law School | brazenandbrunette.com " width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy humpday everyone! Today I wanted to talk about a message for all the baby 1L's out there: don't try to go at law school alone. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I first started law school I didn't put too much emphasis on finding friends. I mean, I already had my high school friends </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">plus </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my college friends so really how many more people did I need in my life? But the reality is that law school friends are totally different than non-law friends. The truth is, your non-law friends just won't get it. Even the pre-law friends can only empathize so much because they haven't actually gone through the rigors that is law school. Your law school friends will totally understand what you're complaining about, can help explain a concept that you're not understanding, and can give you peace of mind when they tell you that they also haven't got a call back about that journal/team/job yet so you're not alone. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big misconception about law school is that it's every man for himself. People will wrongly think, <i>oh if I give my neighbor my notes from yesterday, then I'm helping her get ahead of me and am screwing myself over.</i> This can't be more wrong! Look, the girl next to you is either going to get a better grade than you or not all on her own. You helping her out one day isn't going to make or break you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember, basically your entire grade comes down to the final. Do you really think helping out a classmate here and there is somehow going to make their answers on their final <i>that </i>much better than yours? If y'all really were that close on the curve, then there's a very big chance that because of the curve you're going to both end up with the exact same grade. So why bother wasting your time being rude? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/12/putting-law-school-curve-into.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Putting the law school curve into perspective</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Storytime from my 1L year... we had a research assignment for my writing class so my entire small writing section were all in the library at once, doing the same assignment at once. Since everyone was waiting to use the same books I decided to just work from the last question up so I wouldn't be there all night. About halfway through I was again working on the same questions as the rest of my classmates. So when one of my classmates asked me where to find an answer, I gave them the book I had just used. A few minutes later I asked the same person if they knew what one of the questions was asking about, and they told me that I should just work on the assignment myself! Guess what happened? I had some strong feelings about that person and one day when I happened to be sitting beside them and they were having trouble with a case, I opted not to help even though I could.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The moral of all this? You're not invincible and you'll learn that you're going to need help in law school at some point. Don't think of it as you against everyone, think of it as y'all against law school. These people are your teammates and can help you in countless ways throughout law school. And beyond! You'll hear so many lawyers talking about how they've gone out of their way to help an old law school friend get a job, but also some people are in the position I was in during class and <i>can </i>help you but choose not to because you've burned them before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not saying you have to go and befriend the whole school, but do make an effort to be nice. And constantly seek out people to add to your little study group. These are the times where truly, the more the merrier! This isn't like Survivor or The Bachelor where there can only be one person at the end. Sure, there's only <i>one </i>valedictorian, but there's plenty of people in the top 10, 20, 50%. If you try to cut everyone down you're going to be extremely lonely and I promise you're just making law school harder than it has to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/09/finding-meetups-study-groups-in-your-1l.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to find a law school study group</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as cliques go, try to rise above them. One of the things that shocks 1Ls the most is how law school feels like high school all over again. I've seen several cliques who basically have Mean Girls-level rules in law school and it's ridiculous! Don't get too tied down and insist on it being you few til death do you part. These kinds of cliques can be just as isolating and therefore counterproductive as if you cut out everyone else from your life yourself. Try to keep some fluidity in your friend group and it'll help y'all survive all 3 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know I sound just like my mom right now, but go in with an open mind! A lot of people have totally different in-class and out-of-class personas so just because you wouldn't exactly want to sit by them every day right in the middle of the front row doesn't mean that y'all couldn't get along during breaks when you're venting about your days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-45867303711025563462018-09-10T08:00:00.000-05:002018-09-10T08:00:07.604-05:00Finding Meetups & Study Groups in Your 1L Year of Law SchoolHi friends! I'm super excited today because I'm back with another guest post!! I was so excited to find out that <a href="https://testmaxprep.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">TestMax</span></a> wanted to collaborate on today's post because I've been following <a href="https://twitter.com/LSATMax?