How do I answer law school exam questions? (an in-depth guide) Here, we give you an in-depth guide on how to answer law school exam questions. This is a step-by-step process for approaching law school exams. Law school exams are very different than exams you may have taken in undergrad. Because they are different from […]
What Should I do over my Law School Study Period?
If you are overwhelmed thinking about your law school study period, you are not alone! Many students ask us what they should be doing to make the most of their law school study period.
We have plenty of tips – but we will start by giving you two simple guidelines to help structure your law school study period: First, figure out your weekly schedule; and second, figure out your daily schedule. Read more
1L Final Exam Tip: Print Law School Exams with Model Answers This Weekend!With all of the other assignments you have, the last thing you probably feel like doing is answering mock final exam questions. It is just another thing to add to your to-do list.
Not only is it more work but it is scary to see what a law school final exam actually looks like. So many students never look at exams because they are afraid. They don’t know what is awaiting them so they purposely bury themselves in case-reading, case-briefing, and outlining and never pick up an exam. This is unfortunate because many of these students do work very hard – they are simply inefficient.
The first step to getting over this is to get your resources together and print a bunch of practice exams so you can have them at your disposal. If you have a pile of practice exams sitting on your desk, it will be easier for you to make it a habit to regularly look at law school final exams. It will also be less intimidating because they are sitting right there! (On the contrary, if you don’t have any exams readily available, you are even less likely to practice answering one for not only is it more work, and kind of scary, but it is also a hassle to search for every time you build up the courage to try one!) Read more
The kind of law school exam you are given should determine how you study for it. In order to tailor your studying to the kind of law school exam you’ll be given, you have to first know what kind of law school exam you’ll be given. If you do not know what kind of law school exam you’ll be given, find out as soon as possible. If your professor makes past exams available for review, even better – look at those right away!
Some law school exams are essay exams; some are multiple-choice exams. Some are open-book exams; some are closed-book exams. Some are in-class exams; others are take-home exams. We will explain how the kind of law school exam you have should determine how you should study. 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?”
How should I study for multiple-choice questions on law school exams?
Traditionally, law school exams did not contain multiple-choice questions. However, it has become more popular for law school exams to include a section of multiple-choice questions. Some professors even use exams entirely composed of multiple-choice questions. If multiple-choice makes up a component of your exam, how should you study for it? 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
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
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.
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
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 […]
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
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.