Articles for Law Students

Getting through Law School

• The 5 Top Legal Internships Law Students Should Know and Pursue
  A legal internship can be one of the most satisfying events in a prospective attorney’s legal education.
• The Art of the Law School Personal Statement
  There is more to a law school personal statement than just words used to explain why you want to become a lawyer. Personal experiences have to be introduced which in their sincerity, fortify a need, not a desire, for a legal career.
• Uh-Oh: Bar Passage Rates Reach All-Time Lows
  Why are bar passage rates at historic lows? Surprisingly (or possibly not) much has to do with the law schools themselves.
• Why Your Personal Statement Can Make or Break Your Law School Chances
  There is no underestimating the importance of a prospective law student’s personal statement. Find out why in this article.
• Do You Have the 5 Top Traits that Can Help You Get into Law School?
• 4 Points to Help You Understand the Socratic Method That Law Schools Use
• The Top 11 Law Schools with High Student LSAT Scores
• The Guide to Law School Loans
• How to Learn to Do Well on a Law Shool Exam
• On Self-Care in the First Year of Law School
• Success in Your First Year of Law School
• Success in Law School - A Unique Perspective
  Just like with the LSAT, there is no single way to excel in law school. Therefore, instead of providing one approach, TLS is offering "Law School Success" guides from various law students, each of whom describe their own path to success.
• How to Succeed in Law School – Student Guide #1
• How to Succeed in Law School – Student Guide #2
• The Three Major Legal Fraternities and Why You May Want to Join One
  Which of the three main legal fraternities should you join while in law school? Find out here.
• 134 Legal Terms Every Lawyer, Paralegal, and Law Student Should Know
  As a law student you need to make sure you understand these legal terms if you want to be successful.
• Coping with Law School Dismissal
  Learn how to cope if you are dismissed from law school for academic or personal reasons.

Financial Aid and Law School Loans

• 6 Ways to Save Tuition Money before Beginning Law School
  With less options toward relief for today’s law students as opposed to other tuition relief programs universities give their students in other majors, particularly their undergrads, law school students have been left to fend for themselves when it comes to tuition costs.
• Funding Your Legal Education
  From merit and need-based scholarships to the variety of federal and private loans, this article explores the variety of options law students may employ to fund their legal education.
• Law School FAFSA Code Mega-List
  Applying for need-based aid and filling out your FAFSA form? Consult the TLS FAFSA mega-list to avoid having to track down each school's unique FAFSA code.
• Income-Based Repayment (IBR): An Explanation
  The recently approved federal Income Based Repayment (IBR) plan may revolutionize student borrowing for educational purposes. What is this plan, though, and how does it work?
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): An Explanation
  In addition to IBR, federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) can make it possible for students with public interest ambitions to follow their (low-paying) dreams without carrying a lifetime of student debt.

Law School Grades and Rankings

• The Seven Most Underrated Law Schools in the U.S.
  If you’re studying petroleum-related eminent domain, which needless to say, can be a very lucrative practice field in corporate law, there’s a strong chance a middle-tiered regional law school located in Texas, Louisiana, Utah or Colorado, might be a better choice than Yale or Stanford.
• Law School Grades and Your Career
  How much do your grades in law school matter to law firms?
• Do Grades and School Rankings Matter If Aiming for a Big-Law Job?
  Are you still marketable to top firms if your grades aren't that great?
• 15 Law Schools That Get the Most Transfer Students
  Law students are taking advantage of better legal educations by transferring schools.
• Do Grades and School Rankings Matter If Aiming for a Big-Law Job?
  Are you still marketable to top firms if your grades aren't that great?
• Is It True That Attending Any but a Top-Tier Law School Is a Personal and Financial Mistake?
  What happens if you are not able to get into a top tier law school? Should you even attend law school at all?
• Graduated From a Tier 3 Law School: There’s much you can do with your degree
  What can you do with your degree if you graduated from a tier 3 law school? More than you might think.
• How Can I Find a Job When I Didn’t Graduate at the Top of My Class?
  Learn how to overcome the fact that you didn't graduate from the top of your class in law school.
• Is It True That Attending Any but a Top-Tier Law School Is a Personal and Financial Mistake?
  What happens if you are not able to get into a top tier law school? Should you even attend law school at all?
• Graduated From a Tier 3 Law School: There’s much you can do with your degree
  What can you do with your degree if you graduated from a tier 3 law school? More than you might think.

