489: A Legal Writing Makeover (Part 1 - The Issue Statement)

489: A Legal Writing Makeover (Part 1 - The Issue Statement)

Author: Alison Monahan and Lee Burgess - Law School Toolbox, LLC February 10, 2025 Duration: 7:28

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This is the first episode of a four-part series called "Legal Writing Makeover." In this complete series, we take a piece of legal writing that could use improvement and transform it into legal writing A+, one section of IRAC at a time. We begin by discussing the issue statement.

In this episode we discuss:

  • An issue statement from a sample exam answer
  • How to write a good issue statement that earns you the maximum points on an exam 

Resources:

Download the Transcript 
(https://lawschooltoolbox.com/episode-489-a-legal-writing-makeover-part-1-the-issue-statement/)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) or your favorite listening app. And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/). You can also sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter (https://lawschooltoolbox.com/get-law-school-podcast-updates/) to make sure you never miss an episode!

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee


Navigating law school, the bar exam, and a legal career is a marathon with unique challenges at every stage. The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond serves as a companion for that entire journey, offering concrete strategies rather than abstract theory. Hosts Alison Monahan and Lee Burgess, both seasoned experts, draw from their extensive experience to dissect academic hurdles, career planning, and the personal adjustments required in the legal world. Their conversations are direct and packed with actionable advice, whether they're breaking down effective study techniques, demystifying the bar exam process, or discussing the realities of different legal practice areas. This isn't about passive listening; it's about equipping you with a usable toolkit. While their opinions are strong and sometimes provocative, the dialogue is always grounded in a practical desire to help. Tuning into this podcast feels like getting straightforward counsel from mentors who have been through it all and remember what actually matters. You'll find episodes addressing everything from outlining and exam preparation to networking and maintaining well-being under pressure. Alison and Lee ensure each discussion cuts to the chase, making the often-opaque path from student to lawyer a bit clearer and more manageable.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Law School Toolbox Podcast: Tools for Law Students from 1L to the Bar Exam, and Beyond
Podcast Episodes
522: Is Social Media Destroying Our Ability to Focus? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about a topic we've been thinking about a lot recently – whether social media is destroying our ability to focus. We reflect on how our daily routines w…
521: Smarter Borrowing: How Juno Helps Lower Student Loans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:31
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're speaking with Nikhil Agarwal from Juno about how law students can make smarter choices about student loans. We focus on the benefits of group negotiation for b…
520: Preparing for the NextGen Bar Exam with Themis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:17
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This episode features a discussion with Dan Smith from Themis Bar Review about the upcoming NextGen Bar Exam, highlighting its new computer-based format and integrated ques…
516: Listen and Learn -- Elements of a Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:40
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're focusing on the basics of Criminal Law – that is, the elements of a crime. Specifically, we're going to spend some time diving into the two most important elem…
514: Listen and Learn -- Discovery (Civ Pro) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:25
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing Civil Procedure – specifically, the following topics related to discovery: motions to compel, interrogator…
513: Grappling with AI as a Law Student and Lawyer (1L Summer Series) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, in our 1L summer series, we're exploring whether law students should continue to study as hard if AI can already perform many tasks for us. We're highlighting AI's c…