Hello,

As an aspiring law student, I have been listening to many of the trials and tribulations that friends and acquaintances have shared about how tough and competitive law school can be and I am wondering what it takes (given the employment stakes) to be in the top of one's class in law school?

Those of you who've done it or maybe simply those who've observed others who've done it, what traits do you find account for the success of top law school students? Is it as simple and cliche as hard work and raw intelligence or are there other equally, if not more important, factors you see over and over that the top students seem to possess and utilize in order to succeed?

Thank you so much for your willingness to share and I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Fast typing skills, excellent memorization & organization, and effective time management. Doing a lot of practice exams is helpful.

This is actually pretty spot on

Why the fast typing skills?

And do other characteristics and skills like "creativity" ever come into play?

bigtime intellectual masturbation and isolation bro is what separates the best from the rest.. and lots of bar review drinking episodes (helps).

They're generally married or in long-term relationships.

Because law school exams are in a sense a race. You all have 3 hours and often being able to word dump does lead to a better grade depending on how the prof grades. If a prof doesn't detract but only add points for hitting issues then a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks method can help.

That said, you don't have to write that much, but a ~2,000 word/hr rate is good for exams.

Why are law school exams a "race" ?

because you'll be typing up until the moment you finish and the more you type, the better chance you have of racking up points. Higher word count doesn't necessarily equal a higher grade, but I'd feel more comfortable with my chances on an exam where i wrote 6,000 words in 3 hours instead of 2,000.

Tag

Back squats

Grades

HUUUUUGE DICKS

Thank you to those who took the time to offer helpful input. I greatly appreciate it and know that these threads here at TLS help not only me, but others as well. And please do keep adding anything you guys feel to be genuinely helpful.

To those who made a mockery of this thread with crude and/or pornographic material, I think it's a shame you guys behave in such ways (this was a serious question that I had hoped would benefit myself and others) and would ask that you refrain from such future behavior, as it is both offensive and unhelpful/waste of people's times here.

Thank you all. Best.

a penchant for relentless mockery and an attitude of generally not giving a shit are traits that separate top law students from the rest

Asbergers, pedantry, pretentiousness

Thank you, Flips. This is indeed a skill that isn't necessarily in play as much from undergrad. I only occassionally had take-home exams (which is what I'm guessing you're referring to??) that required immediate work on them (I had a few weekend essay take-home exams during my four years of undergrad). The majority of important undergraduate assignments I did have that were take-home almost always were papers that were due months later.

Is this aspect/format of law school evaluation - the "take-home exam" (if that's what you mean) - universally true of law school life (or close to being true at MOST law schools)? Or have you heard of other examination procedures that don't require this sort of fast-typing skills?

Thanks!

(p.s. Did you practice much for these situations to help improve your speed? Did you find the practice helpful for the real thing?)

I'm just a 0L, but from what I've read on TLS, TCR is:

Protein intake + propensity to wear Brooks Brothers 1818 suits and Allan Edmonds.

Consuming less than 1lb of protein per pound of lean body mass OR wearing Jos a Bank ---> enjoy median.

The first thing you should be doing is learning what a law school exam is

The best way to guarantee good grades is to spend every waking hour thinking about law school and taking practice exams. A few weeks into the semester, start thinking about how you will organize your exam. You want the professor to pick up your exam and breathe a sigh of relief because of how organized it is. It's almost always a good idea to use headings.

Before the exam get a good night's sleep. Hopefully you read most of the cases, paid attention in class, and understand the subject the same way as your professor. Make sure you answer the question asked. "Roleplay" as the judicial clerk or associate in the question. This isn't just to be cute. It tells the professor you understand the question and it will help you write something more intelligent.

hth a little

I have no idea what you mean about take-home exams. Law schools exams are your entire section in a room for a 3 hour exam. Very rarely 1L classes have a take home 24 hour exam or something.

it's spelled "asperger's"

I thought it was 'asparagus'

lol this post is a prime example of why you shouldn't spout off personal experiences as absolutes or even generally applicable. I know plenty of people who had numerous take-home exams during 1L.