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Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Tips on Recommendation Letters

During the law school application process, there will come a time when you have to request professors, employers, etc. for recommendation letters. Most schools require at least one letter. Even though this is something that is worked on by someone else, we also have to do a little thinking before diving in and asking just anyone. Here are some tips:

1. This may sound obvious but choose to ask for recommendation letters from people who you know for a fact have a good impression of you and can truly write that you’d be an asset to the law school you attend and the legal field.

2. If you are choosing to ask a professor or professors, its best to choose someone who knows you beyond just another face in the classroom. Choose a professor you have had one on one face time with, that would recognize you and acknowledge you outside a classroom setting. It’s better to choose someone who taught a course that you did really well in, and is relevant to your major. For bonus points, it helps if the professor is a well-respected tenured professor who has taught for a long time.

3. If you are choosing to ask an employer, it’s similar to asking a professor. Make sure they are professionals that you have a good relationship with that can confidently attest to your skills and capabilities. Preferably, you’d want to ask someone you have worked under for a decent amount of time.

4. When you figure out who you are asking, make sure to give the person a solid month or more to work on your letter. Give them a rough estimate of when you’re applying so that they have their letters completed before then.

5. Provide your recommenders with some resources that they can use to your advantage. For example, you can provide them with your transcript, resume, personal statement (if its ready), or graded exams and papers from that professor’s class. This gives them some background on how you are as a student, what your goals and aspirations are, and why you’d be a good candidate for law school.

6. Make sure you are being clear to your recommenders on how to upload their letters to LSAC. Once you put in their information and emails, LSAC will email the recommenders with a link wherein they can create a log in and upload the letter. Have the recommender’s correct information and email.

Good luck, everyone! Applications season is upon us.

(Photo courtesy of US News and World Report)

My parents want me to be a lawyer.

Reasons Not to Go to Law School

Tips for Writing a Personal Statement

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Free Press)

When it comes time to start applying to law schools, you’re going to need to begin drafting a personal statement for submission. Essentially, what they’re looking for is an essay explaining why law school is the path for you. I have recently finished my personal statement and picked up a few tips from my prelaw advisors and some general research. Here are some useful ones:

Structure: Your statement should be double spaced and just about 2 pages. I’d stick to the classic Times New Roman 12 point font. Any other fonts may come across as unprofessional.

Time: Give yourself a solid month to work on your personal statement. It is possible to write a good one in less time than that. But I think it’s safer to give yourself a few weeks to organize ideas, write some drafts, and review.

Narrative: Compile a narrative in which you explain why law school is the path for you and the important experiences you had that brought you to this decision. You can talk about your work experience, school, or even a significant moment in your life. Organize your narrative wherein you have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Avoid a resume-like structure. Nobody in the admissions office wants to read through a list of your skills and best qualities.

Voice: The reader should be able to get a real sense of who you are while reading your personal statement. Before they read it, all they know about you is your LSAT score and GPA. This is your chance to show the schools who you really are. Be genuine. Don’t try to make up a confident façade wherein you overshoot your shot. They want your essay to be candid, not fancy. They want to know why you’d be an asset to their school and the legal field.

Proofreading: Now, this may seem obvious. But it is ESSENTIAL that you proofread your essay over and over again. Watch out for spelling and grammar mistakes, and be mindful of your word choices. Don’t use words you don’t fully understand. Every time you work on your draft, wait a few hours and then read it out loud. Your mind will be fresher and be able to catch any mistakes or awkwardness in your writing.

Help: Even if you are the best writer in the world, it would still be useful to have a fresh set of eyes read your statement. My advice is to visit your university’s prelaw advisor and have him/her review it. After all, they know best about what admissions offices are looking for. If you don’t have an advisor available to you, I’d suggest asking someone in the legal field to review it for you.

Good luck :)

You can create your own lanes, just as I am. The state bar doesn't care who you are.

Kim Kardashian-West

Kim Kardashian, Esq.

