How to prepare for law school exams as a 0L Forum

[PLATONiC]

I know this sounds crazy/ridiculous, but I mean no harm!

I'm not trying to prepare for law school exams by touching anything related to the law. But what I do think might help me for law school is to take substantively rich courses (I'll be returning to undergrad after this two-year-long work period) in philosophy. A lot of the tests that I've taken as a philosphy major required writing really long answers in blue books - a lot of these also required that we get creative with our answers.

Do any of you believe that taking a lot of these courses (which also require a lot of reading) will help in law school? I'm worried that I won't be able to come up with intellectually creative and, more importantly, sound arguments on my feet (that is, in a short time-span) unless I train myself to do so. Although the nature of the questions and the level of difficulty may differ in law school, I'm afraid that trying to learn to think quick during law school could be a waste of money and time.

[IzziesGal]

You really can't prep for law exams as a 0L. Law exams aren't "really long essays" - they're fact patterns and hypos. You can't practice attacking a fact pattern or hypo until you know all of the rules, and you won't know all of the rules until you complete the course.

Just focus on finishing undergrad on a strong note. You can practice law school exam-taking when that time comes.

Edit: You won't really be making "sound arguments on your feet" on exams. When you start taking your professors' practice tests throughout the semester, you will already be formulating those arguments and then you will just be applying them to the new facts in front of you.

[traehekat]

May God have mercy on your soul.

[PLATONiC]

Based on the two short responses I received, I think I have a gyst of what I was getting myself into thinking. Thanks guys.

[Unitas]

Read "getting to maybe" the summer before LS. I started it last week and am already halfway done. I don't know how much help it'll be (I'm still an 0L), but it is all about how to take law school exams and appears to be helpful.

Have fun in UG.

[PLATONiC]

Ahhhhh I forgot that there are probably a lot of good books worth reading before heading off to law school:D

As to UG, I still have to work overseas for another year until I get to get back