Law Preview: worth it? Forum

[Siddhartha10]

Concur. You'll all be equally retarded and full of yourselves when you arrive, regardless of the course you took

Are you in law school? Or do you work for a law school to have such directed opinions?

[bk1]

The amount of necromancy that has gone on in this thread would put some fantasy novels to shame.

[gwuorbust]

tl;dr

a law preview =

[Lawyer1234]

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[canesfan1986]

Yes.

I am taking Law Preview.
I think it is worth taking.
I am still a 0L so my position may or may not change after I see how it really is in 1L.
What I can tell you is that I am learning a lot about the 1L subjects.
More importantly I am learning the tools and techniques for doing well in law school: case briefing, outlining, socratic method, exam taking, legal research, etc.
The professors they hire are all from top law schools, they give interesting lectures, they give us tips on how to do well (and they should know since they do law school for a living), they seem to care a lot about improving our ability to succeed, they are very nice as well.
The students who take it are all going to Top 50ish law schools, everyone is generally eager to learn as much as they can, overall good group of people.
You get a lot of free study guides from Aspen.
The textbook is a miniature casebook, we brief about ten cases the night before each class, and I recognize almost all of these cases as being pretty famous in the legal world (so it is good to read and discuss them prior to 1L)
The price is reasonable: Think of it this way, if taking this course puts me (or you) in even a slightly better position to get a higher paying job after law school, then the cost will be washed out in a week.
Conclusion: I am having a great time taking the course, you should probably take it too if you have the time, money, committed to doing well your first year of law school.

I'm #1 at my school and didn't take Law Preview. I don't know what useful information you could get out of it. Case briefing won't help you in law school: case summary books and hornbooks do. If you listen to what your professor tells you to do all semester, you'll waste valuable time learning what you need to know for the exam. Sure, part of the experience is learning to "think" like a lawyer, but it's all about grades on your exam. Doing anything 0L is probably a huge waste of time. The ONLY positive thing I see from what you said is that you have started reading cases. The only reason it's a positive is because it'll take you a while to understand them. Everything else is overrated.

As far as outlines, I only did my own outline for one class. The other classes I either used commercial outlines or bought one from Outline Depot. You'll figure it out as you go along, but if you go briefing every (or, in my opinion, any) case, you'll be far behind. Read a case, get the rule, see how it's applied, and move on. Also, spending 24/7 studying is neither necessary nor sufficient for law school success. If you have any other questions, PM me.

[ryanmot]

Yes.

I am taking Law Preview.
I think it is worth taking.
I am still a 0L so my position may or may not change after I see how it really is in 1L.

You think, but you don't really know. You can't know. You've never taken a law school class.

What I can tell you is that I am learning a lot about the 1L subjects.

There is no way in one week you can learn anything substantive enough to give you any type of advantage by the time the exam comes around.

More importantly I am learning the tools and techniques for doing well in law school: case briefing, outlining, socratic method, exam taking, legal research, etc.

You can learn all of these in Getting to Maybe/LEEWS. And actually, you will probably be getting better information from those materials. I doubt that the "case briefing" methods at Law Preview are that great.

The professors they hire are all from top law schools, they give interesting lectures, they give us tips on how to do well (and they should know since they do law school for a living), they seem to care a lot about improving our ability to succeed, they are very nice as well.

The only Professors that matter are the ones YOU will have during 1L. You have to learn what they want the whole year and then serve it back to them on an exam.

The students who take it are all going to Top 50ish law schools, everyone is generally eager to learn as much as they can, overall good group of people.

Doesn't mean anything. They are 0L and know nothing about law school either.

You get a lot of free study guides from Aspen.

You could have saved the Law Preview tuition money and bought them.

The textbook is a miniature casebook, we brief about ten cases the night before each class, and I recognize almost all of these cases as being pretty famous in the legal world (so it is good to read and discuss them prior to 1L)

You could have bought the case book and found which cases are the famous ones online. There are tons of resources to help you understand them and develop your legal reasoning skills online. (for free!)

