Ask Noah About First Year of Law School, Getting inTop 10%, Law Review

Aces McGee · #1 07-13-2007, 04:06 PM

Hey Noah

Cool thread.

I'm applying for Fall 2008, and there's a Law School Forum in my area tomorrow. Worth going to, or waste of time?

-McGee

XXXNoahXXX · #2 07-13-2007, 04:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Noah

Cool thread.

I'm applying for Fall 2008, and there's a Law School Forum in my area tomorrow. Worth going to, or waste of time?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

I never went to one and since admissions is so anonymous, unless you want to learn about some schools, I don't see the point. Feel free though, I really don't even know much about them.

Aces McGee · #3 07-13-2007, 04:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey Noah

Cool thread.

I'm applying for Fall 2008, and there's a Law School Forum in my area tomorrow. Worth going to, or waste of time?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

I never went to one and since admissions is so anonymous, unless you want to learn about some schools, I don't see the point. Feel free though, I really don't even know much about them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. No one I've talked to ever went to one, so I'm not going to worry about it.

-McGee

remi983 · #4 07-13-2007, 05:42 PM

Jeff- I'm guessing you think the book is worth paying $25 for. From the previews it looks like its more of a narrative than a how-to-book; would you recommend it for an incoming 1L? Is most of its value purely entertainment? Any practical wisdom?

Noah- I've heard through the grapevine that reading law review articles relating specifically to class content is very useful for exams. Did you do this? From your posts earlier it seems like your whole exam prep strategy was more idea oriented than black letter oriented, true? I'm sure there's a delicate balance between thoroughly analyzing a case and thinking about the structures, why's, etc of a subject. Can you give some general advice on the types of things you think about/emphasize when getting ready for an exam? Does it all come down to seeing the forest for the trees?

XXXNoahXXX · #5 07-13-2007, 08:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff- I'm guessing you think the book is worth paying $25 for. From the previews it looks like its more of a narrative than a how-to-book; would you recommend it for an incoming 1L? Is most of its value purely entertainment? Any practical wisdom?

Noah- I've heard through the grapevine that reading law review articles relating specifically to class content is very useful for exams. Did you do this? From your posts earlier it seems like your whole exam prep strategy was more idea oriented than black letter oriented, true? I'm sure there's a delicate balance between thoroughly analyzing a case and thinking about the structures, why's, etc of a subject. Can you give some general advice on the types of things you think about/emphasize when getting ready for an exam? Does it all come down to seeing the forest for the trees?

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess its all a matter of what you want out of law school and how you view your time spent there. I view it as a means to an end. Therefore, any work I do will towards the end of getting good grades.

If the professor tells you that there won't be any policy questions, just issue spotting, then I don't give a [censored] about how they did things in medieval england or what the rule used to before they changed it. that just confuses things. Some professors love to start with "And in the beginning God created heaven and earth" and then crawl through the centuries.

Personally, there was nothing more frustrating to me than reading a 20 page case, then realizing that the rule it was about was obsolete and the next case was the modern rule.

Honestly, most 20 page cases can be boiled down to "oh thats the knife case, sign in window does not equal offer." or something like that.

Knowing the facts of the case is only important because professors often use combinations of cases you read and variations as the test questions, but knowing the names of every cousin vying for a claim to some property isn't going to get you anywhere.

For most classes, especially civil procedure, the best way to study is come up with step by step flow charts. You can have your big voluminous outline, but then break down each issue into step by step.

Taking a civil procedure question.

You spot issue X.

Boom. Flip to page 2, and see:

Issue X:

Step 1, Step 2.

Have diverging paths for different outcomes, etc.

That is the main benefit of typing exams (besides speed) is that you can hit all the major steps, even type your outline write into the exam, then go back in and fill in the details. then if you still got some time, go back and fill in the BS, begging for extra pts. stuff.

XXXNoahXXX · #6 07-13-2007, 08:06 PM

Also,

Remi,

WTF? This ain't the Ask Jeff thread.

remi983 · #7 07-13-2007, 08:37 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Also,

Remi,

WTF? This ain't the Ask Jeff thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, don't want to waste $25. LOL

remi983 · #8 07-13-2007, 08:31 PM

For most classes, especially civil procedure, the best way to study is come up with step by step flow charts. You can have your big voluminous outline, but then break down each issue into step by step.

Taking a civil procedure question.

You spot issue X.

Boom. Flip to page 2, and see:

Issue X:

Step 1, Step 2.

Have diverging paths for different outcomes, etc.

That is the main benefit of typing exams (besides speed) is that you can hit all the major steps, even type your outline write into the exam, then go back in and fill in the details. then if you still got some time, go back and fill in the BS, begging for extra pts. stuff.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info Noah. I'm guessing the outline copying would map out the general dichotomies of the issues, then your details would apply to the specific facts of the question, no? Is the outline inputing trick a well-known exam tactic? If so, how did you differentiate yourself from other test-takers. Does writting well make a big difference? Again, thanks for any knowledge you share. I'm exactly 1 month away from my first class, so all advice is appreciated.

eviljeff · #9 07-15-2007, 07:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff- I'm guessing you think the book is worth paying $25 for. From the previews it looks like its more of a narrative than a how-to-book; would you recommend it for an incoming 1L? Is most of its value purely entertainment? Any practical wisdom?

[/ QUOTE ]

it's mostly an entertaining narrative.

probably the most valuable thing you can glean from it is that law school is what you make of it and you have to carve your own path. in law school it's pretty easy to just fall in with what everyone else is doing (especially during 1L) and start thinking you have to do that too (study groups, briefing cases, making a massive outline for exams, doing a journal, etc.).

overall it's just a unique perspective on law school. I wouldn't recommend that you try to adopt advice from any one source. figure out what's important to you and then take the least stressful path to get there.