ProfessorTommy.Tips

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

If you weren't watching college football Saturday night, you missed one of the strangest endings of the young season—and, perhaps more importantly for purposes of this post, one of the strangest official statements explaining it. No. 16 Michigan entered its home game against Western Michigan as a heavy favorite, but with only seconds remaining, the Wolverines found themselves trailing 12 to 7 and needing a touchdown. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood launched what appeared

This morning, a Peloton instructor shouted out 1,272 walks. Not 1,250. Not 1,275. One . Two . Seven . Two . For those who aren’t deep in the Peloton universe: Peloton is a fitness platform with live and on-demand classes where you ride, run, walk, row, or lift with instructors. When you take a live class, your username appears on the leaderboard alongside thousands of others. Instructors can see milestone numbers next to your name, like your 50th ride, 100th run, 500th walk

Yesterday I took a live Peloton ride from home with Camila Ramon . It was a 30-minute 2010s ride that turned into a masterclass on what to do when things don’t go according to plan. About a third of the way through, it looked like her bike completely betrayed her. The resistance seemed stuck on the highest setting. No matter what she did, the pedals wouldn’t cooperate. It looked like she was cycling through mud. So what did she do? She jumped off the bike. She moved to the fl

Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory is basically a stress-management tool disguised as a mindset shift. And it fits law school perfectly. In her book, Robbins explains that “Let Them” is the phrase you use when you feel your control-freak instincts kicking in and you start obsessing over someone else’s behavior, reaction, or opinion. Instead of tightening your grip, you make a conscious choice to loosen it. You tell yourself, " Let them think that, " Let them act like that, "

From ABA Law Student Division's Student Lawyer , November 18, 2025: At its core, KPop Demon Hunters is about learning to harmonize strength and vulnerability. The Honmoon—a barrier woven from music, memory, and courage—remains strong only when its keepers accept every part of themselves, even the pieces they fear. Rumi’s journey shows that peace isn’t found in suppressing demons, but in singing through them. Law students face a similar challenge. The pressures of exams, per

From ABA Law Student Division's Student Lawyer , November 10, 2025: If you’ve stepped into my office, you’ve probably noticed the LEGO displays. Some may question my love of LEGO. They may wonder, “Aren’t these toys meant for kids?” But to me, LEGO is much more than plastic bricks. It’s a way of thinking, a method of problem-solving, and a metaphor for what we do as lawyers and, especially, what you are doing as law students preparing for classes and eventually the bar exam.

Right now, I’m ranked first in my pickleball league. But a lat strain on Monday has me benched. With the matches I’ll miss due to injury, my ranking will slide—likely enough that this season effectively ends. It’s a sharp reminder: rankings are history, but readiness is now. A ranking is a snapshot of past results. It compresses a run of performances into a neat number or place on a list. That can be motivating and validating, but it’s backward‑looking. A leaderboard reflects

From ABA Law Student Division's Student Lawyer , October 16, 2025: When people think of law school success, they often imagine students who are loud in class, quick to volunteer, and seemingly at ease in every networking event. The “easy” advice introverts often hear? “Just become more extroverted.” But that’s not realistic. Nor is it necessary. I say this from experience: I was an introvert as a law student, I was an introvert as a practicing lawyer, and I remain an introv

You’ve seen it: A wide receiver or running back breaks free, the crowd roars, and the touchdown is all but certain. But instead of...