How to Get Your Materials Ready During Spring Semester

With firms opening up their 2L application portals throughout April and May, it can be difficult to juggle submitting 2L applications and studying for final exams.  For example, some firms plan to open their 2L application portals on May 1, smack in the middle of finals.

Although this timing can sometimes be… not ideal… students can take a few easy steps to make the process a bit less difficult.

One of the most effective productivity tools is “deep work” – where you strictly allocate time to focused work, without distractions.  I highly recommend the aptly named book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport for great tips on how to effectuate this.

As you approach finals season, using “deep work” can be very effective to get a head start on 2L applications so you are not drowning when things get busy.

Here are some suggestions:

–Allocate at least two time blocks during the week, ideally in the morning, where you strictly focus on 2L application materials.  Early morning, such as 6am-8am or 7am-9am when your mind is fresh and there are no distractions, is a great time of the day to do this.  Weekends can be great for this, where you can have quiet time with fewer outside commitments.

–During this time, put your phone away and close all tabs on your computer that are not strictly related to your 2L application materials.

 

–Use this time to finalize your resume if you have not already, as well as your writing sample, transcript file, and other materials.

 

-Cover letters can take time, as they are tweaked for each firm, and deep work is a great way to do this.  Use this time to prepare cover letters for each firm you plan to apply – even if they have not opened up their 2L applications yet.  Be super focused and organized with these files, including saving in separate folders – see your Cover Letter Checklist for more on that.

 

–Then, when firms open up their 2L application portals… you’re already ready.  Even if it opens on May 1, in the midst of finals, it will take you actually 5 minutes to apply, since you’ll have your materials ready to go from your prior deep work in March and April.

 

Time management is one of the most important skills to succeed in the 2L recruiting process (and as a law firm associate, and in life).  Please don’t underestimate the value of working without distractions.  Although it seems minor to answer a text here in there, having your phone there pinging you causes “context switching” that constantly distracts you from the task at hand.  Early morning time with a cup of coffee, and no texts, social media, or news can be very very powerful, and unlock your ability to navigate the recruiting process and final exams seamlessly.

 

And even after spending a focused hour or two on applications a couple days a week, you can still get a full day of studying in and not miss a beat.