Torts Exam Thursday - Am I Basically Dead? Forum

[DiggyHopeful]

Hello everyone, thank you in advance for all of your wonderful advice on my predicament.

So, I'm not a great student by any means; basically stopped reading actual cases and taking good notes in my Torts course about halfway through the semester. I know some people are gonna use this as an opportunity to inflate their egos and make themselves feel better, but frankly I'm only in law school because I'm not paying for it, hence my lack of desire to have my life revolve around it.

With that said, I just completed the entire Torts E&E this weekend, which, while great at giving me a general overview of the topic, has not really cemented the elements of each action well enough to take an actual exam.

I guess my question is, what do you all recommend I do at this point. I'm really just aiming for a C+/B-. Would anyone recommend Crunchtime Torts? The name sounds appealing I guess LOL.

[kalvano]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

[twert]

Don't stress. Its really not that much to learn. Get a hornbook from you law library, put the elements of each tort on a notecard. Memorize them. There aren't that many torts. Have a scripted paragraph memorized about less straightforward concepts like proximate cause and duty of care. Learn some exceptions. Try to get someone's notes and see what little things the professor likes to see.

You don't need to do that well. There are plenty of idiots in your class i promise you.

[OGR3]

Don't stress. Its really not that much to learn. Get a hornbook from you law library, put the elements of each tort on a notecard. Memorize them. There aren't that many torts. Have a scripted paragraph memorized about less straightforward concepts like proximate cause and duty of care. Learn some exceptions. Try to get someone's notes and see what little things the professor likes to see.

You don't need to do that well. There are plenty of idiots in your class i promise you.

Wait, aren't all people in law school geniuses?

[reverendt]

The Emmanuals outline isn't bad. Crunchtime might help as well.
It's all about the elements of the different torts, categories of those injured on your land (invitees, etc.), a few doctrines (res ipsa, negligence per se) and a few overarching theories (causation, Posner's economic theory, etc.)
Don't worry about the cases at this point. Torts is ALL black letter law.

[DiggyHopeful]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

Haha unfortunately I do not go to SMU sorry

[Grizz]

Torts has fairly easy doctrines and hasn't change much, which is good. Hopefully though, you remember what the teacher emphasized in class. It really is all about what the teacher wants. We learned about some topics in class that the E&E didn't cover (like insurance) and some topics the E&E went into more in depth (assumption of risk). You HAVE to know what your teacher wants. You're not learning torts, you're learning "Prof. X's torts."

[NoleinNY]

The Emmanuals outline isn't bad. Crunchtime might help as well.
It's all about the elements of the different torts, categories of those injured on your land (invitees, etc.), a few doctrines (res ipsa, negligence per se) and a few overarching theories (causation, Posner's economic theory, etc.)
Don't worry about the cases at this point. Torts is ALL black letter law.

Caveat: It depends on your professor, and if they cover the course in a semester vs a year long.


But yeah, OP. Breath and relax. Have you been running through practice tests to get a feel for what your professor expects? (where available)

[mbusch22]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

Haha unfortunately I do not go to SMU sorry

damn.

Wasn't doing the entire EE probably overkill? That would be a ton of material for one semester wouldn't it? Of course my professor moves at a glacial pace so my opinion probably isn't relevant.

[DiggyHopeful]

The Emmanuals outline isn't bad. Crunchtime might help as well.
It's all about the elements of the different torts, categories of those injured on your land (invitees, etc.), a few doctrines (res ipsa, negligence per se) and a few overarching theories (causation, Posner's economic theory, etc.)
Don't worry about the cases at this point. Torts is ALL black letter law.

Caveat: It depends on your professor, and if they cover the course in a semester vs a year long.


But yeah, OP. Breath and relax. Have you been running through practice tests to get a feel for what your professor expects? (where available)

I have taken some of his practice tests which is what is freaking me out. I thought I was fairly prepared after devouring the whole E&E but then when I sat down to take an actual exam I found myself struggling to even begin outline a negligence cause of action. The intentional torts are fairly straight forward so I'm not to worried about that.

My professor is weird and spent about a 1/4 of the semester on insurance and bankruptcy, which unfortunately I haven't seen covered in a single supplement yet. Hopefully that doesn't come up on the exam

[Grizz]

My professor is weird and spent about a 1/4 of the semester on insurance and bankruptcy, which unfortunately I haven't seen covered in a single supplement yet. Hopefully that doesn't come up on the exam

They will come up on the exam.

[Grizz]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

Haha unfortunately I do not go to SMU sorry

damn.

Wasn't doing the entire EE probably overkill? That would be a ton of material for one semester wouldn't it? Of course my professor moves at a glacial pace so my opinion probably isn't relevant.

I did the whole E&E, but only the relevant portions. A few whole chapters weren't relevant to me.

[eandy]

I have taken some of his practice tests which is what is freaking me out. I thought I was fairly prepared after devouring the whole E&E but then when I sat down to take an actual exam I found myself struggling to even begin outline a negligence cause of action. The intentional torts are fairly straight forward so I'm not to worried about that.

