Top Law Schools

I am a rising 4L part timer who has already developed a career in the field I want to work in. I have little interest in putting anymore effort in to law school then I have too but do want to get respectable grades (B/B+ are fine by me). My view is to focus heavily in class, take good notes while skimping on the readings and then preparing off my notes (maybe clean them up into an outline) for exams. Could anyone offer any other suggestions or possibly improvements to my study habits? Basically I want the least possible effort for the maximal gain. I guess I am asking what really helped you the most on an exam?

LOL this man knows what up

My best advice is to take small classes, if your school does not mandate a curve on classes under a certain size. I've experienced that professors in these classes tend to get to know students, and any participating you do (or time you take getting to know the professor) has a larger chance of translating into a better grade. Now, I am not saying that I advocate slacking off. Since it's your last year, now is the time to take electives in areas you really care about, and your interest level will in itself buoy your grades.

Get an outline. Don't do the reading, go to class if you want to. Cram for 3 days before the exam. You'll be cool.

Don't outline. Just look at someone else's outline and focus on taking practice exams.

Don't take small classes. Attendance becomes a pain in those. Take the classes where you will not be missed.

I think I'm gonna write a guide on this topic... stay tuned

Desert Fox wrote:Get an outline. Don't do the reading, go to class if you want to. Cram for 3 days before the exam. You'll be cool.

+1. As long as you're willing to work your ass off during finals, that's really what matters.

cronous wrote:I am a rising 4L part timer who has already developed a career in the field I want to work in. I have little interest in putting anymore effort in to law school then I have too but do want to get respectable grades (B/B+ are fine by me). My view is to focus heavily in class, take good notes while skimping on the readings and then preparing off my notes (maybe clean them up into an outline) for exams. Could anyone offer any other suggestions or possibly improvements to my study habits? Basically I want the least possible effort for the maximal gain. I guess I am asking what really helped you the most on an exam?

Only a 0L, but I think learning the difference between 'then' and 'than' will probably help.

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:I am a rising 4L part timer who has already developed a career in the field I want to work in. I have little interest in putting anymore effort in to law school then I have too but do want to get respectable grades (B/B+ are fine by me). My view is to focus heavily in class, take good notes while skimping on the readings and then preparing off my notes (maybe clean them up into an outline) for exams. Could anyone offer any other suggestions or possibly improvements to my study habits? Basically I want the least possible effort for the maximal gain. I guess I am asking what really helped you the most on an exam?

Only a 0L, but I think learning the difference between 'then' and 'than' will probably help.

LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

cronous wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:I am a rising 4L part timer who has already developed a career in the field I want to work in. I have little interest in putting anymore effort in to law school then I have too but do want to get respectable grades (B/B+ are fine by me). My view is to focus heavily in class, take good notes while skimping on the readings and then preparing off my notes (maybe clean them up into an outline) for exams. Could anyone offer any other suggestions or possibly improvements to my study habits? Basically I want the least possible effort for the maximal gain. I guess I am asking what really helped you the most on an exam?

Only a 0L, but I think learning the difference between 'then' and 'than' will probably help.

LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

are law profs really not grammar nazis about exams?

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:
LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

are law profs really not grammar nazis about exams?

Well, since law school exams are speed-typing contests, they would be very difficult to grade if you stopped at every typo.

Renzo wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:
LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

are law profs really not grammar nazis about exams?

Well, since law school exams are speed-typing contests, they would be very difficult to grade if you stopped at every typo.

It's hard to believe that LAW Schools don't require you to know proper grammar. I think I'll set up a separate thread to get to the bottom of this.

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

Renzo wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:
LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

are law profs really not grammar nazis about exams?

Well, since law school exams are speed-typing contests, they would be very difficult to grade if you stopped at every typo.

It's hard to believe that LAW Schools don't require you to know proper grammar. I think I'll set up a separate thread to get to the bottom of this.

