If I could do my first semester over again... Forum

[Geetar Man]

Would you guys please post Amazon links to the E&E books 0L's should read over the summer?
Thank you.

Don't do 0L prep. I didn't do it at all and ended top in my class. Doing prep for contracts would have been a disaster because my prof did not teach the law the way most do. Even GTM would have been horrible because he hates that whole excessive arguing over details. I wrote about 2k words in a four hour exam and aced it. Property focused on things most courses didn't and he focused on the same things every exam. Also he taught easements and covenants differently than many of the supplements. Also, he didn't dislike the GTM style, but he definitely was looking for particular answers and didn't really care about making tons of arguments and forks in the law and facts.

Point is 0L prep is pointless at best and harmful at worst.

Unwarranted assumptions regarding best outcome of 0L prep: a) everyone has the same learning style as you b) no one will gain a single advantage from 0L prep, regardless of how much/strategy


If you want to help, try keeping your opinions/advice confined to your own anecdotal evidence, opposed to all encompassing rules... It did not/would not work for you does not equate "0L prep is pointless at best"

Logic ftw

[Lasers]

Would you guys please post Amazon links to the E&E books 0L's should read over the summer?
Thank you.

i would advise against 0L prep.

i didn't do any prep besides reading half of getting to maybe (which i found useless). i did read 1L of a ride, which isn't substantive, but is rather just a light and interesting introduction as to what law school will bring.

my advice for the summer: have fun; savor that feeling of not having to do anything. get your resume in order. about a week or two before classes, start looking at first class assignments and get your mind mentally ready for the grind.

[Lasers]

if i could redo first semester i would have stopped briefing cases earlier and not buy some useless supplements.

[crossarmant]

Not drink as much and keep active. Depression sets in pretty easily for me and it really held me back.

[YankeeFan2]

Tag

[3|ink]

I'd start my outline first week.


I'LL BET NOBODY ELSE HAS POSTED THIS!!!!!

[beachbum]

Now that I finally have grades, I'll add my two cents.

Same:

*Don't do substantive summer prep. Seriously, it's a waste of time. I know this is probably difficult to hear for some of you (considering the type of personality that TLS attracts), but your time is much, much better spent doing other things. Any other things, really. You have no idea how your professor is going to teach, or what areas of the law your professor is going to emphasize. And you'll pick up the material quickly enough during the semester.

*Use 0L summer to prepare for the 1L job search, law school generally, and law school exams. Do your best to determine what type of law you want to practice and in which geographic area/city you want to end up, and research the relevant employers. Make a spreadsheet of positions you're going to apply to for 1L summer. Prepare your resume and a cover letter template. Read Getting to Maybe. Read a book or two on the general law school experience. (I recommend Law School Confidential). And relax. Have a beer. You'll thank me later.

*Wait until a month or so before finals to begin outlining. If I would've started outlining immediately, my outlines probably would've been pretty shitty, and not very helpful. Outlining later helps you further absorb/remember the material from earlier in the semester, and it helps you "see the big picture."

*Practice tests. Do them. A lot of them.

*Brief cases. But don't go overboard. A few lines about the facts, a statement of the rule, and a few lines of analysis is just fine. This was useful in absorbing the material, on cold-calls, and (most importantly) in creating my outlines.

*Join a (active) student organization that relates to your career goals. This can help a lot in networking and in further exploring your career options.

*Keep a regular workout routine.

*Join a bar association in the geographic area you want to practice. They tend to be either free or for a nominal charge, and the networking opportunities can be fantastic. Speaking of which, network. Go to firm receptions and law school symposiums. Connect with attorneys in the region/practice area you're shooting for. Keep an active LinkedIn profile.

Different:

*Go to office hours. They're pretty useful, it turns out.

*You don't need to buy every supplement on the market. Supplements are useful primarily where you're having trouble grasping a concept, and sometimes to supplement your understanding of an issue. Buy a supplement if necessary, but it won't always be necessary. (My best class was one where I never consulted a supplement).

*Do more to really cater your exam answers (and exam prep) to the particular teaching/grading style of your professors. And find out what each professor's grading style is (this goes back to attending office hours). What was successful in my property class, for example, would've failed in my civil procedure class.

*People don't want to hear you constantly discuss/bitch about law school. Having other hobbies and interests and points of conversation goes a long way.

*Do more to maintain friendships outside of law school (!). Law school attracts certain types of personalities, and the law school experience itself can sometimes feel all-encompassing. You'll maintain your sanity by keeping those connections to the "outside world."

Edit: Wow, that was... lengthy.

[dturnbull87]

I'd sit towards the front, not use a laptop to record notes, network with professors early, network with the city bar association, join all clubs that are even VAGUELY related to the field of law I want to work within, attend professional conferences, and network with fellow students as soon as possible instead of waiting til the second semester. Get a good gym plan down AND take more planned time to relax.

Settled now, but woulda, coulda, shoulda can't change first semester grades

[Lasers]

I'd sit towards the front, not use a laptop to record notes, network with professors early, network with the city bar association, join all clubs that are even VAGUELY related to the field of law I want to work within, attend professional conferences, and network with fellow students as soon as possible instead of waiting til the second semester. Get a good gym plan down AND take more planned time to relax.

Settled now, but woulda, coulda, shoulda can't change first semester grades

somehow, i don't think any of those things would have helped your first semester grades.

[spleenworship]

After grades came out... so.... I would have:

Don't brief as much. Like, almost none.

Do CALI sooner.

Buy less supplements.

