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The Barred Life: A Series of Indefinite Length - Part I
By Jannet Matthew • May 30, 2018 •Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues, Features, •Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
PART I A Personal Thing, but a Family Affair I’m a December graduate of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and took the February 2018 California Bar Exam. The month is May but I've been an emotional wreck since February. I write this post sitting two days away from knowing my fate and an alien feeling has come over me - my emotional wreckage is finally settling. The closer I’ve gotten to the result date, the more I let go of my anxiety, fear, numbness, and desire to control. This is a major breakthrough I'm profoundly proud of because I've…
Friend or Foe? Technology In Our Everyday Lives: Data Privacy
By Keisha M. McClellan • May 30, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Issues, Other Issues
There’s little doubt that being able to access your emails, texts, photos, and personal fitness stats on multiple devices, in multiple locations, is convenient. But from workplace privacy to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the increasing concern is what is the hidden cost for connectivity and your data privacy? Does checking your personal email while connected to your employer’s wi-fi mean the company can access that personal content as well? Is your wearable fitness tracker data aggregated in a way that could compromise your ability to qualify for health insurance in the future? Could your robotic vacuum convey personal details about…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Handle Stress During the First Year as an Associate
By Nadia Ennaji • May 29, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
It is no secret that the schedule of an attorney is a hectic one. Balancing a personal life with the pressure of billable hour is a tricky job. The typical day of an attorney starts around 8:30 am and rarely ends until 7:30 pm. Add to this the commute to and from home. And with the new technology, are you truly ever disconnected from work? All of these contribute to higher than normal stress level in the legal profession. The first year of a new associate is even more difficult, as there is the continuous pressure to adjust to the…
5 Ingredients to Increase Productivity in Your Firm
By Dennis Hung • April 26, 2018 •Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Issues, Other Issues
No matter how passionate you are about your business, there will always be days when your productivity levels just fall short. The same goes for your employees. While there are no immediate side effects to low productivity levels in the workplace, the long-term view paints a gloomy picture for the firm. It can lead to slower progress and growth, losing cases and clients, and a workplace riddled with inefficiencies and unproductive activities. Here are five ingredients that can increase productivity in your law firm. Distinguish Important Versus Unimportant Tasks At the essence of productivity is the decision matrix developed by…
Ms. JD’s Report Card: 2018 Annual Conference “Her Story”
By Kerriann Stout • April 25, 2018 •Ms. JD, Conference, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Other Issues
On March 8th and 9th of 2018, Ms. JD hosted its annual conference at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law. The theme of the conference was “Her Story,” and many of the talks and panels focused on the different journeys of the speakers. This was my first time attending a Ms. JD conference, and I was not sure what to expect, as I was attending by myself. I must say I was pleasantly surprised! It was a very welcoming environment, the Ms. JD staff was extremely kind, and there were lots of opportunities to meet and interact…
You’ll Pay for This: Choosing The Right Repayment Plan
By Kerriann Stout • April 18, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Pre-Law, Other Law School Issues, Issues, •Other Issues
After going to law school, I like to think that I have a pretty high threshold for the “I have no idea what I’m doing” feeling and can ultimately figure most things out with enough research. However, when it was time to figure out which repayment plan I should use to start paying back my law school loans, I was in tears of confusion in 5 minutes flat. I was immediately paralyzed by questions, such as “Why are there so many options?”, “Why do they all sound the same?”, “How do the payments range from $0 to $3,000?”, “How do…
You’ll Pay For This: It Is Time To Dig Out Of Your Financial Hole
By Kerriann Stout • April 03, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Other Issues
Welcome back! So far, we’ve covered the bleak reality of the student loan crisis and learned how to read our student loan statements (all highly riveting, I assure you.) This month, we are ready to discuss how to start digging yourself out of the financial hole in which you find yourself. Now, you may be wondering why you should take any advice from me -what with my $200k+ student loans and all - about paying debt off. Well, my husband and I used the following 6 tips to pay off over $60,000 in 2 years (and managed to save money towards…
Ms. J.D. Attends “Hidden Figures: Honoring Trailblazers in Tampa Bay,” by the FBA-Tampa
By Janee Prince • February 28, 2018 •Issues, Other Issues
Photo by Keith Lindquist After engaging in a bit of observational data analysis, also known as “creeping” on the Federal Bar Association –Tampa Chapter’s event last year, entitled “Staying in the Game: Getting to the Top,” and documenting my experience, I jumped at the opportunity to attend another fantastic, well-thought-out event with the FBA. Appropriately entitled “Hidden Figures,” this event honored Tampa Bay’s legal trailblazers. The individuals recognized have impacted, not just the Florida legal community, but the Nation as a whole. Merely being in the presence of such legal greatness provided palpable energy and a buzz within the Grand…
You’ll Pay For This: What In The World Does Your Student Loan Statement Say?
By Kerriann Stout • February 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Other Issues
I would compare reading about law school loans to watching a car accident happen. You don’t really WANT to watch it, but you also can’t seem to turn away. This month, I am rewarding your curiosity with a more in depth analysis of how student loans work. As you may recall from last month, I spent a good deal of time (almost 2 years) after graduation completely avoiding the fact that I had student loans at all. A big part of the reason I was so scared to even look at my student loan accounts after I graduated was that I…