Sorry, but your BA in English means very little in law school, just as it does in the real world.

BlueDiamond wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote: It's hard to believe that LAW Schools don't require you to know proper grammar. I think I'll set up a separate thread to get to the bottom of this.

Sorry, but your BA in English means very little in law school, just as it does in the real world.

But how can knowing proper grammar not be important in the legal field?

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

Renzo wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

cronous wrote:
LOL on any law school exam I seriously doubt any professor would give it a second look, the test is about applying law to fact not about being a grammar nazi.

are law profs really not grammar nazis about exams?

Well, since law school exams are speed-typing contests, they would be very difficult to grade if you stopped at every typo.

It's hard to believe that LAW Schools don't require you to know proper grammar. I think I'll set up a separate thread to get to the bottom of this.

Well 0L, believe it. They do care - but only IN WRITING CLASS, or when grading formal papers / briefs / articles. On a typical exam? Professors don't give a shit, they know the time pressure. They want to see you identify and articulate the issues, not that your typing is perfect in the 3 hours you have. If they do care, they are uptight douches anyways, can't help that. But don't spend one single second on an exam proof reading. Spend that second adding more detail to your answers.

TheFutureLawyer wrote:

BlueDiamond wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote: It's hard to believe that LAW Schools don't require you to know proper grammar. I think I'll set up a separate thread to get to the bottom of this.

Sorry, but your BA in English means very little in law school, just as it does in the real world.

But how can knowing proper grammar not be important in the legal field?

It is important. Just not on exams. While you went and revised your grammar, I added discussion about another defense to the tort I identified. I win.

NotMyRealName09 wrote:

TheFutureLawyer wrote: But how can knowing proper grammar not be important in the legal field?

It is important. Just not on exams. While you went and revised your grammar, I added discussion about another defense to the tort I identified. I win.

RIght. No one said it wasn't important in the legal field. It just won't help you on exams.

Pay attention in class, old outlines and practice tests.

I generally read quickly before each class during the semester and read out outlines a bunch of times/do old practice tests for 2-3 days before each final.

Total study time for each class -- ~10-15 hours + staying current on readings.

NYC Law wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Slackers-Guide-La ... 1888960523

Now you, too, can skateboard down the steps of the Supreme Court.

Getting by law school with the least possible effort is a great recipe for unemployment. Granted, there are exceptions.

Regarding grammar, I have not had a single professor that cares about grammar. Some mention they might dock with the grammar is horrendous, but from what I have not heard of any real docking. Not to mention, most model answers have their share of grammatical errors. The only class where spelling and grammar matters is the legal research and writing class.


Note: A few professors do care about spelling. None of mine have cared about spelling/grammar, but based on some posts on these boards, it seems like a small minority of professors will dock for spelling/grammar.

I stopped reading for class. Typed, literally, every single word the teacher said. Then created an outline off the notes I had taken from class. Booked not one, but two classes, without having read a single page.

So, strategy-wise, just write down everything that leaves your teacher's mouth and then the last three weeks put together an outline.

MVPson wrote:I stopped reading for class. Typed, literally, every single word the teacher said. Then created an outline off the notes I had taken from class. Booked not one, but two classes, without having read a single page.

So, strategy-wise, just write down everything that leaves your teacher's mouth and then the last three weeks put together an outline.

Might have worked for you, but it sounds very very ineffective.

random5483 wrote:Getting by law school with the least possible effort is a great recipe for unemployment. Granted, there are exceptions.

Regarding grammar, I have not had a single professor that cares about grammar. Some mention they might dock with the grammar is horrendous, but from what I have not heard of any real docking. Not to mention, most model answers have their share of grammatical errors. The only class where spelling and grammar matters is the legal research and writing class.


Note: A few professors do care about spelling. None of mine have cared about spelling/grammar, but based on some posts on these boards, it seems like a small minority of professors will dock for spelling/grammar.

if professors dock for spelling errors, im doomed.