Why am I doing this?

Keeping up with your “why” through 1L

“Why am I doing this?”

At some point during your 1L year, this thought will cross your mind. Maybe you’ll be pouring over a massive outline for finals, trying to figure out how to get everything into your head for tomorrow. Maybe it’ll be on a random evening where you had unexpected car trouble and didn’t get started on your homework until well after dark. Maybe it’ll just be an average Friday, where you’re exhausted and just want to lie in bed, but you have class.

In those moments where you may question your choice, knowing your “why” gets you through the tough moments and into the good.

Libby Rohr
Libby, Rohr, 1L Student Ambassador

Chances are you have some sense of your “why” because you applied to law school in the first place. It could have to do with your skill set, the importance of law or even a particular issue you believe you can help with a law degree.

Ask yourself this question on the front end and run with it. Come up with as many reasons as you can. Pair your reasons with specific and concrete moments that you can recall later. Commit them to memory. I keep a list in my desk.

But you should go beyond that, especially during your 1L year. You’re going to be busy, of course, but you will have time if you make it. Some of the best advice I received coming into law school was to maintain at least one grounding activity or hobby unrelated to law school. You probably don’t want to be committed to an additional 20 hours per week on day one. (The rumors are true. You do need sleep!) But keeping up with things you love outside of school is a great way to keep yourself grounded.

If you came to school to support a cause, try volunteering with a local charity a few hours a month. If you came because you love to read and solve puzzles, take some time to read whatever silly novel you want or dig into a crossword puzzle on a Sunday. If it was about a career where you get to connect with people, make sure you’re still doing that. Take time for lunch or go meet people on the weekends. If you love to write, try some poetry.

When you nurture your “why,” you can reinvigorate yourself in the moments when you feel like you’re pouring from an empty cup. The law is so important – and I think so worth it to study –  but it is inherently removed from reality at times. It’s easy to drown in the paper and forget. Keeping connected to “the point” – whatever that may be for you – will help you persevere until you get back to those good moments. Until you get to study a case you really care about, or you see your pro bono efforts pay off for your clients, or you have that next deep discussion in class, a good reminder never hurts.

-By Libby Rohr, a 1L from Leawood and KU Law Student Ambassador

A brief introduction to stress baking, featuring Brett’s Final Exam Cookie Recipe

Allow me to make a few educated guesses. As prospective law students, you undoubtedly have watched enough videos and read enough blog posts to conclude that law school can get bumpy at times. If that’s the case, then I am 100%, without a doubt, positively sure that those same videos have also suggested you find a hobby to take your mind off school, so you can survive and thrive. Am I on to something?

Brett Hallagan
Brett Hallagan, 2L Student Ambassador

Taking one more guess, I am sure you are also thinking to yourself, “Why do these recipes always have to have a life story before the ingredients list?” Well, if I got any of those guesses right, might I suggest stress baking!

De-stress baking, or stress baking for short, is a wonderful and delicious hobby that will not only help you relax during those stressful times in a semester but also reward your efforts with delicious snacks to fuel your late-night study sessions. To get you started on your culinary journey to bliss, I have included my coveted Finals Exam Cookie Recipe, and I am revealing all my tips and tricks.

Brett’s Final Exam Cookies

Ingredients (approx. 16 cookies)

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or room temp)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons baking sugar (or granulated)
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup bread flour (this can also be all-purpose flour)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
  • chocolate chips to preference (I use about 1 cup)

Step 1

Grease a cookie sheet or use a silicone baking sheet.

Step 2

In a bowl, sift together the flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.

Step 3

In a separate bowl or stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars until creamy and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until creamy. Now, slowly incorporate your sifted dry mixture. Once fully incorporated, add chocolate chips to your heart’s content.

Step 4

Scoop your dough and form your cookies on the baking sheet, leaving space in between dough.

Note: If using room temperature butter, your cookies might flatten in the oven so leave extra room. Room temperature butter is soft enough to incorporate air, but not so soft that it will melt immediately in the oven and result in thinner cookies.

Step 5

Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to eight hours.

Note: This is probably the most important step as it allows the fats to cool and ensures chewy cookies.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 12-15 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Note: For even softer cookies, add a shallow bowl of water on the rack below the cookies while they bake in the oven.

Plate of chocolate chip cookies.

Step 7

Enjoy!

-By Brett Hallagan, a 2L from San Diego, California and KU Law Student Ambassador

Road work ahead

I have an inside scoop on a $250,000 ride that comes with its own driver. The best part is, this ride is FREE!

