Law School

Open Book vs. Closed Book Exam: Should I Prepare Any Differently?

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

Tips for Creating Law School Outlines

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Final exams 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

What are the differences between law school and college?

in Law School, Prelaw/by JD Advising

What are the differences between law school and college?

Understanding the primary differences between law school and college will help you in two ways:

First, it will help you to familiarize yourself with law school and what will be expected of you in law school.
Second, it will help you to understand that because law school is very different from college, you cannot use the exact same study strategies that you used in college to succeed in law school. Law school is a new game and you need a new skill set if you want to succeed.

Law School Final Exam Day Checklist

in Law School/by JD Advising

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

Show Your Work!! . . . And Other Last-Minute Tips for Writing Law School Exam Answers

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Show Your Work!! . . . And Other Last-Minute Tips for Writing Law School Exam Answers

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

What should my weekly law school study schedule look like?

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What should my weekly law school study schedule look like?

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!

What is the First Year of Law School Like?

in Law School, Prelaw/by JD Advising

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

How to Write a Law School Personal Statement

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How to Write a Law School Personal Statement

There are certain ways to write a law school personal statement that will increase your chances of getting into the law school. Below, we discuss what to do, what not to do, as well as other points to consider when you write your personal statement. We will also discuss appropriate topics to discuss, the appropriate tone to use, as well as some common mistakes that you can avoid making.

Resolutions of a Successful Law Student

in Law School/by JD Advising

Resolutions of a Successful Law Student

Want to make a New Year’s resolution that will have the side effect of making you a better law student? Here are some New Year’s Resolutions that will help you to succeed in law school:

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise is good for your body and your brain. Not only can it give you a nice study break and re-energize you, but it can also help you to learn and encode information.

How to Make a Law School Study Group

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How to Make a Law School Study Group

Wondering how to make a law school study group as effective as possible? A good law school study group can make the difference between a high GPA and a low GPA. When done right, a good law school study group will enlighten group members, clarify difficult concepts, and better prepare everyone for the final exam. If you are planning on forming a law school study group this semester and you want to make sure you get the most out of it, follow these tips. Read more

How to Succeed on Law School Final Exams

in Law School/by JD Advising

Law school final exams are just around the corner. If you are like most students, you feel behind and underprepared. But have no fear! One month can make a big difference in your final exam grades if you use your time wisely.

This post will explain three things to do during your last month of preparation to help you make the most of your study time and catch up as quickly as possible.

It will also delineate three things to not do during your last month of preparation so that you do not waste any time on something that will not improve your final exam score.

What should I do to Prepare for Law School Exams over Study Period?

in Law School/by JD Advising

Study period has almost begun for the vast majority of law students. Many students wonder how they can best spend their time and most effectively prepare for their law school final exams.

It is critical that you spend your study period in the most efficient way possible. Why? Because how you spend your study period can make a big difference between a high grade and a low grade (which can make a big difference in whether you have a job after your first year!). Read more

Do I Need Tutoring for Law School Classes?

in Law School/by JD Advising

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

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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/by JD Advising

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