Thanks to Peter Daines for contributing this article!
Although not everyone takes notes the same way, this system has worked for me (Peter) across my experiences at law firms and courts. This system prioritizes making it easy to come back later and to quickly find the answers to fairly specific questions.
1. Do not rush reading for research.
It will be extremely helpful to you and your career (and your work relationships) if you can get into the habit of carefully reading large swaths of the full text of a large variety of source materials every time you conduct research.
- Don’t worry about the readings you have to do. I get it. You have hundreds of pages to read. Your research task feels insurmountable. Or maybe you are still in law school, and you have been assigned more reading materials than it is humanly possible to read. Don’t worry about any of that. This can stress you out and lower the quality of information you process.
- Take your time. If you rush yourself when you are trying to read legal materials, you will pick up less information than if you read slowly and calmly.
- Prioritize the parts you read. If you do not have time to read the entire document, don’t. You calmly and slowly read through the table of contents or the headings. Actually think about which parts are relevant to your research. Write down which parts those are (and the page numbers where they start). Spend your time calmly and slowly reading those parts.
- Use targeted search terms. Think calmly and slowly about what search terms would be likely to find what you need. Always write down exactly what you searched. You want to know why you read some things and not others.
- Save your progress. If you find what you’re looking for early, or if you have to stop for some other reason, write down a note of where you stopped reading. Save your notes document. Then you can easily and quickly come back to the exact same point
2. Choose & standardize decent organizational conventions.
Pick it and stick it—pick decent organizational conventions and apply them with extreme consistency.
- Always structure your notes the same way. Then you’ll know how to find what you’re looking for later. Plan this out in advance, and take your time—you only have to plan it once.
- Pick up the nuances of the organization you work for. In a law firm, you get rewarded for picking up on all of the nuances as quickly and cleanly as possible, storing all of the nuances in your notes in a way that is designed for you (and ideally others) to be able to quickly and easily access those nuances.
- Make sure the organization allows you to find information quickly. Having a consistent way of storing notes means you can find specific information very fast. If someone you work with emails the group asking if anyone has thought of a particular issue before, it can take you seconds to find those paragraphs in your notes and paste in the underlying authorities and your analysis. Remember, if you are at a law firm, impressing other lawyers is how you get more work.
3. Develop excellent naming conventions (and use them consistently).
You have to be able to find a specific document at the drop of a pin at any future date, and good naming conventions can help you!
- Example naming conventions:
- Article 2020.04.12 (optional author/firm identifier) [Article title or description]
- Resource (as of 2020.04.12) [Description]
- IRS Guidance 2020.04.12 [Notice 2020-12] [Description]
- IRS Notice 2020-12
- [Client Name] 401(k) Plan Document 2020.04.12
- [Client Name] 401(k) Plan Amendment 3 (executed 2020.04.12, effective 2020.01.01) [additional notes/description]
- [Client Name] ASA [Service Provider Name] 2020.04.12
- ASA between [Client Name] and [Service Provider Name] 2020.04.12
- Call 2020.04.12 [team identifier] Team Meeting
- Call 2020.04.12 [my initials] and [partner initials]
- All of these have a “type” identifier first, followed by a date, and the date is always in the format YYYY.MM.DD. When your computer sorts files alphabetically, this makes it useful. Sorting by title would be useless. At first you’ll recognize all the articles by name, but if you want something from a year and a half ago you want to be able to find it fast.
- Different versions of the same document will appear right next to each other in the folder. All of the IRS guidance or whatever you need is all in one place. If you put years before dates, alphabetical also makes it chronological.
- If someone else sent you the document, they probably have their own naming convention. Consistency matters, so rename it to fit yours.
4. Use folder trees.
Folder trees are another useful convention when trying to access your files quickly and keep them in an organized manner. Suggested folders are:
- Client folders. You need to have a folder somewhere on your local hard-drive in which each sub-folder is the name of a different client. I call mine “cabinet.” Then, within each client folder, I can download and sort all of the documents relating to that client.
- Notes. This is where you put your research and notes—i.e., your main work product, described above. This should be a separate folder from your “cabinet.” If you change firms, as most lawyers do a few times, you can take this folder with you and bring your legal analysis to your next firm. Your client-specific information stays confidential, with the firm that represents them.
- Useful Stuff. This is where you put all of the articles, statutes, regulations, and other resources that you download from the internet. Save them as [Type].[YYMMDD] or whatever system you use. Just be consistent.