The “K-10 Connector” is a bus route provided courtesy of RideKC that runs between Johnson County Community College, the KU Edwards Campus and the KU Lawrence campus. If you’re someone considering commuting from the Overland Park area, this route will be your saving grace. It is a great option to cut down the cost of commuting, maximize productivity and reduce your carbon footprint. The route also runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., so whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, the route should be able to accommodate your preference. 

Ryan Love
Ryan Love, 1L Student Ambassador

Late night studying? No sweat! The noble steel steed can rock you right to sleep. Worried about that impending cold call? With RideKC’s expert drivers behind the wheel, you’re afforded the opportunity to brush up on cases during your commute. 

The K-10 commute has been a welcome transition from my NYC public transit experiences. The rolling hills of rural Kansas are a pleasant replacement for the rustling of rats between subway tracks. Although the people-watching is not as entertaining as in NYC, there have been some memorable moments. As a passenger, it is amusing to look out the window and watch the drivers on K-10 fumble with their Casey’s breakfast pizza or struggle to put on mascara while attempting to stay in their lane.

The K-10 Connector also opens the door to becoming a member of the coolest unofficial law student org there is: “Motion for Change of Venue,” (if you can think of a better name for the group, drop it in the comments). That’s right, you are not stuck with just me on your commute. Here is what a few of my fellow Change of Venuers had to say about living their best bus life:

RideKC bus in front of Green Hall

“I take the K-10 Connector since I live in Overland Park. It is a great way to reduce costs because I don’t have to pay for a parking permit, reduce miles on my car and save money on gas. The bus drops me off right outside the law school, which is convenient.” – Tatum Gibbar, 3L

“I live in Johnson County and take the bus to KU practically every day. I love it. The bus is fast, reliable and drops off at the front door of the law school.” – Daniel Volin, 1L

-By Ryan Love, a 1L from El Paso, Texas and KU Law Student Ambassador

You belong: A mini conversation about imposter syndrome

When I received my acceptance into KU Law, I often made the joke that the admissions office must have made a mistake and felt too bad to revoke my admission. While it sounds crazy, some small part of me wondered if that was what had happened. I felt like an imposter.

Anshul Banga
Anshul Banga, 1L Student Ambassador

Imposter syndrome can be described as a persistent feeling of phoniness in people who believe they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement. A crucial element of the imposter phenomenon is the sense that you’re the only person suffering from these thoughts. However, you are not alone. Most individuals, especially those within fields of higher education, experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.

Speaking from personal experience, the law school environment seems to exacerbate the problem. In an environment where our grades are determined relative to those surrounding us, it is difficult to not compare yourself to your peers. At times, this incentivizes people to present themselves in a better situation than they may actually be in. I know I have found myself in such situations where I would act like I am fully caught up on readings when the truth is that I’m nearly a month behind.

But recognizing these feelings as imposter syndrome is just the first step. How do we challenge those thoughts?

1. Talk to others  

One of the best ways to overcome feelings of imposter syndrome is to talk about what you are feeling with friends and recognize others may feel the exact same way. Even in moments where I have been unable to talk to someone, I ask myself what advice I would give to a friend if they approached me with the same situation. Every single time the answer is that I’m clearly overthinking the issue and that I deserve what I had achieved.

2. Be nice to yourself

When you do something well, take the time to recognize your accomplishments. If you are unsure of what accomplishments you have achieved, recognize that you are here at KU Law! You were accepted into this school based on your merits and the belief that you would be able to thrive here.

By no means do I claim to be an expert on the topic. Rather, I hope this post gives awareness to an issue most of us face and yet, is not often talked about in law school. Any sources I have relied on I have included below.

1. Imposter Syndrome & the Non-Traditional Law Professor

2. The Phantom Menace to Professional Identity Formation and Law School Success: Imposter Syndrome

-By Anshul Banga, a 1L from Atlanta, Georgia and KU Law Student Ambassador

Focusing on the finish line: lessons applied to 1L from my years as a runner

Though the white blanket of snow on the ground may suggest otherwise, spring break for the 2021-2022 academic year is upon us. Frankly, it comes as a bit of a shock since it seems like it was January yesterday. Nevertheless, the semester rolls forward, and with it comes a well-deserved spring break for us all in Green Hall.

Some of us may strictly turn to some needed R&R, while others may hit the books; both are entirely reasonable. I personally plan on taking advantage of this time in a way I didn’t last semester. Last semester, I was focused on just getting by and tended to avoid practice problems for fear of confusing myself and/or encountering that feeling of doubt where I lacked confidence. However, I feel I can best use my study time this break in a manner I’ve subtly known for roughly 15-plus years.

