Status Check with Spivey
139 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 46 ratingsHosted by Mike Spivey, founder of the Spivey Consulting Group, the Status Check covers life and wellbeing plus all things law school and admissions. Our admissions advice comes from our Spivey Consulting team — who collectively have over 220 years of experience working in law school admissions offices including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago, and Penn — and covers how to get into the best possible law school you can, plus news and predictions about the current state of law school admissions.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Work Experience, Admissions Strategy, & Legal Employment: What You Need to Know
April 29, 2024 13:19 - 36 minutes - 33 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco speaks with Pre-L consultants Rob Cacace and Jordana Confino (bios here) about the growing importance of work experience in admissions, why the impact of being a "KJD" (going "from Kindergarten through law school" without full-time work experience) has increased over time, and—importantly—how work experience (or a lack thereof) plays out during law school and in the search for legal employment. You can listen and subscribe to Sta...
What Are Your Chances Off the Waitlist?
April 24, 2024 17:14 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the various factors that play into any given applicant's chances of admission coming off the waitlist. He also gives a quick preview of our (very early) predictions for next cycle. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
Transferring Law Schools: Strategy & Process with Two Successful Applicants
April 15, 2024 14:25 - 1 hour - 75.2 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco has a conversation with Paula Gluzman—a Spivey consultant and former law school admissions officer at UCLA and UW—as well as two of her past clients who successfully transferred law schools: Katie, who transferred from a regional law school in Texas to Columbia, and Melissa, who transferred from a regional school on the west coast to Harvard. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to transfer admissions, including ...
The New 2024 Law School Rankings Explained
April 09, 2024 14:13 - 15 minutes - 21.1 MBIn this brief episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the changes U.S. News made to their methodology this year. You can view the full list of new law school rankings (with +/-) here. You can listen to Mike's last podcast, "Why Rankings Matter to People (& Why They Should Not)," here. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. Please note: When Mike discusses U.S. News rounding up or down a...
The New LSAT & The Elimination of Logic Games, with PowerScore's Dave Killoran
April 03, 2024 14:02 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco has a conversation with PowerScore Founder & CEO Dave Killoran about the removal of the Logic Games section of the LSAT, the new writing section, and what all this might mean for the future of the law school admissions. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
First-Gen Students: What We Wish We'd Known as Applicants, Law Students, & Young Lawyers
March 20, 2024 13:26 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, five Spivey consultants discuss their experiences as first-generation college students, law students, and lawyers, with a particular focus on passing along advice and knowledge that they wish they had known. The episode includes Sir Williams, Derek Meeker, Sam Kwak, Peter Cramer, and Rob Cacace, who, among their numerous other accomplishments, have served as law school admissions officers at Stanford, UChicago, Penn, Northwestern, Georgetown, Was...
Why Rankings Matter to People (& Why They Should Not)
March 04, 2024 14:53 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses some of the psychological and societal reasons that rankings seem to matter so much to people—then explains the reasons that they shouldn't matter as much as they do. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
International Students: Differences in Law School Admissions + Our Best Advice
February 26, 2024 13:14 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco has a conversation with two Spivey consultants, Peter Cramer and Tom Robinson (you can read their bios here), on differences in the admissions process for international applicants, how law school admissions has changed for international students over time, and our best advice for strategically navigating the current realities of the application process. Two of our blog posts are referenced in this episode—our sample personal state...
Law School Admissions Now vs. 10 Years Ago
February 12, 2024 14:39 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna has a conversation with Joe Pollak—one of Spivey's consultants and a former admissions officer at the University of Michigan Law School—about differences and similarities in law school admissions today vs. ten years ago. Anna brings the perspective of someone who was applying to law school a decade ago, while Joe brings his perspective as a Michigan Law admissions officer at the time. They talk about changes in the competitiveness of admissio...
The Growing Epidemic of Addiction in High Achievers, with Dr. Peter Grinspoon
January 30, 2024 14:53 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Dr. Peter Grinspoon—physician, Harvard Medical School instructor, and author of Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction, in which he writes about his struggles with and recovery from opiate addiction. Mike and Dr. Grinspoon discuss mental health and wellness for high performers, why lawyers have such high rates of addiction and depression, antidotes for the factors that lead to these high rates, the story of Dr. Grinspoon's ...
