Topic 2: When Should I Take the MPRE? Are you wondering when to take the MPRE? Here, we tell you when the MPRE is offered and when we recommend that you take it.
The MPRE is administered three times a year (with two test dates each administration)
Not feeling good about your first-semester law school grades? Were your first-semester law school grades lower than you expected? Looking to improve your law school grades your next semester?
You are not alone. Many students struggle their first semester of law school and many receive grades that are lower than they expect. Students frequently complain that their grades do not reflect the amount of work that they put in over the semester. Additionally, a strict grading curve certainly does not help matters.
However, just because you did not get the grades you expected your first semester, does not mean you cannot improve your law school grades your second semester. If you revamp your study habits and change your focus, you can also improve your law school grades.
So if you are looking to improve your law school grades your second semester of law school, here are some tips to consider: Read more
First year law school classes vary from school to school. However, the majority of schools follow a traditional law school curriculum that includes some basic first year (or 1L) classes. You can read about the exact first year law school classes you are likely to see here.
The traditional law school curriculum includes the following classes: Read more
“Should I go to law school?” is a difficult (and highly-debated) question as it is. With the dismal job market and an astronomical amount of debt that law students are in, most people think law school is simply a bad choice.
So the question “Should I go to law school if I do not want to practice law?” is often met with a resounding “no!!” This question is asked by only a small percentage of the population (I was part of that small percentage) and that small percentage will have to defend their decision tooth-and-nail if they truly do not plan on practicing law after law school. As someone who had no intent to practice law, I had to defend my decision all throughout law school and even now as someone who does not practice law full time. Read more
Looking to improve your law school grades?As first semester grades roll in, many students find themselves to be disappointed. If you are disappointed with your grades, you should keep in mind that the curve your first year of law school is very tough. Very few A’s are given. The vast majority of students get B’s and C’s. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change your strategy your next semester and improve your law school grades. If you are looking to improve your law school GPA, it is a good idea to take an inventory of your study habits your last semester and look for ways to improve them. Start by asking yourself the following questions: Read more
Should I Join a Law School Study Group?Some students love study groups. Others would much rather study by themselves. If you have been studying solo thus far in law school, you may be wondering if you are missing out by not taking part in a law school study group. If you are considering joining a study group, there are a few things to keep in mind: Read more
Last Minute Tips on How to Write Law School Exam Answers “….Then Dave saw Paul put his hand in his coat pocket and grab something. Before Paul could take his hand out of his pocket, Dave took out his gun and immediately shot Paul in the head. Paul died within seconds of being shot. The prosecutor charges Dave with first degree murder. You are counsel for Dave. What arguments will you make?”
If you are having trouble learning the law, it is helpful to try new strategies. The best way to revamp your study time may be to figure out what your learning style is and then use it to study in a way that suits you the best. There are plenty of good learning style quizzes out there, including this very good one. Read more
Open Book vs. Closed Book Exam: Should I prepare any differently? Yes and no.
In some ways, you should prepare for an open book exam the exact same way as you would prepare for a closed book exam. You should make good outlines and know them cold. You should commit your outlines to memory. You should never feel as though you depend on your outline being in front of you to answer a question – even if you have the option to consult it throughout the entire exam. The best students barely consult their outlines at all during an open book exam. Read more
Final exa
ms are just around the corner. An outline is your best tool for learning all of the law that you need to know in time for your final exams. An outline will help you condense the material that you have learned over the semester into something that is manageable and easy to learn. A stellar outline can make the difference between an A and a B, or a B and a C. Here are some tips for creating law school outlines: Read more
Understanding the primary differences between law school and college will help you in two ways:
On the morning of your final exam, there are a few things you should do. Here is a law school final exam day checklist of things to consider doing the morning of your final exam.
1. Eat a healthy breakfast. Include some carbs, some protein, and some caffeine (if you are used to it…but don’t overdo it!)
2. Read some news articles or do something to get your brain working, but not anything that is too intense. (Some people do crossword puzzles or sudoku!) Read more
Final exams are happening right now in every law school. Here are some last-minute tips for writing law school exam answers. These come from our law school exam course guide. To read more tips, download our free ebook here.
Five Tips for Writing Law School Exam Answers:
1. Show your work! Even if you do not use “IRAC” explicitly, still make sure that you have provided a logical analysis of all of the issues. Don’t make statements like, “Sarah will not be liable for battery because there was no actual contact that occurred…” without defining the elements of battery. A lot of students tend to be conclusory – and lose points because of it. To avoid this, make sure you are spelling out the rules of law as well as the analysis that gets you to whatever conclusion you arrive at for each issue you spot. It’s like when you were taking math tests in college or high school… you probably had to show your work to get full credit. Think of law school as being the same. Show your work. Spell out the rules of law before arriving at conclusions. The rule statements and the analysis that you provide gets you the most points anyway. Read more
A good law school study schedule can make a big difference in your grades. A good study schedule can also save you stress, give you a sense of control and lower your anxiety during law school. If you are looking for a way to improve your law school grades and lower your stress level, consider creating and following a hand-crafted study routine.
Note: if you haven’t yet downloaded our free guide on how to succeed in law school, do so here!
Even better, join our FREE law school prep course here! We discuss how to create a study schedule in great detail!
We recently published an article in the National Jurist titled, ‘What is the First Year of Law School Like?”
In the article, we detail the primary differences between law school and undergrad, including explaining the following differences: Read more
