Addressing Skill Gaps in Law Student Performance

Law schools should develop TRUE tech competency, not just familiarity with specific tools. This demands a a competency-based curriculum that focuses on digital problem-solving skills rather than solely specific software training. Students should learn to adapt to changing technologies through: • Integration across ALL courses - Faculty should incorporate relevant tech components into traditional subjects, starting with the first year doctrinal foundation. For example, civil procedure professors can require students to develop e-discovery protocols. Constitutional law classes can explore how algorithms impact due process. • Skills assessments tied to real-world scenarios - Present scenario-based challenges that require students to identify appropriate technological solutions for complex legal problems. • Collaborative learning environments – Establish, if possible, cross-disciplinary projects with computer science and business students to develop solutions to access-to-justice challenges. The shift requires focusing on the evaluation of students' ability to leverage technology TO solve legal problems and not just awareness OF specific tools. Technology must be treated as a core part of professional identity formation, not an add-on skill. #legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

I see a crisis brewing in the legal world: The JDs coming from law school do not know how to write. 🔹 Yes, law schools are too academic + unfocused on the practical skills needed. 🔹 But legal-writing professors face a mounting challenge: The students coming out of college do not know how to write, either (at least not anywhere near as well as they used to). 🔽 I see this from a unique vantage point: — I work with students on their personal statements and other application essays. — I then see their 1L memos and briefs after they’ve been graded. 👉 I can tell you that the grammar, usage, syntax, and punctuation skills of most incoming law students are shockingly subpar, and the pandemic only made things worse. All this means that legal-writing profs must spend a ton of time teaching + correcting basic things that have nothing to do with the LEGAL part of legal writing. In essence, these profs start working with students at a level that is PRE-1L. It is thus not surprising that the final product upon graduation is writing quality that’s PRE-JD. ⬇️ OK, enough problem lawmenting. Let’s work to FIX THIS PROBLEM! Here’s my attempt insert a large dent in it: 📕 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟏𝐋: 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 📕 ▪️ Parts I & II bridge the writing gap from college to law school. Also featured are intense nurture, exam-writing guidance, and reference checklists to help 1Ls with all first-semester stressors. —These parts are for pre-law students and current 1Ls, and they should serve as an invaluable resource throughout the 1L year. ▪️ Part III serves as an advanced legal-writing textbook. In it, I share research and legal-writing tips that I, myself, only picked up after law school—during 20 years in the trenches of BigLaw litigation. —This is the part of the book that will teach 2Ls, 3Ls, and new associates the most, and I highly recommend the book to all of them for this purpose. ▪️ Finally, Part IV offers tips for ALL law students on resumes, cover letters, job interviews, and writing samples. —This part should also be universally valuable. ♥️ Let’s attack the legal-writing downslide together. ♥️ You can pick up the book for yourself, your student, your library, or your firm to help. It is available here: https://lnkd.in/gJHmkWKs Our industry is counting on us. Fondly, 💌 Amanda 🙏🏻 Want to add support w/o getting the book? You can comment below to help spread the word. 🙏🏻 #Dear1L

The most underrated skill I learned for law school exams?   Writing legal issues that actually earned me points. Going into law school finals, I thought I understood each class well enough to get an A. I read the cases, prepared for cold calls, and I felt pretty confident come exam time. Then I got my grades back. Bottom 50%. That’s when I realized something important: law schools don’t really teach students how to take law school exams. Law schools teach students cases, but they grade them on issue-spotter hypothetical fact pattern exams. Totally different skills. Everything changed once I taught myself the law school exam tricks that law school doesn’t teach. Things like… writing clear legal issues that actually earned poins. Here’s what I mean... Hypothetical Fact Pattern: Taylor runs a red light while texting and crashes into Travis’s car. Travis is injured. Weak issue statement: Can Travis sue Taylor for negligence? Stronger issue statement: Can Travis recover damages from Taylor based on negligence for texting while driving and running a red light? The second statement ties together all three elements of an issue statement: 1. A clear legal question (can Travis recover damages from Taylor?). 2. The key fact(s) (texting while driving and running a red). 3. The rule at play (negligence). That framing sets up your analysis. It lets you move straight into laying out the rule’s elements and connecting the facts to the law, where most of the points are awarded. My strategy shift was simple. I doubled down on what’s actually tested, like distilling issue statements from fact patterns, instead of wasting time on things professors emphasize in class but never grade on exams, like cold calls. By 2L year, I was consistently in the top 10% after applying these new strategies (many of which I’ve shared here on LinkedIn). That turnaround opened the door to Big Law, led to an in-house role, and now fuels the legal search and placement work I do today. If you just started law school, or if you’re already in it and want to do better on exams, follow me here, read some of my other posts, and feel free to shoot me a DM. I really try to answer everyone when I can.  

I am convinced Law Schools Are Producing Graduates for a World That No Longer Exists ⚖️🧑🎓 Ahh, yes. A bright-eyed law graduate, armed with impeccable case law knowledge and a polished ability to recite legal doctrine. They step into their first job at a modern law firm and... flounder. Sound familiar? It should. Because right now, many law schools are preparing students for a legal landscape that's rapidly becoming extinct 🦖. Let's unpack this: The AI Revolution 🤖 ● Law schools: Still pushing rote memorisation and traditional legal research. ● Reality: AI can pull case law in seconds; what we need are lawyers who can strategically apply this information. ● Fact: 45% of legal professionals in Australia say AI will have a major impact on law, but firms aren’t fully prepared(Thomson Reuters: Clarifying the complex). Client Expectations 💼 ● Law schools: Focus on pure legal analysis. ● Reality: Clients want business acumen, industry knowledge, and practical solutions. ● Fact: 40% of clients expect lawyers to provide business acumen as part of their service (Mahlab, 2023)(Thomson Reuters: Clarifying the complex). Technology Integration 💻 ● Law schools: Maybe one “Law and Technology” elective. ● Reality: Legal tech is fundamentally reshaping daily practice, from AI to document automation, and it’s a core skill, not an optional one( Thomson Reuters: Clarifying the complex)(ALPMA). Diversity & Inclusion 🌍 ● Law schools: Often treat D&I as an "add-on" topic. ● Reality: Diverse perspectives are essential for effective modern lawyering. ● Fact: The gender pay gap persists across all levels in the Australian legal industry, with men earning 10% more on average than women(Issuu). Emotional Intelligence 🤝 ● Law schools: Rarely addressed. ● Reality: Crucial for client relationships, team management, and negotiations. Lawyers need these skills to succeed in the modern workplace. Project Management 📊 ● Law schools: Not typically taught. ● Reality: Project management is essential for delivering legal services efficiently and staying competitive in cost-conscious markets(ALPMA). To bridge this gap, legal education must evolve and: ● Integrate tech across the curriculum. ● Focus on practical skills: negotiation, project management, client communication. ● Make emotional intelligence and cultural competency core subjects. ● Provide real-world clinical experiences that mirror modern practice. ● Prioritise problem-solving and creativity over memorisation. It’s not about abandoning legal theory, but creating lawyers who can apply it in today’s world. How would you redesign the law curriculum? #LegalEducation #FutureOfLaw #LawSchoolReform #LegalInnovation

Are you a law student struggling to read any case law precisely? Reading case law is an essential skill for law students, as it forms the backbone of legal education and practice. 1. Understand the Structure of a Case: - Familiarize yourself with how cases are cited. This includes the names of the parties, the court, and the year of the decision. -These summarize key legal points and can guide you to the most relevant parts of the case. -Identify the essential facts of the case. What happened? Who are the parties involved? -Determine the legal questions the court is addressing. What are the specific legal issues at stake? -This is the court’s answer to the legal issues. What did the court decide? -Analyze the court's reasoning. What legal principles and precedents did the court rely on? - If applicable, read dissenting opinions to understand alternative viewpoints. 2. Read Actively: As you read, highlight or underline important sections. This helps in later reviews. Summarize each section in your own words. This reinforces understanding and retention. What are the implications of the case? How does it relate to what you’ve learned in class? 3. Contextualize the Case: Research prior cases that influenced the decision. Understanding the context can clarify the court's reasoning. Know the relevant statutes and regulations that apply. This will help you see how the case fits into the larger legal landscape. 4. Discuss with Peers: Engage in discussions with classmates. Different perspectives can enhance your understanding. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification from professors. They can provide valuable insights. 5. Practice Applying the Law: Create hypothetical situations based on the case. How would the court likely rule in these new scenarios? Participate in mock trials or moot courts to apply what you’ve learned in a practical setting. 6. Review and Reflect : After reading, write a brief summary of the case, including its significance and implications for future cases. Consider what you learned from the case and how it shapes your understanding of the law. Hope this helps you! #lawstudent #law

