Student Blogging Equals Opportunity

By Henghameh Poya, LCS Intern

One of the most effective ways for 1L students to enhance their professional reputations and relationships is via blogging. There is a plethora of law subjects not covered in the legal blogging world. For example, say you are interested in tax law and working with underprivileged communities. You can start blogging about current tax projects with underprivileged communities and referencing news articles regarding the subject. Utilizing other social media outlets to expand your blog topic will connect you even further. Within months you’ll be recognized in the tax community. This in turn leads to more job and networking opportunities. Learn more here. For links to a wide array of law-related blogs, check out the ABA's "Blawg" Directory.

Microsoft Office Tutorials – for FREE!

By Henghameh Poya, LCS Intern

Ever wonder, "How do I alter the margins in my document?" "How do I add those equations in Excel?" You're not alone. Legal employers expect their interns and attorneys to be self-sufficient when it comes to computer skills; check out these resources that offer videos and step-by-step instructions.

1. Straight from the source

This website offers video tutorials for all of Microsoft's available programs. You can also choose which version you have and whether you're using a PC or Mac. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to navigate you to what you're looking for.

2. If videos aren’t your thing

This website offers step-by-step instructions (with pictures) on how to do a variety of tasks. It also offers some helpful explanations on what the tools do and what they would be useful for. The directions may differ slightly depending on the version of Office you’re using, but you'll get a nice overview from this website.

3. Just another option

This website is another text-based instruction site, but it's not quite as comprehensive as the previous one. It offers some simple instructions and gives you the option of choosing which version you're using.

Tip: If there isn't a tutorial for what you're looking for, try running a Google search with a brief description of your question. Example: "how to add column Microsoft Word."

Get Published to Get Free of the Crowd

by Jared Solovay
Director of Employer Relations

A common refrain in my career counseling sessions is that students need to stand out from the crowd. Everyone who graduates from law school has a JD. Everyone who passes the bar exam has a law license. What sets you apart from other students—and what makes you more competitive for internships and post-graduate jobs—are the things you do outside of the classroom.

There are many ways to stand out, but a great one is to get published. You don’t have to be on Law Review or a journal to do so either. Attorneys in all practice areas have legal blogs and many are open to offers from students to “guest blog” on their sites.

Mark Wilson, a 2L in Golden Gate’s Honors Lawyering Program, has taken this one step further, regularly contributing to the Harvard Law & Policy Review blog. Mark has written thought-provoking pieces about a wide variety of issues, including warrantless GPS tracking by the police, “indecency” on television, voter ID requirements, Proposition 8 and the death penalty. I encourage you to read some of Mark’s work and to congratulate him the next time you see him.