Start working on jobs sooner.

Drank more.

Relaxed more.

Done more practice tests sooner.

[mcdeeremitch]

Tag

[MTBike]

definitely tagged

[crooked]

Tagging as well. Thanks for all the great tips so far - they've definitely helped mitigate my 0L terror.

[portaprokoss]

I would do summer prep this way:

1.) Read Delaney's How to Do Your Best on Law School Exams paying CLOSE attention to the chapter on flashcard outlining. (i think it's brilliant)
2.) Pick one, and only one, class that has an excellent E&E (i.e., civ pro or torts)
3.) Buy the best audio lecture for that class (i.e., Freer or Finz)
4.) Topic by topic listen to the CD, do the flashcard outline, and do E&E problems, practicing the exam writing strategy in Delaney.
5.) When finished, read Getting to Maybe, and then take a model test and compare the answers.

This may or may not have helped me substantively, but it would have shown me that 1) cases don't fucking matter and 2) you don't have time for fancy dancing on an exam, so don't waste semester time memorizing every nook and cranny of the law.

I would also be borderline hostile and give one or two word answers when cold called. If profs see you're someone who won't carry the discussion forward, they will call on you less, making life less stressful.

[005618502]

I would do summer prep this way:

1.) Read Delaney's How to Do Your Best on Law School Exams paying CLOSE attention to the chapter on flashcard outlining. (i think it's brilliant)
2.) Pick one, and only one, class that has an excellent E&E (i.e., civ pro or torts)
3.) Buy the best audio lecture for that class (i.e., Freer or Finz)
4.) Topic by topic listen to the CD, do the flashcard outline, and do E&E problems, practicing the exam writing strategy in Delaney.
5.) When finished, read Getting to Maybe, and then take a model test and compare the answers.

This may or may not have helped me substantively, but it would have shown me that 1) cases don't fucking matter and 2) you don't have time for fancy dancing on an exam, so don't waste semester time memorizing every nook and cranny of the law.

I would also be borderline hostile and give one or two word answers when cold called. If profs see you're someone who won't carry the discussion forward, they will call on you less, making life less stressful.

So you actually did your 0L summer prep this way?

[atquota]

tag

[fluffybunny]

Same:
Read and brief all cases
Listen in class--the professor is telling what's on the exam all the time, I didn't gchat 1L, but since then it's gotten ugly...
Getting together with classmates to predict the policy question (got it right in 2 out of 4 exams first semester, so I had them outlined in advance which was nice)

Different:
Write shorter outlines, create flowcharts/diagrams instead of traditional outlines
Separate rules by triggering fact patterns (didn't figure this out until later, but it helps with issue spotting. For example, in tax, make a list of all the rules that might be implicated by going to school, or owning property, etc.)

[spleenworship]

Same:
Read and brief all cases
Listen in class--the professor is telling what's on the exam all the time, I didn't gchat 1L, but since then it's gotten ugly...
Getting together with classmates to predict the policy question (got it right in 2 out of 4 exams first semester, so I had them outlined in advance which was nice)

Different:
Write shorter outlines, create flowcharts/diagrams instead of traditional outlines
Separate rules by triggering fact patterns (didn't figure this out until later, but it helps with issue spotting. For example, in tax, make a list of all the rules that might be implicated by going to school, or owning property, etc.)

Are you a 1L or 2L? and if 1L: have you even gotten grades back?

[dingbat]

tag

I'd stop necroing threads?

[spleenworship]

tag

I'd stop necroing threads?

Meh. The new batch of 0Ls will probably find this helpful for next year.

[dingbat]

tag

I'd stop necroing threads?

Meh. The new batch of 0Ls will probably find this helpful for next year.

Shouldn't we then wait with necroing until August?

[spleenworship]

tag

I'd stop necroing threads?

Meh. The new batch of 0Ls will probably find this helpful for next year.

Shouldn't we then wait with necroing until August?

Touche.

[fluffybunny]

Same:
Read and brief all cases
Listen in class--the professor is telling what's on the exam all the time, I didn't gchat 1L, but since then it's gotten ugly...
Getting together with classmates to predict the policy question (got it right in 2 out of 4 exams first semester, so I had them outlined in advance which was nice)

Different:
Write shorter outlines, create flowcharts/diagrams instead of traditional outlines
Separate rules by triggering fact patterns (didn't figure this out until later, but it helps with issue spotting. For example, in tax, make a list of all the rules that might be implicated by going to school, or owning property, etc.)

Are you a 1L or 2L? and if 1L: have you even gotten grades back?

I'm graduating in May. Good grades.

Shouldn't we then wait with necroing until August?



Touche.

I didn't know what necroing was until now. Good point.

[AllDangle]

Tag

[spleenworship]

Same:
Read and brief all cases
Listen in class--the professor is telling what's on the exam all the time, I didn't gchat 1L, but since then it's gotten ugly...
Getting together with classmates to predict the policy question (got it right in 2 out of 4 exams first semester, so I had them outlined in advance which was nice)

Different:
Write shorter outlines, create flowcharts/diagrams instead of traditional outlines
Separate rules by triggering fact patterns (didn't figure this out until later, but it helps with issue spotting. For example, in tax, make a list of all the rules that might be implicated by going to school, or owning property, etc.)

I'm graduating in May. Good grades.

Cool. You really brief all the cases? I've kept top third, just barely, without doing so (though I do read every case). Why do you recommend briefing all the cases?


(since we've necroed this thread already, I figure we might as well go for it)