How much reading do you do in LS? Forum

[Ragged]

How much do you need to read to prepare for a test for a particular class?

How fast do you have to read in order to keep up?

Sorry if its in a wrong forum.

Thanks.

[studebaker07]

I attend a T4 school and I typically read about 2-3 hours Monday thru Thursday. On friday I don't have classes and therefore I read/study somewhere between 9-10 hour. On Saturday's, I read about 8-9 hours and on Sunday's about 3-4 hours.

I book brief to make everything more efficient.

Would recommend book briefing and going back and outlining later. I have to keep up with all the assignments so it is kind of hard to outline.

[24secure]

arent there about 800 other threads about this topic?

[Ragged]

I attend a T4 school and I typically read about 2-3 hours Monday thru Thursday. On friday I don't have classes and therefore I read/study somewhere between 9-10 hour. On Saturday's, I read about 8-9 hours and on Sunday's about 3-4 hours.

I book brief to make everything more efficient.

Would recommend book briefing and going back and outlining later. I have to keep up with all the assignments so it is kind of hard to outline.

Holy cow.... thats like more reading than I do in the whole year of my undergrad.

Whats book briefing?

[studebaker07]

I attend a T4 school and I typically read about 2-3 hours Monday thru Thursday. On friday I don't have classes and therefore I read/study somewhere between 9-10 hour. On Saturday's, I read about 8-9 hours and on Sunday's about 3-4 hours.

I book brief to make everything more efficient.

Would recommend book briefing and going back and outlining later. I have to keep up with all the assignments so it is kind of hard to outline.

Holy cow.... thats like more reading than I do in the whole year of my undergrad.

Whats book briefing?

The school I am at might be above average in terms of how much study time must be put in because it is super-competitive and we have an insane curve (like 2.3 I think).

Book briefing is basically doing a full case brief in the book as opposed to writing it out on paper. I have read different sources that say that not to book brief in your first year because it will only confuse you. While that might be the case with larger cases, I think you can definitely get away with book briefing for smaller cases.

For a good primer on book briefing, start with this source: http://lawingenue.blogspot.com/2008/08/ ... ehind.html

It may take some practice but I think book briefing is ultimately more efficient than writing full briefs.

[NotMyRealName09]

Just a suggestion - don't book brief until you've full briefed (for lack of a better term) for your first semester.

All book briefing really is is a method of highlighting aspects of a case that you KNOW your professor will ask about in class. A brief is a way for you to essentially rephrase all the aspects of the case. (The dirty secret is, come exam time the only really important part of the case is the rule.)

Maybe others get more detailed, but my "book briefing" is nothing more than writing "Facts," "Issue," "Rule" or "Element of Rule" in the margins next to the relevant text. Works like a charm, but that is only because I've already learned how to read a case and find what is important. No brand new 1L will have that skill. Hence my advice to wait at least until second semester to start book briefing.

Also, at least at first, I found it highly advantageous to full brief as it really forced me to read cases twice. Having read them twice, I was all over them when called on.

For what its worth, as a brand new 1L, I'd read for 4-5 hours a day, four days a week or so (actually, probably a little bit more). I'd outline beginning after thanksgiving practically non-stop, so rest up over thanksgiving.

Edit: Oh, and if you're a slow reader, good luck.

[270910]

On the order of 1,000 pages per class. That can mean as low as 600 or as high as roughly 1K, depending on the prof / casebook / subject. Maybe 200-300 pages per credit hour total?

From the casebook. Add as many pages of hornbook as you feel is necessary, plus practice tests and outlining.

[270910]

(The dirty secret is, come exam time the only really important part of the case is the rule.)

+1,000,000

Some profs will test some cases, so be ware and do your research. And you can get points for using cases in your analysis (i.e. you could analyze a fact pattern by saying the rule is X and going nuts, but some of your analysis can be either distinguishing it from the facts in the case that gave you rule X, or arguing that it shouldn't be distinguished from the facts in case X. Actually, since it's a law school exam, the answer is you probably get points for doing both in many cases )

[Aberzombie1892]

Yeah I only have one professor who you absolutely, positively must know the cases (facts, not just the rule - for comparison purposes).

Everyone else, ppppssssshhhh you don't even need to cite cases to make an A on the exam (or even reference them).

If you focus on the cases too much, it is very likely that you will focus too much on them in the exam - and not the fact pattern in front of you.

[nealric]

It varies a lot. I'm a 3L at a T14 with a very light schedule (coasting to the finish line ). Right now, I read maybe 3-4 hours a week. However, that's about to go up since I have some papers to write (no exams though).

As a 1L I read more like 2-3 hours a day. Usually about 1 hour of reading for every hour of class time (give or take). I was never one of those people who briefed or really learned the details of the cases. Grading is blind, so I never sweat it if I was called on unprepared. Instead, I focused on learning the "meat" of the material though secondary sources.

I did spend a solid 10-12 hours a day studying for the last few weeks before finals 1L year. Not sure if that's considered reading or not.

[macattaq]

My eyes have gotten worse since I started law school?

[mac.empress]

My eyes have gotten worse since I started law school?

+1?

[atlantalaw]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

[JazzOne]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Ouch. Mine was Boumediene v. Bush.

The first case I read was Hawkins v. McGee. I love that story.

[mac.empress]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Ouch. Mine was Boumediene v. Bush.

The first case I read was Hawkins v. McGee. I love that story.

