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Hey!

So, I am starting to outline and I have outlines of other students...

however, instead of outlining... I find that other people have written stuff better than me. Can't I just use their outlines and copy/paste stuff on my notes on the outline?

Or does it really not matter?

An editor of the law review at my T10 told me that he just found really good outlines for classes and then did some inserting/editing as class progressed for his 1L. On the other hand, some people insist that writing your own outline is the best way to learn the material.

I've done both and didn't really notice any diff....but I'd say make your own unless the one that someone else made is spectacular.

I would just use the shell of successful outlines and insert specific data your prof has been stressing all semester.

It depends, if outlining serves as a process for you to organize your knowledge, review, and prepare for exams, then no, you shouldn't copy someone else's outline. Personal opinion, I would never use someone else's outline. FWIW I did extremely well 1L year.

Worth noting - you only get one shot at 1L - don't try to cut corners.

Also, personal opinion - it's way, way too early to even think about outlining.

I personally did my outlines by re-reading/skimming all the material, doing 50-page long outlines, 10-page short outlines, and 1-page checklists. On the other hand, I spent very little time on hypos/practice tests. I have a feeling that people who don't do their own outlines spend a lot of time working with the material (hypos, practice tests, etc) instead.

At the end of the day, what you need to do is synthesize the material and commit it to memory. Spend some time experimenting to see what works best for you.

LAWYER2 wrote:I would just use the shell of successful outlines and insert specific data your prof has been stressing all semester.

This is mostly what I did. Having something to work off of gave me the initial direction to put hings in motion. As the above poster also mentioned, it really depends on your style. I personally really get a lot from working problems, so I preferred using extra time on hypos and practice exams. For reference, I was top 5% at a T2 and transferred to UCLA.

I laid out my methodology in another thread if anyone is interested:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&start=25

Dman wrote:

LAWYER2 wrote:I would just use the shell of successful outlines and insert specific data your prof has been stressing all semester.

This is mostly what I did. Having something to work off of gave me the initial direction to put hings in motion. As the above poster also mentioned, it really depends on your style. I personally really get a lot from working problems, so I preferred using extra time on hypos and practice exams. For reference, I was top 5% at a T2 and transferred to UCLA.

I laid out my methodology in another thread if anyone is interested:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&start=25

This is actually what I was planning to do. In class I have three notes up 1) reading notes 2) rando things the professor says that I think is interesting 3) and an outline.

Then at the end of class, I got back and put stuff in the outline of another student.

I know it may be too early to start outlining. But I know that I may be reoutlining anyway when I actually have another month of schooling.

...

Miniver wrote:

vamedic03 wrote:Also, personal opinion - it's way, way too early to even think about outlining.

I have never understood this mentality. When I was in law school, I went to every class, took notes in an outline format, and at the end of the semester--bam--there was my outline. No further action required.

Assuming a professor isn't some kind of idiot, every topic in each class should flow logically and be well compartmentalized. If a student cannot write his notes in an outline format while in class, then the professor (or student) is doing something wrong.

That sounds great. Wish I would have started off that way.

LAWYER2 wrote:

Miniver wrote:

vamedic03 wrote:Also, personal opinion - it's way, way too early to even think about outlining.

I have never understood this mentality. When I was in law school, I went to every class, took notes in an outline format, and at the end of the semester--bam--there was my outline. No further action required.

Assuming a professor isn't some kind of idiot, every topic in each class should flow logically and be well compartmentalized. If a student cannot write his notes in an outline format while in class, then the professor (or student) is doing something wrong.

That sounds great. Wish I would have started off that way.

That's how I operate too, except I hand write. At the end of the semester, it takes 2 or 3 days to type up the handwritten outline, and thats all it takes to study.

Riles246 wrote:

LAWYER2 wrote:

Miniver wrote:

vamedic03 wrote:Also, personal opinion - it's way, way too early to even think about outlining.

I have never understood this mentality. When I was in law school, I went to every class, took notes in an outline format, and at the end of the semester--bam--there was my outline. No further action required.

Assuming a professor isn't some kind of idiot, every topic in each class should flow logically and be well compartmentalized. If a student cannot write his notes in an outline format while in class, then the professor (or student) is doing something wrong.

That sounds great. Wish I would have started off that way.

That's how I operate too, except I hand write. At the end of the semester, it takes 2 or 3 days to type up the handwritten outline, and thats all it takes to study.

2-3 days? I must be doing something wrong.

But then again, I started out with a crappy set of in-class notes and briefs and it's taking me some time to synthesize the notes+briefs, super-skim some of my cases, and fact-check using my supplements. My 4 weeks worth of Crim stuff took a few days to do. I guess you could say most of my time was spent reviewing material

But the contracts outline is turning out to be a real pain in the ass. Prof likes to dedicate maybe 1/2 of his lectures to discussing theory, philosophy, and old cases that have little relevance to modern contract law. Hard to tell what he will/won't test on, but the old outlines I have are a lifesaver.