Law School Admissions Reddit AMA with Anna Hicks-Jaco
January 23, 2024 12:30 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, current applicant and Redditor Extension_Ad_1432, who we call "Julia," interviews Spivey Consulting's new President, Anna Hicks-Jaco—unscripted and unprepared, "Ask Me Anything"-style—on anything and everything that was on her mind. They discuss factors impacting this cycle, advice for applicants who applied early but still haven't heard back, weighing law school choices between a higher scholarship or a higher ranked school, scholarship reconside...
8 Ways to MESS UP the Second Half of Your Law School Admissions Cycle
January 10, 2024 13:46 - 14 minutes - 13 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco, Spivey Consulting's new President, discusses common mistakes that applicants make in the second part of their admissions cycle—after they've submitted their applications. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
How to Make Your Resolution Stick, with ‘Master of Change’ Author Brad Stulberg
January 02, 2024 11:36 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews best-selling author Brad Stulberg (whose books include Master of Change, The Practice of Groundedness, Peak Performance, and The Passion Paradox) on how to make real and lasting change in your life. Brad and Mike discuss why we resist change, elective vs. forced change, identity, and how to actually make your New Year's Resolution stick. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, ...
Dopamine & Success with Dr. Daniel Lieberman
December 15, 2023 13:28 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, a psychiatrist and best-selling author of The Molecule of More. Mike and Dr. Lieberman discuss tenacity, goal-setting, and both achieving and finding contentment in success—all as they relate to not just law school admissions (Dr. Lieberman gives some excellent personal statement advice), but a variety of topics, from "doomscrolling" to extinction-level asteroids to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Dr. L...
Insider Look at Admissions with UVA Law Dean Natalie Blazer (Reddit Q&A + Artificial Intelligence in Admissions)
December 11, 2023 15:03 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews UVA Law Admissions Dean Natalie Blazer on differences between this year and past years in admissions, special factors influencing this cycle, AI in admissions, and an insider look into UVA Law's application review process (including why some applicants hear back sooner than others). For more law school admissions advice from Dean Blazer, check out the UVA Law podcast she hosts, Admissible. You can listen and subscribe to Status C...
Handling Expectations & the LSAT with 'Loophole' Author Ellen Cassidy
December 06, 2023 16:11 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Ellen Cassidy, author of the acclaimed Loophole in LSAT Logical Reasoning and founder of Elemental Prep, on LSAT strategies, handling expectations (both from others and self-imposed), trends in law school applicants/LSAT-takers over time, and more. Ellen, as an LSAT expert and former applicant who was admitted to Harvard Law but turned them down thrice, has a great many nuggets of wisdom to share about confidence, bad advice, mento...
The Slowest Cycle Ever
November 11, 2023 14:04 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the reasons that this law school admissions cycle will be the slowest one ever (or at least within our admissions careers)—and, perhaps more importantly, what you should do about it if you're a current applicant. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode on our blog.
Mike Spivey's Top 5 All-Time Admissions Advice
October 17, 2023 14:49 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike gives his top 5 pieces of advice from his 20+ years working in law school admissions. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
What's Wrong with the LSAT? + What is JD-Next? with Craig Boise & Dan Rodriguez
October 11, 2023 22:14 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, two experienced and respected law school Deans—Craig Boise, Dean of Syracuse University College of Law, and Daniel Rodriguez, former Dean of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law—discuss the history, the present, and the future of law school admissions and legal education. Their conversation covers a range of topics, including problems with the LSAT, the recent test-optional proposal to the ABA, the impacts that the U.S. News law school r...
How Important is Work Experience in Law School Admissions?
September 11, 2023 13:04 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses a question we receive often (especially lately, in light of the most recent U.S. News law school ranking methodology changes that significantly emphasized job outcomes over admissions metrics)—just how important is work experience in the law school application process? You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this ...
