One approach to 1L success from someone ranked #1. Forum

[thecilent]

are you an idiot? You JUST said v10 prob wouldn't look at op and then just wrote in red no shit that they would. jfc smh

[NYC Law]

Sorry if I misunderstood you. Sounded like you were saying there's not really an important difference between #1 and top 5% for employment purposes.

Yeah, in most cases. If you're gunning for V10, well, then there is a difference. But they'd probably only be looking at people from T14 anyway, especially ITE, and OP was T30-40. Like I said.

OP has a shot at V10 and most everywhere else no shit. Top 5% from his school has a significantly lower shot no shit, if we're talking V10, but that doesn't mean that a lot of biglaw, all midlaw and shitlaw are really going to turn a blind eye to a top 5% when they would take #1.

I really didn't want a spitting match here, so I'll bow out.

[Verity]

are you an idiot? You JUST said v10 prob wouldn't look at op and then just wrote in red no shit that they would. jfc smh

No, that's true, I'll concede it makes a difference for V10. But seriously, outside of that (ie., vast majority) do you really think most employment opportunities will disappear for someone who's top 5% but not for someone's who's #1?

[thecilent]

are you an idiot? You JUST said v10 prob wouldn't look at op and then just wrote in red no shit that they would. jfc smh

No, that's true, I'll concede it makes a difference for V10. But seriously, outside of that do you really think most employment opportunities will disappear for someone who's top 5% but not for someone's who's #1?

idk bc im not sure of the hiring and shizz outside t14 really. maybe not most opportunities, but i would imagine there are def more and better opportunities for the top few kids as opposed to the top 5%, yes.

[Verity]

are you an idiot? You JUST said v10 prob wouldn't look at op and then just wrote in red no shit that they would. jfc smh

No, that's true, I'll concede it makes a difference for V10. But seriously, outside of that do you really think most employment opportunities will disappear for someone who's top 5% but not for someone's who's #1?

idk bc im not sure of the hiring and shizz outside t14 really. maybe not most opportunities, but i would imagine there are def more and better opportunities for the top five kids as opposed to the top 5%, yes.

Not most opportunities. Everyone is so obsessed with cream of the crop biglaw, but that's not the end all be all. In a class of 200, top 5 is top 2-3%, top 10 is top 5%. I really don't think you'll get shut out for not being number one, in almost every case.

[McFly]

To cap it off, here’s how my non-finals schedule basically shook out for a given day (I basically stuck with a 7am to 7pm schedule every day, Monday-Friday).

7am wake up, high-protein breakfast
8am head to school
9am class 1
10am outline class 4 (or memorize flashcards if closed book)
11am class 2
12pm work on LRW crap
1pm class 3
2pm read for class 1
3:30pm read for class 2 (or memorize flashcards if closed book)
5pm read for class 3
7pm gym
8:00pm dinner
11pm sleep

No lunch on M-F?! I dunno if I'm built for this law school thing

[HWS08]

OP, thanks for taking the time to share your methods. I'm seriously inspired by your work ethic and discipline. Thanks also for listing all the supplements and other materials you used. I'm doing some 0L prep, I doubt it will hurt and so far I'm actually enjoying reading the E&E I've started.

[NYC Law]

Can a mod clean up this thread, or can mscarn edit the OP to include Q&A? There are some very good posts from OP throughout this thread, but they're buried in 15 pages of nonsense and tags.
This isn't for personal reasons since I already know where to look for what I need, but I'm pretty sure this will be one of those few epic threads that future 0Ls turn to.

[gsat]

Can a mod clean up this thread, or can mscarn edit the OP to include Q&A? There are some very good posts from OP throughout this thread, but they're buried in 15 pages of nonsense and tags.
This isn't for personal reasons since I already know where to look for what I need, but I'm pretty sure this will be one of those few epic threads that future 0Ls turn to.

Agreed.

[tea_drinker]

God good, why is this still going on?

0Ls... just work hard, follow the advice that works for you, and have fun. There's law school in a nutshell.

Also, thanks OP for your insight and response ITT.

[TheFutureLawyer]

No lunch on M-F?! I dunno if I'm built for this law school thing

lunch is for wimps and fatties

[puppylaw]

Thanks for the great post!

[2011Cycle]

Can a mod clean up this thread, or can mscarn edit the OP to include Q&A? There are some very good posts from OP throughout this thread, but they're buried in 15 pages of nonsense and tags.
This isn't for personal reasons since I already know where to look for what I need, but I'm pretty sure this will be one of those few epic threads that future 0Ls turn to.

+1

I am keeping a running MS Word Document of the OP's posts.

[Corwin]

Can a mod clean up this thread, or can mscarn edit the OP to include Q&A? There are some very good posts from OP throughout this thread, but they're buried in 15 pages of nonsense and tags.
This isn't for personal reasons since I already know where to look for what I need, but I'm pretty sure this will be one of those few epic threads that future 0Ls turn to.

+1

I am keeping a running MS Word Document of the OP's posts.

+1 as well. Handing out some temp bans for such blatant derailing would be nice too.

[fatduck]

Can a mod clean up this thread, or can mscarn edit the OP to include Q&A? There are some very good posts from OP throughout this thread, but they're buried in 15 pages of nonsense and tags.
This isn't for personal reasons since I already know where to look for what I need, but I'm pretty sure this will be one of those few epic threads that future 0Ls turn to.

+1

I am keeping a running MS Word Document of the OP's posts.

+1 as well. Handing out some temp bans for such blatant derailing would be nice too.

one approach to 1L success from someone who is undeniably awesome: get over yourself

[thecilent]

If peeps aren't willing to scan through a few pages of bs, they don't deserve to get the good stuff.