Now, this isn’t some celebrity exposé or anything. This also doesn’t seem like it would be helpful for a prelaw student to read, but I disagree. If you haven’t heard already, the unbelievably “famous for no reason” Kim Kardashian is trying to become an attorney. This is shocking because we have only seen her on red carpets, a mind-numbingly dull reality show, and magazine covers. But Kim Kardashian, Esq? That seems a little hard to believe. But this is her new career plan.

Kim’s father, Robert Kardashian, was an attorney and he is famous for being on the O.J. Simpson trial from the nineties. I’m sure having a father who was a well-known lawyer played a part in her interest in law. The main thing that helped Kim realize that she wanted a law degree was when she worked with criminal justice reform activist, Van Jones, to help a 63-year-old woman, who was serving life for a drug crime, be released from prison. Making a difference and changing this woman’s life ignited a passion in Kim that she was never aware of before. She suddenly became obsessed with the idea of learning more and doing more. And that was when she decided that law school was the route for her. But she is doing it a bit differently than us traditional students (which is expected from someone like her). Kim, herself, is not at all traditional. She will be doing a four year law apprenticeship under two attorneys. She will also be consistently studying to take the bar exam in 2022. Kim is required to take mini versions of the bar while doing her apprenticeship. Not many states in the U.S. allow you to take the bar exam without attending law school but California does. And the California bar is said to be the hardest bar in the country.

(Photo Courtesy of Splash News)

At first, I was shocked. This celebrity, who never even completed college, gets an amazing opportunity to do an apprenticeship, doesn’t have to pay for law school tuition, or even take the awful LSAT! And then she can just take the bar and become an attorney? Whereas some of us have been living and breathing law our whole lives, just waiting for the day we get certified. It does annoy me a little. And she’s not my favorite person in the world. But you know what? The world could use an attorney like her. She has power and status and she can use that to make a huge difference in the country and criminal justice reform. And honestly, this story is a bit inspiring. What she is trying to do is gain more knowledge and insight about issues that she is passionate about reforming. And passion is really needed if you want to attend law school. It also shows us that sometimes, we may change our minds about our career paths. She is making a huge leap but so can you. I think that in life we go through different stages and we may not end up doing what we love forever. But if you can, take the leap. Change your path. And never be afraid of what people are going to think. Kim Kardashian certainly doesn’t!

Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarabliss/2019/04/18/kim-kardashian-is-becoming-a-lawyer-what-her-move-can-teach-you-about-making-a-career-leap/#391ea58a48d2

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/4/10/18305036/kim-kardashian-lawyer-vogue

Judge: Counselor, I need an answer.

Attorney: Hold on, I'm texting my paralegal.

Nine Letter Word for “Indispensable”? Paralegal.

To continue into my saga at Lawrence & Gerges, after working there for a year, I was promoted to paralegal. We had some personnel change and it was finally my chance to move up. This was probably one of the best things I could’ve asked for. I started as just a receptionist to get a taste of what it’s like to work in the legal field and I ended up being the “right hand man” for my boss. As the only paralegal for the sole attorney in the practice, I have a lot of responsibilities. I still had duties of a receptionist, but was also given paralegal duties. These are my responsibilities:

• Drafting complaints, interrogatories, letters, motions, and other legal documents • Conducting research on employment law, medical malpractice law, and business law • Filing legal documents for cases via eCourts • Preparing and organizing documents for discovery periods of all cases • Meeting with potential clients for consultations • Working with the MyCase database by adding contacts, managing attorney calendars, and case documents • Answering phone calls of potential clients and returning clients • Sending/scanning all incoming and outgoing mail

A lot of these duties are customary for civil litigation. My boss has always said that working in a law firm before graduating law school will give you an advantage. Many law students graduate knowing and understanding how to analyze law. But working in or running an office is completely different. Working as a paralegal is a lot of responsibility and at times, it is scary. The work you’re doing is significant and very important to the attorney you’re working for. And there isn’t much of a margin for error for certain tasks. When my boss gives me something new to do, I get nervous. But it’s also really exciting for me. I am constantly asking for more responsibilities and always asking questions. I want to get as much out of this job as I possibly can. When you work as a paralegal, you also develop a significant relationship with the attorney(s) you’re working for. I have learned so many valuable lessons and gained a lot of insight on what it’s like to take on this career path. It is not just a 9-5 job. It is rigorous work. And there are so many directions you can go in when you become an attorney. It is genuinely helpful to talk to someone who has been working in the legal field for years.

