How/What do you study in law school? I am a 1L and would like some study tips.?

Question

I am currently a 1L and i have been briefing every case for the coming week. I think i should be doing more, but i am not certain what? I have taken practice questions/exams, trying to memorize definitions, and rereading the cases during the week. I am willing to put the time in to do whatever i need, i just want to make the most of my time. Could someone tell me some good materials to study and study schedules/tips? Thanks, going to law school has been the best decision for me.

Answer 1

I know it seems strange, but you have to study very differently in law school than undergrad. The most counterintuitive thing you have to get used to is that 1) the professors tell you not to study in ways that are helpful 2) almost everybody studies in a way that is not helpful so when you are doing things right it'll feel like you're alone.

And that's completely understandable. No one likes to swim against the tide. Here's a few things I would recommend:

1. During class and throughout the semester you are going to be reading cases. So you can read the cases, brief them, go to class and look smart. But you know what? No one is going to ask you a single thing about those cases on the exam. Instead, you have to work problems. And those problems usually are not even in the book. If you have not worked problems before the exam, you're screwed. But it sounds like you are/have . . .

2. Get the "Examples and Explanations" series books (esp. Glannon Civ Pro) and "Crunchtime" books for every class: prop, contracts, con law, torts, crim law, civ pro. Get the law in flash cards. Know the latter two verbatim and use them to work the problems in the E&E book without looking. Get all this stuff on half.com, it's cheap there.

3. Don't worry about looking like an idiot in class. They will try to give you the idea that you might get a bump in your grade for participation. They won't. Sometimes, esp. near the end of the semester don't bother reading the cases, just work problems. It's your time - do you want to spend it making other think you are smart?

If you follow the sheep you'll get slaughtered. I did it the first semester and got owned.

4. The only thing they will tell you to do that actually is potentially worthwhile is making an outline of everything that was covered. This is crucial for an open-book exam.

5. Get all the professors old exams and work them. Don't look at the answers. Do them blind and time yourself.

If you think I'm advocating a risky set of study habits ask some upperclassmen how often they brief. There was maybe one person in my entire class who did it after 1L. In bar review you will be tested on all this stuff over. You won't read cases - you'll work problems and memorize rules out of a bunch of condensed books.

It's good you think you made a good decision to go to law school. You might change your mind . . .

Do all this stuff and you'll get on Law Review. I did it, and I was kinda crappy as an undergrad and middle of the road in terms of speed on exams.

L. Rev. = More misery - yet it helps you get a job. That's your reward for your grades.

Important: Listen and work hard in your legal writing class - if you are good it help with L. Rev. and you'll get a good reference from your summer job.

sorry for the typos i am too lazy to correct them.

Good luck! It all sucks IMHO! But you can do it.

Answer 2

You are on the road to disaster - you are busily briefing cases - but class participation & briefing wont get you sh @t. You need to concentrate on writing law school exams - period. Check out www.lawprepare.com ( flemings fundamentals of law - exam solution series) & LEEWES & there are two bar book by Adachi ( Bar Breaker Pubs ) and Mary Galligher ( Bar essay exam work book ) . There is a special skill in law school to writing law exams - this is what gets you the grades - nothing else matters except extra-curricular things like moot court etc. Tell your professors to F them selves - being unprepared in class isnt going to kill you - not knowing how to write the law exam will. Make sure you taileor whatever you learn to the professors specific exam style - look at his model exams and answers..As far as cases go - it is good to memorize cases as long as it is for the purposes remembering a rule & how to apply a rule. IE You want to analogize the fact you get on your exam to the case fact pattern when applying the rule to your exam fact pattern., Get High Court Case series canned briefs these are excfellent. Also - get a treatise BY THE AUTHOR OF YOUR CASEBOOK - for each subject - that will ease the pain of answering the hypotheticals following every chapter.Usually the autor poses the question in the casebook & answers it in the treatise.