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Blog Posts

March 20, 2017
The Top Two Traits of Leadership

A parable of leadership.

April 11, 2015
Summering this Summer Part II

Advice on summer associate positions (part 2).

April 5, 2015
Summering this Summer?

Advice on summer associate positions.

March 14, 2015
The New Third Year of Law School

Jay Price discusses how the third year of law school has changed.

February 10, 2015
How You Approach Your Law School Application Can Also Help You Get a 1L Job!

A brief snippet from two very happy and endearing emails I received. Tell a story, not just now, but in your interviews! - On 19 January 2015 at 10:01 Hi Mike! I just wanted to give you an update on how first semester went: I just had callbacks with Cooley for a 1L SA position, and Munger, Skadden, and Wilson Sonsini just requested my grades. I have to thank you again because a lot of the materials we prepared f

August 1, 2013
...and the OCI Madness begins

A deranged student sent the following email to a close friend and CSO officer this morning.

May 16, 2013
Want to make a really good first impression to an admissions dean or hiring partner?

This is a simple way to differentiate yourself, yet my experience has been that only about 1% of applicants and 5% of law students do it. But 50% of professionals do. Before I reveal it, a very quick backstory is necessary. Without this understanding, I think it is hard to genuinely “get” what I am about to say. The backstory is simply that professionals are really busy, often stressed, and at times frantic. Moreover, they know all of this. Anything tedious that requires a shred of time increas

October 31, 2012
Legal Interview Advice from a Fortune 50 Hiring Authority

Our first guest blog comes from a hiring authority at a Fortune 50 company.

Podcasts

February 8, 2020
How will the rest of the 2019/2020 Law School Admissions Cycle Play Out?

In this podcast, SCG's Mike Spivey speaks on what to expect for the rest of the cycle — including why it might greatly favor some people with strong softs this summer, thus making it a "Soft Cycle," but also why it has and will continue to be slow. Also discussed are two internal LSAC changes that will have significant impact for the rest of the admissions cycle and in future years.

Finally, the link Mike mentioned to the blog he wrote to those who are done and checking out of the admissions process – or just want a different take on things —can be found here: 10 Lessons Life Has Taught Me.

February 22, 2020
How Mike Spivey Would Apply to Law School

This is a very encompassing podcast that features the A to Z of the law school admissions process, starting with "Why am I applying" and finishing with scholarship negotiation and the three things that applicants are doing who are punching above their numbers this competitive cycle—with most everything in between covered.

Three other blogs/podcasts are mentioned during this podcast:

  • This is the brief motivational blog Mike wrote that caught that eye of deans of admissions in respect to writing about what matters to YOU, which is what often stands out to others.
  • This is the podcast on being extroverted when visiting law schools.
  • Finally, the applicant who was admitted to Vanderbilt for standing out despite being 15-17 points below the median LSAT is mentioned here.

Also discussed: My Rank, Law School Transparency, and the Above the Law Rankings.

You can listen to this podcast through the YouTube video below, or on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

March 12, 2020
April 2, 2020
How Will Law School Transfer Admissions Be Impacted by COVID-19?

In this podcast, Mike Spivey discusses how COVID-19 and new grading systems will affect law school transfer admissions. Listen below through YouTube, or on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

Also, a quick note — for a look into Mike's daily schedule (which we've been asked about many times) and some advice on staying sane while quarantined, see this recent blog.

March 18, 2020
Update on COVID-19 / Coronavirus & Law School Admissions

Just a quick update from Mike Spivey on how the continuously developing situation with COVID-19 / coronavirus is impacting — and will continue to impact — law school admissions. Watch here or listen on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

September 11, 2020
On the Prevalence of Bad Law School Admissions Advice

In this podcast, Spivey Consulting Group's Anna Hicks and Mike Spivey discuss bad advice in law school admissions — who gives it, how to identify it, and how to determine which advice is worthwhile. Plus, some bonus [good] advice on LinkedIn at the end!

You can also listen to this podcast on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

Here's the podcast on when admissions officers do take note of a specific applicant's behavior online and the consequences it can have.

And here's the Family Guy parody video mentioned in the podcast regarding subjectivity in admissions.

Please note that we are currently at capacity and are not taking new clients for this cycle at this time (we are still working through our current waitlist in date order). However, we will soon be opening our reservation list for next cycle! You can monitor our blog and Twitter for updates on our future availability for this cycle and for the reservation list announcement.

You may not know that I, and several of my Spivey Consulting business partners, were meant to be at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. You can read the story and my thoughts nine years later in a blog post I just published to my motivational blog here. –Mike