TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School Forum

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Thanks for that! Tagging for the fall!

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

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ObLaDiObLaDa wrote:Thanks for cutting down on the search time for many of us!

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patfeeney

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by patfeeney » Thu Feb 04, 2016 1:20 pm

A request for some collected wisdom... on multiple-choice law exams.

2L here. I've recently noticed a trend in which I completely bomb multiple choice exams, which drags the rest of my exam grades down.

For example, on my Property exam last spring, I got a B, like bottom 1/2-1/3 of the class. On the essay and true/false sections, I scored right on the median. But I only got seven of thirty multiple choice questions right.

Just this semester, I took an exam that was half multiple choice, half essay. I got a B+. But the portion that killed me was the multiple choice. I scored in the bottom 20% of the class on that section. But I did not just well, but extremely well on the essay sections - on all three essay questions I scored well above the median (on one of them above the 90th percentile).

So it seems to me it's clear I'm weakest at multiple choice, especially when closed book. The problem, I think, is that it's damn hard to figure out a single answer on such subjective issues.

How's the best way to tackle these, to learn how to do multiple choice law questions? Is there an approach, or do I just "learn" it?

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rcharter1978

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by rcharter1978 » Wed May 18, 2016 1:52 pm

patfeeney wrote:A request for some collected wisdom... on multiple-choice law exams.

2L here. I've recently noticed a trend in which I completely bomb multiple choice exams, which drags the rest of my exam grades down.

For example, on my Property exam last spring, I got a B, like bottom 1/2-1/3 of the class. On the essay and true/false sections, I scored right on the median. But I only got seven of thirty multiple choice questions right.

Just this semester, I took an exam that was half multiple choice, half essay. I got a B+. But the portion that killed me was the multiple choice. I scored in the bottom 20% of the class on that section. But I did not just well, but extremely well on the essay sections - on all three essay questions I scored well above the median (on one of them above the 90th percentile).

So it seems to me it's clear I'm weakest at multiple choice, especially when closed book. The problem, I think, is that it's damn hard to figure out a single answer on such subjective issues.

How's the best way to tackle these, to learn how to do multiple choice law questions? Is there an approach, or do I just "learn" it?
Learn your professor....learn their multiple choice.

In my most humble opinion, professors who use M/C are doing so because they either: a) don't want to have to read/write another essay or b) are trying to prepare you for the MBE.

All roads generally lead to the same destination -- that the professor is using some source (Barbri, Emmanuel) for MC questions and is tweaking them a bit for copyright and surprise. This means your best method of studying is to go to that source and do some MC questions.

Of course, this isn't the case 100% of the time. You should ask your professor what he/she suggests, but I've had a professor straight up say that the best thing is to do Barbri questions because that is what he modeled his questions on.

OneShot2009

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by OneShot2009 » Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:12 am

patfeeney wrote:A request for some collected wisdom... on multiple-choice law exams.

2L here. I've recently noticed a trend in which I completely bomb multiple choice exams, which drags the rest of my exam grades down.

For example, on my Property exam last spring, I got a B, like bottom 1/2-1/3 of the class. On the essay and true/false sections, I scored right on the median. But I only got seven of thirty multiple choice questions right.

Just this semester, I took an exam that was half multiple choice, half essay. I got a B+. But the portion that killed me was the multiple choice. I scored in the bottom 20% of the class on that section. But I did not just well, but extremely well on the essay sections - on all three essay questions I scored well above the median (on one of them above the 90th percentile).

So it seems to me it's clear I'm weakest at multiple choice, especially when closed book. The problem, I think, is that it's damn hard to figure out a single answer on such subjective issues.

How's the best way to tackle these, to learn how to do multiple choice law questions? Is there an approach, or do I just "learn" it?
The first thing you need to do is understand what you did wrong. When you say that its "damn hard to figure out a single answer on such subjective issues", it seems like you don't really know what you are doing wrong on the multiple choice. They aren't subjective. They may feel that way, and I've had MC that certainly feel like more than one answer is arguably right, but there is only one correct answer and you need to figure out why you don't see it.

