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For those 1L's who prepped or OL's who are prepping what are/did you doing/do?


For 1L's...was the prep worth it?


I don't want a debate on the effectiveness of prepping (as some seem to be vehemently opposed to it) I am mostly just curious.

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TTT-LS wrote:

LMFAO. I think the whole "fail" thing is most corny and ridiculous thing out there, but this one made me crack up, even though Mario is a huge player and the ladies love him.

Anyway, let me chime in. I am also an OL that is looking for advice on this. I've asked around and gotten some poor advice like don't study at all. I've also gotten some good advice. This is what I am going to do some far.

Read Law School Confidential and Getting to Maybe. Buy a couple of study guides and and skim through them. I think it would be pointless to read the entire thing, but if you can get somewhat of a clue on what is going on I think that would be good. Also, Im a complete newbie when it comes to law so I am going to read an introductory book.

The final advice I got was to go to a local law library, and read some of the cases that we will be reading during our first year. I'm not sure if I will be doing this yet but it seems like a good idea. I was told that I should read up on learning how to brief a case too. Also, LEEWS site.

Aloha4 wrote:
Anyway, let me chime in. I am also an OL that is looking for advice on this. I've asked around and gotten some poor advice like don't study at all. I've also gotten some good advice. This is what I am going to do some far.

Read Law School Confidential and Getting to Maybe. Buy a couple of study guides and and skim through them. I think it would be pointless to read the entire thing, but if you can get somewhat of a clue on what is going on I think that would be good. Also, Im a complete newbie when it comes to law so I am going to read an introductory book.

The final advice I got was to go to a local law library, and read some of the cases that we will be reading during our first year. I'm not sure if I will be doing this yet but it seems like a good idea. I was told that I should read up on learning how to brief a case too. Also, LEEWS site.

If you're qualified to evaluate advice from 1/2/3L's, then why do you even need any?

I have been watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 and lots of nature shows.

I have also played tons of PS3, Fallout 3 and Cod:MW2 are my favorites at the moment.

Aeroplane wrote:

Aloha4 wrote:
Anyway, let me chime in. I am also an OL that is looking for advice on this. I've asked around and gotten some poor advice like don't study at all. I've also gotten some good advice. This is what I am going to do some far.

Read Law School Confidential and Getting to Maybe. Buy a couple of study guides and and skim through them. I think it would be pointless to read the entire thing, but if you can get somewhat of a clue on what is going on I think that would be good. Also, Im a complete newbie when it comes to law so I am going to read an introductory book.

The final advice I got was to go to a local law library, and read some of the cases that we will be reading during our first year. I'm not sure if I will be doing this yet but it seems like a good idea. I was told that I should read up on learning how to brief a case too. Also, LEEWS site.

If you're qualified to evaluate advice from 1/2/3L's, then why do you even need any?

How do you know it's poor advice, you're not there yet.

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No prep at all. What an immense waste of time. I am a 2L, and I did not prep one iota. I did great, gradewise. If you really want to prep, go back to high school and enroll in some classes so you can prep for the social atmosphere of law school.

Personally, as a terrified incoming law student (I refuse to use the term 0L), reading law related materials comforts me. I have read Bramble Bush, Law School Confidential, and several law oriented novels. I have skimmed some of the E&Es, nothing serious. I own GTM and Leews, but I'm going to hold off a bit on those.

But I have read "Guerrilla Tactics for getting legal jobs" cover to cover. No jobby = greatest fear

If you really really really want to do something:

1) Update your resume with an eye towards legal employers. Draft a generic cover letter if you don't have one.

2) Skim TLS threads on grades/exams, esp "After Grades: what did we learn".

3) Take a look at one typical "issue spotter" exam and a model answer. The "1L Exam Questions and Links" may have one. Just skim for the general approach, don't read for content.

The last two items probably won't lead to any real benefit, but who knows, and they don't take that long to do and you're probably on TLS all the time anyway.

Edit: I did #'s 2 & 3 over the summer, not as conscious "prep" but out of curiosity. In retrospect, I wish I'd done #1.

Aloha4 wrote:

TTT-LS wrote:

LMFAO. I think the whole "fail" thing is most corny and ridiculous thing out there, but this one made me crack up, even though Mario is a huge player and the ladies love him.

Anyway, let me chime in. I am also an OL that is looking for advice on this. I've asked around and gotten some poor advice like don't study at all. I've also gotten some good advice. This is what I am going to do some far.

Read Law School Confidential and Getting to Maybe. Buy a couple of study guides and and skim through them. I think it would be pointless to read the entire thing, but if you can get somewhat of a clue on what is going on I think that would be good. Also, Im a complete newbie when it comes to law so I am going to read an introductory book.

The final advice I got was to go to a local law library, and read some of the cases that we will be reading during our first year. I'm not sure if I will be doing this yet but it seems like a good idea. I was told that I should read up on learning how to brief a case too. Also, LEEWS site.

I was going to rail you for characterizing the advice as "poor advice" with no knowledge of law school, but I see that's already happened.

Don't do any prep. It's a waste of time. All of the people I know who killed it first semester did little to no prep. The MOST prep I would say that I could suggest is reading Getting To Maybe... maybe. Also reading through the "after grades... what did we learn" thread and the articles on LS methods is useful. But if you get EEs/study guides/whatever and start working through them.... no. Don't do that. And don't read cases during the summer.

TCR=Porno

betasteve wrote:

Scurredsitless1 wrote:Personally, as a terrified incoming law student (I refuse to use the term 0L), reading law related materials comforts me. I have read Bramble Bush, Law School Confidential, and several law oriented novels. I have skimmed some of the E&Es, nothing serious. I own GTM and Leews, but I'm going to hold off a bit on those.

