Menos Hiras observes that the increased competition in entry-level jobs has future law students asking with increased intensity, “What makes a law student successful?”

It is impossible to determine law school success by any one factor. However, having the following traits could at least boost your chances:

Reading and writing expertise. 

One of the most critical skills to possess in law school is proficiency in reading. You will be asked to read and understand a colossal amount of legal information, and the text will usually seem indecipherable. Apart from learning to comprehend complex text, you will be expected to write like an attorney, Menos Hiras says. Learning how to read and write in legal terms will teach you how to think like a lawyer, adds Rutger Law School professor, Bernard Bell.

Time management proficiency. 

Having good time management skills is necessary to succeed in law school. A majority of law school courses end the semester with a comprehensive exam. Most first-year students think that it’s alright to wait until then before they begin to study. If you want to succeed, study for the exam throughout the semester while keeping up with your new assignments. 

Razor-sharp focus. 

As a law student, you are expected to focus on complex and dry material for extended periods. If you can keep distractions at bay, Menos Hiras says you will have a higher chance of being successful. Some factors can help boost concentration, such as exercise, meditation, taking notes by hand, keeping away from interference such as your phone or computer, and staying hydrated.

Outline creation willingness. 

An outline is an attempt to reduce all materials from a course into a comprehensive study aid. It may run anywhere from 20 to 200 pages long. Will yourself to make them aid your learning process and boost your mastery of the subject.

These are only a few qualities that can help you become a successful law student. Menos Hiras says that while intelligence and grades are important, passion and perseverance will also take you far on the path to success.

Several factors affect one’s diet, such as vitamins, calories, carbohydrates, protein, fluids, iron, and other minerals. Eating the right and healthy food at proper intervals significantly impacts one’s daily activity. Calories and nutrition play a vital role in exercise, fitness, and athletic performance. Today, athlete and sports enthusiast, Menos Hiras, discusses the factors that influence a proper diet.

The recommended diet varies from one person to another. It usually depends on one’s age, gender, health conditions, and the type of activity one is engaged in. However different they may be, it is never recommended to skip breakfast. Studies show that eating breakfast has decreased health risks, such as heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity.

Menos Hiras also advises against unnatural methods for dieting as these may have adverse effects on one’s health. It’s always better to set weight goals and give one’s body enough time to achieve these goals. Trying to lose a lot of weight over a short period can be harmful. Give yourself time to adjust to the proper diet or that recommended by a health care professional.

For individuals who exercise for more than one hour daily, consuming carbohydrates before and after exercise is advised by health experts. Rice and whole grain bread are a good source of carbs and fiber. According to research, more than half of your calories must come from carbohydrates. You must also avoid consuming fatty foods one hour before any athletic activity.

Protein is needed for the repair of body tissues and growth of muscles. It is also a good source of energy when the body runs out of carbohydrates to use up. Consuming the right amount of protein is crucial as too much may be burdensome to the kidneys and increased risks of experiencing dehydration.

The last but most important nutrient is water. Individuals who engage in strenuous activities lose a lot of fluids. It’s important to stay hydrated during exercise.

For more tips on the proper diet, read blogs by Menos Hiras.

Menos Hiras has seen countless law students begin their internships and find themselves floundering as they try to gain their first experiences as they work with a legal firm. Unlike other internships, legal courses come with a more specialized set of rules and reminders that law interns would do well to remember. Not only would this keep them out of trouble, but it would also show their potential for professionalism. It would also give vital signs to what they have to look forward to in their legal careers.

Winning the internship is only the first step in what will be a long learning process. Law interns shoulder remember the following:

1. Composure and dignity are paramount.

Menos Hiras knows that the legal field is grave, sobering, and requires a certain amount of dignity. This refers to instances whenever you, as the intern, face criticism or disappointment. The aim of all this is to develop your “poker face.” In a field where people take advantage and take into account every outburst of emotion, it would help if you kept yours under control.

2. Make a good impression.

Being respectful is prized inside a courtroom. Start practicing that right away, no matter what curveballs are thrown at you. Manners and professionalism matter in this field. This also means that being on time is essential. Time is a big deal in the legal area, says Menos Hiras, so it’s in your best interest to be on time to your internship, to meetings, and even to social events.

3. Build your portfolio.

An internship isn’t just practice: it’s also an opportunity to make connections, network, and to build your portfolio. Learn the office culture, remember peoples’ names, send thank you emails and cards, ask questions, and make sure you meet as many people as you can.

Menos Hiras believes that if you play your cards right as an intern, you’ll can build a solid foundation for your legal career in the future.

Menos Hiras understands that making your mark in the legal field can seem a little daunting to newcomers. After all, the field is full of incredible lawyers with excellent track records, and everything seems to be highly competitive. Therefore, incoming lawyers need to present themselves in the best light. In a field where how a character appears before judge and jury could make or break a case, first impressions matter. And that goes for the young lawyer as well.