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">their Twitter</span></a> all of law school and think they're such a cool company! In case you're not super familiar with them, <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><a href="https://testmaxprep.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">TestMax</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> provides comprehensive test prep courses (mobile and web) for </span><a href="https://testmaxprep.com/lsat" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">LSAT</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">, </span><a href="https://testmaxprep.com/bar-exam" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Bar Exam</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">, and most recently, a product called </span><a href="https://testmaxprep.com/1l" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">the 1L</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> to help students get through their first year of law school. As you'll see below, </span><a href="https://testmaxprep.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">TestMax</span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> really knows </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">law school</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> and have <b>great </b>resources for 0Ls and 1Ls. Today, they're helping you get your study group up and running!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlaloVKOsKOU5av3-rDOI1GcbxRe4ouPavSLtj9ejM_faC7Hr_PyviiYD5Z-3VmnEWjTf5vKdiNV-YeQ5JW4BgfywAomna0Gq7m37z0WFvusme3atzue8u344MXYoSk6kIZqFVuYnv6U/s1600/how+to+find+a+study+group+in+law+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to start a law school study group. Should you join a law school study group? The benefits of a study group in law school. How to find a law school meetup group. Why you should go to a law school meetup. What is a law school meetup. law school advice. law school tips. 1L tips. 1L study tips. | brazenandbrunette.com " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlaloVKOsKOU5av3-rDOI1GcbxRe4ouPavSLtj9ejM_faC7Hr_PyviiYD5Z-3VmnEWjTf5vKdiNV-YeQ5JW4BgfywAomna0Gq7m37z0WFvusme3atzue8u344MXYoSk6kIZqFVuYnv6U/s320/how+to+find+a+study+group+in+law+school.jpg" title="How to start a law school study group. Should you join a law school study group? The benefits of a study group in law school. How to find a law school meetup group. Why you should go to a law school meetup. What is a law school meetup. law school advice. law school tips. 1L tips. 1L study tips. | brazenandbrunette.com " width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting through your 1L year can seem incredibly daunting. You're adjusting to a new, rigorous program and are probably working harder and longer than you ever have before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To balance this out, it can help to find study partners or groups to break up the work, help each other out, and make your law school experience more manageable. Another benefit to these groups is the networking factor. The law school students of today are the associates, partners, and network of the future in the field of law.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a look at different online and tradition methods to make your <a href="https://testmaxprep.com/1l" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">1L year</span></a> a little less of a solo journey:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Student Organizations and Clubs</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Possibly the <i style="font-weight: bold;">most </i>obvious place to being searching for a group setting of fellow law students is a list of your law school organizations. The positives here are that many clubs may not expect 1L students to take on too much responsibly. So, this could be a way to meet others, learn from them, and set yourself up for a leadership position as your progress through law school without over-committing yourself in your first year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organizations exist for eeeeeverything imaginable. There are clubs for different ethnic backgrounds, spiritual backgrounds, social justice interests, etc. At the <a href="http://www.law.virginia.edu/students/student-organizations#mindfulness" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">University of Virginia</span></a>, there's even a student organization called Mindfulness in Law which aims to use a mindful approach to improving legal work and relationships.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check with your school and do some digging to see what's available. You may find some really interesting clubs to partake in!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Online Law School Forums</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Online forums provide a great opportunity to start or join a conversation with other 1L students (or students of any year) when you want to discuss experiences with others in the same boat. These can be questions you want answers to, advise you seek, opinions you're collecting, dealing with stress, etc. Even though this is a little bit more old school, online forums, such as <a href="http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=3" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Top Law School's TLS Forums</span></a>, let you reach out to and connect with other law students you may otherwise never come across or have contact with. This can give you greater reach and accessibility to different resources and ideas. These kinds of forums have made the world a VERY small place, in many ways.