Law School Toolbox®

Podcast Episode 572: Listen and Learn — Felony Murder and Causation (Criminal Law)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:22 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today we’re exploring some complex aspects of criminal law that frequently appear on exams — the felony murder rule and causation in homicide cases. We have included an analysis of two hypothetical scenarios to illustrate these legal principles.

In this episode we discuss:

Review of the felony murder rule
Which felonies are considered inherently dangerous?
The death of a co-felon rule
Causation in homicide cases, and when is the chain of causation broken?
Analysis of two hypothetical criminal law scenarios

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The post Podcast Episode 572: Listen and Learn — Felony Murder and Causation (Criminal Law) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 571: Listen and Learn — Crimes Against the Person (Part 2)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:34 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! We’re continuing the discussion from last week on crimes against the person. In the previous episode, we covered the basic elements of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping, and walked through a scenario involving these crimes. Today, we’ll build on that foundation by analyzing more complex hypotheticals that test the boundaries of these offenses.

In this episode we discuss:

A review of the elements of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping
Analyzing two hypothetical scenarios involving crimes against the person

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The post Podcast Episode 571: Listen and Learn — Crimes Against the Person (Part 2) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 570: Listen and Learn — Crimes Against the Person (Part 1)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:51 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re discussing four crimes against the person – assault, battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. We’ll walk through the elements of each crime and see an example of how they may appear and interact on a law school exam.

In this episode we discuss:

The elements of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping
Analysis of a hypothetical scenario involving crimes against the person

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The post Podcast Episode 570: Listen and Learn — Crimes Against the Person (Part 1) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 569: Listen and Learn — Strict Liability: Animals and Dangerous Activities (Part 2)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:09 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This is Part 2 of a two-part series on strict liability as it relates to animals (both wild and domestic), as well as certain super dangerous activities.

In this episode we discuss:

Strict liability for abnormally dangerous activities
Strict liability for keeping wild and domestic animals
Two hypothetical scenarios illustrating the above concepts

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The post Podcast Episode 569: Listen and Learn — Strict Liability: Animals and Dangerous Activities (Part 2) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 568: Listen and Learn — Strict Liability: Animals and Dangerous Activities (Part 1)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:00:14 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! This is Part 1 of a two-part series on strict liability as it relates to animals (both wild and domestic), as well as certain super dangerous activities. Join us next week for the second episode on this topic.

In this episode we discuss:

Overview of strict liability in torts
What activities are considered abnormally dangerous?
Strict liability as it relates to keeping wild and domestic animals
A fact pattern from the February 2008 California bar exam

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The post Podcast Episode 568: Listen and Learn — Strict Liability: Animals and Dangerous Activities (Part 1) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 567: Law Every 1L Should Know — Constitutional Law

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:00:42 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we’re discussing fundamental concepts that are taught in first-year Con Law classes. First, we’ll look at justiciability – the set of threshold doctrines that decide whether a federal court is allowed to hear a constitutional case in the first place. Then we’ll move to the individual rights side and dig into the single most important analytical tool in the entire area – the levels of scrutiny (sometimes called standards of review). We’ll finish by working through a fact pattern that ties it all together.

Thanks to Juno for sponsoring this episode! If you’re thinking about student loans for law school, head to JoinJuno.com to explore your options and see how Juno can help you find a better rate.

In this episode we discuss:

An overview of constitutional law
Standing, and other justiciability doctrines
Levels of scrutiny
Foundational cases you’ll likely study as a 1L
A fact pattern walkthrough

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The post Podcast Episode 567: Law Every 1L Should Know — Constitutional Law appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 566: Law Every 1L Should Know — Criminal Law

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:00:41 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re diving into the fundamentals of criminal law. First, we’ll walk through the building blocks of any crime – the elements that the prosecution has to prove for someone to be found guilty. Then we’ll take those building blocks and apply them to the single most heavily tested topic in 1L Criminal Law – homicide. We’ll see how the different homicide crimes are really distinguished by the defendant’s mental state, and we’ll work through a fact pattern at the end.

Thanks to Juno for sponsoring this episode! If you’re thinking about student loans for law school, head to JoinJuno.com to explore your options and see how Juno can help you find a better rate.

In this episode we discuss:

An introduction to criminal law
The elements of a crime, which the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
The homicide hierarchy
A fact pattern walkthrough

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The post Podcast Episode 566: Law Every 1L Should Know — Criminal Law appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 565: Law School Accreditation in 2026: A Conversation with Jennifer Rosato Perea

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:31 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today Alison is talking with the ABA’s Managing Director of Accreditation and Legal Education about law school accreditation — what’s been happening in Texas and Florida, and what it means for current and prospective law students.

In this episode we discuss:

An introduction to our guest, Jennifer Rosato Perea
What does law school accreditation actually mean?
Changes to accreditation in Texas and Florida, and what they mean for students
The portability of a law degree
Choosing a law school in 2026

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The post Podcast Episode 565: Law School Accreditation in 2026: A Conversation with Jennifer Rosato Perea appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 564: Law Every 1L Should Know — Evidence

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:57 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re diving into a fundamental concept in legal trials — evidence. We’ll discuss the foundation that evidence is built around – relevance, and then we’ll focus on the most important topic in all of evidence – hearsay. We’ll learn what hearsay is, why the law distrusts it, and the major ways it still gets admitted. And we’ll finish with a fact pattern that illustrates how hearsay is tested on an exam.

Thanks to Juno for sponsoring this episode! If you’re thinking about student loans for law school, head to JoinJuno.com to explore your options and see how Juno can help you find a better rate.

In this episode we discuss:

Evidence law and relevance
What is defined as “hearsay” and what is “non-hearsay”?
Most common hearsay exceptions
A fact pattern walkthrough

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The post Podcast Episode 564: Law Every 1L Should Know — Evidence appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.

Podcast Episode 563: Neurodivergence in the Workplace (w/Natalie Diggins)

Law School Toolbox Team — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:00:44 +0000

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! In this episode, Lee talks with Natalie Diggins, author of The Autistic Adult’s Toolbox, about her late-in-life neurodivergent diagnosis and the practical “scaffolding” tools she developed to thrive in professional environments. The conversation centers around concrete strategies for meetings, note-taking, and self-advocacy in the workplace.

In this episode we discuss:

How our guest, Natalie Diggins, was diagnosed as neurodivergent as an adult
Meeting anxiety triggers and solutions
Being proactive in the classroom and workplace
Deciding whether to seek a diagnosis
Advocating for yourself as a junior associate

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The post Podcast Episode 563: Neurodivergence in the Workplace (w/Natalie Diggins) appeared first on Law School Toolbox®.