I have a lot of respect for this job and I highly suggest looking into paralegal jobs. You do not always need to get the official paralegal certification, sometimes they are looking for someone who has worked in a law firm and taken on certain responsibilities that grants them to move up. Or you can be lucky like I was and have an attorney take you under their wing and help you. Bottom line: work at a law firm. Even if you’re an intern or receptionist or secretary, you never know how much you’ll learn or where that job may take you.

(Photo courtesy of Chaahat Kachhia)

Law is order, and good law is good order.

Aristotle

Goodbye LSAT!

(Photo courtesy of Chaahat Kachhia)

More like, good riddance! Yes, I took my second and final LSAT this past Monday. I feel free and still a little sick (waiting for my score is agonizing). As many of you should know, studying for the LSAT, as well as taking it, is very traumatic. I don’t think I will get over it until I get a new, heavy dose of trauma from the bar exam (way into the future, at least). Regardless, I just wanted to talk about my recent experience with the October LSAT.

I took the exam my first time back in January and gave myself an ample amount of time until the next one. October was the way to go for me so that I can have my score in a couple weeks and send it out with all my law school applications for fall 2020. I did, however, register a little late. Many undergraduate seniors register for the fall exams which means seats fill up quickly. It wasn’t any issue except that I got a seat in a different state. My first exam, I took in NJ and it was a 30 minute drive from my house. This second exam was in New York City, Times Square to be exact. When I saw that I was taking it at the Westin Hotel in Times Square, I was so shocked. It would be an hour train ride plus a short walk. Fortunately, the exam was at noon. Monday exams are always at noon so I definitely was happy that I didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn. But of course, I didn’t sleep all that well either. The nerves, they’ll always get you no matter how early you go to bed the night before.

On Monday morning, I hopped on the train with my Ziploc bag and my little Logic Games book (which I highly suggest to people who are thinking about taking the LSAT and want to ease into it). I did practice problems on the train ride to get my brain moving. It was very helpful and I felt more awake. And walking through the city helped as well. Manhattan has such an ambitious vibe, you can’t help but feel amazing and powerful. I walked into that beautiful hotel and radiated with confidence.

I’m sure a lot of you have heard that LSAC is now administering digital tests via tablets. And it’s true. They started that in July of this year. I was completely unfamiliar with the digital version but don’t worry, they walk you through it. There is a quick tutorial on the tablet to guide you through how to answer questions, how to highlight, how to cross off answers, etc. It’s pretty much like taking the written test. And, yes, there is a scratch paper booklet to help you work out your logic games. That was a godsend. But my favorite thing about the tablet is that there is a timer. So, you know exactly how much time you have left in each section. I was so nervous about the digital version because I’m more of a pen to paper type of girl, but I LOVED it. It is much more efficient. No more mindlessly filling in bubbles on scantrons. Everything went a lot faster and smoother. So, if you are nervous about the digital exam, don’t be! You will be fine.

Overall, I’d say my experience was good. I definitely will not miss agonizing over this exam. I cannot wait to throw away all my practice books (I should probably give them to someone who can use them)! The LSAT is a nerve-wracking experience and it requires a lot of time and dedication. I wouldn’t say you have to live and breathe the LSAT for months. But make sure you’re managing your time wisely and giving yourself plenty of time to study each week. Anyways, I’M DONE. So good luck to you all!

You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order!

Al Pacino in ...And Justice For All

#MostFamousLegalMovieLines

“Lawrence & Gerges. How can I help you?”