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The downside to these forums is that, as anyone can join most of them, you may not have ways to truly vet all the contributors. It's always important to use your best judgment and to not accept things on blind faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meetup Websites</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technology to the rescue once again! These days, there are <i style="font-weight: bold;">so </i>many websites dedicated to organizing group meet ups. You can start the listing yourself (just remember the extra responsibilities that come with this!) or find one and join in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some are done virtually, giving you the flexibility to not worry about it being local, while others let you list by physical location, allowing you to find others in the area. One of the most popular of these sites is <a href="http://meetup.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Meetup.com</span></a>, which boasts hundreds of meet ups each <i>minute </i>in locations across the globe. Here, you can find or create opportunities to build study groups, meet with people to discuss specific interests or topics, etc. In our most recent search, there was a current lack of 1L-specific study groups already listed, but consider that the opportunity to create a dream group exactly as you'd like. For quick reference, take a look at the Law School groups here: <a href="https://www.meetup.com/topics/lawschool/?_cookie-check=NAJ59LMy4NXEgtY5" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Law School Groups</span></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other options are seeking out meet ups through event websites, like <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Eventbrite</span></a>, where you can not only get your knowledge on, but also find other students to connect with. There's also sites geared more towards casual local hangouts, like <a href="https://www.citysocializer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">CitySocializer</span></a>, in case you want a hang out that's not law school centric.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Online Study Groups</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along with the above options, you can find different sites that encourage and facilitate online study groups. These are a bit few and far between, but you can consider something like <a href="https://www.goconqr.com/en/learn/study-groups/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">GoConqr</span></a> and see if it works for you! Again, remember that you need to use your best judgment when working with strangers (and soon to be study buddies) online, to make sure you're working with motivated, focus students.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journey through law school is challenging, and adapting during your 1L year is crucial to your overall success. Don't allow yourself to become over-committed or feel isolated in your experience. There are tons of people just like you looking for meet ups, study groups, and forums on a local, notional, and even global level. With so much connective capability, you can certainly find the right fit for you. The benefits are emotional, educational, and network-enhancing!</span>Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8629595616186094190.post-2087286740690773532018-09-07T08:00:00.000-05:002018-10-14T12:26:41.359-05:00How to Choose a Pre-Law Major<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1o4C2pxnlBk_i5kiJS9x5whz2SAe6U68oevGpay7tcFvV56u5_kqPcr4AVb_wcunsKpBsCj76uunLvIfGGOHACjLfrG4OabwmLbMVq6h-say3gEHLkXEogQRp5_CJm87CH6DDesEp3w/s1600/How+to+Pick+a+Pre-Law+Major.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dreaming of going to law school? Here's how to pick a major for law school. The best pre-law majors. What major is required for law school. What major helps you get in to law school. Degree requirements for law school. Choosing a major for law school. Best college major for pre-law. Which major to choose for law school. Popular pre law majors. law school advice. law school tips. law school blog. law student blogger. | brazenandbrunette.com" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1o4C2pxnlBk_i5kiJS9x5whz2SAe6U68oevGpay7tcFvV56u5_kqPcr4AVb_wcunsKpBsCj76uunLvIfGGOHACjLfrG4OabwmLbMVq6h-say3gEHLkXEogQRp5_CJm87CH6DDesEp3w/s320/How+to+Pick+a+Pre-Law+Major.jpg" title="Dreaming of going to law school? Here's how to pick a major for law school. The best pre-law majors. What major is required for law school. What major helps you get in to law school. Degree requirements for law school. Choosing a major for law school. Best college major for pre-law. Which major to choose for law school. Popular pre law majors. law school advice. law school tips. law school blog. law student blogger. | brazenandbrunette.com" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hello, hello everyone! Today's post is for those of y'all who are still in college and are starting to think about going to law school. A lot of future law students aren't quite sure what to major in, so </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought now would be a great time for this post since the school year has just started as it's not to late to change your major. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/10/should-you-go-to-law-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Should you go to law school?</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The good news for you is that unlike most other post-grad paths, there's no official major required to get in to law school! I remember way back when I was pre-med when my guidance counselor handed me a list of requirements to get in to med school and there were so many biology classes, chem classes, and other science-heavy classes that I <i>had </i>to take to apply to med school. But with law school, not only is any particular major required, there's no one class that is required! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bad news is that this leaves you with limitless opportunities to choose a "pre law" major, and sometimes that can be overwhelming. Here's just a few things you can consider when choosing the right major for you.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Choose a relatively easy major</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While engineering students are statistically the top-scorerers on the LSAT, don't just choose the hardest major out there. First off, it's hard for an ad comm committee to weight all the different majors so don't just pick a major to sound impressive or smart. Ad comms pay way more attention to your GPA and a solid GPA can be the difference between being waitlisted or accepted in the first round, and <i>for sure </i>comes in to play when scholarships are being awarded. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/08/how-to-find-law-school-scholarships.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to get a law school scholarship</span></a> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll also want a major that's light enough to give you time to be involved on campus so you can build up your resume and will later allow you the flexibility to study for the LSAT. Most importantly, don't kill yourself for 4 years if you don't have to. Choose a major that you are actually interested in and it will be so much easier for you than trying to stick it out in a major that you <i>think</i> you should have. However, don't just choose the absolute easiest major you can find because remember, if you end up not liking law school then this will be your fallback plan.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2017/02/what-to-put-on-law-school-application.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What to put on a law school resume</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Choose a major that can challenge you </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay this is the exact opposite of what I just said, but hear me out. A too-easy major will set you up for failure. Not only are the "easy" majors known for getting low LSAT scores, they also don't prepare you for how to research for and write a 25-page paper and sound intelligent or how to read 150 pages in one night. So while you don't want to pick the hardest major, also don't pick the easiest option either or else you probably won't be as prepared for law school as you should be.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like I mentioned, ideally you're going to want to improve on your reading, writing, and researching skills. You'll also want something that will help you improve your analytical skills, because that's the main part of being a lawyer. But just overall, look for a major that will better you. If you go to college for 4 years and you haven't improved much from when you graduated law school, you're going to start off behind your classmates who have been learning how to face challenging classes.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2015/08/0l.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to prepare for law school while in college</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Choose a major that interests you</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is my most important piece of advice when choosing a pre-law major! Don't just pick a major because you think you <i>should </i>pick it because I'm betting you'll regret it. Remember what I've already mentioned how you'll do better in a major that you like because you'll want to put more effort in. Also, don't forget that almost every interview you go to for the first few years of your legal journey will ask you why you picked your major. "I'm passionate about X" is a much better answer than "I heard X would get me in to law school." </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It also wouldn't be a terrible idea to use your major as a preview of what kind of lawyer you want to be. If you're dead set in being a lawyer like Law & Order SVU, maybe taking a criminal justice class or two will help you decide if this is what you expected it to be. A business class could help you determine whether being an in-house counselor is for you or not. Remember there's no ideal pre-law major, so have fun deciding what to do for 4 years.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2018/03/5-college-regrets.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Why I regret my college major</span></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stereotypical pre-law majors</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First off, just know that a great majority of schools don't even have a "pre law" major, so don't automatically have that as your plan since it's likely not even offered at your school. Even if it is offered, don't just assume that you <i>have </i>to pick that major. What if your senior year you tour law schools and realize that law school is definitely not for you? What are you going to do after graduation if you're a pre-law major who isn't going to law school?? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another cliché of a pre-law major is political science. Trust me, polisci was one of my minors because I wanted to go to law school and for the most part it was more of a waste than a help. See polisci classes tend to lean pretty heavily on the legislative side or (shocker!) politics; yet law school classes tend to lean pretty heavily on the judicial side. So there's actually not as much overlap as you'd anticipate. Unless you would like a future in political campaigns or being on the legislature, it's probably not the best use of your time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Philosophy actually isn't a terrible pre-law major. I also minored in pre-law which required me to take several philosophy classes, and I think they helped. Philosophy gets you to think big picture and be okay with gray spaces and no right answers, which is what a lot of law school is. And logic, a philosophy/math class, actually helps you with what's on the LSAT. But if you pick this major, just don't be that one annoying kid in class who tries to get too philosophical with your law school professor and be a total douche.