University of Kansas Law School Blog
Traffic Court Puts 1L in Fast Lane to Litigation Experience
I’ll tell you right now, your first year of law school is a lot of reading and writing. Although reading and writing will be a large part of any attorney’s job, other skills like client communication, oral argumentation, and basic courtroom etiquette are equally essential. One of the…
Will This Be on The Exam? Succeeding in Law School with The Coffee Consumption Calculation
When starting law school, there is a common assumption you will finally be relieved of all the math and science you dreaded through undergrad and before. But little did you know, law school is just another three years of equations and balancing tests. In Torts, you deal with Judge Hand’s…
Lawyer Suits, Eye Patches and Peg Legs, Oh My!
Back in February, KU's international moot court team traveled to Denver, Colorado to compete in the 55th annual Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The Jessup Moot Court competition is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from 80 countries and…
Maintaining a Healthy Balance in Law School
Before applying to law school, I talked to as many people as I could about their law school experiences. The recurring theme was this: “Law school is extremely hard” and “Don’t go to law school unless you are sure that’s what you want to do.” I thought to myself…
Why I Teach: Suzanne Valdez
When Suzanne Valdez launched her legal career, she developed most of her professional expertise on the job — an experience that sparked an unexpected passion for equipping future lawyers with practical skills."As a young lawyer, I never learned how to do a deposition," Valdez said. "If I…
From Africa to Lawrence and Back: One Student's Journey
Law school was always part of “the plan” for me. I did not know what I wanted from it or what it could give me, though I gave my best guess in my personal statement. When classes began, my thoughts were elsewhere. I had just finished an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Malawi and had…
Student: Law School Strikes 'Balance Between Competition and Congeniality'
When deciding to go to law school, many of the people I consulted told me of the cutthroat practices among law students: classmates ripping pages out of casebooks, destroying each other’s class notes and giving false answers in study sessions. It was with apprehension I began establishing my…
'Everywhere You've Lived and All the Jobs You've Ever Had': Tips From a 3L to Prepare For the Final Year of Law School
As my time at Green Hall winds down, I wanted to reflect on what I’ve learned. I’m not talking about which classes to take or how to study. Instead, as I scramble to finish my bar application by the deadline, I want to share five practical life tips so hopefully 1Ls and 2Ls will be more…
Law School Gives 2L the 'Swimming Lesson' She Desperately Needs
No one pushed me into the deep end of the pool when I was a tot. I had a fear of drowning and resisted formal lessons because swimming in the deep end terrified me. Today I am a competent swimmer, comfortable enough in the water to know I won’t drown, but I’m never the strongest nor the…
Casino Night Raises More than $2,500 for Student Public Interest Law Stipends
On Oct. 18, law students and friends dressed up, ready for an evening to remember. The reason to put down their casebooks and highlighters and forget about the stress of law school? Public Interest Law Society’s 10th annual Casino Night. The events included poker, blackjack and roulette, as…