Take a Break-The Benefits of a Mental Health Day

Take a Break

No, seriously, you need to!  The semester is more than halfway over…you are this close to completing a year of law school.  Whether it’s the end of your first year, second year, or you’re preparing for graduation and the bar exam, this is one amazing accomplishment, so be proud of yourself! 

While you should definitely be proud of yourself, it’s important to remember that you’re human.  I know this may sound silly, but as humans, we have basic needs beyond the confines of law school.  Although we may try to think we’re robots, we’re not, and if these basic needs are not met, everything else may fall by the wayside, and at this point, you don’t want your lack of self-care to negatively affect your performance in law school and other facets of life. 

         

Again, we’re human; we get both mentally and physically exhausted, making our overall performance suffer.  Research, and I’m sure for many of your personal experience, shows that as Americans, we don’t like to take breaks.  However, think about it from this standpoint.  When you’re burned out from work, you don’t want to be near your office or cubicle says Robert London, a New-York based psychiatrist.  You may be asking “what does this information have to do with law school?”  Well, in many ways, Law School is a full-time job.  You may have classes spread out over an eight plus hour day (much like work-meetings), with work and projects sandwiched in these meetings as you prepare for yet another day of “meetings.”  Putting it more simply, law school is basically a full-time job, and some days you need to just take time for you…a personal day.

Here are some of the many benefits of taking time off for just you:

1.     Stress Management:  When you’re at work or school, your to-do lists grow and grow, both inside and outside the office/classroom.  With this increase in tasks, you become stretched thinner and thinner, leading to the infamous burn out.  Psychiatrist Robert London shows that burnout can become a serious issue if not addressed properly.  Feeling like you don’t have enough hours in the day?  Feel like you’re losing focus minute by minute?  Feel just plain tired?  Then it may be time for a personal day.

2.     It Increases Productivity: When your brain is put into overdrive, the last thing you want to do is be productive.  You are burned out; tired, and probably not focused…I know this was the case for me at least.  Taking a day off gives your brain the chance to decompress your body and brain, allowing you to boost your overall productivity and creativity…in a way, helping your school career by taking time off. 

3.     You can get some sleep:  When I was 19-24, I could completely manage to get five hours of sleep, go to the gym, go to class, and still have energy after work and school to go out for the evening.  As I got older, however, sleep became essential to my well-being and personal growth.  When you only get four to five hours of sleep a night, which builds up to the point your energy starts to slip, causing a slip in productivity, and eventually, the dreaded burn-out.  Taking the much-needed mental health day to catch up on sleep may be just what you need to take on the ever stressful aspects of law school. 

Ultimately, taking a personal day here and there can benefit you in the long term as you work to complete law school and eventually take the infamous bar-exam.  While you think, I don’t have any time, I’m sure you can sneak in a few hours here and there, or even a full day at some points.  I vividly recall what a fellow classmate of mine, an evening student and full-time paralegal told me.  She takes every Saturday as a personal day, spending time with family and having me-time.  She says she can grind out work the other six days of the week, but that day is her day.  So I challenge you, whether full-time day students or part-time evening students to take that mental health day from time to time…you’ll thank yourself later.

For more information, please visit the following:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mental-health-day-benefits_us_5767f4d0e4b0853f8bf15a33

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201707/how-know-when-take-mental-health-day

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/mental-health-day (image source as well)

Save the Date: Admitted Student Weekend 2018!

Congratulations!!! You have just been accepted into Law School!  All that hard work, application preparation, and LSAT studying finally paid off, and now you are ready to begin the next phase of your professional and academic career! 

With all of the excitement of a law school acceptance letter comes new questions you may be asking yourself.  “Is Capital Law right for me?” “How do I succeed in Law School?” “Can I handle this?”  Don’t worry… you’re not alone!  Many of us have been through these questions, myself included, and came out on the other end victorious…and here is the reason why.

CapLaw Connects: Admitted Students Weekend.  This event is designed to present the opportunities available to you as a student at Capital University Law School in a relaxing and collaborative environment.  We will have everything from career services, panels of current students, and even a special networking brunch with some of our esteemed alumni to show you the opportunities available to you should you join the Cap Law Family. 

But the fun doesn’t stop there! Come join us Friday at Condados Tacos at Easton Town Center from 4-6 PM to network, meet future class mates, and learn more about what it’s like to be a law student from the best possible answers…the responses of current students.  We hope to see you there!!!

Details:

Admitted Student Weekend Agenda 

 Friday Evening   4:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m. 

Location: Condado Tacos at Easton Town Center 

Happy Hour: Networking with Future Classmates and Alumni

Saturday            10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Location: Capital University Law School 

10:00 a.m.             Dean's Welcome

10:15 a.m.             Putting Theory into Practice: Student Panel

11:00 a.m.             It's Still Who You Know: Positioning Yourself In A Changing Legal Market

11:45 a.m.             Networking Brunch

12:00 p.m.             President's Welcome

1:00 p.m.               Alumni Welcome and Keynote Address

1:30 p.m.               Book Award Drawing

1:35 p.m.               Optional Building Tours

To RSVP, please visit: http://law.capital.edu/ASW/

We look forward to seeing you there!

Pro Bono: What is it? Why you should do it.

Growing up, I was always told to give back and to help others less fortunate than myself.  I remember thinking at first, it was annoying, time consuming, and if I’m not getting paid, why should I waste my time?  However, after starting a community service project (granted, required by my parents), I quickly learned that it was more than just helping others, it was helping myself grow as an individual and leader as I learned compassion, empathy, and how to assist others who could not afford assistance themselves.

Flash-forward to today, I have spent a majority of my life helping others free of charge, whether it’s been volunteering for the Children’s Hospital, or through the Ronald McDonald House.  When I came to Law School, I figured I wouldn’t have enough time to give back…that was until I learned about pro-bono.  Pro Bono is essentially taking on a case free of charge, or at least giving someone brief advice on how to proceed with a legal issue.  In the Columbus Legal Community, we have a plethora of Pro Bono Programs ranging from weekly brief advice clinics, to tax clinics where those who fall below the poverty line are able to get their taxes completed free of charge.  While helping others may seem annoying, time consuming, or even “worthless,” here are some of the reasons you SHOULD do Pro Bono.  

You Help Yourself by Helping Others: Pro Bono is helping people who do not have the means to help themselves.  By helping these individuals with their legal issues, you gain a greater perspective on which you are and are able to better prioritize what issues are genuinely important to you.  You get to see how lucky you are, and how much people appreciate even the simplest acts of kindness.  For many of us, we were raised privileged with strong families, wealth, and opportunities that were immeasurable.  With Pro Bono, you are helping someone who perhaps is the exact opposite, giving you a chance to learn that sometimes, the little things are not worth stressing over, even in the classroom.

You Learn to Prioritize: When you commit to pro-bono, you make a commitment to help out, either as an attorney or a law student.  When you do this, you should follow through.  Following through helps you to prioritize how you get your work done and how you spend your days.  For example, if you know you have two hours between classes, maybe get your work done for the coming day and outline then, rather than wait and say you have too much to do, so you cannot attend pro bono. 

People Really Need You: We sometimes forget when we are self-sufficient that people really need us sometimes.  Without you being at a Pro Bono event, a client may miss necessary legal advice to help them keep a roof over their heads or feed their children. 

It Looks Really Good:  When you came to Law School, I’m sure you thought, as I did, I’m going to be top of the class, land a job at a massive firm, and make six figures before 30.  To me, that’s what originally looked REALLY good.  However, as I went through 1L and realized that job opportunities are limited, I saw how important pro bono was to your resume AND to lawyer’s reputations as well.  Employers LOVE seeing that you give back and are active beyond the confines of your job.  It shows them that you are the “jack of all trades” and are more marketable for them as a company.  Second, it shows that all lawyers are not money hungry.  One of my professors stated it best, the client comes in and sees that the attorney bills $300/hour, and assumes all of that goes to the attorney.  Well, outside the legal community, this is the opinion of most that attorneys are money hungry individuals, just out to protect and benefit themselves.  Pro Bono debunks that myth by reminding the general public that it’s NOT just about money. 

It’s Fun:  In what environment, especially as a law student, do you get to meet attorneys from multiple walks of life that are not your professors, or a wide range of clients, each with a story to tell?  As a law student, you’re learning how the law works and the origins behind why the law is what it is.  With pro bono, you see how the law works and how attorneys use it in the every day.  It’s a great opportunity to work with others, meet attorneys, and, it’s pretty fun!

The Capital Law Community Strives for Excellence, and part of that is through Pro Bono.  The Law School boasts many pro bono opportunities.  From three legal clinics, to VITA, our volunteer income tax service, there is no shortage of Pro Bono opportunities.  For more information, please visit http://law.capital.edu/GettingInvolvedProBono/ to learn more about how to get involved!

Still don't believe me? Check out this wonderful piece on pro bono! 

https://abovethelaw.com/2018/02/the-overlooked-importance-of-firm-pro-bono-work/

Images Courtesy of: http://www.lglegalgroup.eu/pro-bono/

http://connect.informs.org/probonoanalytics/home

http://mavenagency.com/blog/2014/10/promote-law-firms-pro-bono-work/

Professionalism and Landing that Coveted Legal Job

Professionalism and Landing that First Legal Job

You’ve gotten through a semester of law school, you know how to IRAC, but now its time to take your legal knowledge to the next level by securing a legal clerkship for the summer, and maybe through the remainder of your education.  However, gaining that job can be difficult, but with some few tips, your first legal job may be easier to find then it appears.

Know your Academic Standing:

Although you never want to see yourself as a number, you want to take into account that some larger firms and government/corporate entities tend to only hire the top 25% and above.  If your grades meet this requirement, and depending on your interest, it may be worth looking into options like this available for first year students.  If you’re not in the top 25%, no need to worry! Many smaller firms and government/corporate entities hire from all walks of academic success!

Update Your Resume/LinkedIn Profiles/Create Cover Letters:

If you haven’t already, go ahead and update your resume and LinkedIn Profiles.  One of the easiest ways to get noticed is through a solidly built resume, which highlights relevant skills that show the employer how you can grow their area of law and practice even further.  LinkedIn is a great way to supplement your resume as you only have so many pages to highlight yourself on paper, where LinkedIn gives you the ability to display courses, more jobs, involvement, endorsements, and professional recommendations. 

Finally, work on some base cover letters.  You will obviously want to tailor each cover letter for the job, but having these basic forms that outline your skill sets and some proper wording never hurts!

For Resume/Cover Letter Resources, please visit the Office of Professional Development Located in the Law School!  You can schedule a meeting with the assistant dean of professional development, or look to sample cover letters and resumes!

Tighten up your Writing Sample:

Now that you have a semester of school down, you also have a few writing samples to show how you argue legal issues to your boss.  It’s important to get these in the best form possible, as employers want to see how you write, and how you can persuade them to follow your course of action in a particular issue.  If you did well on a particular memo or motion, go ahead and tighten up the grammar and citations to make it even more convincing.  If you didn’t do so well on a memo or motion, talk to your legal research and writing professor on how you can fix it for the future. 

Make Sure to Dress Professional:

This should come as no shocker, but when interviewing season comes, you need to look the part.  Even if you join a firm with a casual dress code, you still need to come to the interview in business attire!  If you have a suit, go ahead and get it dry cleaned!  If you do not have one, it may be time to consider an investment in one!   

Need more tips? Please feel free to visit the following:

http://www.careerthinker.com/interviewing/dress-to-get-hired/

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmj45klek/dress-to-impress-2/#4bddd3a42240

http://law.capital.edu/OPDServicesResources/

 Taken from today.com kiss99.3 photo