January 2013

Cover Story

Taxes, Student Loans, and the Bottom Line By Heather Jarvis

Many people take care in preparing a tax return so that they do not pay more tax than is required. Not only can careful tax preparation minimize the amount of tax you pay, but it can also influence your monthly student loan payments. What specific tax considerations do student loan borrowers need to understand?

LinkedIn® or Locked Out

By Erin Binns

You’ve heard it before. The decisions you make on social media sites can damage your professional reputation. Career services offices remind new law students every fall: Be careful. Keep it private. Shut it down. Don’t offer photographic evidence of your lapses in judgment. All sound recommendations. But the advice here is different. I say: Get online. Populate your profile. Broadcast your activity. Connect with others. Create a profile that stands out.

JOBS

By Carla J. DeVelder

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could outsource your job hunt? You are busy with work, school, family, and community responsibilities. Adding an intensive job hunt to your list of obligations often seems impossible.

PROFESSIONALISM

By Mary Dunnewold

Most law students have been thoroughly warned about the dangers of social media, misuse of the Internet, importance of protecting online reputations, and so on. The message is don’t make anything available on the web that you would not want a potential employer to access.

ADVICE FROM THE INSIDE

By Amy L. Jarmon

Welcome back for a new semester. Whether your grades were a pleasant surprise, what you expected, or a disappointment, now is the time to evaluate your study habits. You need to decide what to keep exactly the same, what to tweak, and what to toss out entirely.

In Session

Life's Journey Leads Student to Health Policy Law

By Eileen M. Laux

Law school was always in the back of Thomas DeLorenzo's mind. His father was an attorney, but he figured maybe acting was more fitting for him.

I Wish I'd Known

Law school, particularly in the first year, does an excellent job of teaching you the finer points of complex procedure and abstract formalities. But learning to "spot the issue" and cramming for exams will only take you so far.

In Brief

Interviewing mistakes, love and law school, going solo.

SECRET LAWYER

By Leslie A. Gordon

After graduating from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1993, Phil Ginsburg became a union-side attorney at Carroll, Burdick & McDonough in San Francisco.

Division Dialogue

VALOR at Wake Law
By Candace M. Ruocco
Spring Circuit Meetings: What, When, Where, and Why to Attend
By Candace M. Ruocco
Student Works to Secure ABA Membership for Law School Class
By Marilyn Cavicchia
Liaison Notebook: At the Forefront of Change in the Criminal Justice Arena
By Artist Hicks
Liaison Notebook: Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence Seeks to Increase Justice for Victims
By Courtnie Swearingen
A Tribute to Gary Munneke: Professor, Mentor, and Friend

Officially Speaking

By Raychelle A. Tasher

Being a law student leader is nothing short of hard work. Every day a new goal, obstacle, or task can make life daunting. It is these daunting experiences that help us develop our leadership skills. It’s the small victories that make being a leader worthwhile.