The price is reasonable: Think of it this way, if taking this course puts me (or you) in even a slightly better position to get a higher paying job after law school, then the cost will be washed out in a week.
Conclusion: I am having a great time taking the course, you should probably take it too if you have the time, money, committed to doing well your first year of law school.

I am going to be honest with you. This course will do little to help put you ahead of your classmates. It is not worth the money.

Nonetheless, if it helps put you at ease, then I guess that is good. You spent the money already so no going back. Might as well learn all you can. But don't think you really are getting any advantage over your classmates. The advantage will be gotten by you working hard in the middle of the year when everyone else starts slacking, and by you following the FREE advice on this site... and buying Getting to Maybe.

That is all.

[Lawyer1234]

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[ryanmot]

I don't doubt that everything I learned in Law Preview could be learned in the first few weeks of 1L. My point is that 0Ls who want to do well and have the time and money should take Law Preview. It helps you prepare for law school. It certainly does not hurt you, and if you say it does I would be highly suspicious that you personally did not take the course. If you also say it could not possibly help you, once again I would be suspcious because after taking the course I know I am better for having been exposed to Socratic Method, Case Reading, Briefing, Writing, etc. These were real law professors from good schools, of course it is helpful to hear their advice now and plan accordingly.

So if it can only help you and the question is if it helps you by enough of a margin to justify the expense, then why are we even arguing? If you have the time and money and want to do well in your 1L, and want early exposure to law school, and want to be prepared for the real thing, then take the course! I fit into that category, so I did, and I would do it again. I also read books like Getting to Maybe and read these blogs, these are not mutually exclusive activities as the course is only 1 week long.

Here's the thing. Law Preview has put into your head a premise which is not accurate.

Here is what they probably did not teach you:

1. The socratic method means nothing. Almost no teacher will give you a low grade if not ready, or sounding slow.

2. The briefing method they use is not very good. Use the LEEWS briefing method. It is different and more effective. Other methods could actually HURT you by giving you too much info to learn.

I never took the course but I know people who did. They all said it wasn't worth it in the end.

Just coming from a 3L who did very good at a TT and transfered into the T14 and landed a NYC SA gig and just got an offer. If you know better then by all menas. Not trying to be a douche. Just trying to give you some decent advice.

[Starscream15]

Not worth it. I went to Tier 1 school. No one I knew took one of those course. The top 10% were not the 10% due to a course they took before school even started....

Take your $1000 and put it towards BarBri. Far better investment.

[billyez]

I took it as an 0L for free.

- Make a study schedule and stick to it
- Brief every case
- Take practice exams with other people starting in early November
- Don't focus on LRW if it's P/F or if it's worth less credits than other classes.

There. I just gave you the basic points that are the most general and useful during a week-long course (and note, I'm not endorsing these methods. You don't need to brief every case). Besides the basic point of how to outline - which you can learn elsewhere - and the LRW session there's nothing else you need to know. It's not that they're selling you junk, it's just that it's not worth the time or the money.

And well crap, this thread started in '08, so this post is kind of useless.

[MrSparkle]

Took it.

Pros:
- Lots of scholarships that people don't apply for. They're offered "through" your school, basically local law firms near your law school pay for it as a sponsor under your school's name, and you apply online on the law preview site. Not all schools have this but most top schools do. Helps if you are "diverse." Application requires no extra writing, just uploading bits of your law app. TAKE IT FREE. I don't think it'd be worth $1000+.
- Good for me, because I'd been out of school for quite a while. Gets me back into study mode, and also helped me figure out how to take notes for liberal arts type classes again.
- Chance to test out your note taking method
- Get an early start to case briefing (it's like maybe 10-15 cases). This takes forever, but you get faster with more experience, and I'm glad to have gotten a head start.
- The professors are great. Really nice, funny, engaging. You can ask them anything in the breaks/lunch, about law school, transferring, academia, etc. because chances are they won't be YOUR professor from your law school, so they have no stake in what they say to you, which may not happen in your school. These are profs who are from schools all over the rankings. I had from T14 down to TTT. They welcome contact after the course as well.
- LRW is something they'll teach in law school anyway, but nice to get an overview (again, since I took it free). The prof who taught this to us was absolutely HILARIOUS.
- A lot of "free" swag. Wolters Kluwer sponsors it, so you get like a free E&E, free commercial outline, dictionary, etc. I totaled the retail value of these books to be ~$200+.
- Basically, it takes some of the nervousness out of law school. This was very valuable for me. TLS breeds neuroticism. It's nice to be able to see what the classroom experience and material will be like before you go.

