Readers who've been to law school recently: what kind of bag did you carry? Did you change from 1L to 3L year? What do you think are the best bags for law school? We asked Nicole, our law school / new lawyer correspondent… – Kat

Like everything in law, the type of bags students use in law school “depends.” In this case, what students use depends on the location of the school and the average age of the students. The younger the median age of the students, the more likely they will carry backpacks. In major cities, students are also more likely to carry messenger bags or purses than more typical “undergrad” type backpacks.  

By googling “X law school class profile,” you can usually get an idea of the median age of the most recent law school class and how many students are going straight from undergrad to law school. The higher the percentage of students going straight to law school, the more likely students will be carrying backpacks!

In my experience, most students carry backpacks and do not carry briefcases to class unless they are doing a clinic or an externship and have to go to court or something right before or after class. 

No matter where your law school is located or how old the students are, I’ve put together a list of bags and backpacks that are stylish and functional for law school! 

{related: the best law school resources for women}

The Best Bags for Law School Students

The Best Backpacks for Law School

Many younger law students just bring their backpacks from undergrad to law school, and this North Face backpack is a classic example. It can handle law school books, and my friends that had this backpack were happy with their investment because it lasted them seven years! 

Another backpack students typically brought from undergrad is the JanSport backpack. In addition, some students brought Herschel backpacks (available at Amazon and Backcountry.com), which looked nicer.

When looking for backpacks, make sure to get something sturdy. But remember you will probably have a locker, so the backpack doesn’t have to be able to hold all of your books at one time (and I would recommend not doing that — your back will thank you)! 

Upgrades: The Best Work Backpacks

If your college backpack is looking pretty beat up, you could always go for a more professional-looking backpack — that would serve you well during internships and travel, as well as during school. Some of our latest favorites include these:

Update: Hunting for the best work backpacks? Some of our favorites in 2024 are below — see the full post for all the details!

The Overall Best Work Backpack

Tumi Celina Backpack

$475 at Nordstrom

The Best Convertible Laptop Backpack

Lo & Sons Rowledge

$485 at Lo & Sons

The Best Affordable Backpack for Work

Samsonite Mobile Solutions Classic Backpack

$79 at Amazon

The Best Messenger Bags and Tote Bags for Law School Students

Satchels/messenger bags and purses are going to be harder to carry law school textbooks and your laptop in. You are definitely going to have to rely on your locker or be very forward-thinking about exactly which textbooks you need that day. Even one law school textbook can really weigh you down (looking at you, Con Law)!

For tote bags, you can’t go wrong with a classic Longchamp or a Tory Burch tote. Madewell also makes a nice transport tote. 

For messenger bags, I would recommend a messenger bag like this one from Matt & Nat or this bag from Kenneth Cole. Messenger bags are good if you’re going to law school in a major city because they’re easy to both navigate public transportation and transition from school to work/networking settings. However, I also think a backpack would be fine! 

The Best Work Totes for Law School Students

These are also great for interviews — here are all of on-campus interview tips and resources!

Some of the best work bags for women as of 2024 include great totes from Cuyana (with a zipper), Tumi, Tory Burch (lightweight, a laptop tote), Lo & Sons, and Madewell (north/south). Also try this highly-rated organizing insert or these clever pouches with some of the less structured bags! If you're looking for a budget tote (or one in a specific color) check this Amazon seller (22K+ good reviews) or this Amazon seller (60K+ good reviews).

(Looking for a luxury work bag? Here's our latest roundup…)

Readers, what were/are your favorite bags for law school? Did/do you use a backpack, tote bag, messenger bag, or something else?

Psst — check out all of our must-have school supplies for law school; some of the more random things are below (see the post for the fuller explanations!):

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / tonodiaz.

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We recently got a great question from a reader who's wondering how to be an international lawyer. We turned to our law school/young lawyer correspondent, Nicole (who is currently working abroad!) for her tips, as well as Kat's friend G (a DOJ lawyer on her third overseas assignment) for tips.

It's worthy of noting at the start that if you're working remotely for your company, there are 41 countries that now offer “digital nomad visas.” Here are Nomad Girl's tips on which countries are best suited to remote workers.

First, here's the reader's question:

I am a 3L in law school with a job lined up in Boston for next year, but I know my long-term goal is to live abroad. This seems difficult to do with a JD (as opposed to an LLM), and I bet it is also more limited for those in other professions that require U.S.-specific degrees/licenses.

