Learning How to Practice Law after Law School

Jump into a grab bag of legal issues, a “law salad” of ideas that have lately been on the minds of hosts Jim Reeder and Mic Rogson.

Law may teach you to think like a lawyer, but does it also teach the practice of law? Hear what Mic and Jim walked away with on graduation day and how it applied to their careers and decades of experience.

Practicing law after law school sometimes produces surprises, like learning to mix linear thinking with creativity. You can prepare all you want, but sometimes you need to be “as flexible as Gumby,” Mic says.

In the real world,  Jim says, practicing lawyers learn to be comfortable. Comfortable with creativity, comfortable with reacting to surprises, and comfortable admitting to the judge, and themselves, that they don’t know everything and may need time to review unfamiliar case law when it crops up in the courtroom. Intimidation and anxiety are the enemy, and young lawyers must learn to relax and react.

Then, forget “real life” as Mic and Jim share their favorite courtroom dramas and comedies. What’s your guilty pleasure, and which productions capture how you feel about the law? Everything from the gravity of “Judgment at Nuremberg” to the lighthearted “Legally Blonde” to the surprisingly accurate portrayal in “My Cousin Vinny.” What’s your favorite?

Have a question, comment, or suggestion for an upcoming episode? Get in touch at [email protected] or [email protected].

Resources Mentioned:

“Top 10 Movies Every Law Student Must See – Best Legal Drama Movies,” YouTube

“Top 10 Most Accurate Law Movies,” YouTube

American Bar Association

American Bar Association Litigation Section