I spent all semester learning how to write a law school exam Forum

[Breezin]

but I didn't learn any law. Whoops.

[cinephile]

Well, you have a couple weeks. Might be enough.

[Extension_Cord]

I spent all semester learning the law but not how to write a law school exam!

[ToTransferOrNot]

Come back in three years, change the appropriate lengths of time, and you'll be all good. You don't learn the law in law school.

[Younger Abstention]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

[bdubs]

but I didn't learn any law. Whoops.

How can you write a practice exam without knowing any law?

[bartleby]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

[NYC Law]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

I dunno... It seems possible, but I also have a pretty easy courseload this semester (Torts, Crim, Property). I think it could all be learned over one long weekend.

From looking through outlines on Civ Pro and Ks it looks like it'll take a bit more time though. (It's going to be a lot of fun next semester... )

[bdubs]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

I dunno... It seems possible, but I also have a pretty easy courseload this semester (Torts, Crim, Property). I think it could all be learned over one long weekend.

From looking through outlines on Civ Pro and Ks it looks like it'll take a bit more time though. (It's going to be a lot of fun next semester... )

You only take 3 doctrinal classes per semester?

[NYC Law]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

I dunno... It seems possible, but I also have a pretty easy courseload this semester (Torts, Crim, Property). I think it could all be learned over one long weekend.

From looking through outlines on Civ Pro and Ks it looks like it'll take a bit more time though. (It's going to be a lot of fun next semester... )

You only take 3 doctrinal classes per semester?

Yeah. We have a 5 credit torts class, 5 credit prop class, 3 credits of crim (and it's taught just like an UG class so most people have been blowing it off). Then a year long LRW class worth 3 credits for the year.

[bartleby]

We take only 3 substantive courses per semester too. I heard Property and Con. Law (I actually don't know what Con. stands for) are hard as balls.

[bdubs]

Yeah. We have a 5 credit torts class, 5 credit prop class, 3 credits of crim (and it's taught just like an UG class so most people have been blowing it off). Then a year long LRW class worth 3 credits for the year.

Wow. I didn't realize there was that much variation between schools. At Northwestern we take 4 doctrinal courses per semester during 1L, each are 3 credits. Our LRW is graded and is 2 credits per semester.

I think the difficulty of courses seems to be determined more by your professor and less by the subject matter (since we're all graded on a relative scale). Property is probably the most difficult course from a subject matter perspective, but I haven't taken con law or crim yet.

[Extension_Cord]

We have Con Law (3 credits), Crim Law (3 credits), Torts (4 credits), Contracts (3 credits) and LRW (2 credits - graded).

LRW is the most work though, then Con law... Go figure.

[drmguy]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

I dunno... It seems possible, but I also have a pretty easy courseload this semester (Torts, Crim, Property). I think it could all be learned over one long weekend.

From looking through outlines on Civ Pro and Ks it looks like it'll take a bit more time though. (It's going to be a lot of fun next semester... )

Ks isn't too bad but Civ Pro sucks.

[NYC Law]

We take only 3 substantive courses per semester too. I heard Property and Con. Law (I actually don't know what Con. stands for) are hard as balls.

Constitutional (which we luckily don't have to take until 2L).

Property seems really hard with most law professors. But luckily ours is very clear, and supposedly only tests what he teaches in lecture. He does a great job of clarifying the law instead of just calling on people all class, and all semester he's been giving us practice problems and teaching us how to write an exam. Not that any of this matters too much since it will just result in a tighter curve, but it does make learning it all much quicker and easier.

I think the difficulty of courses seems to be determined more by your professor and less by the subject matter (since we're all graded on a relative scale). Property is probably the most difficult course from a subject matter perspective, but I haven't taken con law or crim yet.

Definitely this. As stated above, the class with the most difficult substance is actually my easiest class because of the teacher. And my class with the easiest substance (torts) is incredibly difficult because the professor is a true academic - he just rambles all class and call on people the entire time without ever clarifying anything.

[Extension_Cord]

You only need like 48 hours to learn the law for any given 1L class.

This just isn't true. haha... I'm not saying you need to pour over every letter and every fact but I don't think cramming an entire semester is possible. Unless it's like...(1) Torts and (2) you're a genius.