My job at the Law Offices of Lawrence & Gerges is probably one of the most important, and amazing experiences of my life. I cannot even fathom into words what this job has done for me and how much I have learned. This is why this blog post will be divided into two! Towards the end of my freshman year of college, I knew I had to start thinking about my summer plans. I did not want to waste my time and all my friends were in the midst of getting their summer jobs and internships. So, I hopped on Indeed. But what was I even qualified for? I’ve only had one job and it was working retail at Charlotte Russe the summer after I graduated high school. I figured the best way to jumpstart my legal career was to work at a law firm. And I came upon this law office in Springfield (at the time we were in Springfield, we moved to Nutley over this past summer) that was looking for a part time receptionist. At this point in my life, I had just finished watching The Office so the idea of being like Pam the receptionist, it sounded really exciting. I figured anything to get my foot in the door in the legal field. So I applied!

Never did I ever think I would be called in for an interview. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. When I got there, I was greeted by the paralegal. Little did I know that the paralegal would become one of my best friends, not to mention, I was one of her bridesmaids at her wedding! During the interview, I met the two attorneys. They had just started their own practice. Mr. Lawrence was in his forties and Ms. Gerges in her early thirties. I remember how baffled I was when I heard Mr. Lawrence’s English accent. And Ms. Gerges scared me down to my very core. I was very intimidated and nervous. And I couldn’t stop talking during the interview. When I left that day, I really didn’t think they were going to call me. I didn’t know this at the time but the attorneys were very impressed with my writing skills. I had sent them writing samples from when I wrote for my university paper. Because of something I did as a hobby in my freshman year, I got the job offer!

The firm focused on civil litigation, specializing in employment law, medical malpractice, personal injury, and civil rights. My job, at the time, was to manage the attorneys calendars, filing and scanning the mail, and answering phones. The paralegal trained me for the first week or so and eventually I got really into the job. Even though I wasn’t doing a lot of “important” tasks per se, I was learning a lot. I always asked questions about the process of filing a lawsuit and the steps until settlement or a trial. I would constantly ask for bigger responsibilities. My bosses really knew I was passionate about my job and about learning. Over the next year, I got more and more involved at the firm. Unfortunately, Mr. Lawrence passed away in 2018. He was a brilliant man and I was really hoping to work under him and learn from him for a long time. Things really got shook up at the firm and there was some personnel change. But that summer, Ms. Gerges had promoted me to be her paralegal. And I have been there ever since.

I have to emphasize how important it is to get your foot in the door in the legal field. For me, I applied to be a receptionist at a small but successful law firm. That job has given me so much insight into how a law office works as well as the process of civil litigation. When you go to law school, you learn to think like an attorney. You learn the law. But what about after that? Thinking like a lawyer and actually being one are completely different things. I’m not saying every day is going to be different and exciting. There will be days when you are bored and tired of answering the phone. But I had no idea how much information I was retaining while even doing the most menial tasks. That job as a receptionist gave me a mentor, an education, the chance to be a real paralegal, and a best friend. Best job I could have ever asked for.

In my next post, I will discuss more in depth my experiences as a paralegal, what I did, and what I learned!

Drop Dead Diva

Drop Dead Diva is a show that I discovered on Netflix about 3 years ago. It is a legal comedy but it also has elements of drama and fantasy (heavy emphasis on fantasy). It stars Brooke Elliot, who plays a plus sized attorney named Jane Bingum. The fantastical twist: she dies in the pilot but the soul of a young fashion model, Deb Dobkins, takes over her body. Both Deb and Jane die the same day but Deb is so persistent on getting out of heaven and back to Earth to make her The Price is Right audition, she presses the “return” button and winds up in Jane’s body. Not only does she go from fashion model to plus sized lawyer, she now has to work alongside her boyfriend who thinks she’s dead. So, she is stuck inside a whole new body and can’t tell anyone she loves that she (Deb) is still alive because no one is going to believe her. Fortunately, her best friend Stacey believes this story and is her only real connection to her former self, Deb.