In the quest for a great law interview or internship, many young, aspiring litigators often only have a short amount of time to prove themselves worthy of the post. Menos Hiras says this starts right at one’s appearance.

Wear a suit

It’s a formal interview, so be formal and wear a suit. And it’s not just any suit. There are some recommended guidelines:

• Choose a dark neutral color.
• White shirts for men or blouses for women are a safe bet to wear under your blazers or formal jacket.
• For women, if you’re visiting a conservative firm, wear a skirt with your suit, but pantsuits are also acceptable.
• For men, the tie should match the outfit and in a traditional silk simple stripe or pattern.
• Everything should be clean and pressed

Shoes

Your choice in footwear matters as well, says Menos Hiras. Closed toes for the women in conservative colors such as black, brown, gray, and tan, with the appropriate hosiery. For men, patent leathers are a must, and they must avoid athletic shoes or any footwear that looks worn or is in poor condition.

Appearance

Keep your hair combed and in a neat style. For women, makeup must be understated, and both men and women must wear minimal jewelry.

Above all else, your whole look must be polished and professional. This is not the time and place to wear quirky or trendy clothing. Even cute and memorable must be out of the picture. Menos Hiras reminds you that this is your introduction to a highly professional world, and you must look the part.

A big movie and tv fan, Menos Hiras is often asked by friends and family for recommendations on what to watch on their downtime. Everyone needs to unwind after a stressful day at work, or maybe they’re just looking to indulge in something amusing and entertaining to get away from the world’s bad news.

To his fellow Netflix subscribers, here are some of his recommendations on what to see on Netflix this year.

1. Spinning Out

Sports dramas have been popular for a while—think Friday Night Lights, Coach, and Ballers. But for the viewer who’s looking for something a little more different, away from the Big Four of American sports, Menos Hiras recommends taking a look at Spinning Out. It’s a figure skating drama that follows a former champion trying to get back on her feet after an on-ice accident. It’s been popular on the Netflix slate and getting its buzz.

2. The Haunting of Hill House

Horror fans on the hunt for something to binge on should have at least looked at this widely-popular horror series from Netflix. Featuring a beautiful gothic mansion, a plethora of ghosts hidden in virtually every scene of the show, along with some pretty stunning twists that don’t rely on jump-scares, this is a must for horror fans.

3.  The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Season 3

Menos Hiras explains that if the treatment seems a little familiar to you, then maybe it’s because this is the darker, edgier cousin of Riverdale. It made waves last year for their unapologetically, and sometimes hilariously, Satanic themes. After widespread praise, Sabrina and friends return to take on Hell itself with all the gore, demonic witchcraft, and irreverence possible in something you’d imagine would appeal to the younger audience.

Menos Hiras knows that there are plenty more on the way for Netflix, including fascinating true crime documentaries, the return of crowd favorites like Narcos, and more. He bids everyone happy binge-watching!

Menos Hiras understands that preparation for the Law School Admissions Tests or LSATs is one of the most stressful and high-pressure moments in an aspiring law student’s year. These grueling, intensive exams could give them access to some of the most prestigious law schools in the country, and will be a standard by which their aptitude for a career in law is based.

Here are a few important reminders to take some of the pressure off and to help adequately prepare students for the exam.

1. Review the test format

The test must be very familiar to you by the time you take it. The LSATs are comprised of five different sections of multiple-choice questions. Menos Hiras explains that four of those sections will be graded according to reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. Familiarize yourself with the typical instructions and question types.

2. Practice with sample questions and understand the explanations

The primary method to prepare for the test is to pretend to take it. Study resources on sample questions and read the answers, so you know how the process and analytics work. Commercial preparation materials are readily available, so you’ll have plenty of sample sources to draw and learn from.

3. Patience, perseverance, and endurance matter

This major test is not something that you’ll be able to take up with the bare minimum of effort, says Menos Hiras. It will take months of continuous work and study to guarantee preparedness for the LSATs. While all students do experience busy weeks of academics and extracurriculars in school, the LSATs will not be any less complicated. You will have to consistently study and prepare for months on end to heighten your skill, as this is what the test will largely depend upon. There’s nothing to cram for: it will all depend on your aptitude.

Menos Hiras explains that with familiarity, hard work, and consistent effort, any aspiring student would be able to take on the LSATs with the confidence that they’ve done everything that they could to be ready.

While many would-be law students insist on absolute silence during their LSAT preparations, Menas Hiras says this practice might actually be counter-productive. During a typical LSAT session, one can expect distractions all around you, ranging from people coughing to proctors walking around. Because of the distraction factor, Menas Hiras suggests studying in places with just the right amount of noise. 

1. The local public library. A typical library might frown upon people who make a lot of noise, but let’s face it – people make a lot of non-verbal noise inside. They will pull books from their shelves, drag their chairs across the floor, open and close the doors, and sometimes have some music playing through earphones while reading. This environment might come the closest to the typical LSAT setting.

