1L Induced Nervous Breakdown COMING SOON!!!! Forum

[ladylegale]

Two months into 1L & I think I might be having the Hardest time of my life! I mean law school is literally kicking my ass. I barely have time to eat, sleep, and sh*t, but I still don't feel like I'm doing enough. Just reading and briefing to keep up with class discussions alone is consuming all of my time. I just bombed my midterm. And quite honestly I just don't understand how to even begin to find time to do all of things that I'm expected to do (outlining, practice exams, reading supplements, writing assignments, meeting with professors/mentors).

If anyone has anything helpful to say its welcome, but please hold back the sarcasm. I don't believe I'm emotionally able to handle snarky remarks at this moment.

[Flips88]

What's you class schedule like? What do you do on the weekends? How are you managing the work for class day to day?

[lawschoolftw]

Two months into 1L & I think I might be having the Hardest time of my life! I mean law school is literally kicking my ass. I barely have time to eat, sleep, and sh*t, but I still don't feel like I'm doing enough. Just reading and briefing to keep up with class discussions alone is consuming all of my time. I just bombed my midterm. And quite honestly I just don't understand how to even begin to find time to do all of things that I'm expected to do (outlining, practice exams, reading supplements, writing assignments, meeting with professors/mentors).

If anyone has anything helpful to say its welcome, but please hold back the sarcasm. I don't believe I'm emotionally able to handle snarky remarks at this moment.

Without having more details, I think you need to re-evaluate how you're approaching your study habits. It sounds like you're taking WAY too much time to do your reading. Also, I think cutting "briefing" from your reading might be helpful. Remember, the exam (as you saw with your midterm) likely won't ask you to remember facts of any particular case. Rather you need to start reading for the black letter law. My briefs as a 1L consisted of something I took from online (ecasebriefs/lexis/etc) and maybe three our four lines of what I found the black letter law to be. PM me if you want to talk in more detail about it.

[ph14]

Here's how to solve your problem:

(1) Find dog.
(2) Pet Dog.

--ImageRemoved--

[lawschoolftw]

Here's how to solve your problem:

(1) Find dog.
(2) Pet Dog.

--ImageRemoved--

... this too

[kaiser]

Stress puppies during finals were like a gift from God

[Lasers]

Here's how to solve your problem:

(1) Find dog.
(2) Pet Dog.

--ImageRemoved--

wow, i want one.

[I.P. Daly]

One way to make the case readings way easier: type the case citation into Lexis or West, and read the case brief provided by Lexis/West.

By doing this, you can start reading the case with a basic understanding of what's going on (you already know the basic facts, and the rules). This saves time and brain power, and you earn points.

You can also copy and edit the Lexis briefs instead of creating a completely new brief for every case.

[Lasers]

i don't even brief anymore.

i just write notes in the margins of the casebook and have a brief up on my laptop during class.

briefs waste too much time. i haven't been cold called yet, but when i do, i'm sure it won't be seamless. however, i've long ago accepted looking smart in class isn't worth the time to brief all the facts and nuances of a case.

[cubswin]

Stop briefing cases.

[ladylegale]

What's you class schedule like? What do you do on the weekends? How are you managing the work for class day to day?

Well I have classes Monday-Friday. I Normally get to class 2hrs. before the start of class to read (except for tuesdays). I have breaks in between all of my classes. These breaks are at least an hour and I normally spend them reading or briefing. I generally don't study after class on Fridays. I normally get a couple hours of studying in on Saturday, but on Sundays I normally spend at least 8hrs. on school work.

Up to this point I've been following the advice of my professors to prepare for class. They tell us to BRIEF! BRIEF! BRIEF! So thats what I do. They stress reading the notes and doing the problems in the casebooks so I do that too. I've spoken with several upperclassman, including my mentor, who have advised "book briefing"& things of that nature. But my professors are really against things like that. One of my professors even marked a student absent for being unprepared when he noticed that the student was referring to a "book brief" rather than a brief that the student had written out.

[Flips88]

What's you class schedule like? What do you do on the weekends? How are you managing the work for class day to day?

Well I have classes Monday-Friday. I Normally get to class 2hrs. before the start of class to read (except for tuesdays). I have breaks in between all of my classes. These breaks are at least an hour and I normally spend them reading or briefing. I generally don't study after class on Fridays. I normally get a couple hours of studying in on Saturday, but on Sundays I normally spend at least 8hrs. on school work.

Up to this point I've been following the advice of my professors to prepare for class. They tell us to BRIEF! BRIEF! BRIEF! So thats what I do. They stress reading the notes and doing the problems in the casebooks so I do that too. I've spoken with several upperclassman, including my mentor, who have advised "book briefing"& things of that nature. But my professors are really against things like that. One of my professors even marked a student absent for being unprepared when she noticed that she was referring to a "book brief" rather than a brief that she had written out.

I would echo what the other people ITT are saying re: briefing. I started out doing long briefs of cases for Contracts, for example, and then 2Ls told our section that our professor basically only cares about you citing the Restatement or UCC on the final. So now I read the cases, jot down a couple bullet points about the case and take notes on the Restatement/UCC provisions that are applicable. There's no point in putting in a bunch of work on something that won't help you on the final.

[MrPapagiorgio]

I would echo what the other people ITT are saying re: briefing. I started out doing long briefs of cases for Contracts, for example, and then 2Ls told our section that our professor basically only cares about you citing the Restatement or UCC on the final. So now I read the cases, jot down a couple bullet points about the case and take notes on the Restatement/UCC provisions that are applicable. There's no point in putting in a bunch of work on something that won't help you on the final.