Now, she is Jane Bingum, Esq. and must live as Jane Bingum, Esq. In the beginning, Jane is adjusting to her life as a boring attorney with no fashion sense. She has no idea how to live as Jane but she soon realizes that she still has Jane’s brain. So, in terms of a legal education, Jane is fully equipped. Jane is taking on all these lawsuits from an eclectic group of clients and most episodes focus on a specific case Jane is working on and shows how she uses both Jane and Deb’s brains to win cases while being both intelligent and fashionable.

It sounds ridiculous, right? It’s kind of like Freaky Friday, but it’s not. Honestly, I enjoyed it! It was 6 seasons, 45 minute episodes. The plot is obviously not realistic but the cases are really engaging. Jane is a litigation attorney so you see a lot of courtroom action. The show also covers the pressures of being a female attorney in a male-dominated industry. Of course, Jane’s boss is a male attorney who shows a lot of bias towards her because the fact that she is female. And the only other female attorney in the firm is (of course!) her nemesis who is constantly competing with her. But Jane is working hard at her cases while simultaneously learning to love herself in her skin (literally). There are also subplots about the characters and their friendships and love lives, so if you like drama, it’ll be amusing to watch. Unfortunately, like many shows, the last season lacks the “oomph” from the previous seasons. It starts getting ridiculous to the point where it just got lazy and annoying. I still kept watching because I NEED to know how shows end.

Obviously, this show isn’t a realistic depiction of life as an attorney. There is no body switching or guardian angels or constant exciting, high profile cases. But it is entertaining to watch a female attorney kick ass in the courtroom!

My rating: 6.5/10

Here’s a trailer for the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB1zKeN5cvk

(Photo courtesy of Lifetime)

The minute you read something you can't understand, you can almost be sure that it was drawn up by a lawyer

Will Rogers

The Intern: Legal Edition

Throughout my high school and college career, all I have heard is that internships are EVERYTHING. And it’s true. It is extremely important to not only begin building your resume, but to obtain various skills from different jobs to help you in your future career. I haven’t taken a summer off since high school! It is tiring but really worth it. Today, I’m going to talk about my first internship. As I was nearing the end of my freshman year of college, I began applying to internships and jobs for the summer. I got hired as a part-time receptionist at a law firm (more on that later!) and I also was hired to be a writing intern at a corporate law firm. I was so excited! Now, the internship only required me to be at the office once a week, which is why I was still able to be a receptionist the rest of the week. But it was the best part of my week. The office was in the Financial District in Manhattan. I had no idea what to expect but when I walked through those elevator doors, and onto the floor, I was mesmerized. The floor was basically an open office space and you were to work wherever you like. And it didn’t look like the monotonous-colored corporate office that you would expect. It was very much full of life and people. It had a very casual feel to it, as you can see in the pictures below:

(Photos courtesy of Chaahat Kachhia)

So, a writing intern at a law firm? What was I going to be doing? The job overview didn’t explain a lot but I got the gist of it once I met with my boss. She was a successful attorney specializing in business, entrepreneurship, immigration, and intellectual property law with her own practice. She also did a lot of her own writing such as her legal publications. My job was mainly this:

-Writing press releases for legal publications -Performing rigorous research on business and immigration law -Writing articles on different aspects of immigration and business law

To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. But over the summer, I really got into it. My favorite part of the internship was conducting research on intellectual property law. I learned a lot about patent, trademark, and copyright law. It was something I was completely unfamiliar with considering I had just began my college education. I had learned the basics while taking a Business Law course during my freshman year but my experience at the internship helped me dig a lot deeper. This internship offered a fresh perspective on business law overall for me, something I never really considered before. Maybe it might be something I would like to pursue in my legal career. I felt really good about applying for this internship even though I knew I would have no idea what to do. The whole point of internships is to add to your learning experience and skillset. It was unpaid but I got to travel to New York City every week, network with attorneys, and improve my writing and research skills. If you are reading this: APPLY TO INTERNSHIPS!!!

