ProfessorTommy.Tips

From ABA Law Student Division's Student Lawyer, April 24, 2026: Every year on May 4, fans celebrate Star Wars Day with the familiar phrase, “May the Fourth be with You.” For me, this is more than just a clever pun. I have been a long-time Star Wars fan, and I have found ways to bring that enthusiasm into my teaching. Across the prequels, originals, sequels, and standalone films, Star Wars offers a series of lessons that translate surprisingly well to bar preparation. Each qu

If you’ve taken one of my classes, you might have seen this comment on your essays: You did a good job of following IRAC, but it's recommended that you don't label the components of each IRAC section. That advice tends to catch students off guard. After all, IRAC is what you’ve been taught from the beginning. So why stop labeling it now? Because at this stage, labeling IRAC does more harm than good. Years ago, I heard a bar exam grader describe a labeled IRAC response like th

This photo popped up in my Timehop memories recently. Nine years ago, a former student took a picture of me during class and added devil horns and a tail. With all the early buzz around The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters on May 1, the timing feels about right to turn this photo into a blog post! Apparently, not only does the devil wear Prada, the devil teaches bar prep, too. At the time, I laughed. Looking back, I still laugh at the ph

At London Marathon yesterday, one of the world’s most prestigious long-distance races, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe delivered a historic performance, becoming the first person to run an official marathon under two hours. He crossed the finish line in 1:59:30, breaking the previous world record by more than a minute. He wasn’t alone. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also broke the two-hour barrier in 1:59:41, and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo finished third in 2:00:28. All three podium finishers

If you’ve followed my blog, you know I like to use food as a way to make bar prep stick. On National Spaghetti Day , I wrote about avoiding the “spaghetti-on-the-wall” approach and untangling messy essays. Today, on National Pretzel Day , we’re dealing with a different problem—but one that’s just as common. Not messy. Not scattered. But twisted. Source: www.auntieannes.com Pretzels are known for their loops, knots, and turns. And if you’re not careful, your bar exam essay can