Nicole's Tips on Working for BigLaw Abroad

I'm a U.S.-educated lawyer who lives and works in London. I have a JD, but I do not have an LLM, so you can definitely work abroad without having an LLM! I work for a law firm that has offices all over the world, and I was supposed to initially work in my firm's Chicago office. However, there was an opening in the London office, and I jumped at the chance.

To maximize your chances of working abroad, I would try to work for a firm or company that has offices outside of the United States and then make it known that you would be open to working in one of the offices abroad. Certain practice areas lend themselves more to working abroad; for example, I know a lot of U.S.-qualified lawyers in Europe that do capital markets/corporate work. A few of my colleagues simply asked the firm to transfer them to London rather than waiting for an opening, so this is definitely possible.

Good luck!

{related: what to pack for extended business trips}

Kat's Friend G's Tips on How to Be an International Lawyer

G is a lawyer with the DOJ on her third overseas posting; unlike Nicole she DOES have an LLM in Public International Law (as well as a JD). She is not currently practicing as a lawyer; she does training for prosecutors. As she clarifies, “I don’t appear in court or file papers in court or anything like that.” (She was a prosecutor in the U.S. for almost a decade, though!)

G noted that while she DID get to choose which overseas postings to apply to, her status as a direct hire with a limited term means that these aren't permanent postings; she has to renew her term annually.

G offered her best tips for someone working/living overseas for the first time:

For the first couple of months, don’t turn down any invitations. Force yourself to network and socialize even when you might not feel like it, because you want the invitations to keep coming. That’s how you’ll find your new tribe in your new surroundings, and finding your tribe can make the worst of circumstances so much better. Then, once you do, you can start being choosier about what you do or go to. But at first, be open! Try new things! Push yourself out of your comfort zone!

Big exception: anyone who gives you the creeps. Trust your instincts about anyone who creeps you out… it’s ok to turn their invitations down!!

Thank you for your great advice, Nicole and G!

{related: what businesswomen should wear in the Middle East}

Resources on How to Be an International Lawyer

Here are a few helpful online resources if you're interested in working abroad as a lawyer, with some selected tips:

10 Things To Know About Working As An Attorney Overseas [Above the Law]

“The most common scenarios [for working overseas] include working in an overseas office of a U.S. law firm or as a local hire in a foreign law firm. But American attorneys can also work in-house for the local subsidiary of a U.S. multinational company, or directly for a foreign multinational company.”

Where can you work if you specialize in international law? [Quora]
Can I get a job in a foreign country after an LLM in international law? [Quora]

• “If by ‘international law' you mean corporate transactions or multijurisdictional litigation, it’s a vague term that refers to a hodgepodge of different countries’ and states’ contractual rules, plus treaties, plus certain regulations applicable to a particular area of practice. … You may get into a particular sliver of this kind of ‘international law' if you get into a large, white-shoe law firm, but in terms of education, what’s really required is a background in contracts and and laws pertaining to specific business as they vary across different jurisdictions.”

• “Almost everything not under ‘international law' has an analogue under international law. There are international crimes, international IP issues, international contract issues. So, you can work almost anywhere doing almost anything.”

International Paths for JD Students [Duke Law]

• Private law firms: “The large U.K. based ‘Magic Circle' law firms and a number of U.S. based law firms hire U.S. law students to start directly in one of their foreign offices where they have a significant ‘U.S. practice.' The most common places to start are in London and Hong Kong, though on occasion students have started in Tokyo, Paris, and other locations. Students usually obtain these positions as they would full-time positions with any other large law firm: by working their 2L summer for the firm and then receiving an offer for full-time employment.”

• Public service organizations: “The many directions that attorneys with careers in international public service law take … include ‘human rights, diplomacy, foreign relations, democracy building, economic development, criminal prosecution, policymaking, treaty negotiation and convention enforcement, and all types of internationally oriented advocacy and activism.'”

Readers, have you ever lived and worked abroad (or investigated doing so)? If your job allows working remotely, have you considered a digital nomad visa? What are your best tips on how to become an international lawyer?

Stock photo via Stencil (and now I want to go to Belgium, sigh).

