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How much $ should I set aside for supplemental materials?
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:06 pm
by candidate33
2Ls: How much did you spend on supplements for your 1L year?
I'm trying to make a budget that includes everything, but I'm not actually buying any supplemental materials until I get to law school.
My school suggests $1550 for "books and supplies" per year is reasonable. Would this cover the textbooks and supplements?
Re: How much $ should I set aside for supplemental materials?
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:05 pm
by PaulKriske
i am interested in the outcome of this thread.
Re: How much $ should I set aside for supplemental materials?
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:50 pm
by bp shinners
candidate33 wrote:My school suggests $1550 for "books and supplies" per year is reasonable. Would this cover the textbooks and supplements?
Probably in the ballpark. Depends on your willingness to buy used books, which are offered at a significant discount. It's almost always fine to use an old edition, as well (your professor updated one case and released a new edition so all the crazy people would buy it at full retail; however, without that case, you're still fine).
The supplemental materials can get out of hand if you 'need' to get every single thing for a class (because you're one of the aforementioned crazies), but you'll usually be fine with whichever case briefs you prefer/are available for your text book, maybe a hornbook, and an outline from someone who took the class with that professor last year (costs you maybe a few beers; less if you've involved with an organization that maintains its own library of these). The case briefs and hornbooks are usually in the $30-$50 range, if I remember correctly. Those I would buy new; I don't think I ever bought a new casebook.
Re: How much $ should I set aside for supplemental materials?
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:14 pm
by anonymouse2828
all brand new, books and supplements will be expensive. Buy used, and your costs could be cut in half.
Some people need new books, some people don't mind a book that's got a few highlights and underlines in it. Depends on your style and what works best for your study habits.
As for supplements, there's a LOT that can be gotten online. Student associations and 2L's probably also have a lot of supplements they're willing to share or sell to you at a discounted price.
Personally, this is what I likes/used:
Case briefs - MANY online resourced for this. A used copy of the last edition of printed canned briefs for $5/ea can also help at times. Be aware though, not all of these are correct for your professor
Flash Cards - I really liked the Law in a Flash series by Aspen
Everything else - useless for me. I maybe opened my E&E's and Emanuel's supplements once or twice.