Are outlines from websites worth it? Forum

[DC1L]

I stumbled upon a few online sites that claim to sell law school outlines for popular cases and also for specific teachers at particular schools. Can anyone tell me if these are recommended? I can post direct links to some that I've found if it doesn't violate any TLS policy.

[HBK]

There's one site where you can read a page or two before buying. I highly recommend you do that. There are some shitty outlines out there, but if you read some first and it seems legit, an outline can really help. Also check the dates/book titles and editions used.

[DC1L]

There's one site where you can read a page or two before buying. I highly recommend you do that. There are some shitty outlines out there, but if you read some first and it seems legit, an outline can really help. Also check the dates/book titles and editions used.

Are you referring to outline depot?

[goodolgil]

No, not at all. It is very easy to get outlines from upperclassmen. Simply ask on your school's listserv and you'll likely get multiple responses within 24 hours. These are better than outlines on the Internet because 1) they are from the same professor you have and 2) you're not paying for them.

[NotMyRealName09]

No, not at all. It is very easy to get outlines from upperclassmen. Simply ask on your school's listserv and you'll likely get multiple responses within 24 hours. These are better than outlines on the Internet because 1) they are from the same professor you have and 2) you're not paying for them.

Of course, until you get good at law school, you won't be able to know if any particular outline was written by a genius or an absolute dumbass, so be weary of the "helpful" upperclassman. Don't be afraid to ask what their GPA is.

[dailygrind]

No, not at all. It is very easy to get outlines from upperclassmen. Simply ask on your school's listserv and you'll likely get multiple responses within 24 hours. These are better than outlines on the Internet because 1) they are from the same professor you have and 2) you're not paying for them.

Of course, until you get good at law school, you won't be able to know if any particular outline was written by a genius or an absolute dumbass, so be weary of the "helpful" upperclassman. Don't be afraid to ask what their GPA is.

At most, I might delicately ask an upperclassman how the outline worked out for them. Asking what their GPA is is pretty rude.

[traydeuce]

No, not at all. It is very easy to get outlines from upperclassmen. Simply ask on your school's listserv and you'll likely get multiple responses within 24 hours. These are better than outlines on the Internet because 1) they are from the same professor you have and 2) you're not paying for them.

Of course, until you get good at law school, you won't be able to know if any particular outline was written by a genius or an absolute dumbass, so be weary of the "helpful" upperclassman. Don't be afraid to ask what their GPA is.

At most, I might delicately ask an upperclassman how the outline worked out for them. Asking what their GPA is is pretty rude.

You can ask other people. There are ways of finding this stuff out. See if he's on your school's Law Review and/or selective secondary journal. That sounds like some nutty inside baseball shit, but in all seriousness, a Law Review student's outline is likely to be several times as useful as someone else's, and it's a much less awkward way to figure out if the person's bright than asking people a lot of questions. Of course, there are great students who write really sketchy brief outlines (me), and awful students who write the most wonderful outlines; they just don't know how to correctly apply the law they've put in their outlines. Outline-application, rather than outline-making, is the trick of doing well... but on average, a better student writes a better outline.

[morris248]

Outline-application, rather than outline-making, is the trick of doing well

You need to do your own outline. Using another outline for comparison is fine, but it is very important to do your own. Your professor is not interested in how much law you can memorize, but how well you can apply that law.

[OnceUponAMemo]

I stumbled upon a few online sites that claim to sell law school outlines for popular cases and also for specific teachers at particular schools. Can anyone tell me if these are recommended? I can post direct links to some that I've found if it doesn't violate any TLS policy.

No.

[lawgod]

Outline-application, rather than outline-making, is the trick of doing well

You need to do your own outline. Using another outline for comparison is fine, but it is very important to do your own. Your professor is not interested in how much law you can memorize, but how well you can apply that law.

Concur. Make your own outline.
And if you want one for comparison, get an upperclassman's. An outline from some other professor is probably useless.

[OnceUponAMemo]

You need to do your own outline. Using another outline for comparison is fine, but it is very important to do your own. Your professor is not interested in how much law you can memorize, but how well you can apply that law.

Also no. You can do your own, saying it is a necessity is not at all correct though. It may be helpful for some, it may not. Find what works for you.

[Borhas]

I stumbled upon a few online sites that claim to sell law school outlines for popular cases and also for specific teachers at particular schools. Can anyone tell me if these are recommended? I can post direct links to some that I've found if it doesn't violate any TLS policy.

nope not worth it

better to do your own, if not that, then borrow a dedicated (not necessarily really intelligent) student's outline who took class previously

[Miller32]

Agree with making your outline most of th time. But, first semester I found one online a few days before the test that was 1000% better than mine. Used it and got an A.

Depends on the quality/situation you're in.

[Cupidity]

If you are already looking to cut corners, this is going to be a rough year for you.

[crazyblink653]

concur with most of the advice on here...if you can't make an outline yourself with all your books and class materials at your disposal, you'll have a VERY difficult time writing a cogent and organized exam answer. i know plenty of people who just tried to memorize an upperclassman's outline and they did not do too well...