Can LEEWS actually hurt your performance? Forum

[deem]

hey everyone, I know there are multiple threads on the LEEWS system, and I have read through a decent number of them. However, I am still trying to decide whether or not to take the live class that is happening near me soon. I originally thought "better late than never," but after reading more commentary on the system, I am worried that it could hurt my performance. Some people say that they needed time to adjust to it (so learning it now, and trying to apply it to this semester might not be a great idea) and others say that they actually did worse when they used its techniques.

Basically, if I am a 1L and I do the live course next weekend, is there a significant possibility that it could hurt my performance? I know this is a general (maybe even stupid) question, but any insight is greatly appreciated (I am starting to get increasingly worried about final exams).

[solotee]

I just got done with the audio program. Although a lot of the material he presented was superfluous, I got what I needed from it.

[Kobe_Teeth]

Its pretty easy to discern what's useful and what isn't. It seems as if LEEWS is centered around the typical issue spotter exam but it obviously can't account for differences in professor. It will hurt your performance if you put Wentworth Miller's word over your professor's.

1L advice...taking my best (more and more) educated guess.

[jack duluoz]

I was under the impression that LEEWS is more of a restatement than BLL. I think it provides good insight, but i don't plan on following the exact formula.

[beach_terror]

What your teacher wants > LEEWS. I followed a lot of TLS-esque advice on my midterm and only ended up with a B+. I just talked to my professor and she wants us to discuss the factual content of cases we've read in our exam answers (wtf mate). Not only that, but the factual content of our past cases should be the "crux" of our exam answers.

[Kobe_Teeth]

What your teacher wants > LEEWS. I followed a lot of TLS-esque advice on my midterm and only ended up with a B+. I just talked to my professor and she wants us to discuss the factual content of cases we've read in our exam answers (wtf mate). Not only that, but the factual content of our past cases should be the "crux" of our exam answers.

Wow, that sucks.

My profs are looking for issue spotting but they all want it in slightly different formats. One wants straight IRAC. The other wants a more inter-weaving of rule statements with fact and application. And the 3rd, well we're convinced he's drunk all the time and have no idea what he wants!

LEEWS gives you one way to do all of this, it my not be what your prof wants. However, the crux of LEEWS, I think, is the planning, the issue spotting and the analysis. In that sense, it can only help. It gives good advice but filter all of it through what you know your professor wants.

[goosey]

I think its easy to get leews wrong--I say this because I used the method on some graded assignments and did not so well. I don't think the system is wrong, I think what I took from it was wrong. Or maybe leews just isn't suited for this particular professor. He says to nitpick the facts, and I did. But it was disastrous.

Our civ pro professor went over a question in class with us and basically showed us how to take his exam..he created a check list on the screen and went step by step. I plan on using the method he used on his exam. I will probably use a pseudo-leews method for torts. Ill start each new paragraph with law, flag the issues with underlining, etc.

I've practiced with the conflict pairing/objective thing but am bad at it. Will try to practice that more and then take it from there..

Overall I feel like you can't have a one size fits all method because you're dealing with a bunch of dif professors.

[Columbia Law]

I think its easy to get leews wrong--I say this because I used the method on some graded assignments and did not so well. I don't think the system is wrong, I think what I took from it was wrong. Or maybe leews just isn't suited for this particular professor. He says to nitpick the facts, and I did. But it was disastrous.

Our civ pro professor went over a question in class with us and basically showed us how to take his exam..he created a check list on the screen and went step by step. I plan on using the method he used on his exam. I will probably use a pseudo-leews method for torts. Ill start each new paragraph with law, flag the issues with underlining, etc.

I've practiced with the conflict pairing/objective thing but am bad at it. Will try to practice that more and then take it from there..

Overall I feel like you can't have a one size fits all method because you're dealing with a bunch of dif professors.

LOL THE IRONY OF YOUR AVATAR AND THIS POAST.

[deem]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. It basically comes down to whether it is a better choice for me to outline all saturday or to take the live class (and see what helpful tips I can take from it). I'm just worried that at this point in the semester, sacrificing a day of outlining (when I'm already behind on my outlines) is worth it. Any additional thoughts are very welcome. Thanks!

[traehekat]

Didn't do the live session but I did the audio program, which I'm sure takes longer. Either way I do recommend doing it if you can fit in the time (read Getting to Maybe as well, if you haven't already).

Can LEEWS hurt your performance? The only way it can "hurt" your performance is if you listen to LEEWS over your professor (which Miller tells you NOT to do) or if you apply it wrong (which, obviously, Miller would not recommend). So technically no, LEEWS can't hurt your performance. Can you figure out the crux of the system without actually doing it? Possibly, and obviously not everyone who does well has taken LEEWS, but I guess my question would be why take the risk? It really doesn't take THAT long to get the idea of it, and it gives you a nice crutch to fall back on for test day when you are vulnerable to be overwhelmed.

[goosey]

I think its easy to get leews wrong--I say this because I used the method on some graded assignments and did not so well. I don't think the system is wrong, I think what I took from it was wrong. Or maybe leews just isn't suited for this particular professor. He says to nitpick the facts, and I did. But it was disastrous.

Our civ pro professor went over a question in class with us and basically showed us how to take his exam..he created a check list on the screen and went step by step. I plan on using the method he used on his exam. I will probably use a pseudo-leews method for torts. Ill start each new paragraph with law, flag the issues with underlining, etc.

I've practiced with the conflict pairing/objective thing but am bad at it. Will try to practice that more and then take it from there..

Overall I feel like you can't have a one size fits all method because you're dealing with a bunch of dif professors.

LOL THE IRONY OF YOUR AVATAR AND THIS POAST.

lol. yeah I know right haha

well I decided to review leews again, and I was in fact, quite off in how I applied it. will give this another shot and see how it goes