The Bar Exam

• Don't Panic! Ten Tips for Surviving the Bar Exam
  If you're planning on facing an upcoming bar exam, prepare yourself by following these tips.
• How to Pass the Bar Exam
  Preparing for the bar exam takes hard work and dedication. Here is how one person studied for and passed this difficult exam.
• 7 Critical Tips to Prepare Yourself to Take the Bar Exam
  Before taking the bar exam, follow these seven tips to increase your chances of passing.
• 8 Popular Bar Review Courses That Will Help You Pass the Bar
  After graduating law school, the time has come to take the bar. Here are 8 bar review courses designed to get you fully ready for the exam in your state.
• Last Minute Reading for Bar Exam Takers
  Are you taking the bar exam soon? Read these articles to help you prepare.
• Which State Has the Most Difficult Bar Exam?
  The bar exam is one of the most grueling experiences of an attorney's career, but apparently, some states' tests are easier than others.
• Taking the Bar in Multiple States
  Thinking about taking the bar in more than one state? Read this article to help you decide where to take the bar after law school.
• 10 Ways to Bounce Back after Failing the Bar and Pass on Your Next Attempt
  Did you just fail the bar and feel like giving up on practicing law? Read this article to learn how you can bounce back and pass the bar the next time you take it.
• If You Have Failed the Bar Exam It Is Not the End of the World
  Don't let failing the bar exam get you down. Learn why you should pick yourself up again and take the bar again after failing it in this article.
• Preparing for the Patent Bar
  The process can seem daunting, but this article provides the answers to some common questions and will hopefully alleviate any anxiety you may feel about the patent bar exam.
• A Comprehensive Guide to Bar Reciprocity: What States Have Reciprocity for Lawyers and Allow You to Waive into the Bar
  Have you passed the bar in one state and want to work in another? Find out what your options are in this article.
• Pass the Bar in One State, Work in Another.
  Learn more about the options that exist that allow an attorney to pass the bar in one state and work in a different one in this article.
• Guidelines on Reciprocity or "Admission on Motion" among the States as per American Bar Association
  Learn more about the guidelines of bar reciprocity in this article.

Getting a Job after Law School and Practicing Law

• 25 Reasons Most Attorneys Hate the Practice of Law and Go Crazy (and What to Do about It)
  The stress of practicing law has driven many attorneys to use drugs, drink, and even commit suicide. Find out why this happens and what can be done about it in this article.
• 38 Tips of Advice for Summer Associates (and Summer Law Clerks) That No One Ever Gives You: How to Be a Good Summer Associate and Not Get in Trouble
  Learn what you must do to be a good summer associate in this comprehensive article.
• 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms
  You can drastically increase your odds of getting hired by prestigious law firms by removing various items from your resume.
• 60 Nontraditional Jobs You Can Do with a Law Degree (and Should Strongly Consider Doing)
  There is so much competition, that for most attorneys, it often makes a lot of sense to choose an alternative legal or non-legal career.
• 10 Biggest Career Mistakes Big Law Firm Attorneys Make (and 10 Ways to Survive in a Big Firm)
  Avoid these common mistakes made by many attorneys and you can stay in big law.
• Twelve Sexy Things You Can Do with a Law Degree That (1) May Make You Famous and (2) Do Not Require Practicing Law
  Want to use your law degree for something other than practicing law? Here are some sexy options.
• As an American Attorney, How Can I Find a Job Overseas?
  Are you thinking about working internationally as an attorney? Read this article to learn how you can find an international attorney job.
• What Your Summers Say about You
  Learn why getting a job as a summer associate is so important.
• No Job Offer in Hand? Then You Need a Plan
  Are you a 3L in a summer associate position without an offer? What should you do?
• Top 12 Considerations for Law Students Interested in Pursuing New York Law Firm Opportunities
  Looking for a job at big New York law firm? You need to consider these 12 things.
• Top 10 Ways to Get Your First Job after Law School
  What do you need to do to get your first job after law school? Find out in this article.
• Clerkships: Not All Are Equal but Not All Need to Be
  Does it matter to your legal career if your clerkship is with a federal or state court?
• To Clerk or Not to Clerk
  How will getting a clerkship affect your legal career?
• Top 10 Reasons Why Getting a Summer Associate Job with a Large Law Firm is Crucial to Your Legal Career
  Are you planning to work at a big law firm after graduating from law school? Then it is very important for you to get a summer associate job at a large law firm. Here are 10 reasons why.
• Should You Start Your Own Law Firm? Top 10 Reasons to Start or Not Start Your Own Firm
  Have you ever thought about starting your own law firm? Find out if becoming a solo practitioner is the right choice for you.
• Why Aren’t Legal Recruiters Interested in Recent Law School Graduates?
  Learn why legal recruiters aren't usually interested in working with recent law school graduates (even those with strong law school credentials).
• What's Next after Finishing Law School?
  What are your career options after law school? Find out how to make the most of your JD.
• When Being a Lawyer Is Not for You: How to Successfully Transition into the Job of Your Dreams!
  Have you decided that being a lawyer is not something you want to do anymore? Here's how you can make a change to a new career.
• Why You Should Quit Practicing Law
  Learn if you are the sort of attorney who should quit practicing law-you may very well be.
• Why You Should (and Should Not) Quit the Practice of Law
  Should you stick with practicing law? Find out if practicing law is right for you in this article.

