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Tag Archive for: first year

Law School Tip: Make an Appointment with your Law School Career Counselor ASAP!

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Should I go to law school if I do not want to practice law?Law school is competitive and the legal job market is even more competitive. This doesn’t mean you can’t carve out your own path in life and get a fulfilling job after law school. But it does mean that in order to do so you have to have a game plan from the beginning.

Your law school career counselor can be integral in assisting you to get a job after law school. The law school career counselor at the school I attended was one of the smartest and most caring people I have ever met. She helped current law students as well as already-graduated law students with their job search. She was full of invaluable insight that I never would have known had I not scheduled an appointment with her! Her insight and ideas led me directly to one of my first jobs after law school. Many of my colleagues said the same. Read more

Law School Exam Tip: Study for the Kind of Law School Exam You’ll Be Given

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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

How to Improve your Law School Grades your Second Semester of Law School

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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

Pre-Law Tip for Success: When to start outlining in law school

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Before discussing when to start outlining in law school, let’s answer a more important question:

What is outlining?

Outlining is the process of condensing all of your class notes, cases, and everything you learn throughout the semester into something that is manageable and easy to learn.  In law school, you will be expected to make an outline for each of your substantive law classes (such as Contracts, Criminal Law, Torts, Civil Procedure). The only course you will not be expected to make an outline for is any Legal Research or Writing class you may have. (For an in-depth guide to outlining, see this post.)  Read more

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

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law school study groupOpen 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 exaIMG_3150ms 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?

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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.

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 student-849828_640writing 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

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

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

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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?

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

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casebook pictureI 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