My professor is weird and spent about a 1/4 of the semester on insurance and bankruptcy, which unfortunately I haven't seen covered in a single supplement yet. Hopefully that doesn't come up on the exam

If he spent that much time on it, it will be on there.

[DiggyHopeful]

I have taken some of his practice tests which is what is freaking me out. I thought I was fairly prepared after devouring the whole E&E but then when I sat down to take an actual exam I found myself struggling to even begin outline a negligence cause of action. The intentional torts are fairly straight forward so I'm not to worried about that.

My professor is weird and spent about a 1/4 of the semester on insurance and bankruptcy, which unfortunately I haven't seen covered in a single supplement yet. Hopefully that doesn't come up on the exam

If he spent that much time on it, it will be on there.

Yeah, it's just wishful thinking on my part. Almost guaranteed to be on a multiple choice section though so it's manageable at least.

[joobacca]

you are all good. reading in the whole e&e is pretty impressive. you have the basic idea down. at this point, i wouldn't bother making an outline (unless you're not allowed to bring in a commercial outline). find one online or use crunchtime. the flowcharts help me out to see what type of events might raise an issue. all the rules will be there. use that outline and take practice exams. you can still nail the exam. i would also say that you should have a really short (maybe 1-2 pages) of just rules that you can use on the exam. bring the rest as backup/peace of mind, but you probably will use it once or twice only.

[joobacca]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

as for this comment, i don't think this person understands that it is entirely possible that someone who starts late can beat another person who has spent his whole semester in the library.

[Grizz]

Yeah, it's just wishful thinking on my part. Almost guaranteed to be on a multiple choice section though so it's manageable at least.

Multiple choice can be much harder than essay though. It's hard to choose the right answer, whereas on an essay portion, you can (and should) make arguments for both sides.

[twert]

you are all good. reading in the whole e&e is pretty impressive. you have the basic idea down. at this point, i wouldn't bother making an outline (unless you're not allowed to bring in a commercial outline). find one online or use crunchtime. the flowcharts help me out to see what type of events might raise an issue. all the rules will be there. use that outline and take practice exams. you can still nail the exam. i would also say that you should have a really short (maybe 1-2 pages) of just rules that you can use on the exam. bring the rest as backup/peace of mind, but you probably will use it once or twice only.

are you allowed to use commercial outlines? we can't use outlines at all.

[kalvano]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

as for this comment, i don't think this person understands that it is entirely possible that someone who starts late can beat another person who has spent his whole semester in the library.

Yes, his starting late was way more important to me than his total lack of commitment or desire to get anything above a C+. Well done.

[DiggyHopeful]

you are all good. reading in the whole e&e is pretty impressive. you have the basic idea down. at this point, i wouldn't bother making an outline (unless you're not allowed to bring in a commercial outline). find one online or use crunchtime. the flowcharts help me out to see what type of events might raise an issue. all the rules will be there. use that outline and take practice exams. you can still nail the exam. i would also say that you should have a really short (maybe 1-2 pages) of just rules that you can use on the exam. bring the rest as backup/peace of mind, but you probably will use it once or twice only.

are you allowed to use commercial outlines? we can't use outlines at all.

Nope, it's a completely closed book exam. Crazy I know.

[joobacca]

Please please please please please please please please please please please please go to SMU.

as for this comment, i don't think this person understands that it is entirely possible that someone who starts late can beat another person who has spent his whole semester in the library.

Yes, his starting late was way more important to me than his total lack of commitment or desire to get anything above a C+. Well done.

his desire to get a certain grade or his lack of commitment doesn't matter. his grade is based solely on one exam. and if he's bright, he has enough time to set the curve still.

[kalvano]

his desire to get a certain grade or his lack of commitment doesn't matter. his grade is based solely on one exam. and if he's bright, he has enough time to set the curve still.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say someone who has professed to not care, is only there because it's free, doesn't really care what grade as long as its passing, and isn't really putting in any effort probably isn't going to be setting the curve.

[joobacca]

his desire to get a certain grade or his lack of commitment doesn't matter. his grade is based solely on one exam. and if he's bright, he has enough time to set the curve still.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say someone who has professed to not care, is only there because it's free, doesn't really care what grade as long as its passing, and isn't really putting in any effort probably isn't going to be setting the curve.

ok. i don't agree (that he doesn't care or someone doesn't care isn't going to set the curve), but i will stop here. we (really me) are hijacking the thread.

[spondee]

Nope, it's a completely closed book exam. Crazy I know.

Given your situation, this may be a good thing. I think many professors use close book exams to prevent information-dump answers - so you don't need to know as much going in.

You need to know the basic BLL and the Torts big picture. But you need to know those things cold so that you can apply them in perhaps new/unusual ways.

I'd say, Pull up the class syllabus and make a list of all the subject headings. You need to know what each of those means, what the black letter elements are, and what policy considerations might affect each subject's application. You should be able to fit the answers for each on a notecard - easy memorization.

Also -

ok. i don't agree (that he doesn't care or someone doesn't care isn't going to set the curve), but i will stop here. we (really me) are hijacking the thread.

+1.