- Personal. If you have any personal documents on your work computer, keep them separate.
5. Tips for Microsoft Word
- Use styles. Styles are easy to use, and they make many things much easier.
- Use the “headings” setting within the “paragraphs” option box. The navigation pane gives you an interactive table of contents, but easier to create and use. Do include an actual table of contents as well, since it will then survive if your document is printed or saved as a pdf.
As a lawyer, you are going to be dealing with hundreds of pages of nuanced and detailed technical material on a daily basis for pretty much the rest of your career. If you want to be able to deal with that information without going insane, then you need to put in a good chunk of time and hard work into figuring out how you are going to approach these informational hurdles successfully.
Mentors
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- J.D., George Washington University Law School.
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I got my start in the legal field at 15 when a law firm hired me as an administrative assistant. Since then, I always worked while going to school, making sure I did anything and everything I could to learn more about the law.
- Judicial Law Clerk, Florida Second District Court of Appeal
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I love helping people. I inspire and develop the world by sharing my little experiences here every day. I have made it my mission to be a Legend in the Field of Law and help other students.
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I’m primarily interested in IPR, Media and Entertainment, Tech and Cyber laws. Owing to experiences in different fields through previous internships I have picked up the skill of comprehensive research and have had the opportunity to draft various legal documents such as petitions, writs, notices etc.
- Intern, ANM Global.
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- Diplomatic Affairs Trainee, Spanish Embassy.
- Research Assistant, Institute of European Studies.
- Master’s in Public International Law, The London School of Economics and Political Science.
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I am currently located in Utah close to the Air Force base. I am a military child. I grew up traveling the states due to my father being relocated. I found my space in the world with law and sports.
- I’ve previously worked as a paralegal, legal secretary, and a restaurant hostess.
- B.S. in Legal Assistant/Paralegal, Broadview University.
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- Associate, Mayer Brown.
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- I’ve also worked to defend youth and as a Judicial Extern.
- J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law.
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I’ve got years of experience doing research and field-work in some of the most complex political environments in the world. My professional experience has taken me all throughout Asia, ranging from India, where I lived for nearly three years, to North Korea, to which I have made two trips to date. In 2012, I spent most of the year living in Singapore, working on a project on emerging cybersecurity threats in the Asia-Pacific region.
My work tends to focus on issues relating to law, legal reform, and human rights, and also includes conflict resolution initiatives in crisis zones and deeply-divided societies. I have a unique portfolio of expertise, having worked in a number of remote and difficult-to-reach parts of the world, and I very much enjoy sharing my expertise and experience with anyone and everyone who holds an interest or who might be searching for a new perspective to open up a creative path in their own work.
Education for me is the most powerful form of activism there is, and I approach my professional craft with a spirit of engaged and constructive energy to push things as far as I can take them. I don’t consider it naive when people say they want to make the world a better place. I consider it defiantly courageous.
Aside from academic articles and an ever- growing number of online essays meant for a more general audience, I have recently published six books.
- Professor in Global Studies and Political Science, UC Berkeley.
- Ph.D. in International Law, History, Comparative Politics, UC Berkeley.
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Languages: All (This is to the best of knowledge of this website’s content editors.)
A youthful and vivacious first-generation advocate with a keen sense of learning, I enjoy brainstorming discussions and sessions on all things legal. Making a difference, the drive to build and creating a solution when tackling a challenge are the reasons that pushed me towards the legal profession.
- Freelance Consultant, Profound Divinity.
- Legal Associate, Eshwars | House of Corporate & IPR Laws.
- Junior Associate, NVS & Associates, Advocates & Legal Consultants.
- Master’s in International Business, Trade Law, Insurance Law and Tax Law, National Law School of India University.
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Hi! I am one of the founders of this website. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley and Georgetown Law. Here is some of my background:
Legal
- Attorney Advisor at the National Commission on Service (constitutional law, reports, ethics, policy, a ton of legislative drafting).
- Privacy/Cybersecurity Litigation Associate at a big law firm in D.C.
- Litigation work, experience in national security/cybersecurity/data privacy with the Department of Defense, the FCC, the Department of State, and Ingenico.
Scientific
- Taught programming (Python) to law students with Prof. Paul Ohm.
- Supernova cosmology research with Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
- Supersymmetry research with the CMS experiments at CERN.
- Particle and astrophysics research at the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Fermilab.
