All posts filed under: Student Advice

Job Interview

Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Published by

I’ve said before that interviews are really just conversations. It’s not meant to be an inquisition. It’s just an opportunity for the employer to get to know you – and for you to get to know the employer. The employer is looking for something that sets you apart from other candidates, your interest and enthusiasm, your motivation, and whether you can fit in. As part of that conversation, you can expect a few questions to come up more often than not. Below, you’ll find common job interview questions along with advice on how to answer them. Oldies but goodies. Why do you want to work for our organization? If you don’t remember anything that I say, please remember that you need to have an answer to that question. You need to be able to articulate –very quickly – without looking at your notes, why you want to be there. Tell me about yourself – or – Tell me something that’s not on your resume. What they’re really asking is for something that’s interesting about you …

Job Interview

How to Crush Your On-Campus Interview

Published by

Interviews are really just conversations. It’s not meant to be an inquisition. It’s just an opportunity for the employer to get to know you – and for you to get to know the employer. The employer is looking for something that sets you apart from other candidates, your interest and enthusiasm, your motivation, and whether you can fit in. Interviews are really simple. At the end of the day, it comes down to the employer assessing, “Are you smart enough to do the work that I have on my plate? Are you smart enough and do I like you?” That’s really all there is to it. It’s not that much more complicated. Enthusiasm and Fit You might think that grades are the most important thing, and for some employers they are, but don’t underestimate the importance of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm can really go a very long way in making the right impression on an employer and making up for any perceived deficiencies in other skill sets. Similarly, a lack of enthusiasm can hurt you. Employers don’t …

Courtroom

What is a Federal Clerkship?

Published by

Unless you’re a lawyer or a law student, you might not know what a law clerk does. When I tell people that I’m a law clerk for a federal judge, sometimes they nod, smile, or just change the subject. More often than not, however, they ask, “What does that even mean?” Once I explain, many then ask, “Do you get paid for that?” I do indeed get paid, but the benefits of clerking stretch far beyond my government paycheck. Broadly speaking, law clerks exist to ensure that the judges they work for are as informed as possible before making decisions. They do so by researching the law involved in each case and writing memos analyzing the facts of that case and the litigants’ arguments in light of this law. They also attend trials and hearings, where they mostly observe and take careful notes so that they can later discuss with their judges any unexpected issues that arose during these proceedings. “Through [my clerkship] experiences, I not only bolstered my abilities to analyze and explain complicated …

Philadelphia Skyline from Fitler Square

My Philly Neighborhood: Fitler Square

Published by

I grew up in Fitler Square, a small, quaint neighborhood in the southwest corner of Center City. The neighborhood’s charm is defined by its Victorian-era, 19th and 20th century row homes and its close proximity to Rittenhouse Square, Taney Park, and other Center City neighborhoods. The best part about Fitler Square is its diversity and exuberance; the neighborhood is comprised of families, young professionals, students, and empty nesters. I grew up loving the neighborhood, and I’ve never strayed too far. I returned to the neighborhood when I started law school and I could not be happier with my decision.

Klein Hall

Four Things To Consider When Transferring Law Schools

Published by

Transferring law schools in your second year can be a tough transition. When I transferred from Brooklyn Law School to Temple Law in the fall of 2015, I knew I was in for a challenge. The following are things that I experienced when transferring and ways that I have combatted them. You’ll lose social connections Transfers start out at a social disadvantage. We miss out on the connections our new classmates made in their first year, which are crucial connections for law school and beyond. I had to work extra hard to find a study group and professors who could mentor me and write recommendations on my behalf. (It was a condition at Brooklyn Law School that if I transferred, I could not contact my first-year professors for recommendations.) My biggest fear with transferring was that I was going to be a loner. This fear quickly dissipated as I met a couple of students who welcomed me and invested time in getting me acquainted with my new surroundings. They made me feel more comfortable, which …

Queen Village

My Philly Neighborhood: Queen Village (And Bella Vista, Too!)

Published by

Queen Village is the perfect neighborhood. Nestled just southeast of Center City, Queen Village is bordered by South Street to the north and Washington Ave to the south, and spans from 6th Street to the Delaware River. With tree-lined streets, historic brick homes, and plenty of shops and restaurants, Queen Village is the quintessential urban residential neighborhood. And if you’re interested in expanding your search closer to the Broad Street subway line, look no further than neighboring Bella Vista, which occupies the same latitude as Queen Village, but stretches to the west from 6th Street to 11th Street. It’s just as lovely, and perhaps more accessible to Temple for the car-free crowd.

Write-on

Write-on: Yes it’s Hard. Yes it’s Worth it

Published by

When finals were approaching during my first-year spring semester, I remember considering whether to try to get a spot on law review. I understood that it was a great credential, but I didn’t quite understand what it meant to be part of the law review. Looking back now as a 2L, I am so glad I gave it a shot. Being part of the Temple Law Review family has been one of the most important parts of my second year – I have learned so much about the law, about working on a team, and about myself. Students are given a large packet of information and asked to write a scholarly paper about the materials. The end product is a written case note, which, upon submission, is graded anonymously by current law review staff editors. Case notes are graded on a combination of writing quality, thoroughness of the argument, and how well a student uses the sources of the write-on packet, among other factors. It is then considered with other information, including grades and a statement …

Powelton Village West Philadelphia

My Philly Neighborhood: West Philadelphia

Published by

I have lived in Philadelphia for the past three and a half years. During my first two years in Philly, I lived in Center City. While I enjoyed it there, I always thought that the rent prices were a bit of a rip off and, because I’m not much of a city girl, I missed being around trees. While visiting some friends who lived in West Philly, I noticed the charming old Victorian homes, and all of the gorgeous green space. I was delighted by how quiet the area was and decided to look into living there.

The Rome Colosseum

Pizza, Pasta, and Prada: Why You Should Participate in Temple Law’s Rome Summer Program

Published by

For most people, pizza, pasta, and Prada are the only reasons they need to visit the Eternal City. As a law student, however, we must give careful consideration to how we spend our time and money at this critical time in our careers. Almost a year after enrolling in the Rome Program, I look back on those warm, sunny days and appreciate not only the cultural and culinary aspects of the trip, but also the academic and educational aspects that enriched my law school experience. Take classes you wouldn’t otherwise take Between bar courses, practicums, and writing requirements, six semesters is just not enough time to delve into every appealing legal topic. The Rome Program gives you the opportunity to sneak in 3-5 credits worth of classes you might not otherwise take. For students interested in international law, Rome is an opportunity to complete prioritized classes faster than they would otherwise. I would have graduated without having taken a single international law class had it not been for Rome. This means I would have left …