How to Graduate as the #1 Law Student | by the #1 Law Student

How to Graduate as the #1 Law Student | by the #1 Law Student

Here is a quick guide on how to graduate as the #1 law student. Keep in mind, I may be giving you advice that you do not typically hear. I am NOT going to tell you to read every word of every case. (And I will definitely not be telling you to brief cases!) I am also NOT going to tell you to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I WILL tell you how to study smart to maximize your chances of graduating as the #1 law student.

Please also check out this free guide on how to excel in law school. It contains a much more detailed approach. I wrote out the exact recipe I used to graduate as the #1 law student in that guide. This is just the overview!

How to Graduate as the #1 Law Student | by the #1 Law Student

Start early.  

First and foremost, do not “see how you do” in law school. If you mess up your first semester, you cannot make it up later. Your final exams are final grades. They will determine your entire grade for the semester. So, you have to take it super seriously right from the beginning. If you want to graduate as the #1 law student, you have to start strong and stay strong! If you are not sure you are on track, visit your academic success person, or hire a tutor (like one of us at JD Advising!). The relatively small amount you invest up front will pay off immensely!

Focus on the two things that will help you get A’s.

The two things you need to do to excel in law school are (1) know the law, and (2)  know how to apply it.

You learn the law by outlining and memorizing your outlines.

You get good at applying the law by learning how to use IRAC and practicing it.

That is it. Everything else can either be ignored or should be given a restricted amount of attention.

Cases don’t matter (in general).

People are surprised when my advice is not “read every word of every case.” In fact, please do not do that. Becoming an expert at cases will make you…an expert at cases. It will not help you graduate as the #1 law student. Cases are merely examples of the law. They illustrate principles. It is the principles of law — that is, the rules — that you want to know.

Minimize the time you spend reading cases. (Learn how to speed-read them here!) And whatever you do, don’t brief cases! That is the biggest waste of time. It is very time-consuming to brief cases and has minimal return on your investment. That is, it will not help you on the final exam.

I have substitute taught law school classes before and I can tell you that the professor does not know the cases that well. So neither should you.

What your professor says MATTERS.

What your professor says matters way more than what is in your casebook or your supplement or hornbook.

Your professor writes your exam.

Your professor grades your exam.

Pay close attention to what your professor says in class. Take great notes. Your notes will make up the bulk of your outline, which is your bible for the class!

The #1 thing you can do to set yourself apart: practice exams!

The biggest difference between “A” students and “B” students is that “A” students practice exams. If you know the law well, you are well on your way to getting a B. Maybe a B-. Maybe a B+.

To get that A, you need to know how to apply the law to whatever wacky fact pattern your professor decides to give you on exam day.

The best way to get good at this is to practice exams. So learn how to use IRAC and practice it.

Make your outline — and memorize your outline — all throughout the semester. That way, you have all of study period to practice exams. (Though it is best to start practicing exams even earlier than that if possible!)

Icing on the cake: memorizing some case names.

This really is icing on the cake. I wouldn’t memorize case names until you: (1) have your outlines (2) memorized all the law you have learned so far, and (3) practiced some exams.

But then, if you want that one little thing that sets you apart from others, memorize some case names.

I was an overachiever and used to memorize a lot of case names. It was easy because I worked on memorizing my outlines every week. So adding in a couple case names here and there was not a big deal at all.

Start with the landmark cases and the cases your professor focuses on in class. Ignore any cases that your professor does not focus on.

Note: this does not mean you have to read the case word-for-word. It also does not require that you brief the case. It literally just requires that you type the case name next to the rule of law in your outline (and maybe a sentence description if you want to recall what the case was about.) Do you need to do this to get an A? No. But it may help. I got A+’s in over half of my law school exams and I attribute part of this to the fact that I could recall case names!

Good luck in your venture to graduate #1! And remember to check out this free guide for an even more detailed and systematic approach!

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