Law School

Do I Need Tutoring for Law School Classes?

Many students wonder whether they should hire a private tutor to help them with their law school classes. Not everyone needs a private law school tutor. However, there are some categories of students who can truly benefit from having a private tutor.

If you are wondering whether you could benefit from a private law school tutor, examine the following types of students who generally benefit from private tutoring and see if you identify with any of them: Read more

How to Raise Your Law School Exam Grades by Using the IRAC Method the Right Way

in Law School

How to Raise Your Law School Exam Grades by Using the IRAC Method the Right Way So many students use – and misuse the IRAC Method. IRAC, as you may well know, is a method for answering exam questions. It stands for Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion. The idea of IRAC is that students go […]

How to Prepare for Law School Final Exams: (Hint: Stop Obsessing over Cases! Start focusing on what matters!)

2 Comments/in Law School

I had a friend in law school, who I’ll call Adam. Adam was a smart guy. He raised his hand frequently in class and asked intelligent questions. He always seemed to know what the professor would ask and just what the professor wanted to hear. He wasn’t annoying, like some of the “gunners.” He was just genuinely interested in the cases we were assigned to read and he was motivated to do well. Read more

How to Prepare for Law School Exams – Our Guest Post

in Law School

Wondering how to prepare for law school exams?

Wonder no more! It was our honor and privilege to write this guest post about how to prepare for law school exams on the Three Years of Death blog.

This is such a crucial topic right now since final exams are right around the corner. The earlier you start preparing for them, the better off you will be! Below is a short snippet of the post for those who are interested. I’d recommend reading the full post if you have the time.

How Law Professors and Law Students can Make the Most of Office Hours

2 Comments/in Law School

During orientation week in law school, you may have heard the phrase “don’t be afraid to go to your professor if you need help” ad nauseum. Even I say it in quite a bit of my posts! Professors repeat this advice many times and encourage students to utilize their office hours.

Why is it a good idea to go to your professors for help? They can explain difficult concepts that they cannot spend a lot of class time on. They can help you develop good study habits early on in the semester (rather than waiting until it is too late). And if they are not able to provide the assistance you need, they can usually point you to someone who can. If you are able to go to – and make the most of – your law school professor’s office hours, you may find yourself at a huge advantage over your peers who do not take advantage of office hours.

How to Pass the MPRE the First Time You Take It

9 Comments/in Law School, MPRE

How to Pass the MPRE the First Time you Take It: The MPRE is a two-hour-long ethics exam composed of 60 multiple choice questions (50 of which are scored questions and 10 of which are nonscored “test questions”). A passing score on the MPRE is required in order to be admitted to the bar in every jurisdiction except Maryland, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. It is scored on a scale of 50 – 150 with the average score being 100. The score that is needed to pass the MPRE varies depending on where you take the exam but is generally between 75 and 86.

The MPRE tests the rules in the ABA (American Bar Association) Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct as well as leading federal and state cases and rules of evidence and procedure. The MPRE is not based on any particular state’s rules.

In this post, we will tell you how to pass the MPRE the first time you take it. Read more

Should I take time off before going to law school?

in Law School, Prelaw

Wondering if you should take time off before going to law school? Or if the K-JD path is the better option for you?

I was a K-JD student. I went straight through from undergrad to law school automatically without even thinking about taking time off in between. In the end, I think that was the right path for me. But looking back on my own law school experience – and hearing others talk about their own experiences – I’ve realized that taking time off between undergrad and law school provides a plethora of advantages that many undergrad students do not stop to consider.

Inspirational Rilke Quotes to get you through Life Transitions

7 Comments/in Law School, Other

The quotes stand alone and really do not need any further explanation, so we are simply leaving them as they are and am not going to elaborate on them or explain them. Instead, we will only say this about them: We would have loved to read these when going through the uncertain “transition” period of law school. But we would have liked them also when studying for the bar (the transition of finally becoming licensed), looking for and beginning a new job (another transition)…

Every transition brings an opportunity to grow. It also brings doubt and vulnerability. These quotes are about embracing doubt rather than hiding it. Running into new experiences as fast as you can rather than running away. Living the questions rather than demanding all the answers.

Which Law School Classes Should I Take to Prepare for the Michigan Bar Exam?

2 Comments/in Bar Exam, Law School

Have you been thinking about which classes you want to take your remaining semesters of law school? Do you want your classes to have the added bonus of preparing you for the Michigan bar exam?

If you are taking the Michigan Bar Exam and you want your classes to double as a good source of bar exam preparation, you might wonder which classes are worth your time and which classes are not. We will explain which classes will be the most helpful to you – and why – in this blog post.

Public Speaking Tips for Law Students and Lawyers

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Public Speaking Tips for Law Students and Lawyers

Here, we have some public speaking tips for law students and lawyers. Law students and lawyers are frequently expected to speak in public. It is a skill that law students are forced to develop early on in law school – whether they want to or not.

Law students are “called on” in class and are required to answer questions about the cases they are assigned to read. They are usually expected to present arguments or motions during their 1L year to professors or judges. Many law students also participate in moot court where they have to argue publicly even more. Thus, throughout law school, law students will be expected to speak in front of their classmates, their professors, and – many times – even real judges.

Many lawyers continue to hone the skill of public speaking throughout their careers. Litigators frequently have motions to argue and depositions to take. Some give presentations about hot topics in their field of law. Others become law professors, judges, or politicians – all who frequently interact with and speak to the public. Read more

Cultivating Academic Success in Law School – Outline of Speech at WSU Law School

in Law School, Prelaw

Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, MI. This photograph is property of Wayne State University Law School.

This outline is a combination of the speeches given on 8/19/14 and 8/21/14 by Ashley Heidemann to the incoming law students at Wayne State University. It is posted for the convenience of the students who attended the speech, so that it can be referred back to at a later time. However, it can also serve as good advice to those who were not present at the orientation. Read more

Make the Most of Your Orientation Week of Law School

in Law School

Orientation week of law school is supposed to be a time when you are “oriented” to the law school. It is also supposed to be a time where meet new people and gain some understanding of what you’re getting into.

Some people really enjoy orientation week. Others feel intimidated by it and report feeling pressure to “network” and become BFF’s with half of their class right away. There is also a sizable portion of people that complain about feeling like they are back in high school again. Read more

How I took One Full Day off a Week in Law School – and Why I Recommend Scheduling Breaks

5 Comments/in Law School, Prelaw

How I took One Full Day off a Week in Law School – and Why I Recommend Scheduling Breaks

Are you wondering if you should schedule breaks in law school? Most competitive law students do not take time for regularly-scheduled breaks. This is not to say that they study 24/7 and never take any time off – they simply do not incorporate regular breaks into their schedules.

In law school, most of my friends were pretty competitive (like me) and because they wanted to succeed, they tried to work as many hours as they could seven days a week. Some even felt guilty any time they had a family function, outing, or illness that cut down on precious study time.

A few of my friends, however, made it a point to schedule some time off. One took Saturday mornings off. She would wake up late, take her time eating breakfast and drinking coffee, and not start studying until the afternoon. Another took every Thursday night off to go out to eat with his parents an have a drink with friends. Read more