How to Survive Law School (and the Bar Exam) featuring Neena Speer

Neena Speer discusses why she decided to be a lawyer in the eighth grade and the importance of breaking rules in order to create something that you want to exist in the world.

In this episode, Neena Speer, a 2017 University of Alabama School of Law graduate, explains how the importance of continuity inspired her to create her nonprofit organization and why she wants to inspire other minority female law students.

How to Survive Law School (and the Bar Exam) featuring Neena Speer

About This Episode

Fearful of breaking her word to her mentee, Neena Speer created ‘Step 1-2-3: Mentor for Life Initiative’ to ensure that she could continue mentoring with the same child. Neena is a strong advocate of maintaining mentorship relationships because continuity is integral in a child’s life and Neena did not want to break her word. Neena welcomes listeners to start their own branch of the Step 1-2-3 program in their community.

Neena’s childhood inspired her to attend law school because she distinctly remembers disparities in busing different students in her neighborhood to various school districts. As a law student, Neena began journaling about her experiences. This led Neena to write the book, “Dear Future Lawyer: An Intimate Survival Guide for the Minority Female Student.” In this book, Neena explains the various people that one will meet in law school, the explicit biases that a student may encounter, and each chapter ends with a prompt for the reader to journal. Neena focuses on her perspective being a Black and Indian student while enrolled in a predominantly white institution (PWI).

Neena is a licensed attorney in Alabama and manages her own law firm where she specializes in trademarks, copyrights, business formation, contracts, criminal law, family and general law.

You may follow Neena Speer on Instagram @neena_rani, her brand @dearfuturelawyer, her new venture @trademarkthursdays that brings attention to specialized and simplified trademark tips based on her experiences as an intellectual property lawyer. You may also follow her law firm @nrspeerlawfirmllc and her mentorship organization @step123mentor.

Follow the You Are A Lawyer podcast on Twitter @YouAreA_Lawyer, Instagram @youarealawyer and on LinkedIn. Follow the podcast host, Kyla Denanyoh, on Instagram @kjd796.

Recent Episodes

How Coaching Makes You A Better Lawyer feat. Yasmine Salem Hamdan

Yasmine Salem Hamdan is a business owner, podcaster, and coach. After law school at Texas A&M, Yasmine started practicing IP and trademark law. In 2020, Yasmine founded Coaches & Company, which has helped more than a thousand entrepreneurs protect their businesses and brands.

Read and listen here

How To Integrate Parenting With a Legal Career feat. Miriam Airington-Fisher

Inspired by watching courtroom dramas with her grandmother, Miriam Airington-Fisher discusses her background and lifelong passion for law. From focusing on public defense and criminal law to running her firm and becoming an author and speaker, Miriam has a unique perspective on the legal practice because “moms a lawyer.”

Read and listen here

How To Find a Legal Job in Six Minutes (or less) feat. Jodie Zerega

Jodie Zerega is a legal recruiter and founder of Zerega Consulting, focusing on finding superb candidates for her law firm and corporate clients. In additional work managing a team of ten, Jodie created the Attorney Jobs app where law students and attorneys can find fulfilling legal roles. Jodie shares her journey from considering law school to becoming a director of recruiting at a law firm. She discusses her experience working with legal recruiters and how it inspired her to start her consulting company, Zerega Consulting.

Read and listen here

How To Support a Podcast: Guest Reviews and Ratings feat. Kyla Denanyoh

Exciting news! The You Are Lawyer podcast celebrates 13,000 downloads! 🎉 Join host Kyla Denanyoh as she shares her gratitude and reflects on the podcast's growth in this BONUS episode.

Read and listen here

How To Excel with Different Legal Careers feat. Stephanie Clark

Stephanie Clark, a Southern University Law Center graduate, shares her experience transitioning from law school to practicing law in Florida. She talks about her decision to move to Florida for better job opportunities and the importance of free childcare provided by her parents. Stephanie reflects on her journey of taking the bar exam multiple times and working as a paralegal at a criminal defense firm. Tune in to hear Stephanie's story and insights about the legal profession.

Read and listen here

How To Create an Empire of Freedom with Your Law Degree feat. Aman Costigan

Aman Costigan runs a wellness business, is a partner at Shores Jardine, is a wife, #toddlermom, real estate investor, and master prioritizer. Aman acknowledges that finding time for work and personal life can be challenging, especially for an actively practicing lawyer. Listen as Aman explains why she advocates for lawyers and their mental health and why she is creating an Empire of Freedom.

Read and listen here

How To Change Your Legal Career at Any Age feat. Anne Hamer

In this episode of the You Are A Lawyer podcast, host Kyla interviews Anne Hamer, a family lawyer from Nashville, Tennessee. Anne shares her journey from Memphis to New York City for law school and discusses how she ended up in Nashville. She also talks about the challenges of having a southern accent in a northern law school and how it didn't deter her from pursuing her education. Listen to Anne's story and insights on building a successful law career. "You can make a life change in the middle of it and come up with something new," shares Anne Hamer on the You Are A Lawyer podcast.

Read and listen here

How Executive Coaching Impacts Your Career feat. Laura Terrell

Laura Terrell discusses the importance of challenging our assumptions and the need to advocate for ourselves. Laura earned her master's degree in law school and worked in the public sector before becoming an executive coach and in-house counsel with a non-profit organization. Listen to Episode 103 as Laura explains her career journey and her insights as a lawyer.

Read and listen here

How To Grow Your Law Firm with Informal Networking feat. Brent Nelson

Brent Nelson is an international tax and estate lawyer based in Arizona, specializing in working with high-income international families. What he comically calls “rich people law,” Brent found his niche in tax law during law school and focuses on developing meaningful connections through informal networking and social media.

Read and listen here

How Mindset Impacts the Bar Exam feat. Yohanna Romero Baca

Yohanna Romero Baca, a bar exam coach and former immigration attorney, shares her personal experience of not passing the bar exam and how it inspired her to help others succeed. She discusses her unique approach to bar exam preparation, emphasizing the importance of mindset and effective writing skills. Listen as Yohanna explains how passing the bar exam can open doors to career opportunities.

Read and listen here

How Authenticity Impacts Your Legal Career feat. Bianca Jordan

Bianca Jordan applied to 500 jobs before opening her law firm IN 2014. Now, MANY law firm wants to hire Bianca, but she's found great success helping families and business owners with their immigration paperwork. Bianca has also begun coaching lawyers to become better business owners. Learn about the brazen power of Bianca Jordan on the You Are A Lawyer Podcast.

Read and listen here

How To Stay Motivated in Your Legal Career feat. Luis Scott

Luis Scott, managing partner of Bader Scott Injury Lawyers, an eight-figure law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, shares his journey from growing up in a poor family to becoming a successful lawyer and business owner. He discusses the importance of making a massive contribution to his family and how his firm's commitment to excellence has led to its success. Tune in to hear more about his story and his unique perspective on life.

Read and listen here