Suited Gladiators

There are many 30-something, would-be lawyers that are currently employed in different fields because of the LSAT.  A few years back these individuals attempted to take the LSAT and they failed to earn the scores that they desired so most settled into different careers.  The LSAT is $170 and many people pay for very expensive prep courses.  The additional pressure that the LSAT places on people is not worth it and law school enrollment has decreased due to this additional stressor. In August, the ABA changed its policies to allow law schools to fill up to 10 percent of their class with students who have not taken the LSAT as long as they were at the top of their college class and scored highly on the SAT.  It is well known that many students that would otherwise do fine in law school struggle with standardized tests.  Many law schools have remained loyal to the test arguing that it offers the strongest clues about whom to admit.  Research has shown that th...

Civil Procedure - Jurisdiction Review Federal question Federal law Watch out for questions that may present a 1st Amendment defense yet do not present a federal question Subject-Matter Jurisdiction v. Personal Jurisdiction SMJ diverse domiciled in different states where you intend to remain PJ minimum contacts purposeful availment Tort Review Negligence Duty Breach Causation Damages All superseding = intervening Not all intervening = superseding General Bar Tips Do  not just restate facts, use them Do not make the person grading the bar have to figure anything out Be clear Do not use parenthesis The person grading your bar exam should not have to read your answer twice You are not writing a law review article Be simple Be repetitive  Short sentences Think...Where do I get the most points? The bar exam wants to test issue spotting/application of the law The bar exam does not care if you are right or wrong; the bar...

Hearsay Three elements Assertion Out of court Fort the truth If you have all 3 then the evidence is inadmissible Statement Oral or written assertion or nonverbal conduct of a person if intended by the person as an assertion If someone says, "I heard John Doe say..." HEARSAY Truth Ask yourself: Is the statement being made for the truth, or is it being made as notice? A Few Hearsay Exceptions Present Sense Impression Statement cannot be in the past tense Timing is vital, was the statement made just moments after the occurrence? Excited Utterance Must have a startling event Statement must be made while under stress from the event Timing is not important Medical Diagnosis/Treatment Once you identify 'blame' being imposed, statement is usually not statement of medical diagnosis or treatment Business Record Hearsay Exception Bonus points: Explain why business records are inherently trustworthy (because business usual...

1. Networking Start at your law school's career center Use all the resources that they have to offer Go back to the college that you attended prior to law school Let anyone that is willing to listen know that you recently graduated law school and you are available to work Go back to your high school Are there any opportunities there? You can use your school's website to email people that may be willing to help Use the internet! LinkedIn  Facebook Blogging Twitter 2. Self-Assess Remember, you do not want any job You want the right position that fits your personality and interest If you accept any position available, you will be searching for a new position in a few short months As you learned to ask clients, ask yourself: What do I want? What are your strengths? More importantly, what are your weaknesses? What are you interested in? 3. Go Get It If you want it, go get it! Do not wait for people to post openings Ask for an internship where you...