Break Into Law School® Podcast

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and Audible

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Break into Law School® is the podcast for students who are ready to break down generational barriers to law school and walk confidently into their future.

This podcast provides transparent, quality, and ethical law school advice in a way that is uplifting and relatable.

Sydney Montgomery, Esq, is a law school admissions consultant specializing in working with first-generation and minority applicants. She herself is a first-generation graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. Through Barrier Breakers®, she and our team have helped over 7,000 students gain admission to law school.

Are you struggling with information overload? Are you getting lost in Reddit and Google? Are you feeling stuck, not sure what to write about, not sure how to even begin the application process? Join a community of students who are choosing to stop the cycle of confusion and missed opportunities and find quality and ethical answers to their application questions.

No scare tactics here. No tearing people down. No shaming anyone. This show is all about leading with love, uplifting you, and encouraging you as you step confidently into your career as an attorney.

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Ep 181: Managing Law School with ADHD with ADHD Coach Henry Lam
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Ep 181: Managing Law School with ADHD with ADHD Coach Henry Lam

Struggling to manage ADHD in law school? Today, we delve into the challenges and strategies for success with expert ADHD coach and comedian Henry Lam. Henry shares his unique journey from accounting to ADHD coaching, offering valuable insights on diagnosing and managing ADHD. We discuss practical strategies for success, overcoming procrastination, and maintaining motivation. Whether you're about to enter law school or in law school, I hope this episode helps to empower you.

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Ep 180: What to Do After Your Law School Midterms with Legally Fit
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Ep 180: What to Do After Your Law School Midterms with Legally Fit

With our collaboration series with Legally Fit, DeAndré goes over the essential steps for processing midterm feedback. You’ll learn how to leverage your midterm results to enhance your final exam preparation, focusing on strategies for multiple choice and essay exams. He emphasizes the importance of not just understanding the law but effectively applying it, with practical tips for consistent improvement.

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Ep 177: What to Know as a Parent Applying to Law School
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Ep 177: What to Know as a Parent Applying to Law School

Today Nadia shares her personal journey and tips on applying to law school as a parent. As someone who pursued her PhD while raising two young kids, Nadia discusses the challenges and considerations involved, from financial aid and balancing responsibilities to finding support and maintaining mental health. Just because you are a parent, doesn't mean you can't go to law school.

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Ep 175: 3 Keys to a Strong Personal Statement
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Ep 175: 3 Keys to a Strong Personal Statement

It's summer, and it's time to work on those personal statements for law school applications! For this episode, Sydney guides you through three key steps to craft a compelling personal statement. Sydney shares tips on choosing a guiding theme, using specific anecdotes, and the importance of outlining.

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Ep 173: What is a "Good" Law School?
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Ep 173: What is a "Good" Law School?

With law school rankings fluctuating and more schools boycotting traditional ranking systems, how do you know what is a "good" law school? Sydney, offers advice on better metrics to consider like employability, bar passage rates, median salaries, and job prospects in the desired region. Today, we use the Law School Transparency website to help build a personalized law school list to figure what is a "good" law school for you.

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Ep 171: Busting Law School Myths
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Ep 171: Busting Law School Myths

Law school myths are everywhere and it's difficult to know whether they're true...or false. Today, Sydney addresses several myths surrounding law school that discourage potential applicants. She discusses the misconceptions about the necessity of specific undergraduate majors, age restrictions for law school applicants, the importance of LSAT scores and GPAs, and the affordability of law school, particularly the comparison between part-time and full-time enrollment. Do not limit yourself based on common but often misleading narratives.

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Ep 169: Exploring Law School Financial Aid with Brooklyn Law School
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Ep 169: Exploring Law School Financial Aid with Brooklyn Law School

We are joined by Dean Eulas Boyd, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Brooklyn Law School. We cover a comprehensive overview of law school financial aid, including merit-based and need-based aid, the financial aid process at Brooklyn Law School, and crucial tips on managing law school debt. Dean Boyd also shares important advice on building a list of target schools, the timing and application for financial aid, and navigating scholarships and loans. This episode is essential for prospective law students seeking to understand the financial landscape of law school education.

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Ep 168: Setting the Tone for Your Law School Addendum
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Ep 168: Setting the Tone for Your Law School Addendum

Writing addendums can be difficult to navigate. Today, Sydney explains the importance of being explanatory rather than excusatory, and emphasizes taking responsibility for your circumstances. Sydney also shares practical tips for crafting a concise and effective addendum that addresses potential concerns from admissions committees. Learn how to navigate your law school application with confidence, even if you’ve faced academic or personal challenges.

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Ep 166: The Power of Representation in the Legal Profession with BecomingJD
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Ep 166: The Power of Representation in the Legal Profession with BecomingJD

In this episode, we’re joined by Anthony Denmark, founder of Becoming JD, a highly rated motivational speaker and strategic law school admissions advisor. Together, we delve into the vital topic of diversity and equity in law school admissions and the legal field. Anthony shares his personal journey to law school, and highlights the importance of representation and empowerment. From overcoming adversity to achieving dreams, we explore the challenges faced by underrepresented students and discuss strategies for fostering inclusivity and support within legal education and the profession. If you want to hear more from Anthony, make sure to register for our three-day FREE virtual conference at www.breakintolawconference.org/

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Ep 165: Multiple Choice Strategy for Law School with Legally Fit
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Ep 165: Multiple Choice Strategy for Law School with Legally Fit

For today's Legally Fit episode, DeAndré delves into mastering multiple choice questions for law school and bar exams. He highlights the importance of becoming proficient in this format, regardless of whether it's a natural strength or weakness. This episode covers essential strategies, including understanding the role of multiple choice in final grades, recognizing the challenge posed by these questions, and developing a systematic approach to tackle them effectively. 