The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers!

William Shakespeare, King Henry VI Part 2

The LSAT: Law School Anxiety Test

It’s the middle of the night and you wake up in a sweat. A nightmare. You are scared and anxious. Your mind is racing and your heart is pounding. There is only one thing on your mind: the LSAT. The infamous Law School Admission Test is administered for future law students to take before applying for law schools so that admissions offices can rank you by a number between 120 (the lowest possible score) and 180 (the highest possible score). The test has 3 main sections: Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. The actual exam has 2 sections of logical reasoning, 1 logic games section, 1 reading comprehension section, 1 writing prompt, and 1 experimental section which can be a repeat of any of the 3 main sections. Even though the experimental section is not graded, you will not know which one it is. Nobody in the history of the world has ever liked standardized testing. We all remember taking the SATs, right? Well, the LSAT is the SATs…in no way. It takes rigorous amounts of preparation and unfortunately, it is the most important thing on your law school applications. It doesn’t matter if your GPA is a perfect 4.0. Without a decent LSAT score, your application is moot. If you are planning on taking the LSAT, here are some guidelines that could be helpful:

1. Start early. I cannot begin to emphasize how crucial it is to give yourself time to prepare. Most prelaw students are planning on taking their LSAT during their late junior year or early senior year. Figure out when you want to register for the exam and give yourself at least 4 months to start studying. It all depends on what school year you’re planning on starting law school.

2. Figure out what kind of studying works best for you. If you’re like me, you cannot self-study. I suggest registering for an LSAT prep course ahead of time to help guide you. I signed up for the Test Masters prep course and found it to be very helpful. Go online and research different online and in person classes. Some websites, such as Khan Academy, offer free LSAT prep online. If can trust yourself to self-study, invest in the right supplies. Research different prep books and as well as books with just practice tests. I bought the PowerScore Bible Trilogy and 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests: Volume VI. I would also invest in a timer to help you time yourself during the 35 minute sections.

3. Create a study schedule and STICK TO IT. I was working part-time and was a full-time student while studying so I had to create a study schedule around my daily schedule. I would suggest setting aside at least 15 hours a week (if you are giving yourself 4 months) for studying, which can be divided up throughout the week to fit your schedule.

4. Register for the exam. If you have a test date in mind, register for the exam 2 months in advance to reserve your seat. The earlier you register, the more likely you will get a seat at a testing center near you. Also, registration closes a little over a month before the test date. You do not want to miss the deadline and be forced to take the next exam. All deadlines and details for how to sign up for the LSAT are on the Law School Admission Council website.

5. Relax the week before the LSAT. Don’t try to cram in new lessons and practice tests a week before your exam. Take that week to relax and have a little fun. Rest up before taking the exam and do not burn yourself out.

6. Fuel yourself the morning of. I would suggest eating a healthy breakfast the morning of your exam. But truthfully, you should eat what you’d normally eat for breakfast so that you’re not messing with your body’s routine. But definitely eat breakfast. Additionally, I’ve found doing 4-5 practice questions, whichever section you prefer, at home before leaving for the exam to be very helpful. It can get your mind moving before the exam. Do not do an entire section or exam at the risk of burning yourself out.

7. Be at ease while taking the exam. I completely understand the nerves you will experience but you have to do your best to calm down and trust that you prepared enough. Remember, you have the option to take the exam again down the line if you feel that you did not do your best work. Do not put an unbelievable amount of pressure on yourself, especially while taking the exam.

I am not going to lie to you, it is hard. You have to truly prepare and dedicate time to studying. There is no easy way out of this (believe me, I have tried to find the easy path). If you want to go to law school, you have to work hard at the LSAT. You have to show admissions offices that you are willing to put hours and hours of hard work in for your future career. The only skills you will need to master this exam is to learn to beat the exam. There is no additional information to be learned. Practice is EVERYTHING. Good luck!

(Photo courtesy of Chaahat Kachhia)

#TakingtheLSAT

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