Legal Practice Areas/Specialties

• Working in the World of a Securities Litigation and Enforcement Lawyer
  If you have a knack for big multinational business and closely follow the business world from a legal perspective, then being a securities litigation and enforcement lawyer might be the perfect fit for you.
• 4 Most Lucrative Legal Practice Areas Today
  Are you looking for the biggest paycheck possible as an attorney? Take a look at these practice areas that offer the highest pay today.
• Choosing Between Corporate and Litigation Practice Areas: Which Is the Better Choice for Your Legal Career?
  Choose wisely when considering your practice area. This decision will determine the future of your legal career.
• What Is It Like Being a Corporate Lawyer: What Do Corporate Lawyers Do?
  If you enjoy negotiating deals and working with banks and businesses large and small, being a corporate lawyer is the right choice for you.
• The Pros and Cons of Practicing as a Real Estate Attorney
  What can the field of real estate offer you? Find out in this article.
• Considering a Career as a District Attorney?
  Here is what you should consider before trying to become a district attorney.
• How to Become a District Attorney
  Want to get a job as a district attorney? Find out how in this article.
• What Do In-House Attorney Positions Pay?
  Are you thinking about going in-house? Find out what these kinds of positions pay in this article.

Law Student and Attorney Interview Advice

• The Law Student's Interview Cheat Sheet
  Internalize this practice, real-world advice from real law firm attorneys and recruiting managers. This cheat sheet gives you advice from pre-interview all the way to post-interview and everything in between.
• Top 10 Interview Tips Law Students Need to Know
  Follow these interview tips for law students to make sure you are ready for your next interview.
• Top 23 Law Firm Interview Tips: How to Excel in Law Firm Interviews
  Are you ready to start interviewing with law firms? If so, study these 23 law firm interview tips to make sure you're really ready.
• The Definitive List of Law Firm Interview Questions and Answers
  Read this list of law firm interview questions and answers the day before your interview as your final preparation.

Interviews with Famous Law School Graduates

• Top Law Schools Interview with Walter F. Mondale
  Walter F. Mondale (University of Minnesota Law School ’56), the 42nd Vice President of the United States, served under Jimmy Carter from 1976-1980.
• Interview with Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour
  Timothy W. Finchem received his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973, served in the Carter White House, and became Commissioner of the PGA Tour in 1994.

International Law

• Legal Work in China

Big Law

• An Introduction to “Biglaw”
  Many law students plow through law school dead-set on securing a job at a so-called "Biglaw" firm. So what, exactly, does this even mean?
• Biglaw and Relationships
• Cravath, Swaine, & Moore LLP
• Kirkland & Ellis LLP
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
• Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
• WilmerHale (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP)
• Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP
• Arnold & Porter LLP
• Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
• Clifford Chance LLP
• Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
• Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• Jones Day
• Linklaters LLP
• Mayer Brown LLP
• Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP
• Morrison & Foerster LLP
• Munger Tolles & Olson LLP
• O'Melveny & Myers LLP
• Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP
• Shearman & Sterling LLP
• Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
• White and Case LLP
• Williams and Connolly LLP
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
• Allen & Overy
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
• Fried, Frank, Harrison, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
• Irell & Manella LLP
• Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
• Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP
• Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP