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

Alison Monahan and Lee Burgess - Law School Toolbox, LLC

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!

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 25 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #550
    April 6 · 37 min

    550: Financial Planning for Law Students and Young Lawyers (w/Alexandra Sandberg)

    Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In this episode, Lee and financial advisor Alexandra Sandberg discuss financial planning for law school graduates and early-career attorneys. The conversation includes essential topics, including student loan repayment, budgeting, tax planning, and how to evaluate job offers by looking at total compensation, not just salary. In this episode we discuss: The role of financial advisors Student loan repayment strategies Financial blueprint for the first decade after law school Decoding job offer packages Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) Podcast Episode 383: Talking About Money with Jesse Mecham, Founder of You Need a Budget (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-383-talking-about-money-with-jesse-mecham-founder-of-you-need-a-budget/) Podcast Episode 525: Being an Adult (w/Julie Lythcott-Haims) (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-525-being-an-adult-w-julie-lythcott-haims/) The Reality of Law School Debt and Planning for It (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/the-reality-of-law-school-debt-and-planning-for-it/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-550-financial-planning-for-law-students-and-young-lawyers-w-alexandra-sandberg/) 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

    • Transcript
  • #549
    March 30 · 42 min

    549: Acing the Law Review Write-on Competition (w/Professor Dawn Young)

    Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This episode features a conversation with Professor Dawn Young from Loyola University Chicago School of Law about legal writing, bluebooking, and law review write-on competitions. Professor Young explains how the write-on competition works and what 1L students need to focus on if they decide to participate. Note: We would like to thank Themis Bar Review for sponsoring this episode. Only until this Friday (April 3rd, 2026), you can save up to $1,100 on your 2027 or 2028 bar review course with just $25 down. Simply visit ThemisBar.com and select "Pay Partially" when opting for a 2027 or 2028 bar review course. The $1,100 discount will automatically apply at checkout. In this episode we discuss: An introduction to our guest and her path from legal practice to academia Why legal writing matters and how it's different from writing in undergrad Tips for preparing for the write-on competition How important is being on a law journal to potential employers? Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) Themis Bar Review (https://www.themisbar.com/) ThemisBarSocial.com/lawschooltoolbox (https://www.themisbarsocial.com/lawschooltoolbox) Loyola University: Dawn Young (https://www.luc.edu/law/faculty/facultyandadministrationprofiles/young-dawn.shtml) SSRN: Dawn Young (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=6836378) LinkedIn: Dawn Young (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnkyoung/) Instagram: Dawn Young (https://www.instagram.com/dawnyoung000/) Podcast Episode 42: Acing the Law Review Write-on Competition (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-42-acing-law-review-write-competition/) Podcast Episode 379: Quick Tips – Bluebooking Like a Pro (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-379-quick-tips-bluebooking-like-a-pro/) The Question I've Never Been Asked About the Bar Exam (https://barexamtoolbox.com/question-ive-never-asked-bar-exam/) Use Upperclass Law Students as Resources: A List of Questions You Can Ask (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/use-upperclass-law-students-as-resources-a-list-of-questions-you-can-ask/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-549-acing-the-law-review-write-on-competition-w-professor-dawn-young/) 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

    • Transcript
  • #548
    March 23 · 21 min

    548: A Week in the Life of a Successful 1L – What You Actually Do Hour by Hour

    Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we discuss time management strategies for first-year law students, walking through a detailed weekday schedule. We cover how to manage class and reading time with active study techniques, regular breaks, and actual downtime. Thanks to Juno for sponsoring this episode! If you're thinking about student loans for law school, head to JoinJuno.com to explore your options and see how Juno can help you find a better rate. In this episode we discuss: The 1L weekly framework The "Thousand Minute Rule" A 1L student's weekday schedule breakdown What derails study time Tactical tools to help manage your time Focus blocks and Pomodoro method Resources: Tutoring for Law School Success (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/tutoring-for-law-school-success/) JoinJuno.com (https://joinjuno.com/) Podcast Episode 112: Managing Distractions in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-112-managing-distractions-in-law-school/) Podcast Episode 521: Smarter Borrowing: How Juno Helps Lower Student Loans (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-521-smarter-borrowing-how-juno-helps-lower-student-loans/) Law School Toolbox Experts Share: How Should Law Students Create a Study Schedule? (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/law-school-toolbox-experts-share-how-would-you-advise-law-students-to-create-a-study-schedule/) Making a Study Schedule for 1Ls (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/making-a-study-schedule-for-1ls/) Get Your Day Started Right! 5 Tips to Help You Establish a Good Morning Routine (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-your-day-started-right-5-tips-to-help-you-establish-a-good-morning-routine/) Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-548-a-week-in-the-life-of-a-successful-1l-what-you-actually-do-hour-by-hour/) 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

    • Transcript
Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes