169: Setting Your Priorities in Law School

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

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we’re talking about setting your priorities in law school when you're overwhelmed by your to-do list. This is the time in the semester when things get really busy and overwhelming, so tune in to find out how to tame your to-do list and get the most important stuff done.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The two biggest mistakes law students make – prioritizing the urgent over the important and neglecting self-care
• What the difference is between urgent and important tasks on your to-do list and how to prioritize them (HINT: ROI – return on investment)
• Three don’ts – don’t skip class; don’t over-prioritize certain tasks; and don’t forget self-care
• Why it’s ok to leave something on the table; you might not finish 100% of your reading or brief every case, and that's okay
• Self-care – make sure you’re sleeping, eating well, spending some time with loved ones outside of law school, and exercising

RESOURCES:

• Podcast Episode 88: Self-Care Tips for Keeping Your Mojo in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-88-self-care-tips-for-keeping-your-mojo-in-law-school/)
• Save Time by Book Briefing Your Cases (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/save-time-by-book-briefing-your-cases/)
• Podcast Episode 12: Resume and Cover Letter Basics (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-12-resume-cover-letter-basics/)
• Podcast Episode 167: Do You Have to Join a Study Group in Law School? (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-167-do-you-have-to-join-a-study-group-in-law-school/)
• Six Ways to Make Time to Exercise in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/6-ways-make-time-exercise-law-school/)
• HuffPost: Sacrificing Sleep for Study Time Doesn’t Make the Grade (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/students-sleep_b_1862002)
• Parenting in Law School: Surviving Your 1L Year While Raising a Family (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/law-school-kids-surviving-1l-year-raising-family/)
• How to Organize Your To Do List in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/how-to-organize-your-to-do-list-in-law-school/)
• Ahead of the Curve: Time Management – The Value of Valuable Work Throughout the Semester (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/ahead-of-the-curve-time-management-the-value-of-valuable-work-throughout-the-semester/)
• Podcast Episode 20: The Exam Countdown – One Month and Counting! (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-20-exam-countdown-one-month-counting/)
• Five Techniques for Using Deep Work to Excel in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/five-techniques-for-using-deep-work-to-excel-in-law-school/)
• NALP – National Association of Legal Professionals, Inc. (https://www.nalp.org)
• You are What You Eat! Eating Well in Law School (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/you-are-what-you-eat-eating-well-in-law-school/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/LST-Ep-169-Setting-Priorities-in-Law-School.pdf)

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Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee