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Top comments mentioning products on r/LawSchool:

u/fatedreality · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

I passed the CA bar awhile ago but ended up writing this mini guide up for friends who took the bar after me who, like myself, were frustrated with the commercial bar prep courses. I ended up studying supplements (while using Kaplan only for its MBE question bank) almost exclusively on my own schedule (and passed - with a lot less stress than a lot of my peers who struggled to complete the commercial bar prep schedule). My friends found this really helpful so I thought I'd share it with you:


-----------------------
Reviewing the Black Letter Law
I highly recommend lean sheets because they were compact and great for reviewing rule elements.
They also had room in the margins for me to add any other notes I wanted to make.
http://www.leansheets.com/california-bar-exam-outlines-leansheets-com/


I suggest printing the entire pdf in color - double sided - 8.5 x 11 paper
http://documents.staples.com/ASP1/
Binding/Booklet 1
Paper/8.5x11 28lb Premium White / Standard / Standard Print (Precut Size) / Color / Duplex ($23)
-----------------------


Multiple Choice:
Many people say that kicking ass on the MBE section is essential because it's the one section that is truly in your control to differentiate your score. The essay and performance test grading can be arbitrary - most people will get an average of 60 something on everything if they apply the correct IRAC method to the essays. But a lot of people mess up MBEs, and there's no excuse for that because one can definitely improve this with practice.


  1. Critical Pass: http://criticalpass.refr.cc/DHGJQMN (my referral link but you don't have to use it 📷. This was Great to review in the evening when I was too tired to do practice questions. They already added flash cards for the civ pro mbe questions. I was stupidly impressed with how these cards actually covered so much of the questions on actual exam. Definitely essential in my opinion


  2. Strategies & Tactics for the MBE, Sixth Edition (Emanuel Bar Review)
    https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tactics-MBE-Emanuel-Review/dp/1454873124/ref=dp_ob_title_bk


    I used this book mostly for the general MBE test-taking tips and the tips were so on-point. Because I was using Kaplan and it already had a huge question bank - I practiced with those questions.
    -----------------------


    Essays:


    Formatting is KEY. Do NOT write big long paragraphs. I underlined, made sure to write a lot of mini-paragraphs (5-6 sentences max), then move on.


    During the exam, make sure you use every single fact in the fact pattern. Use a highlighter and highlight each fact or mark each fact after you incorporate it in some way into your essay.


    Don't worry if the question asks you something pretty obscure or you just blank on something. Just put down something reasonable and move on. Use every fact (there are almost never any red herrings - I never saw any).


    Using the call of the question--- IRAC. But the IRAC's should be really short and concise - (1 sentence for the issue; 1-2 rule statements, 5-6 for application, 1 sentence for conclusion).


    I didn't have a memorization plan for rule statements, but made sure to know certain rules very well: Community Property opener, Contract (applicable law, offer, acceptance, etc), Evidence (definition of legal and logical relevance, hearsay exceptions), elements of negligence claim for Torts, etc. You'll find good rule statements in the following book:


    Essay Exam Writing for the CA Bar Exam: http://www.amazon.com/Essay-Exam-Writing-California-Bar/dp/073550993X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/176-3124324-1877215


    I didn't actually practice writing a lot of actual essays. I read this book in its entirely and thought it was amazing. The only essay book you need in my opinion. I found the checklists a little hard to memorize, so I just focused on the approach this book outline for every subject. (And memorizing the rules used in the sample essays).


    And what I did is, after reading the tips, I practiced writing essays for the practice essays at the end of each chapter - read the sample essay + looked at the issue chart + rewrote it again.


    I liked this book the best because the sample essays weren't ridiculously long like kaplan and barbri. This book emphasizes what HAS to be in your essay responses, and leaves out the extraneous stuff that will hardly get you any points on the exam itself.


    My essays were much shorter on the actual exam than in any barbri or kaplan sample essay - and I think it was sufficient.
    -----------------------


    Performance Tests
    http://ipassedmybarexam.com/2011/02/13/the-bar-exam-performance-tests-are-easy/


    Honestly - that write-up sums up all the tips you need to do well on the performance test. Really thorough and really hits the nail on the head.


    To be honest, I practiced maybe 2 performance tests in total. The only things I think you need to do is read through all the tips above, and then print out and read all the sample performance test answers for the past 3 years from the CA bar site: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination/Past-Exams


    Getting a feel for the memo structure that the bar examiners wanted was the most helpful thing.


    -----------------------
    Rule Statements
    I did not use this site when I studied for the bar, but someone posted this in another thread and it looks pretty good if you're looking for black letter law outlines and rule statements: By the way, I was briefly looking at this thread for the July 2018 Bar exam and someone posted this link as a good place to get solid rule statements for some of the major subjects:


    https://law.stanford.edu/office-of-student-affairs/bar-exam-information


    -----------------------
    Best of luck!!!
u/Junanman · 1 pointr/LawSchool

I did this years ago (covered free by one of their scholarships). Not worth it if you had to pay for it, and not worth it even if it's free, because it's a week of freedom you are giving up. Basically (if curriculum is the same), for each 1L course, professors come in to teach intro lectures on what they think are the most important concepts. The course has you do mini-exercises and assigns homework to brief cases and how to do legal research & writing, but I don't feel that I had a huge leg-up on anyone when I got to 1L, because every law professor is different, covers different concepts, etc. I know where my Law Preview classmates ended up, and it doesn't seem like LP turned any of us into superstars.

I think if you do any 0L prep you should just read Getting to Maybe, and look on the Top Law School forums for the many lengthy guides about how to do well in 1L. I also read Thinking Like A Lawyer by Schauer (OK), a random book about 1L success written by a Georgia alum (junk), A Bedtime Story by Jeremy Paul (free and a great introduction to thinking like a lawyer, highly recommend), and LEEWS (OK if you don't understand IRAC).

For 1L, I'd say the best things for me was finding/using old outlines for the same professors, updating those throughout the semester, and practicing how to write exams a LOT with one trusted friend so you can grade each other.

BTW for law review write ons (worry about this in your second semester of 1L), I wrote a very short ebook guide on my tips for the writing competition. It's FREE right now until this Saturday, 4/28, download it now and keep it forever till you need it: Hacking Law Review: The Concise Guide to the Write-On https://www.amazon.com/Hacking-Law-Review-Concise-Write-ebook/dp/B07CM7S8NC/

(No kindle needed, since Amazon has an in-browser e-reader; free forever if you have Kindle Unlimited)

u/Inside_Tomato · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Hey, first of, congrats on getting into college! Second, breathe! You got time.

Now, to answer your questions:

First Question

If you are asking about what's the best school to attend in order to go to law school, I don't have any advice there. I went to UCLA and got into law school but I have heard of people going to community colleges, transferring to UCLA, and then going to Harvard Law School. So I don't know.

But if you are asking about which major you should choose in order to go to law school, my advice is that you don't need to a specific major (i.e. political science) to get in law school.

Case in point: I was a political science major during my first 2 years in college and I was miserable. I kept hanging in there because I thought that's what I needed to get into law school. Lies! I switched to a major I seriously enjoyed and graduated with a decent GPA but which could have been higher had I not spent time doubting myself.

Lesson: just do well. That's the only requirement you have during undergrad. Do well. Get a high GPA and study for your LSAT - those two will give you options when you start applying to law schools.

Second Question

You will learn all of the skills that you will need to succeed in law school in law school. But it doesn't hurt to get a head start the summer prior to law school. But to get a head start, you need to know the skills they are going to teach you in law school. Below are some of the skills they should teach you or you should learn in law school:

(a) How to read cases - sorry, I don't have a book to recommend for this one

(b) How to write case briefs - sorry, no resources here either

(c) How to cite cases and other sources - https://masteringthebluebook.com/ is what I would suggest. Law schools don't expect you to know how to cite anything when you start law school. Buuttt, I honestly wish I knew about this resource during my first year (1L year). Knowing how to cite cases, secondary sources, e.t.c. is a must. So why not get a head start? : ) You might end up impressing your legal writing teacher and getting on law review. (But no pressure).

(d) How to write memorandums in which you (1) state what the legal issue is; (2) provide your client's facts; (3) state the relevant legal rule (which you should have gotten from reading cases); and (4) analyze and then make an argument about how that legal rule applies to your client's situation

So the above is a list of some of the skills you ultimately want to have learned in law school. It is the foundation.

But what determines your grade in law school is not just the foundation but how well you can apply the law to a set of facts and under time constraints. I am talking about the exam. In law school, one exam per class is the norm though some professors may have midterms.

Law School Exams

I would recommend checking out this book --- Getting to Maybe: How to Excel in Law School Exams -- if you want to learn how to do well in law schools exams. Below is the link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890897603/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

To Summarize

(1) Choose a major you like and do well in that major and study for the LSAT!

(2) You can (if you want) get a head start before law school but you need to know what skills they will be testing you on and find resources that will help you build those skills.

u/BubbleBathBetch · 6 pointsr/LawSchool

I second what other people said about nice tabs, highlighters, and pens. You can never have enough during your 1L year.

I also second a nice briefcase, specifically one that can comfortably and securely hold his laptop. I came into my 1L year with just a backpack and extremely casual purses. I had to go out and buy myself an nice purse during orientation week because they hosted a formal meet-and-greet with faculty and local attorneys. It definitely would have been nice to have had it beforehand.

Other suggestions:

Coffee K-cups, creamer (the liquid ones in the
tiny plastic cups), and a Fordham mug. My school has a keurig and I always keep these items in my locker.

Speaking of my locker, the best thing I ever did was buy a small mirror to hang inside. In law school, you're always on the go, and I often found myself needing to glance in a mirror to assure that I looked presentable for spontaneous events. I purchased this one and it's wonderful.

I also made an "law school emergency kit" for my locker... seeing that I basically lived there. I can't even tell you how many times I needed the items inside. Countless. At least twice a week. Various items included: chapstick, tweezers, toothbrush/toothpaste, Advil, mini deodorant, A LINT ROLLER, Tide to-go, bandaids, mints, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, a comb, a mini bottle of perfume, an extra phone charger, and a granola bar. I was able to squeeze all of this into a toiletry bag. Here's a nice one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M69R2WA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zQplzbGBDHBF6

This is all assuming that he has a locker. I hope he does... all those books are extremely heavy. He's also going to need a lock for his locker, as well as a picture of you guys to put inside the door. :)

u/Enderdejorand · 7 pointsr/LawSchool

First year lawyer chiming in. I second the not-reading-prior-to-law-school advice, but if you're really begging for it, I think these two books might be helpful:

  • A People's History Of the Supreme Court. It provides an interesting context to the politics behind some of the court's most formative decisions, and it can help jump start you into thinking about some of the more complicated issues that impact the law.

  • Law School Confidential. Definitely more of a guide to how to succeed in law school. I read it on then plane when I moved for law school, around July. It provides a lot of guidance about law school that people don't usually have unless they come from a family of lawyers.

    Edit: While you can't really "prepare" for law school prior to experiencing it, you can somewhat increase your tolerance for reading (which is a HUGE part of the law) by reading non-fiction books. This would only be if you really lack that type of discipline, but if you already love reading, it's probably less important.
u/ShinshinRenma · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

OP, I just did a timed preptest with a 173 yesterday that has been falling into a larger trend, so I'm feeling the fire and if you don't mind I'll share some of my experiences to help you. Because frankly, it's a rough world out there and we need to help each other.

  1. I was going to take the test in June, but the week before the test I was only hovering low 160s. I withdrew and am applying for October, since then my average has steadily increased at a linear rate. If the week before the test you are unsure, I heartily recommend that you withdraw and redouble efforts for the next test.

  2. I now keep an Excel sheet where I keep my score, raw score, and fractional breakdown of each section and a running tally of my average. The far right column I list weaknesses that kept me from doing my best on that particular score, both in terms of the test itself but also in terms of the context I took the test (for example, I have personally found that being strung out on caffeine results in a far worse drop in score than simply having not enough sleep). I strongly believe that my diligent efforts to record my progress has been responsible for my sharp increase in scores recently.

  3. I have done both the PithyPike method and also simply drilling tests sequentially. I think PithyPike is a great method for a foundation to the LSAT, but the drilling of tests has been best for me. YMMV.

  4. I personally think the LSAT does just test you on the LSAT, but that is really irrelevant to how you should deal with it. The reason why is it's also the biggest predictor of your career in law (out of the LSAT, your law school, or the bar exam). You really shouldn't coast at any point on your path to this career, but you simply cannot afford to coast on the LSAT or you will hamstring your career before you even start.

  5. I don't know if you've ever worked a corporate job before (I have), but to just about anyone fresh out of college and hasn't had that experience, they suck and they are by nature very competitive no matter what industry you are in. I thrive on that and don't mind hard work and long hours. If you can't swing an assistant/paralegal position because you live in the middle of nowhere, then a read of The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law can be helpful as a substitute to figuring out what life in law is like.

    In short, you probably need to go big or go home in this field, unless you get a non-conditional free ride somewhere. Johnnymd is right, though, at this stage for you your GPA is way more important than your LSAT, because the window for altering your GPA is much smaller than your LSAT, which you can do anytime.
u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Writing a motion for continuance or a notice of appearance is usually what I would think of if somebody mentioned "form-based writing" in legal practice. Something like an appellate brief must conform to your local jurisdiction's rules of appellate procedure but it should be far from "form-based writing". Something like a brief may have to be more structured and use simpler grammatical forms than what you wrote as an English major, but any writer who is a good writer to start with can take an imposed limitation and turn it into a strength.

It might hurt to say exactly what you mean without nuance, or boring to stick to simple sentence structure and conventional legal vocabulary, but the best writers of all genres keep it simple. You never want your writing to distract too much from your content. Turn it into a tool for vitality and strength in your writing.

Stick to whatever structure your professors are telling you to use -- religiously. My school's legal writing program used this. Along the way to mastering it, you will become a better legal writer. Once you master that, you can deviate from it, but not before. In the mean time, for some inspiration and some ideas for how to make your writing pop without deviating too much from the form your professors expect, I would recommend Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates.

u/bunksterz · 4 pointsr/LawSchool

If you're looking for some good prep work these books all helped me immensely.

1L of a Ride This one was my favorite and I looked at pretty often for my first month of school.

Reading Like a Lawyer

Expert Learning for Law Students

I feel like these three really gave me a good head start to law school. You cover the basic skills you'll be using your first semester (and all of law school, but you can tweak/find your own way after your fall semester). They give you some practice reading and briefing cases, help you figure out what to look for when you're studying and include some helpful tips on how to do well overall. They also include some good life tips of how to stay happy and feel comfortable outside of class.

u/newlawyer2014 · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

I totally concur with OP, supplements are supplements, not replacements. Read the case book, then read the relevant chapter from the supplement to ensure you got everything you were supposed to get out of it. Once you are getting everything out of the casebook in the first pass, you can discard supplements entirely if you like.

Best supplements, in my opinion:

u/coffeewouldhelp · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Perhaps! But, I do hope you find a way to succeed on your own terms. Listen, I read a few books that really helped me shape my law school experience in school and beyond.

Here's Law School Confidential. It helped me with classes etc., interviews, and defining my initial career trajectory.

If you're looking to do commercial BigLaw, this book gave me some good perspective.

If you're more interested in something like public defense, Brian Stevenson's book Just Mercy was incredibly powerful.

Anyways, I do hope that you find something that works for you. It can be cold out there, and it's hard to get traction sometimes. Best of luck.

u/kdjarlb · 4 pointsr/LawSchool

IMO it really depends on the subject and your style of learning.

Subject: The E&Es are good for some subjects and less good for others. I would look around on TLS and Amazon and see what supplements are highly rated for each subject. For example, many people think the "sailboat book" is the best for contracts. Gilbert's is another popular series of books (similar to E&E).

Style of learning: Some people find that they learn better from a book that's in outline format (like Gilbert's), while others prefer something that's more like a treatise (like the sailboat book). You might want to experiment with both and see what you prefer. Chances are your school's library has many of the supplements and you can go have a look at them there.

u/foxeylocks · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

I recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Maybe-Excel-School-Exams/dp/0890897603

It was like a security blanket for me when I was a 1L. Also, I found it helpful to draft the “Rule” portion of the IRAC essay and add it to my outlines. So the first page of a topic had a box full of “rules.” Drafting that portion of an essay really helped score easy points on exams and saves time when you have an open-note exam! It also helps you solidify your understanding of the law.

Happy studies!

u/-10- · -5 pointsr/LawSchool

LOL, you will be ahead of the poli sci and history majors without doing anything. Those undergrad programs do not prepare you for law school in any special or helpful way. Whatever your "quantitative major" is, you will be better equipped to succeed in law school because you have more experience with thinking logically and confidently, consistently, and rigorously applying rules to a set of facts/inputs.

If you really want a recommendation for how to prep for law school as a 0L, read Getting to Maybe in the summer before you start.

u/PhotoArabesque · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Assuming she is a handwriter in class: Ampad or Tops law-ruled legal pads: https://www.amazon.com/Ampad-20245-Double-Sheets-Canary/dp/B0013CHS0O/ref=sr_1_4?crid=JLMUV261RTRL&keywords=law+ruled+legal+pad&qid=1564676679&s=gateway&sprefix=law+rule%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Docket-Writing-Perforated-63396/dp/B0032JV1KY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=JLMUV261RTRL&keywords=law+ruled+legal+pad&qid=1564676679&s=gateway&sprefix=law+rule%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-3

Also, unless she's left-handed (and maybe even then), a nice fountain pen. Writing with ball-points destroyed my hand: fountain pens allow you to relax your hand and write with no pressure, plus she can use different colors for different purposes (one color for brief, another for class notes, a third for important rules of black letter law, etc. Plus a single modestly priced pen will pay for itself in disposable pen costs during her time in school. Fahrney's, Goulet pens, and Anderson pens are a few of the good online sites. A lot of people like Lamy as a starter, but there are many good choices.

Finally, a Black's law Dictionary might be nice.

u/Biglaw_Litigator · 4 pointsr/LawSchool

Congrats!

Success in biglaw is so much more than doing great work. Find a partner in a strong practice area who can be your advocate at the firm. Seek out cases with him/her. Let him/her run interference with other partners who may not care if you burn out after one year. Also, learn how to say no to work. Hint: don't say "no."

Pick up a copy of The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law. It's an excellent book about firm life that contains a lot of invaluable advice for new lawyers.

u/Johnny9O · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Thanks for all the advice guys, I have a couple other questions. I'm about half way through this book and he mentions some things I'm curious about. What exactly is a supplement to the reading? Do I have to buy it and is it helpful in understanding things better? Also, what are commercial outlines and what do they do for you? Thanks again for all the help.

u/earlierson · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

The majority of the advice you'll get from this sub is different versions of "BE FREE, YOUNG GRASSHOPPER."

That being said, definitely enjoy yourself. When August rolls around, its time to start looking at syllabuses and getting your life together. But you should spend the time you have doing whatever makes you happy.

I read Getting to Maybe, I liked it. Not sure how useful it is, but... might be worth checking out.

u/RuthCarter · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Networking is about forming relationships with people. The first step may be meeting someone at a mixer event but the real work is in keeping in touch over a long-term basis. Find reasons to follow up with emails, going to events, and asking people you want to get to know better for lunch/coffee. As you start to figure out what practice areas interest you, try to meet lawyers who work in that space and get involved in the practice area by joining a bar subcommittee and/or attending events.

I recommend Ari Kaplan's The Opportunity Maker for more networking suggestions.

u/jcantor57 · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Books specifically about the supreme Court or books written by supreme court justices? I would recommend http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0314184716?pc_redir=1404103002&robot_redir=1

Its a great desktop reference

u/Wh33l · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

I only used book 1. Can’t speak for book 2 but I’m sure it’s a great help too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1454873124/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

u/dervy · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

I found it much harder. As others have said, it's a ridiculous amount of work to keep up with - think hundreds of pages a reading a week. I did well in UG, and this 1L year has been a kick in the teeth. I knew going in that it would be hard - spent time lurking here and on other forums - but it's a whole different level.

The traditional saying is that in undergrad, professors expect you to know the facts and regurgitate them on exams. In law school, knowing the facts (in this case, the law itself) isn't enough to get a decent grade. You have to be able to apply the facts/law + analyze in order to get a decent grade. On an exam, probably 25% of the grade is based on knowing the law. The rest is your analysis of the facts that the professor presents in an exam, and how the law applies to the facts. To get a better idea, go here and take a look at the "Torts" sample exam questions and answers.

Course-load wise - don't think that because you took 18 credit hours in UG that you can do the same in LS and not die. I took 13 credits first semester, and it was much more work than an 18 credit semester.

1L year - you should not under any circumstances work. I took a 6 hour a week student job helping in one of the clinics, and it's been a giant pain in the ass. Take loans - you are competing against every other person in your class so don't shoot yourself in the foot by wasting hours a week working. Keep your living expenses under control to keep borrowing down.

I'd suggest reading 1L of a Ride to get a better idea. Your school's library probably has it. Check out /r/lawschooladmissions and /r/lsat for test prep. If you're looking at applying for Fall 2018 that ship has sailed. If you're thinking about Fall 2019, you should start studying now for the LSAT and plan to take it in September (and again in November if you decide you want to retake).

u/carnivorousmustang · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

I'd recommend getting a short horn book on IP in general. Here's one written by my professor, it's pricey for how tiny the book is, but I found it helpful. https://www.amazon.com/Acing-Intellectual-Property-W-Robinson/dp/1634602730

​

Trademarks are pretty straight-forward in general, and a lot of owners file the applications pro se. but there are a lot of caveats/maintenance proceedings that can be easily overlooked. PTO has some intro videos on the basics of TM: https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics

For copyright, the copyright office actually has a series of documents called "circulars" that covers a lot of the basics of copyright: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/

u/real_nice_guy · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

>That is, I don't plan on practicing law, but rather I'd look to study civil rights law and constitutional history so as to improve my prospects as a professor of political theory

Go buy this book, read it cover to cover, and save yourself the 150k of debt you'd need to go into just to take a semester/year long class in Con law.

Getting a JD will do nothing at all for your career prospects after your PhD unless you want to become an actual attorney.

u/rutterkin · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

I did the Kaplan prep course and it was really helpful when I went into the LSAT. Recommended. You can probably get an old one cheap.

I also really recommend the book "Getting to Maybe," which will give you a really good idea of what law school is going to be like, particularly law school exams.

u/badassmother4000 · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Really appreciate the thorough response, and thanks for the encouragement. I really think I'll end up incorporating a lot of this.

If I can ask a couple questions about your resources: Were your custom LeanSheets just two/three-pagers you boiled down from bigger resources?

Also I'm the same way when it comes to learning from getting questions wrong and just continuing to drill. I've considered investing in the Emanuel MBE alongside having some old BarBri resources from a friend, but wasn't sure if there were some MBE resources you liked beyond BarBri's.

Again, thanks a lot for the response.

u/timesyours · -1 pointsr/LawSchool

Imagining you don't have time to read full books amidst your other 1L reading, try Wikipedia (seriously). Obviously, be wary of the source, but for an article as researched and clicked-on as the "United States Constitution," you'd be hard-pressed to find any fundamental errors.

Also try Wikipedia pages like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_(1776–89)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_(1789–1849)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marbury_v._Madison

Also, most, if not all, of the cases you will read in ConLaw will have Wikipedia pages, since we are talking about some of the landmark cases of all time. Most of the pages are well-researched, and it is usually easy to tell when they are not (by lack of citation, grammatical/spelling errors, etc). Before reading a case, go to Wikipedia to get background information that will put everything in context. It will make the cases easier to remember, they will make more sense from a legal standpoint, and you will know more than most of your classmates. (But I am a history buff, so maybe other people don't care).

For a supplement, I cannot recommend Chemerinsky's "Principles and Policies" enough. It will be invaluable throughout law school and beyond. At over 1400 pages, it is not meant to be a beginning-to-end page turner, but rather is an immensely helpful resource on individual topics as you go along.

u/ohlawl · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

The book you want is The Official Guide to Legal Specialties. My law school's CDO gave these out to all 1Ls, and I've found it a great way to learn about different areas of the law.

Edit: Further, I am a first year law student and studied political theory as an undergrad. I would recommend classes in economics, business, government, philosophy, and writing. Classes in all of these fields would be beneficial.

u/hi_im_haze · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

This book is a bit dated at this point but is a pretty good resource. It profiles about 30 practice areas and contains interviews from practicing attorneys in each area. You can pick up a used copy on Amazon or Ebay for very cheap.

u/AndIPullOutMyNine · 6 pointsr/LawSchool

1L of a Ride is what I'd recommend, but in reality - nothing is going to be out there that's truly going to help you. It's a learning curve right the beginning for how to read the cases, and then you'll develop your own strategies. The rest of the tips are just fluff that apply to going back to school for any program.

u/HazyAttorney · 1 pointr/LawSchool

I am not sure about the tutor thing -- but one resource I do recommend is Emmanuel's strategy and tactics for the MBE: https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tactics-MBE-Emanuel-Review/dp/1454873124

​

It wont substitute a substantive study or bar prep, but it is really helpful to understand how the MBE questions are designed to give you some test taking strategy.

u/beingisdoing · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312605110/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lpqnDbRQRCCFB

Writing Essay Exams To Succeed in Law School: Not Just Survive, Fourth Edition (Academic Success) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1454841621/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XpqnDb593S6GG

1l of a Ride: A Well-traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School (Career Guides) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1634607899/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qqqnDbW2K5BJC

u/CMac86 · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Specialties-Career-Guides/dp/0159003911 I bought this one. It does a pretty good job of diving into what different specialties do, interviews with people that actually work in them, and suggestions for what to focus on in law school.

u/Marzapan1 · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

I used Marvin Chirelstein's Concepts and Case Analysis in the Law of Contracts, highly readable, informative and packed with info. Read it probably three times throughout the semester, highly recommend

Everyone I know refers to it simply at "The Boat Book," because it has a boat on its cover haha

http://www.amazon.com/Chirelsteins-Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-Insights/dp/160930330X

u/aelphabawest · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

My school has a repository at our library for old exams - both the questions and what the professor considered a "good exam." Maybe yours does as well? Worth reading if so.

It is absolutely not a knowledge dump. The rule of thumb you'll hear a lot is some variation of IRACC (issue, rule, analysis, counter argument, conclusion). You're looking for the gaps. You're looking to apply the knowledge you learned.

You may want to read Getting to Maybe.

u/yumeoimushi · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

Point made by Guberman and Making Your Case helped a lot for me, personally.

The trick at my school is to find out what the professor's expectations are and produce product that's as close as possible to it. I think some of my classmates try too hard to be lawyers, law review editors, or judges. Good luck!

u/PepperoniFire · 18 pointsr/LawSchool

> Is there any secondary source I could be pointed to that might make the whole con law concept easier to grasp?

The answer to this question is always Chemerinsky's hornbook. I outlined this instead of my textbook and it worked out very well.

u/Paladuck · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

I found Law School Confidential to be helpful and interesting.

u/wizardyourlifeforce · 4 pointsr/LawSchool

Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams
(https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Maybe-Excel-School-Exams/dp/0890897603/)

Worth it just for the exam formatting advice.

u/jessmeesh14 · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Here's Chemerinsky, but it's not short.

There's a bunch of useful outlines/flowcharts that have been posted here and on /r/LawSchoolOutlines. If you use the search feature you'll find them.

u/that-freakin-guy · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

Chereminsky's Con Law supplement.

It will explain the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and the Constitutional amendments excluding amendments 4 and 6 as those are covered in Con Crim Pro. It will talk about the 5th Amendment however which covers the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. But it just explains the law and how the courts apply it, it will not teach you how to think like a lawyer. It will just demystify the confusion regarding Constitutional law and you would have to apply the current facts from the situation at hand to figure things out on your own.

u/rhino369 · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Buy this book now (either on kindle, kindle app on your tablet, or next day shipping). http://www.amazon.com/Getting-To-Maybe-Excel-School/dp/0890897603

It's a good explanation about how to approach an issue-spotter law exam.

u/throwawayscientist2 · 4 pointsr/LawSchool

Making your own outline is overrated. Just find a good one and study that. Also, read this.

u/Mike_Dicta · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Law-Principles-Policies-Treatise/dp/1454849479

Chapters 6, 9, 10, and 12. These will help you more than bickering with folks here.

u/DBLHelix · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

Start by getting this book. Best $50 you'll ever spend. In fact, I abandoned my Themis essay materials and used it almost exclusively the final 3-4 weeks of studying.

u/m1ldsauce · 2 pointsr/LawSchool

This 100%. As for it being expensive, I rented on Amazon and it was really cheap:

LINK

u/FauxPsych · 9 pointsr/LawSchool

Conclusion,
Rule,
Rule Explanation,
Application,
Conclusion

Within that, in addressing elements, you will probably have mini versions of:

Issue,
Rule,
Application,
Conclusion

That should be your default structure. As for actual headings, it depends on the memo.

For Predictive I used:

Question Presented;
Brief Answer;
Facts;
Discussion (This is the meat of the memo, that utilizes the above structures);
Conclusion

For Persuasive:

Introduction;
Statement of Facts;
Legal Standard;
Argument (HUGE, think headings and subheadings each with its own CRREAC or IRAC);
Conclusion

I would also strongly recommend Point Made. My school really stresses legal writing and clinical work so all of our legal writing professors are tenured.

u/newprofile15 · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Sounds like a scam. There is no "proven strategy to ace 1L" other than study more and more effectively than your peers and be skilled at taking law school exams. This guy is just going to tell you shit like that.

Waste of time, not helpful, and definitely not worth a high price tag.

If you REALLY NEED to gun super hard before law school starts, read something like Getting to Maybe or this book: http://www.amazon.com/1L-Ride-Well-Traveled-Professors-Roadmap/dp/0314283056/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1QC6VB60RSA1YWJPWNEG.

But honestly, you don't really need to start studying before 1L starts. You just need to be willing to put in the time and energy and thought into classes and reading assignments when law school starts.

u/orangejulius · 6 pointsr/LawSchool

Are you in law school? You don't have any flair.

Err... I would not send people off reading judicial opinions. Brian Gardner and Scalia have a pretty good book on legal writing. But really, I'd just tell Robotrick to IRAC or CREAC if his writing is weak.

IRAC = Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion and is used for objective writing.

CREAC = Contention, Rule, Example (if you have any. For legal writing these are cases - not sure this would translate too well for non-legal writing), Analysis, Conclusion and is used for persuasive writing.

It's a simple way to break down what you want to talk about. That said, it's not very pretty. It's mainly used so someone who doesn't want to sift through endless BS can quickly figure out WTF you're trying to say because they have a roadmap in their head for what you're doing.

Don't worry about it too much. You can keep IRAC in the back of your head until you're in your LRW class - then do whatever your prof tells you to do.

u/briankupp · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

Buy Erwin Chemerinsky's supplement and don't look back. I used it during law school and during bar prep.

https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Law-Principles-Policies-Treatise/dp/1454849479/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

u/JusticeSnooter · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

Read this: https://www.amazon.com/Curmudgeons-Guide-Practicing-Law/dp/1590316762



>I don't have all the documents they asked me to bring.

What documents are these? It's Sunday. Why cant you go get them?

u/anti09 · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

BOAT. BOOK.

Where this book will take you, you won't need encouragement.

u/missiontothemoon · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

Getting to Maybe is the answer. One-L, Planet Law School, etc. are not useful.

Read Getting to Maybe over the summer, read it again mid-way through the semester, and flip through it before your exams.

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-To-Maybe-Excel-School/dp/0890897603

I am not affiliated with Richard Fischl, just a law student.

u/blargleblargleblarg · 3 pointsr/LawSchool

Buy Chemerinsky's con law treatise. Seriously. It got me an A in con law, and it's succinct and well-written.
http://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Law-Principles-Policies-Treatise/dp/0735598975/ref=pd_sim_b_3

u/Bilka · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

If you're in litigation, I've seen this mentioned frequently.

u/DylanNMU · 1 pointr/LawSchool

Strategies & Tactics for the MBE When I bought it, it was down to $41 or $42. The price fluctuates greatly throughout the two Bar Exam seasons. My recommendation is to do practice questions from your bar prep course and then, 3 weeks before the exam, do the questions in the book, chapter by chapter. These are actual MBE questions which I found helped me immensely as the made up questions from barprep companies got a little outrageous near the end of the course.

u/ineedabulldog · 1 pointr/LawSchool

>I wrote literally the bare-minimum on each exam

This tells you exactly what you need to fix. That's a good thing! Many people do not recognize what went wrong and continue to flounder. At least while you're in law school, do not ever do this again (unless given a word count limit or your professor explicitly requests the minimum). Obviously, don't just recite your outline or word vomit all over the page, but you should be fully and exhaustively explaining your entire analysis from the beginning. It will seem pointless, but you will need to bring up rules and/or cases just for the act of explaining why they are distinguishable or inapplicable (this supports your argument, while attacking the counter). I would suggest you take a look at Getting to Maybe.

u/ThrowawayCAbar · 5 pointsr/LawSchool

First off, if you have the resources/time, try taking the bar next July instead of Feb. You'll thank yourself for having more time to spread out and study. I didn't do that (I took all 3 of my exams back-to-back-to-back), but had I failed a third time--which was possible--I would have moved back to my parent's place and taken the test a 4th time in July instead of Feb.


I started studying a week after my results both times. I got a local CA bar exam tutor the 2nd and 3rd time (fuck barbri) that assigned us essays that we later discussed together in small groups. Each day was about 10-15 hours of studying, which consisted of doing and reviewing about 3-4 essays that were assigned by my tutor and 50 MBE's. But make no mistake, I took at least a day off a week. Otherwise, I would have gone insane.


As far as essays go, barbri's aren't that bad, but, at least for CA, they're WAY too in-depth given the time constraints. I used this book for the CA bar exam essays: https://www.amazon.com/Essay-Exam-Writing-California-Bar/dp/073550993X If you can find a NY one similar to the one I linked, then you're golden.

As far as MBE's go, again, get a hold of the Kaplan/PMBR ones, and do these Civ Pro ones from Emanuel: https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Tactics-MBE-Emanuel-Review/dp/1454873124/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1/164-3132343-7414359?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3YN7A1AYTGD6BXWMQA79

Finally, I'd review the black letter stuff--which, frankly, is the entire bar exam, as it's almost impossible to grade policy answers--while practicing/reviewing. You also memorize better by practicing. I'd dedicate barely any separate time solely to black letter stuff.

Again, YOU CAN FUCKING DO THIS