Cons:
- TLS conventional wisdom is basically on point. Each professor will give you some tips too, but they all have their own takes. Some say take practice exams early, others say save them for later. They have their own acronyms (more in depth than IRAC but same basic idea). All has been said on TLS.
- The substantive course overviews are highly dependent on who teaches it. I had one class where it was all law & econ the whole time.
- They emphasize the "study 12 hours a day, brief everything" method. It won't work for everyone, but the basic idea is there is no shortcut. Professors also independently reinforced this point.
- It's expensive if you don't get a scholarship. I don't know if it'd be worth it unless you're rolling in money or panicky-nervous in anticipation of 1L. If you do pay for it, don't bother with LRW. It's taught in your school anyway, there's nothing more in depth or valuable other than to see it before you see it.

Overall:
It was worth my time. I got to see a little bit of everything I heard about law school in practice, and even ask many diff profs about their perspectives on law school, careers, etc. (b/c as informative as this forum is, everyone seems to get beaten into the same groove when that simply isn't the case in real life).

[isayixnayhearsay]

I took it. It was worth it for me because my actual law professor taught part of the law preview course. So, before school started, I was able to pick my professor's brain in the law preview about what she wanted to see on her exam to get an A. Wound up getting an A+ on the actual exam. So, it can definitely be worth it if your professor teaches the course.

[BlueJeanBaby]

Bumping this. Hesitantly considering taking Law Preview. I have the money, but I don't have a surplus of money and would much rather put it towards 1L tuition. I saw someone recommended LEEWs over Law Preview-- any truth to that?

[Scotusnerd]

Bumping this. Hesitantly considering taking Law Preview. I have the money, but I don't have a surplus of money and would much rather put it towards 1L tuition. I saw someone recommended LEEWs over Law Preview-- any truth to that?

This crap is a waste of money. Save for tuition. These guys are trying to make money off of your fear. There are far better investments of your money and time than some course teaching you how to make a glorified outline.

The credited response to 0Ls worrying about their summer is 'read getting to maybe, and then get to a beer.' Period.

Edit: I just noticed that someone posted something about LRW not mattering. That is a steaming pile a horse manure if I have ever seen one. Do not EVER fall behind in legal writing. It will make your life a living hell.

[Lacepiece23]

Bumping this. Hesitantly considering taking Law Preview. I have the money, but I don't have a surplus of money and would much rather put it towards 1L tuition. I saw someone recommended LEEWs over Law Preview-- any truth to that?

Don't do it LEEWS, Top 8 Secrets to Exam performance and Getting to Maybe are all you need. I'd honestly recommend LEEWS first because getting to maybe kinda assumes that you have some knowledge about law school and LEEWS goes in assuming that you know nothing.

[BlueJeanBaby]

Bumping this. Hesitantly considering taking Law Preview. I have the money, but I don't have a surplus of money and would much rather put it towards 1L tuition. I saw someone recommended LEEWs over Law Preview-- any truth to that?

Don't do it LEEWS, Top 8 Secrets to Exam performance and Getting to Maybe are all you need. I'd honestly recommend LEEWS first because getting to maybe kinda assumes that you have some knowledge about law school and LEEWS goes in assuming that you know nothing.

My wallet was hoping someone would say this. Thanks

[Scotusnerd]

My wallet was hoping someone would say this. Thanks

Hold on to that inner wallet voice. It will serve you well when it's time to buy textbooks.

[Lacepiece23]

My wallet was hoping someone would say this. Thanks

Hold on to that inner wallet voice. It will serve you well when it's time to buy textbooks.

For that find someone on law review, hope they had a decent highlighting system, buy all there books for a fraction of the price... profit

[BlueJeanBaby]

My wallet was hoping someone would say this. Thanks

Hold on to that inner wallet voice. It will serve you well when it's time to buy textbooks.