But I have read "Guerrilla Tactics for getting legal jobs" cover to cover. No jobby = greatest fear

Here's the secret: you are going to be no less terrified your first week having read all of that shit. Mostly, as to your reading and analysis related to what will go down in law school — you aren't doing it right. You'll realize that quickly. Again, you are not reading law material in a manner that will help you in law school. I've been there, done that. This is experience talking, not just a flippant opinion.
That's not to say that reading LSC or something may set your mind at ease - sure, I guess that is possible. I'll admit to having read them. However, I adopted almost none of what they suggested and still did well.

Betasteve and the amazing technicolor textbook.

Although LSC has what appears to be a silly method of casebriefing, it serves as a introduction to the very most basic questions about law school, the application process and law exams.

Everyone should know that law school is taught via socratic method, your grades are entirely based on a final essay exam, and that much of the study of law is based on case method. But these are not natural assumptions, and books like LSC explain these things.

I think someone should sticky a 0L prep thread. These threads are perennial

edit: just realized there is a 0L sticky and still doesn't work. Never mind.

I'm a 0L and I basically work as a paralegal/legal assistant now (compliance manager, technically) and I spend all day at work reading statutes, court decisions, civil complaints filed by state AG's, state bar ethics decisions, etc. under the supervision of an attorney. I'm definitely not going to go beyond that. In fact, during the month or two between leaving my job and starting law school I plan on just relaxing and adjusting to whichever city I'll be moving to.

Okay, thanks all, I luckily ran across the other (many many) other threads on this and feel like a tool for even creating this thread. Thanks to user above who pointed out how many threads there already are.

Talk to my 3L sis and talk to my parents (both lawyers).
Learned from sis so far: resistance is futile, you WILL have to highlight (though not necessarily in technicolor)
Learned from parents so far: E&E's are teh suck

I don't plan to do any 0L prep except probably to read "Guerilla tactics..." (no job, no like; especially since I'll probably be going to a T2). May read GTM once I'm in school. Will brush up on IRAC and Blue Booking from the LR&W course I took.

mikeytwoshoes wrote:TCR=Porno

Priya Rai will help me prepare for law school? NIIIICE

keg411 wrote:Talk to my 3L sis and talk to my parents (both lawyers).
Learned from sis so far: resistance is futile, you WILL have to highlight (though not necessarily in technicolor)
Learned from parents so far: E&E's are teh suck

I don't plan to do any 0L prep except probably to read "Guerilla tactics..." (no job, no like; especially since I'll probably be going to a T2). May read GTM once I'm in school. Will brush up on IRAC and Blue Booking from the LR&W course I took.

I'd suggest not listening your parents, at least when it comes to Torts and Civil Procedure.

apper123 wrote:

keg411 wrote:Talk to my 3L sis and talk to my parents (both lawyers).
Learned from sis so far: resistance is futile, you WILL have to highlight (though not necessarily in technicolor)
Learned from parents so far: E&E's are teh suck

I don't plan to do any 0L prep except probably to read "Guerilla tactics..." (no job, no like; especially since I'll probably be going to a T2). May read GTM once I'm in school. Will brush up on IRAC and Blue Booking from the LR&W course I took.

I'd suggest not listening your parents, at least when it comes to Torts and Civil Procedure.

TCR.

Well, I've read my share of TTT-LS's advice and 99.999% of the time, his advice is spot on. But then I saw this:

--ImageRemoved--

This whole area of censorship seems right up my legal alley. I plan on watching this documentary and the plethora of various filth films it discusses. I may even "go outside the box" to compare and contrast between filth of other various artistic, BBW, Asian, S&M, anal, and midget varieties.

I will then brief my results, having it ready for 1L orientation. If I'm lucky, I may have some of it prepared for an ASW. It will be brief.

You should take Law Preview; LEEWS; NU Pre-Law Summer Institute; and also read a few hornbooks. If you do anything less, you WILL fail. Also, as law school is just like the LSAT, you might also continue working on some logic games, reading comprehension, and logical reasoning problems. I would also suggest making a daily trip to your local courthouse to observe court proceedings, and take copious notes. If you do all this, you might be ready for your first day of 1L. Good luck!

Lawschoolman wrote:You should take Law Preview; LEEWS; NU Pre-Law Summer Institute; and also read a few hornbooks. If you do anything less, you WILL fail. Also, as law school is just like the LSAT, you might also continue working on some logic games, reading comprehension, and logical reasoning problems. I would also suggest making a daily trip to your local courthouse to observe court proceedings, and take copious notes. If you do all this, you might be ready for your first day of 1L. Good luck!

As an experienced 0L myself, I'm going to have to second this. Also, I found that there's no way I could ever feel prepared with watching copious amounts of Raising the Bar, Boston Legal, Law and Order, and Man Vs. Wild.

I made a little reading list on another thread of stuff to look at. I will post it later if I find it.

There is probably some modest correlation between prepping and getting better grades. A few people here have totally rocked exams after doing so. I did so a little bit and found it helped reduce my workload a lot.

As a major caveat, success on law exams is pretty inexplicable to a lot of people. Many people go into the exam room totally confused about the material and barely understanding it, yet come out with A's because they can do law exams very well. Preparation, even over the course of the term, doesn't seem to be a dominant factor in who gets good grades. that is actually the purpose of the LSAT - to test your test-taking skills since it correlates so powerfully with exam performance, .33 or so for law exams but only .03 for legal memo grades.