Writing
- This website 🙂 and our Medium blog and our novels.
- Short stories & poetry, was a freelance columnist for The Boston Globe and The Washington Times, author of The Eyes of Mikra, a spy/war novella.
Other stuff
- Love music and have played the piano for 20 years. Classically trained in Western Honors Chorus & Hindustani/Carnatic.
- Speak English, German, French, Spanish, Kannada, Hindi.
- Love art.
I am always happy to help people, especially with general career planning and mental health advice. As a young woman of color, I am always particularly glad to meet Gen Z’ers and minorities of all stripes (race, gender, sexuality, etc.).
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Languages: English | Some German, Spanish, Hindi, & French
- Gideons Promise Fellow, Orleans Public Defender.
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- Doctor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
- Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Cornell College
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Language: English
I have been practicing patent law for 40 years. I have served as in-house counsel to S&P 500 corporations and startups, and at NASA, the National Labs, and Universities. My law firm experience includes both boutique and major law firms. I have written patents in diverse technologies, such as: The Human Genome Project, NASA, medical devices, materials research, MEMs, etc. My clients in the University of California, Becton Dickinson, and Proteus Digital Health.
- Consultant, Business Development and Patent Drafting.
- Associate Director, Office of Technology Licensing, University of California, Berkeley.
- Intellectual Property Counsel, Proteus Digital Health.
- Senior Intellectual Property Counsel, Becton Dickinson.
- Senior Counsel, Heller Ehrman.
- Patent Counsel, NASA Ames.
- Patent Attorney, University of California.
- Patent Attorney, U.S. Navy.
- Patent Examiner, U.S. Patent Officce.
- Associate, Bernard & Brown.
- Attorney Advisor, Judge Daniel Davidson.
- I’ve also worked pro-bono to remove smoking ads from public transport and shelters, banning flavored tobacco in San Francisco, and carcinogenic industrial waste removal.
- J.D., George Mason University School of Law.
- M.S. in Genetics, George Washington University.
- B.S. in Genetics, U.C. Berkeley.
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I am Marelize Bosch, a professional life coach. Focused on key areas such as teams and relationships, as well as migration coaching – I help people deal with the sometimes overwhelming decisions they have to make in business and at home. As a law professional with an LLB degree, a wife and mother, and recently an immigrant to Australia, I have personal experience in so many of the challenges that you may be facing. I offer a wide range of programs and services. With over 15 years of senior management and executive experience, I specialise in coaching from individual to team, both in-person and online.
- Professional Coach, Bosch Coaching.
- COO, National Consumer Tribunal.
- Registrar, National Consumer Tribunal.
- Senior Legal Advisor, CreditEdge Ltd.
- Legal Advisor, Somnium Investments.
- Bachelor’s in Law, University of Pretoria.
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Languages: English
Hi! I’m one of the founders of this website. I graduated from USC in math and philosophy and Georgetown Law.
Here’s some of the hats I’ve worn before:
Appellate Attorney representing disabled veterans.
Law Fellow at the Northern Virginia Capital Defender Office. Virginia has specialized death penalty defense offices who get called in whenever the state tries to execute someone. I was performing research, writing motions, and interviewing possible mitigation witnesses.
Volunteer Attorney, at several different places.
—Rising for Justice, doing civil protection order defense (I swear we’re the good guys.) A disturbingly large fraction of protective orders aren’t people in danger of domestic abuse, but people who figured out this is a quicker way to get rid of someone than getting an eviction. Rising for Justice takes those cases.
—Institute for Justice, performing legal research for cases fighting civil forfeiture.
—Helpful Engineering, giving legal advice to engineers trying to produce supplies to fight COVID-19.
Miscellany:
I also write things. This website, Medium blogs, and I will write sonnets or song parodies about philosophy or current events on request.
I am not very good at fencing. My goal was to get good enough to effortlessly beat a majority of non-fencers, just in case it ever came up.
I’m better at chess, and would play tournaments occasionally if not for the quarantine.
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I am a passionate storyteller and advocate. I am also an attorney, mediator, designer, and chef de cuisine. In my current position, I build the practices of mediators, arbitrators, and dispute resolution professionals so they can help more parties successfully navigate conflict and find smart and sustainable solutions to tricky, seemingly-intractable problems.
- Practice Development Manager, JAMS.
- CEO, Nikisky Consulting, LLC.
- Member, Mediators Beyond Borders.
- Vice President, France, Global Potential.
- Community Mediator & Trainer, New York Peace Institute.
- Food Literacy Educator, The Cookbook Project.
- Vice President of Membership, CPR Institute.
- International Arbitration, Employment & Labor Associate, Proskauer Rose LLP.
- Board Member, Stanford Club of France.
- Legal Advisor, Union of Overseas Voters.
- Legal Clerk for General Counsel and Hydro Group, Alstom Power.
- Programme Officer, 3D -> Trade – Human Rights – Equitable Economy.
- World Bank Zicklin Fellow, Wharton Business School.
- Legal Intern, Private Sector Team, Oxfam America.
- Law Clerk, Latham & Watkins.
- Political Consultant Account Executive, Terris | Barnes | Walters.
- Political Campaign Intern, Shaheen for Governor.
- French & European Law, Université Panthéon Sorbonne (Paris I).
- International Law, Northeastern University School of Law.
- Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Stanford University.
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Languages: English, French | Some Spanish, Russian
Currently, I work as a public defender in the juvenile unit. I love working with youth, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. If you’d like to know more about me, please feel free to send me a message.
- Defense Attorney, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office
- Juris Doctor, University of San Francisco School of Law
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Languages: English
I am currently the Senior Editor of an online legal publication by the name of The Law Review Anthology. This role has helped me develop well rounded research and writing skills. As a final year law student (Batch of 2020), from Government Law College, Mumbai, I have had a successful legal education, having completed 14 internships at some of the most prestigious firms in India. As a first generation lawyer, I did not have anyone to guide me due to which it took me some time to find my feet. I am sure that with a mentor many aspects of one’s career can become easier and quicker. I wish to pass down the knowledge that I gained over the past five years to my juniors who are trying hard to pave their path in this brutally competitive world. My passion to help is inspired by the words of Swami Vivekanand, “A person who is educated through the society and grows through it, but does not give back to it is a traitor”
- Senior Editor, The Law Review Anthology
- Diploma in Cyber law, Asian School of Cyber Law
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- Associate Attorney, Kilpatrick Townsend, & Stockton.
- I’ve also clerked at the U.S. Tax Court, interned for a federal district court judge, and worked as a legal fellow on the Hill.
- J.D. & L.L.M. in Taxation, Georgetown University Law Center. I was an Executive Editor for the Tax Lawyer.
- B.A. in Law and Constitutional Studies, Utah State University.
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I am an experienced legal advisor to senior government leaders on governance and compliance, risk avoidance and mitigation, and public policy. Results-oriented counselor with strong record of resolving complex and high-profile legal matters for individuals and organizations. Proven leader with proficiency in building, managing, and leading high-performance teams.
- Deputy General Counsel, National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
- Master of Laws – LLM, Georgetown University Law Center
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Languages: English
- Patent Attorney with experience litigating in Gujarat, India.
- I’m passionate about service and volunteer to provide education to underprivileged children.
- L.L.M. in Tech, Entertainment, and Media, U.S.C. Gould School of Law
- L.L.B. in Legal Studies, Sir L.A. Shah Law College
- B.S. in Biotechnology, St. Xaviers College
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Third year BB.A L.LB. student from Mumbai, cricket enthusiast, and listener in the world of story-tellers.
- Content Writer, Libertatem.in.
- BBA LLB in Law, SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.
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Languages: English
- Data Privacy Analyst with Syneos Health and tons of experience in the data privacy field.
- Lawyer with a Bachelors in Business and a Masters in Cyber Security.
- Interned at Philly’s DA’s Office and clerked for a Judge.
- Founded a Cyber Law Society.
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I’m an international lawyer at the U.S. Department of the Treasury where I specialize in matters at the intersection of foreign policy, national security, and economics and finance. Previously, I served as an attorney at the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service and, earlier, as an associate in the International Trade and National Security group at a leading international law firm. I hold a J.D. from Georgetown University and a B.S. from Cornell University and am admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the State of New York. In my free time, I enjoy going for long outdoor runs, completing New York Times crossword puzzles, and analyzing geopolitical trends and prospective investment opportunities.
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Languages: English | Some French
- Research Associate, Prof. Narinder Singh. I researched bilateral investment treaties.
- Founder, HopeBright Legal Empowerment Foundation.
- Fellow, Teach for India.
- I’ve also interned in the law and in human rights.
- Bachelor of Law, ICFAI University Dehradun.
- Master of Law, University of Bern, World Trade University.
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