What to Expect in the 2023-24 Law School Admissions Cycle (+ Q&A) with Mike Spivey & Anna Hicks-Jaco
August 29, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutes - 36.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Spivey Consulting's COO Anna Hicks-Jaco about what to expect during the upcoming cycle, her perspective as both a recent Dean of Admissions and relatively recent applicant, and advice for applicants getting ready to apply. Mike and Anna mention several resources and past podcasts in this episode: Fall 2023 Median Tracker Spreadsheet 2023 Law School Application Changes Compiled Podcast: The Myth of the Early Applica...
Critiquing AI-Generated Law School Personal Statements
August 21, 2023 15:36 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Spivey Consulting's COO Anna Hicks-Jaco gives the insider perspective on AI-generated personal statements—currently a hot topic of discussion in law school admissions offices—and critiques two personal statements written using ChatGPT. One of the AI-written essays follows a more general prompt, and one a specific prompt based on an A+ personal statement written by a real applicant a few years ago. You can read both of the full essays (plus a full...
The Biggest Non-Negotiable Rule in Law School Admissions
August 07, 2023 13:43 - 6 minutes - 5.87 MBAs much as we deign to use absolutes, there is at least one principle we can think of that is absolutely non-negotiable in law school admissions. Regardless of your qualifications, breaking this rule can tank any applicant's chances—this episode of Status Check with Spivey discusses that rule. Mike mentions our blog post predicting the 2023-2024 admissions cycle in this episode—you can read those predictions here. You can find our interview with Terry Real, which Mike also mentioned in this...
The Myth of the Early Application “Bump” & Law School Rolling Admissions
August 01, 2023 15:57 - 7 minutes - 7.31 MBIn this brief episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses what has grown in recent years to be the biggest myth in law school admissions today. Mike mentions two previous Status Check episodes in this podcast: Dr. Jud Brewer on the Highly Effective Way to Overcome Anxiety Dean Z on Underrated/Overrated Law School Admissions Advice + Answering Reddit Questions (Part 1) You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Googl...
Dean Z on the Future of Law School Admissions + Other Admissions Questions (Part 2)
July 11, 2023 12:45 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike continues his conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z"), who in her role as Senior Assistant Dean at the University of Michigan Law School has overseen the admissions office for the past 23 years. Dean Z also hosts the popular law school admissions podcast A2Z with Dean Z. In this second episode of the series, Mike and Dean Z discuss the future of law school admissions (as it relates to the recent Supreme Court decision ...
What the SCOTUS Admissions Decision Means for Law School Applicants
July 01, 2023 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the recent Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision—which ruled against the legality of race-conscious admissions or "affirmative action"—and what it means for law school applicants, particularly applicants of color. He is joined by two guests, Sydney Montgomery (Executive Director and Founder of Barrier Breakers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to and success in higher education for BIP...
Dean Z on Underrated/Overrated Law School Admissions Advice + Answering Reddit Questions (Part 1)
June 26, 2023 13:39 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z"), who, in her role as Senior Assistant Dean at the University of Michigan Law School, has overseen the admissions office for the past 23 years. Dean Z also hosts the popular law school admissions podcast A2Z with Dean Z. In the interview, Mike and Dean Z discuss whether popular law school admissions advice is "overrated or underrated," including applying early, retaking the ...
What It's Like Applying to Law School, Part 3 (Final Decisions & Choosing a Law School)
June 02, 2023 13:42 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, we wrap up our ongoing conversation with "Lucy," a 2022-2023 law school applicant from Reddit (thank you, u/Accomplished-Body785!). We interviewed Lucy at several points throughout her cycle, and in this episode, we delve into her final decisions and her process of deciding where to attend. You can find Part 1 of this series here and Part 2 here. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouT...
The New Rankings & The Future of Law School Admissions/Legal Education
May 23, 2023 15:44 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike gives an insider perspective on the new 2023-2024 U.S. News law school rankings (full +/- list here), the changes in methodology that they made, and how this year's rankings (and the surrounding controversy) may impact law school admissions and legal education moving forward. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.