I would definitely go over your exam, especially the multiple choice, with your professor, if they allow that (all of mine do). In the future I would talk to your professor ahead of the test, express that you struggle with multiple choice, and ask if they have any suggestions for practice MC. I know others who have been in your situation who that has worked quite well for.

The fact that you do well on the essays means you know the material. IMO law school MC ask an extremely specific question, and a lot of students don't quite see the scope of the question and that leads them to the wrong answer.

dabigchina

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by dabigchina » Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:57 am

patfeeney wrote:A request for some collected wisdom... on multiple-choice law exams.

2L here. I've recently noticed a trend in which I completely bomb multiple choice exams, which drags the rest of my exam grades down.

For example, on my Property exam last spring, I got a B, like bottom 1/2-1/3 of the class. On the essay and true/false sections, I scored right on the median. But I only got seven of thirty multiple choice questions right.

Just this semester, I took an exam that was half multiple choice, half essay. I got a B+. But the portion that killed me was the multiple choice. I scored in the bottom 20% of the class on that section. But I did not just well, but extremely well on the essay sections - on all three essay questions I scored well above the median (on one of them above the 90th percentile).

So it seems to me it's clear I'm weakest at multiple choice, especially when closed book. The problem, I think, is that it's damn hard to figure out a single answer on such subjective issues.

How's the best way to tackle these, to learn how to do multiple choice law questions? Is there an approach, or do I just "learn" it?
Also a 2L but for some reason I do way better on multiple choice exams than essay exams.

How good are your class notes? I find that detailed class notes that you took yourself are basically the only thing you can study off of for multiple choice.

Another thing you need to do is approach studying a different way. OneShot is spot on. Nothing is subjective on a MCQ exam. The correct answer is the way your professor sees it. You need to study until you 100% understand how your professor approaches every concept. Understanding something 90% and then bullshitting both sides of the argument isn't going to cut it.

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by jessjaneeve » Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:10 am

Hi all,

I graduated in the top 10 (not top 10%, literally top 10) of my cohort. I was one of the few who graded onto law review and I was one of those crazy overachievers who graduated a semester early. I am currently working in the largest law firm in the city.

Here's my guide: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=273463. 8)

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heregoesnothing1

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by heregoesnothing1 » Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:00 am

How much do the classes change from school to school? Like is a practice 1L torts exam from any decent school decent practice for your torts exam?

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cavalier1138

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by cavalier1138 » Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:49 am

heregoesnothing1 wrote:How much do the classes change from school to school? Like is a practice 1L torts exam from any decent school decent practice for your torts exam?
If your professor is a sadist and doesn't release their own past exams, then you might as well try someone else's. But in general, no. Every professor teaches the subject differently.

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by ashrice13 » Mon Jun 05, 2017 10:02 am

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by uhwrestler » Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:11 am

nice thanks

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by maihieupcccgiaphu » Fri Jun 16, 2017 10:44 am

Thank you very much!

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by Attorney-at-Birdlaw » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:00 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:
heregoesnothing1 wrote:How much do the classes change from school to school? Like is a practice 1L torts exam from any decent school decent practice for your torts exam?
If your professor is a sadist and doesn't release their own past exams, then you might as well try someone else's. But in general, no. Every professor teaches the subject differently.
Pro tip if the above scenario happens. Check to see if they taught at another school previously. Sometimes their exams will be available at that school and not the one they currently teach at. Had a few law students reach out to me for exactly that reason.

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by vcoyle » Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:20 pm

Given the interest in this topic, I am sharing a link to a series I am publishing for this fall, How to Succeed in Law School: https://blacklinesandbillables.com/cate ... aw-school/

It is a multi-part series for all of the stages of the semester: starting out, note taking, study group, outlining, exam preparation and beyond. The first post on exam preparation will go up later this week. I hope you find it helpful!

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Re: TLS Collected Wisdom on Success in Law School

Post by Harry Ass Truman » Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:01 pm

Anyone have advice/recommendations for outlining the way "Getting to Maybe" recommends? Is this valuable?

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