Classroom to the Courtroom: Dynamic Legal Careers for the Former Educator
By Ms. JD Editor • November 12, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues
You taught in K-12 schools and now may want to “use” your education experience in law. If so, this blog post is for you. By way of background, I went to law school knowing that I wanted to somehow remain connected to the education world. I was an elementary school teacher in local public charter schools for three years immediately prior to law school. But my law school at that time had no professors with this experience and I was the only one of my peers who wanted to go into this area of practice. The career counselors at my…
Have a passion for helping women in the legal profession? Apply to join the Ms. JD Board today! Make a difference for women in law by joining our Board of Directors.
By Ms. JD Editor • November 05, 2021 •Ms. JD
Ms. JD is seeking diverse individuals in the legal community with an interest in leadership who are passionate about improving the experiences of women law students and lawyers to join our Board of Directors. Ms. JD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring the success of aspiring and early career women lawyers. Ms. JD is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of law students and attorneys, who are supported by our Chief Executive Officer, a small group of independent contractors, and our vast network of volunteers. Ms. JD is a 501(c)(3), incorporated in California. Participation as a…
Making the Most Out of Attorney Performance Reviews
By Ms. JD Editor • October 18, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers
Every law firm or legal organization conducts performance reviews, albeit differently. Some have formal evaluations and many actually offer informal evaluations, but you have to be proactive and ask. However, I have many lawyer friends who don’t have any such system at their respective organizations or they are really on their own in terms of tracking their performance. Regardless of your organization’s way of evaluating employees, carving out some time regularly to assess your work performance is definitely a best practice for any lawyer. Some lawyers find that their own firm’s annual performance review doesn’t help them or fails to…
The Road Less Traveled: How Your Law School Professors Can Change Your Life
By Ms. JD Editor • October 12, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William A. Ward As a first-generation law student, entering law school was a daunting and nerve-racking experience. I had no idea what to anticipate, perhaps with exception to the general saying that all law students hear: “your 1L year they scare you to death, your 2L year they work you to death, and your 3L year they bore you to death.” Although this saying is somewhat catchy, it does not prepare you for the realities of the obstacles of law school and the practice…
Five Bizarre Cases Every Law Student Should Read
By Ms. JD Editor • September 28, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School
Facts. Procedural history. Issue. Rule. Holding. Concurrences or dissents. I used this case brief formula hundreds of times during my three years in law school and I fear is permanently seared into my brain. Most of the cases I briefed have long since escaped my mind, but others …well, others were just so strange that still remember telling my friends and family about them! If you’re a law student looking for cases worthy of sharing on a phone call to family back home, here are five bizarre cases that you must read. The Ghostbusters Case If there’s something strange in your neighborhood,…
Q&A with Tsiwen Law, Esq.
By Ms. JD Editor • September 28, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence
Q&A with Tsiwen Law, Esq.: Real Estate Litigator, Civil Rights Advocate, and Adjunct Professor of Race and the Law When I was a law student at Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, I attended several bar association events with the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania. At the time, I was a recipient of the Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship, a stipend to subsidize law students’ summer work in public interest or government during their IL and 2L summers. The Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship serves to honor the legacy of Judge Marutani, the first Asian-American judge…
What The LSAT Should Really Teach You
By Ms. JD Editor • August 25, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School, Pre-Law
BE KIND TO YOURSELF The LSAT isn’t an easy test by any means. As you go through the gruesome practice tests and study hours only to receive a non-favorable score, it is crucial that you be kind to yourself and allow space for improvement. Improving your score on the LSAT will take some time. YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC LEARNING STYLE There is no “one way” to study for the LSAT. Everyone has their own learning style and figuring out how you learn best could help tremendously with improving your study habits that are transferred to you improving your test score.…
Networking Is So Important As A Pre Law Student
By Ms. JD Editor • August 25, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School, Pre-Law, Issues, Mentoring and Networking
During my prelaw journey, I used LinkedIn daily. As a first-generation law student, there are so many nuances I do not know and connections I do not have, which is why networking is so important. LinkedIn provides quick access to members of the legal community that can help you foster connections throughout your legal career. Update your LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and reflects who you are and the work you have done. Before adding written content to your profile it is important to pick a good professional headshot as your profile picture. Profiles with good…
It Takes A Village
By Ms. JD Editor • August 20, 2021 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School
Everyone has a unique experience when it comes to their journey through law school. A quick Google search about “what to expect in law school” will give you 919,000,000 results. 919 million different points of view on what to expect, how to survive, or why you shouldn’t go. There are so many paths to finding success in law school…this is mine. I was one of those people who graduated from undergrad and was completely burned out. If I never looked at another educational book, it would be too soon. I was over it. My parents made it clear that I…