ProfessorTommy.Tips

The first full week of the NFL season is nearly in the books, and there are already plenty of storylines. There were surprising performances, surprising results, and the usual reminder that everything we thought we knew in August can change once teams actually start playing games. But perhaps no team's outlook changed more dramatically than that of the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams entered the season as the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. After an offseason in which they

This week, I completed my 2,500th Peloton ride. That’s a lot of time on a bike that goes absolutely nowhere. But reaching 2,500 rides got me thinking about something that has very little to do with exercise and a lot to do with succeeding in law school and preparing for the bar exam. I didn't get to 2,500 because I had 2,500 great workouts. Some rides were long. Some were short. Some were hard. Some were easy. There were days when I felt great and wanted to push myself, and p

The bar exam is over. Whatever you're feeling right now—relief, exhaustion, uncertainty, or all of the above—it's completely understandable. I was grateful to record this message for the ABA, and I hope it resonates with everyone who just finished this journey.

"Great kid, don't get cocky." — Han Solo, Star Wars: A New Hope It's one of the most memorable lines in Star Wars. Luke Skywalker has just helped Han Solo and others escape the Death Star. Moments later, he excitedly celebrates after shooting down a pursuing TIE fighter. Han Solo offers congratulations but also a reminder. Success is exciting. Success is motivating. But success can also create a false sense of security. That's a lesson every bar examinee should remember this

July 3 is National Compliment Your Mirror Day, a day that encourages us to practice positive affirmations. Looking in the mirror and reminding yourself, "I've prepared for this," "I can do hard things," or "I belong here," may seem a little awkward at first, but research suggests that positive affirmations can help reduce stress, improve confidence, boost motivation, and encourage more positive thinking. While affirmations are not a magic solution, they can be a helpful part

When you think about preparing for the bar exam, what comes to mind? Probably things like memorizing blackletter law, completing thousands of multiple-choice questions, practicing essays and performance tests, and reviewing outlines until you can recite the elements of adverse possession or the hearsay exceptions from memory. All of those things are essential. But there's another part of bar exam preparation that almost nobody talks about. The chair. Yes, the chair. Over two

If you've been watching the FIFA World Cup over the past couple of weeks, you've probably noticed something unusual: Mandatory hydration breaks. Traditionally, soccer (or football, depending on where you are) is a sport with very few interruptions. The clock keeps running, and players are expected to continue competing through long stretches of play. Yet FIFA recently decided that player health and performance justify stopping even the world's biggest sporting event so athlet

One of the most common concerns I hear from bar examinees is some variation of the following: "I'm struggling with the essays. I keep running out of time, and I really want to improve my scores." The good news is that essay performance is often one of the most improvable portions of the bar exam. While there is no magic solution, there are several practical steps that can help you become more efficient and earn additional points on the essay portion of the bar exam, like the

One of the more common frustrations I hear from bar examinees is this: "I know the law, but when I sit down to write an essay, I can't remember the rule statement." If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many students believe that success on the essay portion of the bar exam requires memorizing hundreds of rule statements word-for-word. They spend hours rereading outlines, highlighting commercial course materials, and reviewing flashcards, only to discover that when they

Happy National Donut Day! Before anyone emails me: Yes, I realize that a "donut" and a "do not" are two completely different things. But if you've spent any amount of time reading ProfessorTommy.tips, you know there was no chance I was letting a perfectly good pun go to waste. Today, people across the country will celebrate with glazed donuts, chocolate donuts, powdered donuts, jelly-filled donuts, and perhaps even a dozen donuts. Since donuts are traditionally sold by the do