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We've previously rounded up some of our best law school resources for women, as well as other tips like what to know before 1L year, the best blogs for women law students, and must-have school supplies for law school — but it's been a while! So I asked our new law school correspondent, Nicole, to round up some of the best resources she found before embarking on her law school career. Huge thanks, Nicole! — Kat

How to Prepare for 1L Year

Getting to Maybe

I read this book the summer before law school, and it explained the basics of law school exams. If you don’t have time to read it before law school (which is no big deal), I’ll sum it up for you. My main takeaway from the book was the importance of getting comfortable with ambiguity. In law school, there is probably not going to be one right answer on the exam. That’s why the book is titled Getting to Maybe.

Women in Law On the Record

This is an amazing podcast about women in all areas of the legal profession. A female lawyer interviews other successful women lawyers about their decision to go to law school and their career path, and asks for general advice.

Listening to these women makes me so excited about my career because there are so many possibilities, and it often forces me to think differently about setbacks. It’s validating to hear that everyone experiences setbacks — even very, very successful lawyers. Also, the interviewer ends every podcast by asking for each interviewee’s five favorite things, which is a fun way to hear about different hobbies, music, books, and travel destinations.

Above the Law

If you want all the scoop on different law firms (particularly regarding bonuses, raises, and Dumb Memos), ATL is a must-read. ATL is like a BuzzFeed for the “world of law,” and it is entertaining (or as entertaining as the “world of law” can be)!

The Girl’s Guide to Law School

There are a ton of great resources for all law students here, including guides on Law School 101, how to write law review articles, and how to leave Biglaw.

Ms. JD

Run in conjunction with the National Women Law Students’ Organization, Ms. JD features a blog and runs conferences and programs throughout the year. Ms. JD also has a variety of useful resources about business development, pay equity, negotiation, and self-promotion.

Bonus Tip: How to Prepare to Apply for Law School

Spivey Consulting Blog

Spivey Consulting helps incoming law students through the admissions process. While I didn’t personally work with an admissions consultant, I found the blog posts written by former law school administrators extremely helpful! The blog posts are free to read and cover a wide range of topics about admissions, waitlists, negotiating scholarships, transferring, and law school life. They also now have podcasts!

Readers who've been to law school, what resources (books, blogs, newsletters and more) were helpful to you as you prepared to go to law school? What are your top tips for how to prepare for 1L year?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / Wavebreakmedia.

The post How to Prepare for 1L Year appeared first on Corporette.com.

Wondering what to know before 1L? Today our new law school correspondent, Nicole, is sharing the things she wishes she had known about before going to law school. Readers who've been to law school, we'd love your thoughts — what things do you wish you had known before 1L year?

(A note from Kat: I'm pleased to welcome Nicole to the blog today! She'll be our new law school correspondent — she's graduating from a Midwest law school in May 2021 (congrats, Nicole!) and gearing up for life in Biglaw. Welcome to the blog, Nicole! Readers, what other topics do you think we should cover in our occasional law school series?)

You're not supposed to know everything right away

Law school administrators and upperclassmen are deliberately not telling you certain things as to not overwhelm you the first couple of months of law school. Things such as outlining, journal write-on, OCI, and clerkships will be explained in time. Some other students will know lots of details about these things, but you don't need to know it yet!

Try not to let things you specifically haven't been told about yet stress you out. Everything will be explained when you need to know about it, and you won't waste time worrying.

Avoid (for the most part) asking hypotheticals

If you find yourself wondering about something that's slightly off-topic (but still relevant), go to office hours! Don't waste class time on hypotheticals. I promise you will not impress your professor in class with your creativity (they have heard it all), and you will end up suffering in the end because it wastes time.

Typically in law school there is a certain amount of material you have to get through, and asking irrelevant questions uses up the time the professor could spend explaining concepts. “Hypos” are for office hours since they are specifically for your understanding of the material rather than for everyone.

{related: How to Prepare for Law School}

Answer only answer the question asked

I can't even count the number of cold calls that have been derailed because people answer the question correctly — then keep talking. Try to just answer the narrow question asked and then stop. Your law school professors are experts in these subjects, and the more you talk, the more opportunity you have to get tripped up. Worry about impressing your professor on the exam where it matters and when you have a more complete understanding of the material.

Readers who've been to law school, we'd love your thoughts — what things do you wish you had known before 1L year? (What other topics should we cover in our occasional law school series?)

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