Op (or anyone else) can always write an article/blog if they don't want comments

[PleaseHelpThanks]

I’m a little confused as to when OP actually took his first practice exam? I know OP said that he keeps his outline up to date, does flash cards throughout the semester, looks at old exams early, and basically just stays on track (on track, but also a way stronger track)… Can someone please enlighten me as to when OP would start taking his first practice exam? Would you start taking them before reading week? Would you start taking them 4 weeks prior to exams? I guess the heart of my question is this: is the OP suggesting we do exams before we finish the outlines? If so, is OP saying to go ahead and finish your outline without the professor, when you get towards the end of Fall, then work on exams while also finishing your outline with professor info for the last couple weeks?

Also, OP, thank you so much for this guide!

PHT

[mscarn23]

As far as exams, here's what I would suggest. During your 0L summer get delaney's exam book, and/or LEEWS. Those both have "sample" law school exam questions, and should give you all the law you need to answer the questions. If you're against doing any actual work during the summer then I guess just read the answers. If you're a bit more proactive try groping through a question or two just to get a feel for the process.

As soon as the semester starts, get copies of your profs old exams if they're available. Some profs don't put them on reserve until closer to finals, and if that's the case it's fine too. Assuming they are available early, get the copies, and just read through them to get an idea of the profs testing style/method.

At whatever point in the semester you're able to have thumbed through an exam, go to the exam database that I linked to, and try to get a good supply of exams that are similar to those you've acquired from your actual prof. If sample answers are available, get these too.

I don't suggest taking any practice exams until you've finished your outline, which should be before the reading week starts. I suggest this because you don't want to fall into a self-defeating spiral. If you try to answer an essay question during your first week or month, or before you've properly distilled the information, you will be confused, frustrated, possibly frightened. I think that if you start taking actual practice exams as soon as the reading period starts you will have ample time to get in enough reps.

One exception to this could be for classes that tend to compartmentalize. If your civ pro class spends half the semester on subject matter jurisdiction and then leaves it and moves on, you won't hurt yourself by doing practice questions on this topic. On the other hand, if your torts class focuses exclusively on negligence, or your contracts class spends the entire semester on contract formation, taking practice exams early (where you know what breach is, but don't know anything about duty or proximate cause) isn't a good idea in my opinion.

Let me know if this is unclear and I'll do my best to refine the answer.

[Verity]

One exception to this could be for classes that tend to compartmentalize. If your civ pro class spends half the semester on subject matter jurisdiction and then leaves it and moves on, you won't hurt yourself by doing practice questions on this topic. On the other hand, if your torts class focuses exclusively on negligence, or your contracts class spends the entire semester on contract formation, taking practice exams early (where you know what breach is, but don't know anything about duty or proximate cause) isn't a good idea in my opinion.

Is it possible to know this in advance?

[NYC Law]

One exception to this could be for classes that tend to compartmentalize. If your civ pro class spends half the semester on subject matter jurisdiction and then leaves it and moves on, you won't hurt yourself by doing practice questions on this topic. On the other hand, if your torts class focuses exclusively on negligence, or your contracts class spends the entire semester on contract formation, taking practice exams early (where you know what breach is, but don't know anything about duty or proximate cause) isn't a good idea in my opinion.

Is it possible to know this in advance?

Syllabus.

[Verity]

One exception to this could be for classes that tend to compartmentalize. If your civ pro class spends half the semester on subject matter jurisdiction and then leaves it and moves on, you won't hurt yourself by doing practice questions on this topic. On the other hand, if your torts class focuses exclusively on negligence, or your contracts class spends the entire semester on contract formation, taking practice exams early (where you know what breach is, but don't know anything about duty or proximate cause) isn't a good idea in my opinion.

Is it possible to know this in advance?

Syllabus.

I now reciprocate the 0L admonishment.

The syllabus tells you what to read. Even if topics and theories are mentioned on the syllabus, if you don't recognize phrases and terms on it you won't be able to "compartmentalize."

[NYC Law]

Is it possible to know this in advance?

Syllabus.

I now reciprocate the 0L admonishment.

The syllabus tells you what to read. Even if topics and theories are mentioned on the syllabus, if you don't recognize phrases and terms on it you won't be able to "compartmentalize."

You won't be able to recognize if a large portion of the class is dedicated to negligence? ... nevermind, I'm not getting sucked into this again.

[Verity]

Is it possible to know this in advance?

Syllabus.

I now reciprocate the 0L admonishment.

The syllabus tells you what to read. Even if topics and theories are mentioned on the syllabus, if you don't recognize phrases and terms on it you won't be able to "compartmentalize."

You won't be able to recognize if a large portion of the class is dedicated to negligence? ... nevermind, I'm not getting sucked into this again.

No, dummy. OP says, "if your torts class focuses exclusively on negligence, or your contracts class spends the entire semester on contract formation, taking practice exams early (where you know what breach is, but don't know anything about duty or proximate cause) isn't a good idea in my opinion."

Sample Syllabus:

Week 1: Introduction to the concept of contracts
Assigned Reading: Contracts, pp. 111-175
.
.
.
Week 2: Breach
Assigned Reading: Contracts, pp. 202-242
.
.
.
Week 5: Overview of duty
Assigned Reading: Contracts, pp. 345-401
.
.
.
Week 8: Proximate cause
Assigned Reading: Contracts, pp. 722-797



Use your imagination.

*edited.

[goodolgil]

What a mess of a thread this is.

Also, whether an exam is "compartmentalized" also has to do with the type of questions your professor assigns on the exam. A giant issue spotter is likely going to require more knowledge of distinct areas that a short answer question or small issue spotter.

[keg411]

Classes with no Syllabus are EVIL. I had two second semester and it was painful (at least for one of them we could use the book, but the other was all over the place and made it extremely hard to organize the material).