2. The neighborhood coffee shop. Next on the noise meter is a coffee shop. Like a library, you’ll hear chairs and doors; you will also hear people chattering about, the barista calling out customers’ orders, the cash register closing and opening, and the espresso machine making frothy milk. If you can get past all of those distractions, the LSAT will be peanuts.

3. At home. At first glance, your house might seem like a distraction-free environment. However, if you leave your room door open, you’ll soon notice that there’s a lot of noise coming from outside – meals being prepared and cooked, the TV being turned on, your younger brother talking on the phone. If those are no enough distractions, you can even use an LSAT simulator app that features a virtual proctor that reads the test instructions, a test timer, and even several types of distractions that could be found in a typical LSAT setting.

Preparing for the LSAT is not just about mastering the review questions, says Menas Hiras; it’s also about tuning out all the noise both outside and inside your head and channeling your energies into something productive.

For Menos Hiras, Harvard Law School is one of the best law schools in the world. It is 3rd in the U.S. News and World Report law school rankings and the admissions process is very competitive, with only 12.9% of applicants being accepted in 2018. How does an aspiring lawyer get into Harvard Law? Menos Hiras offers the tips below:

1. Get good LSAT scores. While Harvard Law no longer requires the LSAT and has started accepting GRE scores for applicants, the school still recognizes LSAT scores as a prediction of academic performance. It is tied for the highest median LSAT score for first-year law students in 2018 (173). If you were not able to get a high LSAT score on the first try, you may take it more than once – Harvard will only consider your highest score when you apply.

2. Gain some work experience. One unwritten criterion for law school acceptance is work experience. A lot of top law schools, including Harvard, prefer applicants who joined the workforce after graduation, particularly if it is related to law or government. Joining the workforce shows ambition and the will to put in long hours to get a result, and a good recommendation from your superior could tip things your way. Menos Hiras suggests making a list of work-related accomplishments that your boss could refer to when writing your recommendation letter.

3. Write a compelling personal statement. Law is all about putting together facts and presenting them in a manner that convinces people. Harvard Law admissions will look for structure and logic and your personal statement is the perfect opportunity to show them that you have both. A good personal statement will include a personal narrative, the reason you want to be a lawyer, and the reasons you will be a great lawyer.

So you passed the entrance to law school. Menos Hiras says it’s no time to be complacent—your journey is only beginning, after all. Before you is law school itself, an experience that will test your determination to see your dream through. You’ll need to prepare yourself for this particular journey to ensure that you come out of it successfully.

Follow these four tips to make sure you are well-prepared for law school:

1. Improve your reading comprehension.

Law school will have you analyzing past cases, understanding how the court arrived at particular verdicts, and looking into legal principles involved. This means you will be poring through hundreds of cases—on average, a law student will read a few hundred pages a week. Needless to say, you can only manage this much workload if you can read fast and your reading comprehension skills are adequately honed.

• Sharpen your study habits.

Having an excellent studying strategy means you can cover a lot of your reading requirements within a given time. It’s not that you have to study hard either—in law school, it’s more important to study smart. Create a study schedule that you’ll have no problem following. If you’re the type who learns better in the company of others, you may even join study groups.

• Practice writing.

A common misconception is that speaking skills outweigh all others in a lawyer’s skillset. While it is true that you’ll need to practice speaking before an audience, writing may just be more important. After all, you’ll be crafting essays at school. Once you graduate, you will be writing documents whether or not you become a court lawyer.

• Gather resources.

Invest in references as early as you can. These include books and study aids. They can be pricey, but Menos Hiras says they can help secure your chances of success, especially during your first year in law school.

Law school is a serious endeavor that requires your effort and time. Being prepared for it as early as you can may not make the journey magically easier, but it will lighten your load and help you get more from the experience.

If, like Menos Hiras, you plan to pursue a career in law, you need to pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). As the name suggests, this is one of the most important requirements for entry into law school. Many people who are on a path similar to yours take commercial preparation courses in hopes of improving their LSAT scores. Should you do the same?

A commercial preparation course is like a normal class, but is designed to help students pass the LSAT. If you’re not familiar with the best strategies to prepare for your incoming exam, the course will be an excellent guide and will provide structure to your review.

Preparing for an exam, especially if it’s something as crucial as the LSAT is, ironically enough, often less than appealing. A commercial course will help motivate you to do the necessary work and put in extra hours in your study. Contact with a human instructor could also make the entire process more engaging, not to mention you’ll get the opportunity to ask questions and get personalized answers.

But if you’re the type who learns better when you study alone, then a commercial preparation course may not be helpful at all. Courses are also provided by different companies, so they tend to vary in terms of both quality and instruction. Just because those in another city produces great results doesn’t guarantee that the ones in yours will do the same.

Menos Hiras suggests asking people who have taken the course about their experience. However, keep in mind that they may have study habits that are different from yours, so you are still not assured of the same results even with the exact same course and teacher.

Group or in-person commercial prep courses cost about $1500 or so, so you need to carefully consider if you really need them or not. If you don’t mind studying by yourself, you can hire a tutor or buy review books and sample exams, all of which cost remarkably less.