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Testing Accommodations are not a Gift of Extra Time
By Katherine Macfarlane • January 10, 2019 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Late last year, a University of Michigan Law student sent an email about testing accommodations to a public listserv. The subject: “People using ‘extra’ time.” In the email’s body, the student wrote: “I see you messing up the curve for me thanks.” Michigan Law’s Assistant Dean for Student Life issued a compassionate response affirming the law school’s commitment to diversity and its disabled students. Above the Law condemned the student’s complaints in a late-December column. Still, the idea that testing accommodations are a gift which might unfairly ruin another student’s grades persists. I want to debunk this myth. Accommodations are…
Tips for Saving Money For Law School and Paying Off the Debt
By Dennis Hung • December 18, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
For the top law schools, the price can be more than $43,000 a year. If you want to go to a less prestigious law school, it’s not much better. According to the American Bar Association, the average private law school cost $34,300, and for public schools, the cost can be more than $16,800. For you, going to law school isn't optional. You want to be a lawyer to help people, and it’s your dream to get there. Since law school can be expensive though, some people are turned away from getting their degrees. The good news is that there are…
Why You Should Take A Break From School Before Going To Law School
By Dennis Hung • December 17, 2018 •Law School, Pre-Law, Other Law School Issues
If you’ve worked hard to prepare for law school, the idea of taking a gap year might seem a little crazy. It took all you had to get this far, and if you lose momentum now, how will you ever be prepared for the demanding schedule required by your future school? While it may seem counterintuitive, a break can sometimes be just what you need to refresh your mind and prepare for a rigorous course of study. Time Off to Explore: Who Said a Break Was a Bad Thing? According to data from the Associated Press, up to 40,000…
First Generation Success Story: 3L Year - Where I am, where I am going.
By Shirlene Armstrong • November 26, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
I am currently in my final year of law school, my 3L year. This year is my last year of law school… actually, my last year of school ever. Notoriously, this year is referred to as the “bored to death” year. I would really like to know who told 1L and 2L me that your last year of law school is best year ever because you’ll be bored more than anything. Because I am requesting my refund now! My 3L year is BEYOND busier than second year and MORE stressful than my first year! I signed up for…
Effective Ways to Prepare for Your Law Finals
By Dennis Hung • November 26, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
Succeeding for your finals in law school requires much more than showing up to class. There is a lot of preparation and time that is put into becoming a good lawyer, but one of the main things to realize is that there are no shortcuts. Finals for any student can be daunting, but even more so in law school. Fortunately, with the right tools and mindset, they can be passed with flying colors. The following tips will provide you with an insight on retaining as much information as you can whilst also amplifying your comprehension. Effective Ways to Prepare for…
5 Ways To Finance Law School
By Dennis Hung • November 24, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
Higher education is the key to financial and career success. Most companies have no desire or patience for dealing with those who have not obtained their college degree. The job market is migrating towards work that requires this level of education because the economy itself is evolving. A lot of the work done in the past was manual labor type work. These days a lot more of the tasks that we need completed are knowledge-based tasks. Thus, people need to know what they can do to try to afford their college education. Need Based Grants The cost of college…
Survive Law School with these 7 Tips
By Dennis Hung • November 21, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
Of course, every law student enters law school hoping to become a successful lawyer one day. While some students make it to the end and realize their career dream, others never make it to the final year. Law school has a lot of hardships, so people don't have to sugarcoat it. It's often stressful, competitive, and demanding, and for at least three years law students will immerse themselves in legal internships, law classes, and textbooks, hoping that they will pass the bar exam. Though law school is a long, rough path, the journey is always rewarding. The following are seven…
How to Enjoy the Journey: Maintaining School-Life Balance in Law School
By Dennis Hung • October 10, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
We’ve worked hard to get to where we are now: law students at a prestigious university. We knew it would be difficult, but we never imagined the toll law school would take on our mental and physical health; we never knew the sacrifices we would make in our personal life and social life in order to succeed in our academic life. And yet, here we sit, contemplating if it is even worth the effort to give up so much. What if we didn’t have to choose one aspect of our lives over another? What if we could find ways to…
You’re Writing Your To-Do Lists Wrong
By Kate Miceli • September 19, 2018 •Law School, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
When I was 9, I tried to learn to juggle. After several dedicated minutes of tossing and dropping the pins, I gave up and declared my career as a juggler was over. 16 years later, it was reborn. But, instead of tossing brightly colored objects in the air I was tossing classes, extracurricular’s, and sleep. Although I’m still no juggling expert, here are three strategies that helped me keep all my balls in the air. Swallow Your Biggest Frog First There’s nothing worse than staring at a long to-do list not knowing where to begin. You become filled with dread…