"Everything"
April 28, 2023 13:41 - 5 minutes - 5.31 MBIn this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about the widespread notion that, even beyond whatever specific and concrete challenges we each may be facing, there is an added factor of "everything" (in today's society, in life) that can sometimes feel crushing. Then he gives some advice. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode on our blog.
Dr. Guy Winch on Handling Rejection (& Waiting) in Admissions (Re-Release)
April 26, 2023 14:09 - 39 minutes - 36 MBThis week, we're re-releasing a 2021 episode of Status Check with Spivey that is more relevant to our listeners than ever—our interview with Dr. Guy Winch. In what has ended up being one of our favorite episodes ever, Dr. Winch discusses his own experiences with rejection in admissions, the research behind these feelings, and specific interventions for moving forward confidently and positively. He also tells a story about the first time he applied to graduate school—he applied to 10 differen...
Interview with a Harvard Law Transfer Student
April 17, 2023 13:24 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Spivey Consulting's Derek Meeker interviews a Harvard Law 2L (and former client) who transferred from the University of Idaho. They talk about his background and story, his non-traditional path to law school, his initial 1L application, his transfer application (and what made it shine), the expectations vs. reality of transferring law schools, and more. Note: Discussion of Max's transfer admissions process begins approximately at the 32-minute ma...
Legal Hiring Tips from an Expert (Part 2)
April 07, 2023 14:56 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Kate Reder Sheikh, a Partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa, one of the top recruiting firms for legal hiring in the nation. Mike and Kate discuss the legal hiring market, how legal hiring may be impacted by the state of the economy in the coming months and years, what you can do to best position yourself for the employment opportunities you aspire to, and more advice and tips for law students and graduates. Before becoming a recruite...
How to Get a Job Out of Law School (Part 1)
April 07, 2023 14:24 - 9 minutes - 8.71 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike offers some tips and advice for getting a job out of law school from his time as a Dean of Career Services during the great recession. Part 2 is an interview with Kate Reder Sheikh, a Partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa, one of the top recruiting firms for legal hiring in the nation. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.
On Dream Schools
March 11, 2023 14:20 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks to Spivey Consulting's COO Anna Hicks-Jaco about a question from Reddit—one that we hear many times every year. "How do I stop being so attached to my dream school?" This episode mentions several other interviews, including our episode with Dr. Guy Winch and our episode with Dr. Judson Brewer. "Life teaches you how to live it, if you live long enough." –Tony Bennett You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Po...
Why Is This Cycle So Slow—& What You Can Do About It
March 01, 2023 14:23 - 9 minutes - 9 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the factors that have led to this historically slow-moving cycle—and how you can strategically leverage that knowledge to your advantage. Mike references two of our other episodes in this podcast: When Should You Reach Out to an Admissions Office, and How Should You Do It? Dr. Guy Winch on Handling Rejection & Waiting You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundClo...
When Should You Reach Out to an Admissions Office, and How Should You Do It?
February 23, 2023 13:57 - 7 minutes - 6.55 MBIn this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses a question that tends to come up frequently this time of year—“Should I contact x law school's admissions office to ask for an update since I haven't heard back yet?”—then talks generally about when it can be advantageous to reach out to admissions, why, and how you should do it. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts. You can rea...
The Rules of Reddit
February 10, 2023 16:21 - 10 minutes - 9.64 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about how online law school admissions discussion can affect (or not affect) your outcomes. Are adcoms on Reddit? Will they Google you? What sorts of online conduct can turn an admit into a waitlist or deny? Mike gives his thoughts on these questions and more from 15+ years following law school message boards. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google ...
How to Crush the Second Half of the Law School Admissions Cycle
February 03, 2023 14:57 - 25 minutes - 59.1 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike gives an update on 2022-2023 applicant data and discusses admissions strategies for the second half of the application cycle: waitlists and letters of continued interest, tips for asking for scholarship reconsideration, and handling the waiting/anxiety. (It may surprise you how impactful that last item can be to your outcomes!) Mike recorded this episode before final January 2023 LSAT data was out—you can find the latest update on our Twitte...
What Triggers Admit Waves?
January 23, 2023 13:16 - 9 minutes - 22.4 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about the different factors that precipitate waves of law school admissions decisions being released, especially late in the cycle/during waitlist season. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode on our blog.
