Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
270910

Gold
Posts: 2431
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 9:51 pm

Re: Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips

Post by 270910 » Wed May 12, 2010 3:39 pm

wakefield wrote:
disco_barred wrote:
apper123 wrote:
somewhatwayward wrote:^
that second link says it is for T2 schools, and i'm going to a T-14....do you think that matters?
lol

(i assume that was a joke... if not... wow)
*whaps apper123* be nice!

Back to my penitence: somewhatwayward, all law school exams are identical. Which is an overstatement, but only slightly - all law professors have very similar credentials, the first year curriculum is nearly standardized, and almost every exam is some variation on an issue spotter. Doing well at any law school in the country requires largely the same steps, skills, and aptitudes - as evidenced by the fact that transfer students often remain at the top of the class at their new schools.
I've heard rumblings that there are subtle differences - like applying the LEEWS method may be more helpful at a T2 than a T14, for example. False? Or are the differences just so minuscule that it doesn't really matter?
Somewhere between false and the differences don't matter.

Kicking around the law students forum, I get the impression that 'better' schools are slightly more likely to have policy questions and slightly less likely to have multiple choice questions. But T14 students still face MC questions and T4 students still see policy questions.

Without a doubt, the vast majority of your law school exams will be issue spotters.

A lot of people chastise LEEWS as being overly formulaic and inapplicable to their fancy T14 exams. it's just posturing. LEEWS is overly formulaic, because trying to collapse the entire spectrum of law school exams into a neat formula... will be... formulaic. But people who extrapolate and learn from LEEWS instead of indoctrinate themselves with and attempt to implement LEEWS still credit it with success, all the way up to the top of the top law schools.

Keep in mind that a huge plurality of law professors came from Yale or YHS, and an overwhelming majority from the T14 or so. The exams they took are going to look a lot like the exams they give. Very inbred system.

User avatar
somewhatwayward

Silver
Posts: 1442
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:10 pm

Re: Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips

Post by somewhatwayward » Thu May 13, 2010 10:37 am

how come LEEWS is on CD? it seems like a book would be easier.

User avatar
traehekat

Gold
Posts: 3188
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:00 pm

Re: Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips

Post by traehekat » Thu May 13, 2010 11:25 am

somewhatwayward wrote:how come LEEWS is on CD? it seems like a book would be easier.
It comes with a 140 page book and some diagrams.

User avatar
Arrow

Bronze
Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:58 pm

Re: Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips

Post by Arrow » Mon May 17, 2010 2:01 am

somewhatwayward wrote:^
that second link says it is for T2 schools, and i'm going to a T-14....do you think that matters?
The article is written from a T2 perspective by a T2 student, but from what I hear, 1L at most laws schools are about the same everywhere. At my T14 now (Berkeley), all of our exams are open book, and professors in class seem to be more policy favored. Some things stay the same. For example, the stuff about legal reasoning, 0L prep, outlining, supplements hypo practicing still apply. If you attend a T14 school, I would highly recommend the guides written by the T14 students as well (like the NYU student).

You do need to make some adjustments. The memorizing thing is less important unless you have a closed book exam (I have only had one closed book exam here). Many upperclass courses you take may be non-bar classes (seminars, practicums, law and blank, etc.), so there are no supplements. You will have to actually use the casebook more and may actually have to actively participate in class. Other classes require you to write tons of papers and there are no exams, so the usual casebook, supplements, memorizing black letter law parts no longer apply. You will actually use more undergrad skills here (good writing/editing/citing). Lastly, I have also noticed that people in the T14 do not recommend 0L prep aside from GTM.

The article just really talks about studying hard, and unfortunately, we have to do that all the time. :|

Seriously though, you're at a T14 already. You can relax. =P
Last edited by Arrow on Mon May 17, 2010 2:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
vanwinkle

Platinum
Posts: 8953
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:02 am

Re: Pre-law school preparation + LS study / exam tips

Post by vanwinkle » Mon May 17, 2010 2:04 am

Arrow wrote:Seriously though, you're at a T14 already. You can relax. =P
If only this were true...!

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”