Episode 470 - Tips for Neurodivergent Law Students - Expert guest interview with Heather Varanini and Rebecca Petrilli

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Fans

A Law School Toolbox podcast episode that centers on practical tips for neurodivergent students navigating law school and the transition into the early legal career. Guests Heather Varanini and Rebecca Petrilli discuss what makes classrooms safe and accessible, including reducing fear and removing additional barriers. Varanini shares how addressing test anxiety improved her performance, while Petrilli connects bar-prep support to study planning, resource access, and jurisdictionspecific practice, including Themis Bar Review course support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Episode Overview

Guest Introductions and Why the Topic Matters

Classroom Safety and Accessibility

Lee Burgess: Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast. Today we are talking with two special guests about tips for neurodivergent law students. Your Law School Toolbox hosts are Alison Monahan and Lee Burgess, that's me. We're here to demystify the law school and early legal career experience, so you'll be the best law student and lawyer you can be. We're the co-creators of the Law School Toolbox, the Bar Exam Toolbox, and the career-related website CareerDicta. Alison also runs The Girl's Guide to Law School. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review or rating on your favorite listening app. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can reach us via the contact form on [LawSchoolToolBox.com](LawSchoolToolBox.com), and we'd love to hear from you. And with that, let's get started. I want to take a second and thank Themis Bar Review for sponsoring this episode. Everyone's journey to finishing law school and becoming a licensed attorney is unique. Even if the bar exam seems far off, it's never too early to plan ahead. That's why I'm excited to share an incredible opportunity from Themis Bar Review that you won't want to miss, especially if you're looking to save big. Themis courses are designed to prepare you for the bar exam with comprehensive materials like 15 to 20-minute lecture videos, targeted outlines, and practice questions tailored to your jurisdiction. Although you're not sitting for the bar yet, locking in your prep now can save you money and stress. Plus, you can rest easy knowing that Themis has a proven track record with first-time takers that often surpasses statewide averages. In July 2023, students who completed 75% or more of their course averaged a 12% higher pass rate. Enroll now to secure top notch resources when you need them, and save with our exclusive offer. Any Themis Bar Review course, whether you're sitting in 2025, 2026, or 2027 for just $1,695, using code LAWSCHOOLTB1200 at checkout. That's LAWSCHOOLTB1200, now valid through December 1st. Don't wait, set yourself up for success! Welcome back. We are excited to have two special guests today talking about tips for neurodivergent students in law school. Our first guest is Heather Varanini, Director of Academic Achievement and Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. Our second guest is Rebecca Petrilli, who is the Themis Sales Director for the Midwest and the Director of Marketing and Content Strategy. So, thank you both for joining me on this late summer day to talk about this really important topic and something that Alison and I are very passionate about. Heather Varanini: Thank you for having us. Rebecca Petrilli: Thanks so much. Lee Burgess: Alright, Heather, why don't we start with you? Could you introduce yourself and share why this topic is important to you? Heather Varanini: Sure. I have been working in this space for almost a decade now, and my whole goal is to help students achieve their goals. So, what does that mean exactly? Iwork with students in all years of law school to help gain the skills that they need to be successful while they're in law school, and to study for and to successfully pass the bar exam. Why this particular topic about neurodivergent student success is important to me? The answer is really twofold. One of which is that there're two things I think are really important for law school classrooms, which is that they have to be safe and they have to be accessible to our students, and that has to happen for all students. I say "safe" because a lot of times what we've learned from neuroscience is that when students are really flooded with fear and anxiety, they can't show up as their best self. It's very hard, and you can't input information and learn effectively when that's the case. And also what I mean by "accessible" is that the class can't have additional barriers for students, especially for those students who have a disability

FAQs

Who are the guests in this episode and what are their roles?

Heather Varanini is the Director of Academic Achievement and an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law. Rebecca Petrilli is the Themis Sales Director for the Midwest and the Director of Marketing and Content Strategy.

Why does Heather Varanini emphasize safe and accessible law school classrooms?

She argues that fear and anxiety can block students from learning effectively, so classrooms must be emotionally safe. She also stresses accessibility by removing unnecessary barriers that especially affect students with disabilities or who identify as neurodivergent.

How does Rebecca Petrilli connect her work to helping neurodivergent students?

She works with students while they prepare for the bar by helping them access free resources and develop study plans. She also addresses how students find study approaches and manage the large volume of information during bar preparation.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Fans