January is hard for law students especially 1Ls who didn't do quite as well on their exams as they had hoped. But all is not lost. Seriously. Take a new approach: 1. Be Kind to Yourself and Zoom Out. It is OK to be disappointed about your performance on a single exam or even a single semester of exams. Let yourself be disappointed but then try to zoom out. One class is 3 maybe 4 credits. A semester is maybe 12-16. Your ultimate GPA will be determined by 80+. As that denominator increases the effect of any single grade will go down. 2. Learn from It. The last thing you want to do if you feel like you didn’t succeed is to think about it more. But less successful attempts can give you an incomparable window on ways to improve. Ask questions like: was it a studying problem? An answer format problem? A nerves problem? And if you don’t know why try to read best exams, feedback memos, or even talk to the professor. Chances are if you don’t change and adapt you’ll be back in the same place next semester. 3. Double-down on What Worked. Look back to your process from reading, to preparing for class, to outlining, to taking the exam and ask yourself what worked. What actually helped you on the exam and what can you account for your success. Did you waste time making overly detailed case briefs? Did you really benefit from practice exams? Do more of what worked and less of what didn’t. 4. Move Forward with a Plan. For so many 1Ls especially the first semester is a lot of trial and error—and that makes sense! Second semester is a chance to identify what you can do less of, what you can do more of and just execute that plan. I recommend planning on the semester level (what will I do each week) and the weekly level (what will I do each day of the upcoming week). Put it on your calendar and if there is too much to put on don’t try to cram it in—schedule less. 5. Don’t Lose Your Excitement. You decided to go to law school for a reason. Don’t lose sight of that reason. It will help motivate you as you keep going. Those reasons can change (mine certainly did) but don’t let them change because others in your class said so. 6. Run Your Own Race. The curve makes law students feel like success is relative to your classmates. That is misleading. The curve is not going away for any individual class. BUT each semester, each year, and your career is not on a global curve. The only person you are racing against is yourself. There will be good days (and semesters) and bad ones. But progress is something that must be judged internally not externally. 7. See this Semester as an Opportunity and Not a Chore. How many times in life do we get a second chance right after our first one? This semester is a literal start from scratch. Top of class / bottom of class has no bearing on how this semester will go. Want to find yourself in a different place then make a different plan.

These are 7 quiet mistakes ruining your grades as a law student. Everyone is struggling with theirs so no one notices enough to warn you. Some people's grades crash, not because they didn't read at all. It's the normal things you think are fine. Here are the ones you should correct tonight before it gets too late: ➡️ Knowing the case but not knowing why it matters You can recite facts like bedtime stories. But once they ask "apply with authority," your brain goes blank because you don't even know the principle in simple words or even the rationale behind the principle. You see that rationale? Hold onto it tight. It makes you know whether a case is even relevant in a problem, especially where the facts are almost same but the principles differ. ➡️ Writing like you're explaining to your friend, not an examiner Long introductions. Emotional conclusions. But no clear issue, no authority placement, no structure. Write like you're in a war zone. It's a do or dié affair oo😆 ➡️ Ignoring courses "you don't like" until it's too late You postpone that one course every semester. Then revision period comes and it becomes your biggest nightmare and your lowest score. ➡️ Thinking attendance = understanding You attend all classes. You even nod. But you never go back to process what was taught. Class is exposure, not mastery. So, when you leave a class, go and do your research and understand what was taught properly. ➡️ Waiting for 'reading mood' You wait to feel motivated before opening your book. Do you even know how much you will understand when you literally have to force yourself to read? 😂 Try first. Mood is unreliable. Timetable is not. Make a timetable and follow it. ➡️ Not practicing writing under time pressure You know the answer... but not in 30 minutes. So your script is rushed, scattered, and unfinished. Practice it everyday. Law exams are knowledge + speed + structure. ➡️ Believing "I'll do better next semester" without changing anything Same reading style. Same mistakes. Same results. Improvement doesn't happen by hope. You work for it. Then pray! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Fixing these small things is usually what separates: "I read hard" from "My grades actually improved." If this hit you small, good. That's awareness doing its job and I hope you take advantage of this! Please help me repost ♻️ for another Law Student to see!