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">English/Foreign languages isn't too bad, in my opinion either. Getting used to doing a lot of reading and properly putting a sentence together is basically what your 1L year is all about, so this actually does set you up for success. I was a Spanish major and I felt it helped me because sometimes your casebook might as well be in a foreign language because you have no clue what half the words mean and have to spend so much time reading slowly and looking up words. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">History is another pretty decent major because again you are doing a lot of reading and writing and, just like law school, there's a lot of little details like dates and places to remember. And while most of history is pretty exciting, it can get a little boring sometimes. Law school cases are usually exciting but sometimes you have to bribe yourself to get through the readings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STEM majors are becoming super popular pre-law majors because they help you stand out from the English/philosophy and polisci majors, they almost always score really high on the LSAT, and a STEM background opens up some money-making doors in specialized, technical legal fields. Just make sure you're up for this because STEM majors are notoriously hard and you don't want to pick this for the wrong reasons and end up struggling for 4 years just to end up with a meh GPA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Criminal justice is one major that I've seen warnings over and over again to <i>not </i>major in. This major tends to score the lowest on the LSAT, on average, and tend to have lower acceptance rates. I think it's because it's preparing you for a different area of the law so you're not getting prepared how you need to be. Don't think you have to be in criminal justice if you want to be a prosecutor or public defender. You're better off choosing a different major and then getting first-hand experience by volunteering or interning with a judge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personally if I could do it all over again, I wish I would've been a business or HR major because a lot of it applies to being a lawyer! Most people have a goal of being a partner in a law firm, which means you'll be involved in running a business. Some people have a goal of opening their own firm, which means you'll have to start your own business. And a lot of people have a goal of working for a company, which means your job is to keep the business going. There's just been some instances where I wish I would've known a little more about business/HR matters and I think it's a good fallback major.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have an idea of what kind of law you're interested in practicing in, my school has an interactive page where you choose that area of law and it suggests relevant majors. It also has a list of what schools have programs for that kind of law with links to them so you can do some more research on choosing a law school. <a href="https://www.depts.ttu.edu/advising/prelaw/majors.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Here's the link</span></a> for that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Related: <a href="http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/2016/04/picking-school.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How to choose a law school</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember that you can also <i>minor</i> in something that will help you on your path to law school! You know how there's contrasting colors? Try to choose contrasting majors and minors so you're a well-rounded applicant. If you want to be an English major improving on your reading/writing skills, try minoring in something like STEM </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hat will have you improving on </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">your analytical skills; if you're a economics major, try to take an communications class. Feel free to mix and match to get the right combo for you of good grades yet preparing you for your future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly, try to take some business writing classes! I took 2 in undergrad so I already knew how to write a professional memo. Sure it wasn't exactly a <i>legal </i>memo and I did have to learn a few things, but starting off my 1L year in my legal writing class I was already ahead of most of my classmates because I already knew the fundamentals. This meant that I wasn't stressing out trying to re-learn how to write a fake email and instead could focus on other classes. And in my opinion, legal writing is one of the easiest classes to prepare for before law school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd love to know what y'all majored/minored in and whether you think that helped you get in or do well in law school! Let me know in the comments below :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: dimgrey; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">let's be friends!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 14px; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/brazen-brunette-15726779?widget-ref=http://www.brazenandbrunette.com/"><span style="color: #993399;">bloglovin'</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brazenandbrunette/"><span style="color: #993399;">instagram</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brazenandbrunetteblog"><span style="color: #993399;">facebook</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/brazennbrunette"><span style="color: #993399;">twitter</span></a><span style="color: dimgrey;"> | </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brazenblog/"><span style="color: #993399;">pinterest</span></a><span style="color: red;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
Brazen & Brunettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12377211371808854451noreply@blogger.com0