+1

[kaiser]

There is absolutely no reason for you to be briefing anymore at this point. You are a prime of example of one who "loses the forest for the trees". You sound like you are spending way too long preparing for class discussion and learning the tiny minute details of cases, where it is only the rule, and perhaps a line or two of reasoning that is of any significance. You need to think of what the end goal is, and that is the exam. Don't think of this as a day to day thing, in which you prepare for a day of classes, and come out of the day successful. There is no such thing as success in a given day or in a given class hour. There is only success on the exam, and thats what you should be working toward. Stop wasting time briefing, stop wasting time reading every word of every case too intently, and start thinking of everything in a much more macro and aggregate sense.

[ladylegale]

One way to make the case readings way easier: type the case citation into Lexis or West, and read the case brief provided by Lexis/West.

By doing this, you can start reading the case with a basic understanding of what's going on (you already know the basic facts, and the rules). This saves time and brain power, and you earn points.

You can also copy and edit the Lexis briefs instead of creating a completely new brief for every case.

This is an awesome idea. It crossed my mind a few times, but my professors discourage it. My professors strongly insist that briefing your own cases helps you build the analytical skills necessary to think like a lawyer, and using commercial outlines deprive you of this basic skill. But since what I've been doing is obviously not working, I will definitely give this a try. I'm sure it won't lead to the future career doom implied by a certain professor who shall remain nameless.

Thanks

[CanadianWolf]

Which supplements are you using ?

[kaiser]

One way to make the case readings way easier: type the case citation into Lexis or West, and read the case brief provided by Lexis/West.

By doing this, you can start reading the case with a basic understanding of what's going on (you already know the basic facts, and the rules). This saves time and brain power, and you earn points.

You can also copy and edit the Lexis briefs instead of creating a completely new brief for every case.

This is an awesome idea. It crossed my mind a few times, but my professors discourage it. My professors strongly insist that briefing your own cases helps you build the analytical skills necessary to think like a lawyer, and using commercial outlines deprive you of this basic skill. But since what I've been doing is obviously not working, I will definitely give this a try. I'm sure it won't lead to the future career doom implied by a certain professor who shall remain nameless.

Thanks

You will find time and time again that your professors will preach an idealized and old-school way of doing things that would only be appropriate if (a) you have all the time in the world, and (b) law school and the pursuit of knowledge were the end in itself. Sorry prof, but we are here to take an exam, and use it to get a job, and we don't have forever to do it. So take that kind of advice with a grain of salt.

[Extension_Cord]

i don't even brief anymore.

i just write notes in the margins of the casebook and have a brief up on my laptop during class.

briefs waste too much time. i haven't been cold called yet, but when i do, i'm sure it won't be seamless. however, i've long ago accepted looking smart in class isn't worth the time to brief all the facts and nuances of a case.

How have you not been cold called yet? I got cold called twice in the same class today. Once to answer a string of questions, then to brief a case.

I get cold called atleast once a week, maybe its my school.

[mpj_3050]

Damn, that sucks about the professor being a hard-ass. Ours are really cool and as long as you make a good-faith effort you are okay.

You are taking way too much time to read the cases. My roommates do this and are getting burned out already. Plus, how much of the time is actually spent studying and not on Youtube (this is what they do).

[ladylegale]

Which supplements are you using ?

Emanuel law outlines, E&E's, and this book I got when I signed up for Barbri

[Extension_Cord]

i don't even brief anymore.

i just write notes in the margins of the casebook and have a brief up on my laptop during class.

briefs waste too much time. i haven't been cold called yet, but when i do, i'm sure it won't be seamless. however, i've long ago accepted looking smart in class isn't worth the time to brief all the facts and nuances of a case.

How have you not been cold called yet? I got cold called twice in the same class today. Once to answer a string of questions, then to brief a case.

I get cold called atleast once a week, maybe its my school.

Also, it takes at most 15 min to brief a case for the complicated cases. I dont know what the fuss is about. The most difficult part is the issue, and thats only because I like to keep it to one line.

[ladylegale]

i don't even brief anymore.

i just write notes in the margins of the casebook and have a brief up on my laptop during class.

briefs waste too much time. i haven't been cold called yet, but when i do, i'm sure it won't be seamless. however, i've long ago accepted looking smart in class isn't worth the time to brief all the facts and nuances of a case.

I get cold called like nearly everyday. My professors have been on this kick about us needing to "read closer & immerse our ourselves into the material". They question us on little nuances basically all class period. Its not so much that I care about looking like a legal genius in class, but the fact that I just don't want to look like a slacker or a dumb ass. I mean professors are not inclined to give you references if they feel like you are the slacker type & other students are not inclined to let you in their study groups if they think your a dumb ass. They avoid you like the plague. I guess in the grand scheme of things these concerns are not of the utmost importance, but lately I've found that the law school environment often clouds my view of reality. I truly admire your ability to keep things in perspective.

[CanadianWolf]

Study groups usually are a waste of time. For the most part, the practice of law is a solitary profession; if you want group activities, then it may be better to pursue an MBA rather than a JD.

[kaiser]

Study groups usually are a waste of time.

I found my study group incredibly helpful around finals time since we would compile all the best points from our exams, and everyone's performance would improve substantially.

[adonai]

You're very lucky if your tests don't depend on cases. For my classes, there's MC that mirrors the assigned cases and one professor actually wants cases cited, so I basically have no way around not reading cases and not briefing. You're lucky you have the option not to read the cases and are able to use multiple sources/resources to do your studying from to learn BLL. I'm trying to incorporate supplements and practice hypos but it just doesn't seem to fit. Definitely feeling you.