Cameron Savard
Cameron Savard, 1L Student Ambassador

 After reflection, I think turning to my athletic roots within running will pay dividends in how I approach my second round of exams.

I started this activity in the sixth grade—both for school athletics and for my own benefit. It has seen me participate in many races over the years. Some of these events are exceptionally unique and meaningful to me. One of these events was a half-marathon where I ran on behalf of a local nonprofit, and the other a 200-mile relay race completed with my co-workers across Texas. As I recall, it served me absolutely no purpose to merely show up on race day without meaningful practice beforehand. For the half marathons in particular, I had to change up how fast and how long I did my daily runs over the span of months. I had to gradually build to where I could go the entire 13.1 miles comfortably without stopping, all the while leaving room for whatever may happen on race day (bad weather, how I personally felt that day, if I got enough sleep, what to focus on if my AirPods died, etc.). There were days I felt lazy after school or work, and I did not want to set out into the cold, rain or both—now adding snow, thanks to Kansas. However, I knew the importance of encountering discomfort and how my ability to manage it helped me—literally—go the distance.

I realized that my exams truly weren’t much different.

Exam day is, in my view, akin to stepping on the starting line and putting the hard work you’ve done all semester on display (only instead of a crowd cheering you on, you have the wholesome sound of clicking keyboards). With preparation for this day comes practicing hypotheticals where I may feel uncomfortable or unsure. However, what’s vital is the effort I place into that meaningful practice where I learn from each hypothetical. It’s there that progress is made and where I can feel ready for the finish line, knowing I did my best.

-By Cameron Savard, a 1L from Katy, Texas and KU Law Student Ambassador

Law professors HATE these four SIMPLE tricks to MAXIMIZE productivity 👇🧵

Andrew Arbuckle
Andrew Arbuckle,
3L Student Ambassador

I’ve learned a thing or two about prioritizing and staying focused to maximize productivity during my three years of law school. Most of these things I’ve learned the hard way. My hope is to save you from doing the same. These tips are only meant to help, and, as you might’ve guessed, law professors don’t actually hate them.

  1. Start with the end in mind

Basically, just know what you want to accomplish before you start–so much easier said than done, but it is mission critical. You need to know where you’re going before you start. This is the basic premise of the adage work smarter, not harder.

Make a plan that outlines what you want to accomplish and puts your goals in focus. Stick to it. Recalibrate when necessary–it will be necessary more than a couple times.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, the leadership expert I shamelessly ripped this off from, says, “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might.” Don’t be one of these people.

  1. Take a B R E A K

Taking time away from your studies to maximize productivity seems counterintuitive, I know. The caricature of grind culture purports that putting your head down, eliminating all distractions and working until the job is done at all times is the best and only way to operate. In the context of law student productivity, this is misleading at best and flat wrong at worst.

If you find yourself spun out on a legal concept, take a break. There are few areas of the law that are inherently complicated when taken in digestible bites–calling you out, rule against perpetuities.

To be productive in law school means, in large part, to be learning. Good luck retaining any information if you never stop working.

  1. Don’t fear failure

There is a direct, positive relationship between failure and success. Failure is unavoidable when it comes to growth; some of our greatest moments of growth arise from our greatest failures. Boneheaded mistakes can be avoided by exercising judgment, but what constitutes a “boneheaded mistake” will change over time.

Judgment comes from experience, which comes from time. Time isn’t necessarily on your side as a law student, particularly when starting out, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo. Just roll with the punches, learn to fail faster and smarter.

In the words of Sahil Bloom, “Don’t be afraid to get punched in the face…Getting punched in the face builds a strong jaw.”

  1. Fall in love with the process

Prioritize the process, not the results. Results are what any process is all about, so it’s logical to want to put results first. But being absorbed with results and not as interested in the process will make persevering even more difficult when times inevitably get tough.

Law school is three years of hard work that will not necessarily produce tangible results like work in the outside world might. Three years is a pretty long time by any measure, which makes enjoying the process so much more important.

Take note of all the neurotic, mega-rich people out there who seem to have it all. Assuming they worked tirelessly for the mass wealth they have now, you would think that wealth (aka, the results) would elicit a great sense of fulfillment. Why doesn’t it? Maybe results are overrated.

–By Andrew Arbuckle, a 3L from Mulvane, Kansas and KU Law Student Ambassador