ProfessorTommy.Tips

I recently added something new to my office: an Obi Toppin basketball card. For those unfamiliar with Dayton basketball, Toppin is one of the best players ever to wear a University of Dayton uniform. His 2019-20 season was remarkable, and he became the consensus national player of the year while leading a Dayton team that finished 29–2 and rose to No. 3 in the country. So, as a Dayton professor and basketball fan, an Obi Toppin card makes perfect sense in my office. But after

This week, I completed my 2,500th Peloton ride. That’s a lot of time on a bike that goes absolutely nowhere. But reaching 2,500 rides got me thinking about something that has very little to do with exercise and a lot to do with succeeding in law school and preparing for the bar exam. I didn't get to 2,500 because I had 2,500 great workouts. Some rides were long. Some were short. Some were hard. Some were easy. There were days when I felt great and wanted to push myself, and p

If you weren't watching college football Saturday night, you missed one of the strangest endings of the young season—and, perhaps more importantly for purposes of this post, one of the strangest official statements explaining it. No. 16 Michigan entered its home game against Western Michigan as a heavy favorite, but with only seconds remaining, the Wolverines found themselves trailing 12 to 7 and needing a touchdown. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood launched what appeared

Updated September 10, 2026 Cycling 2,500th Ride 30 min HIIT & Hills Ride Instructor Emma Lovewell September 5, 2026 2,000th Ride 30 min Power Zone Endurance Ride Instructor Matt Wilpers October 1, 2024 1,700th Ride 30 min EDM Ride Instructor Emma Lovewell January 13, 2024 1,600th Ride 15 min 70s Ride Instructor Leanne Hainsby October 15, 2023 1,500th Ride 30 min 2010s Pop Ride Instructor Ally Love July 10, 2023 1,400th Ride 30 min 80s Ride Instructor Leanne Hainsby April 9,

The bar exam is over. Whatever you're feeling right now—relief, exhaustion, uncertainty, or all of the above—it's completely understandable. I was grateful to record this message for the ABA, and I hope it resonates with everyone who just finished this journey.

California has officially adopted the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam, marking a major shift in how the state will license new attorneys. This decision comes at the end of what may become one of the most consequential weeks in the recent history of California’s bar exam. Over the span of just eight days, three major developments—each significant on its own—collectively signaled the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. While details about score portability under the NextG

Civil Procedure is full of concepts that sound alike but answer very different questions. That’s one reason the subject can feel so overwhelming. I regularly see two related mistakes on Civil Procedure essays. Sometimes students use the wrong terminology. Other times, they stop their analysis before it’s complete. The frustrating part is that both mistakes are entirely avoidable once you understand what each concept is actually asking. If you can separate joinder from subject

"Great kid, don't get cocky." — Han Solo, Star Wars: A New Hope It's one of the most memorable lines in Star Wars. Luke Skywalker has just helped Han Solo and others escape the Death Star. Moments later, he excitedly celebrates after shooting down a pursuing TIE fighter. Han Solo offers congratulations but also a reminder. Success is exciting. Success is motivating. But success can also create a false sense of security. That's a lesson every bar examinee should remember this

Bar examinees spend months learning how to think like lawyers. They memorize legal rules, practice hundreds of multiple-choice questions, write essays under timed conditions, and refine their analytical skills. Yet there is one part of exam preparation that almost no one discusses because it seems too ordinary to matter. Posture. It is easy to dismiss posture as something your parents or elementary school teachers reminded you about. But modern research in ergonomics, physiol

July 3 is National Compliment Your Mirror Day, a day that encourages us to practice positive affirmations. Looking in the mirror and reminding yourself, "I've prepared for this," "I can do hard things," or "I belong here," may seem a little awkward at first, but research suggests that positive affirmations can help reduce stress, improve confidence, boost motivation, and encourage more positive thinking. While affirmations are not a magic solution, they can be a helpful part