For that find someone on law review, hope they had a decent highlighting system, buy all there books for a fraction of the price... profit

Unfortunately, I don't know any 1Ls where I am going to school
Thanks for the tips on LEEWs. I'll be ordering that shortly.

[90LawSchool]

Bumping this. Hesitantly considering taking Law Preview. I have the money, but I don't have a surplus of money and would much rather put it towards 1L tuition. I saw someone recommended LEEWs over Law Preview-- any truth to that?

As someone who took Law Preview, I find alot of what other said above to be inaccurate. I do not mean to sound combative but the fact is that Law Preview (like most in life) is what you make of it.

Let me clarify: I do not necessarily disagree with the conclusions other gave. Law Preview is expensive and, quite frankly, is not necessary to doing well. However, I, like many others, have found it helpful and feel like it greatly aided me in doing well so far in law school.

I'm top 5% at a top-20 school after my first semester. I know that Law Preview gave me alot of tips that are unavailable on TLS (in fact go against TLS) and I know that some helped me. Would I have "gotten it" after a few weeks of law school? Maybe, maybe not. But I do know that, although by no means am I smarter than any of my classmates or even knew more Day 1, Law Preview gave me a "big picture" plan that I could start applying Day 1. By the time finals came around, I felt very prepared and confident.

So is it worth it? For me, it was. For another student in my section who did the same course, it was not - she did not follow any of their recommendations and has told me since that she regrets taking the course as she did not take the advice seriously.

But to say Law Preview is a waste of time/money is a over-simplification. People will do well not taking Law Preview; people will do well who took Law Preview. Really depends on the course and your learning style. I spent the $1000 on Law Preview and I do not regret it but if you do no want to spend the money, i'm sure you will be fine as well.

[Keithustus]

I've been out of school since 2003 so am very tempted to take Law Preview. I'll read Getting to Maybe and The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School thanks to your guys' recommendations, but given how long it's been since I've been in any kind of class or taken academic notes, a one-week exposure seems worthwhile given that the course price isn't extravagantly high. I still don't know anything about LEEWS or BARBRI other than from googling them. Are they worth a more in-depth look? FYI, I've been reading SCOTUS opinions and attending their oral arguments for almost 15 years.

[BlueJeanBaby]

I've been out of school since 2003 so am very tempted to take Law Preview. I'll read Getting to Maybe and The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School thanks to your guys' recommendations, but given how long it's been since I've been in any kind of class or taken academic notes, a one-week exposure seems worthwhile given that the course price isn't extravagantly high. I still don't know anything about LEEWS or BARBRI other than from googling them. Are they worth a more in-depth look? FYI, I've been reading SCOTUS opinions and attending their oral arguments for almost 15 years.

I think that the one week course IS extravagantly pricey haha! Over a grand for the course, not including travel/hotel/food. Add on a week's worth of pay and we are looking at at least $2500 (for me, I guess). I bought LEEWS online used for $60. I've heard more positive about LEEWS than law preview and it was way less of a financial burden haha.

[Keithustus]

Considering how much Kaplan charges for a course that only helps you for a one-morning test, $1,000 for a week to maybe help you for three years is reasonable. Besides, one of the Law Preview locations is easily commutable from my home. Thanks...looks like I'll look for LEEWS used online too. It's just a big book or something, right?

[BlueJeanBaby]

Considering how much Kaplan charges for a course that only helps you for a one-morning test, $1,000 for a week to maybe help you for three years is reasonable. Besides, one of the Law Preview locations is easily commutable from my home. Thanks...looks like I'll look for LEEWS used online too. It's just a big book or something, right?

LEEWs is a series of CDs and a booklet that goes with the CDs. Something like 9, maybe 10 hours of total instruction. And that doesn't sound so bad, but I would also never spend money on a class to study for the LSAT haha. I'm cheap.

[RELIC]

So I took this class because I got a scholarship and it did not help much during 1L. But either did LEEWS or Getting to Maybe. 0L prep is generally unhelpful (or at least it was in my case).

The only things you should do before law school are:

1. Relax
2. Relax
3. Relax