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Ep 164: JD-Next: The New Law School Entry Exam
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Ep 164: JD-Next: The New Law School Entry Exam

Dr. David Klieger from Aspen Publishing joins us today to discuss the new law school entry exam, JD-Next. Dr. Klieger goes over JD-Next program which is an eight-week, online course simulates a first-year law school contracts class, aiming to help prospective law students preview and prepare for the rigors of law school. Dr. Klieger shares insights into the program's development, its benefits, and how it addresses equity in legal education. Tune in to learn how if JD-Next might be the exam for you.

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Ep 160: Brainstorming Your Law School Admissions Essays: Everything You Need To Know
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Ep 160: Brainstorming Your Law School Admissions Essays: Everything You Need To Know

Learn all the essentials of brainstorming for your law school application essays with Dr. Nadia Castriota. Nadia shares valuable tips on adhering to application guidelines, organizing your thoughts, understanding the purpose of each essay, and the importance of seeking feedback. Whether you're crafting a personal statement, diversity statement, or supplemental essay, these tips will help you present your best self to the admissions committee.

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Ep 158: Acing Law School Final Exams with Legally Fit
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Ep 158: Acing Law School Final Exams with Legally Fit

DeAndré is back with the 1L Club to dive deep into acing final exams, covering everything from prepping to post-exam strategies. DeAndré walks you through the essential steps to maximize your performance, focusing on understanding the law, developing test-taking skills, memorization techniques, and building confidence. From filling in knowledge gaps to managing test anxiety, DeAndré helps ensures that you're ready to excel during finals.

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Ep 157: All About LSAT's New Writing Portion with LSAT Logic Pro
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Ep 157: All About LSAT's New Writing Portion with LSAT Logic Pro

Significant changes are coming to the LSAT in August 2024. While much attention has been on the removal of the Logic Games section, there's also a new writing section to prepare for. LSAT expert Mena Pirone discusses strategies for tackling the evolving exam format and emphasizes the importance of clear, structured writing, outlining, and avoiding gimmicks in your argumentative essays.

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Ep 155: Balancing Finals & Summer with Law School Application Prep
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Ep 155: Balancing Finals & Summer with Law School Application Prep

Feeling overwhelmed with finals, LSAT prep, and law school applications? In this episode, Cynthia shares invaluable strategies for balancing finals and summer with law school application prep. Discover study techniques, leverage on-campus resources, and learn the importance of early planning for success in your law school journey.

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Ep 153: Exploring Part-Time Law School Options with IU McKinney School of Law
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Ep 153: Exploring Part-Time Law School Options with IU McKinney School of Law

Dive into the world of law school admissions with Dr. Nadia Castriota as she interviews Dean Tim Luczak from IU McKinney School of Law. They discuss the exciting programs at IU McKinney, focusing on the unique opportunities available in their part-time hybrid program. From personalized academic support to diverse concentrations and clinics, discover how IU McKinney empowers students to succeed in their legal education journey.

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Ep 151: Should You Transfer Law Schools?
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Ep 151: Should You Transfer Law Schools?

Should you transfer law schools? Sydney highlights crucial factors such as grades, familial considerations, geographical preferences, social fit, academic interests, and career prospects that influence this decision. Sydney emphasizes the importance of introspection, journaling, and making informed choices based on your personal and professional goals. Offering practical advice and insights, she guides you through the transfer application process, encouraging thoughtful consideration and strategic planning. Join her for an insightful exploration of the challenges and opportunities in navigating the decision to transfer law schools.

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Ep 150: Practicing Law School Essays: When, How, Why with Legally Fit
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Ep 150: Practicing Law School Essays: When, How, Why with Legally Fit

In our second installment of the 1L club session, DeAndré talks all about practice essays and guiding viewers through the essential steps to excel in law school exams. This session emphasizes the importance of practice essays in achieving success and demystifies the process of when, how, and why to practice. With practical tips on reading, thinking, outlining, and writing essays, learn how to approach practice exams as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than performance indicators. Strategies include annotating fact patterns, prioritizing issues, and comparing answers to sample solutions for effective feedback.

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Ep 148: The 2024 Law School Rankings: Do They Matter?
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Ep 148: The 2024 Law School Rankings: Do They Matter?

Sydney and Mike Spivey discuss the latest law school rankings and their implications. As the rankings fluctuate year after year, they delve into the question of whether rankings truly matter and how applicants should approach them. Mike Spivey shares insights from his extensive experience in law school admissions, highlighting the changing dynamics of rankings and their impact on the legal profession. They explore the challenges faced by first-generation and minority applicants, emphasizing the importance of looking beyond rankings to make informed decisions about law school choices. The discussion also touches on the evolving role of rankings in legal education and potential future trends in the industry.

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