The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

The Law School Toolbox podcast is an engaging show for law students about law school, the bar exam, legal careers, and life. Each week, we offer practical tips and advice on academic matters, careers, and more. The Law School Toolbox podcast is hosted by opinionated law school and bar exam experts Alison Monahan and Lee Burgess. You might not always agree with us, but we guarantee you won’t be bored listening! Our goal is to impart useful, actionable advice in an entertaining manner. Join us! And, if you have an opinion on the show, please drop by and offer a review. We’re here to help, and we’d love to hear from you!

Latest episodes

Feb 20, 2023 • 37min

373: Not Happy with Your First Semester Law School Grades? How to Do Better in the Second Semester (w/Nicola Rossi)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have one of our tutors, Nicola Rossi, joining us to talk about how to improve your academic performance in the second semester if you're disappointed with your first semester grades. In this episode we discuss: Nicola's background and career path The law school grading curve What to look at if you're not happy with your academic performance How to have a productive talk with your professors about your exams How to get "life stuff" in better order so you can free up more focused study time Resources to consider if you need help Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) The Girl's Guide to Law School: Need to Get More Done in Law School? Try The Circles. (https://thegirlsguidetolawschool.com/08/tips-time-management-awesomeness-with-the-circles/) Podcast Episode 28: Dealing with Bad Law School Grades (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-28-dealing-bad-law-school-grades/) Podcast Episode 79: Making the Most of Your Second Semester in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-79-making-second-semester-law-school/) Podcast Episode 128: Regrouping and Dealing with Grades Second Semester (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-128-regrouping-dealing-grades-second-semester/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-373-not-happy-with-your-first-semester-law-school-grades-how-to-do-better-in-the-second-semester-w-nicola-rossi/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

Jan 9, 2023 • 30min

372: The NextGen Bar Exam (w/Doretta McGinnis)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we have one of our law school and bar exam tutors, Doretta McGinnis, joining us on the podcast to talk about the upcoming NextGen Bar Exam. In this episode we discuss: The current components of the Uniform Bar Exam What changes to the bar exam format are in the works? The topics and skills the new bar exam will be testing The timeframe for the transition to the NextGen Bar Exam What will law students really need to learn in law school to pass? Generally, is the new exam going to be harder or easier for students to prep for? Resources: NextGen Bar Exam (https://nextgenbarexam.ncbex.org/) NCBE – National Conference of Bar Examiners (https://www.ncbex.org/) Doretta McGinnis (https://barexamtoolbox.com/author/dorettamcginnis/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-372-the-nextgen-bar-exam-w-doretta-mcginnis/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

Dec 19, 2022 • 35min

371: Starting the 1L Job Hunt During Winter Break

Dec 12, 2022 • 19min

370: Listen and Learn -- Freedom of the Press (Con Law)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're discussing the First Amendment, a big topic in Constitutional Law. Specifically, we're looking at how far press freedom extends. In this episode we discuss: When the First Amendment does not protect the press from liability Disclosure of private facts in the press Defamation of private citizens and public figures Analyzing a hypo illustrating the above concepts Resources: “Listen and Learn” series (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/law-school-toolbox-podcast-substantive-law-topics/#listen-learn) Examples & Explanations for Constitutional Law (https://www.amazon.com/Examples-Explanations-Constitutional-Law-Federalism-dp-1543850871/dp/1543850871/ref%3Ddp_ob_title_bk) Cohen v. Cowles Media Co., 501 U.S. 663 (1991) (https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/501/663/) Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 (1974) (https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/418/323/) Podcast Episode 285: Listen and Learn – First Amendment (Content-Neutral Restrictions) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-285-listen-and-learn-first-amendment-content-neutral-restrictions/) Podcast Episode 306: Listen and Learn – Intentional Torts: Defamation (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-306-listen-and-learn-intentional-torts-defamation/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-370-listen-and-learn-freedom-of-the-press-con-law/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

Dec 5, 2022 • 46min

369: Using Spaced Repetition for Your Law School and Bar Exam Studies (w/Gabriel Teninbaum)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have Gabriel Teninbaum -- law professor and founder of Spaced Repetition Systems -- joining the podcast to speak about how the spaced repetition learning technique can help with your law school and bar exam studies. Note: If you're interested in checking out spacedrepetition.com for yourself, you can use the coupon code TOOLBOX15 for 15% off any product on the website. In this episode we discuss: Some background on our guest Gabe Teninbaum, and why he's passionate about spaced repetition The theory behind spaced repetition and how it works in practice Using spaced repetition to memorize material as a law student How early in your study should you start using the spaced repetition technique? Does learning with spaced repetition as a law student help lay the foundation for bar study? How you can use the spacedrepetition.com website for your law school and bar exam studies Resources: Spaced Repetition Systems, LLC (https://www.spacedrepetition.com/) NCBE – National Conference of Bar Examiners (https://www.ncbex.org/) Emanuel Law in a Flash (https://www.aspenpublishing.com/study-aids/emanuel-series) The Pimsleur Method (https://www.pimsleur.com/the-pimsleur-method) How Spaced Repetition Can Help You as a Law Student – Part 1 (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/how-spaced-repetition-can-help-you-as-a-law-student-part-1/) How Spaced Repetition Can Help You as a Law Student – Part 2 (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/how-spaced-repetition-can-help-you-as-a-law-student-part-2/) The Complete Guide to Memorization in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/the-complete-guide-to-memorization/) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen (https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0143126563) One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, by Scott Turow (https://www.amazon.com/One-Turbulent-Story-Harvard-School/dp/0143119028) Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 191: Quick Tips – Using Spaced Repetition to Memorize (https://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-191-quick-tips-using-spaced-repetition-to-memorize/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-369-using-spaced-repetition-for-your-law-school-and-bar-exam-studies-w-gabriel-teninbaum/) If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode! Thanks for listening! Alison & Lee

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The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond

Latest episodes

378: When to Start the 2L Job Hunt (w/Sadie Jones)

377: Listen and Learn -- The Rule Against Perpetuities (Property Law)

376: Changes to the Law School Admission Process (w/Steve Schwartz)