I dunno... It seems possible, but I also have a pretty easy courseload this semester (Torts, Crim, Property). I think it could all be learned over one long weekend.

From looking through outlines on Civ Pro and Ks it looks like it'll take a bit more time though. (It's going to be a lot of fun next semester... )

Ks isn't too bad but Civ Pro sucks.

Great, I have Civ Pro next semester too.

Any recommended supplements?

[drmguy]

Please do yourself a favor and first find out if your professor has a preferred one. Some of my professors suggested a few but I looked through them after week 2 or so and found that one of my professors literally teaches from one of the supplements and never mentions anything else.

No supplement will be better than the one your professor treats as a bible.

[bdubs]

Please do yourself a favor and first find out if your professor has a preferred one. Some of my professors suggested a few but I looked through them after week 2 or so and found that one of my professors literally teaches from one of the supplements and never mentions anything else.

No supplement will be better than the one your professor treats as a bible.

Barring this, the go-to supplement seems to be Glannon's E&E.

[drmguy]

Please do yourself a favor and first find out if your professor has a preferred one. Some of my professors suggested a few but I looked through them after week 2 or so and found that one of my professors literally teaches from one of the supplements and never mentions anything else.

No supplement will be better than the one your professor treats as a bible.

Barring this, the go-to supplement seems to be Glannon's E&E.

My civ pro professor didn't have a preferred one, but I feel so strongly about finding your professor's preferred supplement that I won't even suggest one.

[Extension_Cord]

Please do yourself a favor and first find out if your professor has a preferred one. Some of my professors suggested a few but I looked through them after week 2 or so and found that one of my professors literally teaches from one of the supplements and never mentions anything else.

No supplement will be better than the one your professor treats as a bible.

Barring this, the go-to supplement seems to be Glannon's E&E.

My civ pro professor didn't have a preferred one, but I feel so strongly about finding your professor's preferred supplement that I won't even suggest one.

This is true. My teachers generally teach from E&Es. One teaches just entirely from the textbook milking all of the notes that noone reads, fortunately for me...

[johansantana21]

This is what happened to me. I haven't done anything...

Good thing most tests are open book. Hopefully if I can spot the issues, then not knowing all the rules by heart will be ok if I tab my outlines...

Anyone taken this approach?

[Borhas]

We have Con Law (3 credits), Crim Law (3 credits), Torts (4 credits), Contracts (3 credits) and LRW (2 credits - graded).

LRW is the most work though, then Con law... Go figure.

# of credits has no correlation to work involved

important lesson to learn in lawl school

[LAWYER2]

I spent all semester learning the law but not how to write a law school exam!

Sadly, me too
Knowing the law wont' do squat if you don't know how to apply and exemplify it.

[DrGuano]

We take only 3 substantive courses per semester too. I heard Property and Con. Law (I actually don't know what Con. stands for) are hard as balls.

Constitutional (which we luckily don't have to take until 2L).

Property seems really hard with most law professors. But luckily ours is very clear, and supposedly only tests what he teaches in lecture. He does a great job of clarifying the law instead of just calling on people all class, and all semester he's been giving us practice problems and teaching us how to write an exam. Not that any of this matters too much since it will just result in a tighter curve, but it does make learning it all much quicker and easier.

I think the difficulty of courses seems to be determined more by your professor and less by the subject matter (since we're all graded on a relative scale). Property is probably the most difficult course from a subject matter perspective, but I haven't taken con law or crim yet.

Definitely this. As stated above, the class with the most difficult substance is actually my easiest class because of the teacher. And my class with the easiest substance (torts) is incredibly difficult because the professor is a true academic - he just rambles all class and call on people the entire time without ever clarifying anything.

You're a Fordhamer eh? Con Law was a great class. Sucks they're making you take Leg Reg and then another required class 2L/3L. Oh well. Lucky I made the cut off before that happened.

[ect88]

Please do yourself a favor and first find out if your professor has a preferred one. Some of my professors suggested a few but I looked through them after week 2 or so and found that one of my professors literally teaches from one of the supplements and never mentions anything else.

No supplement will be better than the one your professor treats as a bible.

Barring this, the go-to supplement seems to be Glannon's E&E.

The CivPro E&E is phenomenal. I recommend it even if your professor doesn't use it as a bible, because you'll still get a great grasp of most CivPro concepts.