Shaw v DPP. I read in real life very very fast. I law school time, 6 pages =2 hours in the beginning. Ugh! But it does get better.

[macattaq]

My first case was Regina v. Dudley & Stephens. Cannibalism, FTW! Old ass English English, FTL!

[Muckduck]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Is it worth it for a 0L like me to try to read some of these cases so that I can be used to them by the time August rolls around? Apart from reading more cases, what helps learning to speak "legal."

[atlantalaw]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Is it worth it for a 0L like me to try to read some of these cases so that I can be used to them by the time August rolls around? Apart from reading more cases, what helps learning to speak "legal."

if i tried to plow through random cases, i don't think it would have done me much good. different professors look for/focus on different things. i read civ pro cases differently than contracts cases depending on the focus of the class. i think time would probably be better spent reading books like getting to maybe so that you know how to approach exams.
one thing that helps me read is i know latin. my friends are pretty jealous since i have a general understanding of weird words like assumpsit without taking time to consult a dictionary. i don't know if i'd really recommend learning latin just for law school though.

[Muckduck]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Is it worth it for a 0L like me to try to read some of these cases so that I can be used to them by the time August rolls around? Apart from reading more cases, what helps learning to speak "legal."

if i tried to plow through random cases, i don't think it would have done me much good. different professors look for/focus on different things. i read civ pro cases differently than contracts cases depending on the focus of the class. i think time would probably be better spent reading books like getting to maybe so that you know how to approach exams.
one thing that helps me read is i know latin. my friends are pretty jealous since i have a general understanding of weird words like assumpsit without taking time to consult a dictionary. i don't know if i'd really recommend learning latin just for law school though.

Haha yeah. I might draw the line at learning latin... I guess I just want to get used to some of the jargon so that I don't feel like I am having to learn a new language AND understand the law in my first semester.

[A'nold]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Is it worth it for a 0L like me to try to read some of these cases so that I can be used to them by the time August rolls around? Apart from reading more cases, what helps learning to speak "legal."

if i tried to plow through random cases, i don't think it would have done me much good. different professors look for/focus on different things. i read civ pro cases differently than contracts cases depending on the focus of the class. i think time would probably be better spent reading books like getting to maybe so that you know how to approach exams.
one thing that helps me read is i know latin. my friends are pretty jealous since i have a general understanding of weird words like assumpsit without taking time to consult a dictionary. i don't know if i'd really recommend learning latin just for law school though.

Haha yeah. I might draw the line at learning latin... I guess I just want to get used to some of the jargon so that I don't feel like I am having to learn a new language AND understand the law in my first semester.

Welcome to law school, but add in time constraints, pressure to understand the crap, and classmates completely "owning" cold calls in the beginning which will make you feel like you are out of your league.

Btw- my eyes have gotten way worse.

OP- I am a slow reader and I spend A LOT of time reading. I would say that you will likely be reading in a way from sun up to sun down. This includes E&E's, etc.

[macattaq]

better question is how long it takes to read a page. i remember my first law school assignment was around 10 pages. i thought, no sweat. wrong. three hours later i was thinking how i could still possibly be reading these 10 pages. it gets better though, especially if you already know how to read cases.

for the law students, my first assignment was to read pennoyer. ugh.

Is it worth it for a 0L like me to try to read some of these cases so that I can be used to them by the time August rolls around? Apart from reading more cases, what helps learning to speak "legal."

if i tried to plow through random cases, i don't think it would have done me much good. different professors look for/focus on different things. i read civ pro cases differently than contracts cases depending on the focus of the class. i think time would probably be better spent reading books like getting to maybe so that you know how to approach exams.
one thing that helps me read is i know latin. my friends are pretty jealous since i have a general understanding of weird words like assumpsit without taking time to consult a dictionary. i don't know if i'd really recommend learning latin just for law school though.

It is pretty beneficial to know Latin, and I had not stopped to think about how much I don't spend looking things up because of this. So, if you've got it, live it up. Be forewarned 0L Latinists, you will spend time facepalming and choking back vomit when people (namely professors) butcher the pronunciation. Also, don't let on that you actually know the language.

[XxSpyKEx]

How much reading do you do in LS?

I haven't read a single page of required reading all semester. I got one clinic, which has required reading but literally no one does it; got one lecture that I'm taking pass/fail like the rest of the class, and it's easier to just read old outlines and fill in gaps with class notes; and got one seminar class where there is a lot of assigned reading but none of it matters since the only graded thing all semester is a final paper. I guess it could almost go without saying this has been an awesome and incredibly easy semester. Possibly easier than UG.

[270910]

How much reading do you do in LS?

I haven't read a single page of required reading all semester. I got one clinic, which has required reading but literally no one does it; got one lecture that I'm taking pass/fail like the rest of the class, and it's easier to just read old outlines and fill in gaps with class notes; and got one seminar class where there is a lot of assigned reading but none of it matters since the only graded thing all semester is a final paper. I guess it could almost go without saying this has been an awesome and incredibly easy semester. Possibly easier than UG.

As a 1L, reading things brings tears of hope to my eyes.

[mac.empress]

My first case was Regina v. Dudley & Stephens. Cannibalism, FTW! Old ass English English, FTL!

Read that! Awesomeness!

[loveistheway]

Be forewarned 0L Latinists, you will spend time facepalming and choking back vomit when people (namely professors) butcher the pronunciation.

http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/latinpro.pdf