Reducing Stress & Increasing Happiness as a Student & Applicant
January 13, 2023 17:33 - 50 minutes - 116 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Jordana Confino, Assistant Dean of Professionalism at Fordham Law School, about ways that law school applicants and students (and in fact, any applicant or student) can healthily cope with and reduce stress and increase overall happiness and well-being. Jordana is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, and in her current role at Fordham, she develops and delivers programs designed to promote student wellness, mentorship...
Will Medians Stay As High This Law School Admissions Cycle?
January 03, 2023 13:54 - 7 minutes - 17.5 MBIn this episode, Mike gives his thoughts on whether law schools will be able to maintain their historically high LSAT/GPA medians after the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. Note: You may notice that the numbers we cite sometimes vary slightly from the volume data that LSAC publishes. This is because LSAC reports only an applicant's ultimate high LSAT score, even if they didn't achieve that score until months or even years after the date in question. For example, if someone applied in 2021-2022 w...
Happy Holidays—Plenty of Admits Are Coming in 2023
December 23, 2022 20:51 - 6 minutes - 5.57 MBIn this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike offers some optimistic news for law school applicants who may not have yet received any admits. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.
Law Schools Leaving the U.S. News Rankings: Implications for This Year & The Future
November 30, 2022 23:17 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Justin Kane, Spivey Consulting's Director of Business Intelligence and resident rankings expert, about recent developments in the U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings. If you haven't already heard, a number of law schools have recently announced that they will no longer be participating in the rankings. But what does that actually mean? Why are they doing it, and why now? What impacts might it have on applican...
What It's Like Applying to Law School, Part 2 (Interviews)
November 10, 2022 13:20 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Spivey Consulting COO Anna Hicks-Jaco checks in with "Lucy," u/Accomplished-Body785 on Reddit, an applicant currently in the middle of her law school application process. We are interviewing Lucy at several points throughout her cycle to check in about how things have been going, what she's been up to in terms of her application process, and how she's feeling about it all. You can find Part 1 here. This episode is primarily focused on interviews!...
Catastrophizing in Admissions (& Why It's Going to Be Okay)
October 12, 2022 14:22 - 6 minutes - 5.82 MBIn this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about applicants' (deeply understandable) tendency to catastrophize in law school admissions. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
What It's Like Applying to Law School, Part 1
September 24, 2022 14:56 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBIn this first episode of an upcoming multi-part series of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco (Spivey Consulting's COO) speaks with an applicant from the r/lawschooladmissions Reddit, "Lucy," as she prepares to submit her applications. We will be interviewing Lucy at a number of points throughout her cycle to check in about how things have been going, what she's been up to in terms of her application process, and how she's feeling about it all. This episode covers Lucy's applications ...
UVA Law Admissions Dean Natalie Blazer Dives Deep into Law School Admissions
September 20, 2022 14:42 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Natalie Blazer, who currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Chief Admissions Officer at the University of Virginia School of Law. Dean Blazer talks about her path to law school and admissions, the differences and similarities between the admissions operations at the various law schools where she has worked (including Columbia and Georgetown), her thoughts and insights into the application process at UVA (including...
The One Biggest Piece of Advice for New Lawyers from Bill Eddy, JD/Therapist
September 09, 2022 16:29 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBIn this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike interviews Bill Eddy, an award-winning mediator, attorney, author, and therapist who developed "high conflict personality theory" and is an expert in dealing with high conflict people in the practice of law. Bill is the Co-Founder and CIO of the High Conflict Institute and faculty at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google ...
Law School Admissions AMA with Mike Spivey & Dave Killoran (Part 2)
August 15, 2022 14:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBYou can find Part 1 of this episode here. In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike and Dave answer more questions from the Law School Admissions Reddit! Part 2 discusses personal statements topics, reapplying, letters of recommendation, the relative importance of "softs" generally, Why X essays, work experience vs. going "K-JD," how law schools look at leaves of absence during college, and undergraduate record addenda. Relevant links from this episode: 2022 LSAT/GPA Medians (spre...