After Grades - What did we learn?

[kiwislug]

kiwi
black letter law is well-settled rules/standards for specific issues
Ex. Damages from breach of contract must be foreseeable, either through notice or custom (Hadley v. Baxendale)

Policy usually refers to why the rule is the way it is.
Ex. Re: Hadley, we want to encourage parties to discuss and exchange information before contracting; we want parties to "pre-mitigate" (like have an extra rod for the mill)

=) thank you so much

[ghenderson]

no worries kiwi, but yea definitely don't get stressed as a 0L, I wish I could go back to winter break just for one week....

[Lob Boblaw]

I did get drunk 3 nights/week on average.

Are you available for tutoring?

[Virility]

I did get drunk 3 nights/week on average.

Are you available for tutoring?

? at quoting posts over a year old.

[Vail67]

Could someone elaborate on what exactly an "issue spotter" exam is, beyond perhaps that it involves spotting issues?

[Arrow]

Could someone elaborate on what exactly an "issue spotter" exam is, beyond perhaps that it involves spotting issues?

I guess this is one of those things that is hard to explain since most people can't seem to do it well on exams (myself included probably). In fact, "issue spotting" itself is part of the entire mystique of law school.

All law school exams are basically issue spotter exams. There is this big fact pattern with facts that raise relevant premises of law.

I guess to answer your question, we have to define what an issue or "premise" is. Basically, as far as I am concerned, an issue is any "fact that raises colorable applications to the law." This definition is probably not clear at all, but basically issue spotting exams are exams that test if you recognize the applicable law and how it may be interpreted by the courts (or by lawyers) when an event (or set of facts) occur.

I guess examples may help guide you through this enigmatic concept. Basically, if you see someone hitting someone (facts), you need to think about battery/assault/self defense (the law). If you see Tom sending a letter to Jerry (facts), you need to think mailbox rule/offer/acceptance (the law). If you see Paris threw an axe at Rick's head (facts), you need to think homicide/mens reus/targetting a small vulnerable portion of the body (the law). If you see your friend slip and fall (facts), you should be thinking negligence.

Basically, it is an intermeshing or interweaving of law and facts. The issue spotter wants you to put the facts and law together. You have to figure out which facts match up to which law, if there is an applicable law at all.


I have no idea what I'm talking about. I hope other people have better answers.

[underdawg]

kiwislug = gunner of 2012

at least she's not recommending conlaw supplements like she did before because they did her well in undergrad

[KentuckyFried]

you're it

[kiwislug]

kiwislug = gunner of 2012

at least she's not recommending conlaw supplements like she did before because they did her well in undergrad

umm OK... I never did that

[kimber1028]

Hi all 1Ls! Curiously, what do you think of the "Law-in-a-Flash" flashcards? I'm not going to look at them this summer or anything (I'm not that bad), but thought they might come in handy next year, and I have the opportunity to purchase 11 sets on Craigslist for $75 (all 1L courses plus some). Worth it or not? Thanks for any feedback!!!

[Arrow]

I think they're generally terrible, unless they're keyed to your professor. I tried a few of them out (got them for free from companies events that handed them out). After looking through them, I realized these things just don't offer enough information.

Generally, if you memorize better this way, go for it. Actually, I don't know anyone in any of my classes using commercial flashcards. I see several that carry hand made flash cards, so I guess people still use them.

All in all, I'd stick to the books, especially the traditional supplements.

[kimber1028]

Great; thanks so much for the advice!

[spanktheduck]

The hard part of an exam is not knowledge of the laws (there aren't really that many of them). It's knowing how to apply them and how they intersect. Mere memorization is not a way to study successfully.

[WhisperingWinston]

Hi all 1Ls! Curiously, what do you think of the "Law-in-a-Flash" flashcards? I'm not going to look at them this summer or anything (I'm not that bad), but thought they might come in handy next year, and I have the opportunity to purchase 11 sets on Craigslist for $75 (all 1L courses plus some). Worth it or not? Thanks for any feedback!!!

Buy them! I used them for Contracts (got an A+) and Civ Pro (got an A+) and found them to be very helpful. There are basically two kinds of cards within each set: 1) cards that explain the law, and 2) hypos. I would not rely heavily on the cards that explain the law, because you want to follow what your professor says in class and what your book says. The hypos are a quick and dirty way to practice spotting issues. Your answer may not completely agree with the answer on the card (because yours will be based on what you learn from your professor), but it should be similar.

I don't think the cards replace doing practice exams, but they definitely help with issue spotting...and that is a STEAL at $75. I think the two I bought were $20 each used.

[lalex]

any advice for 0L summer... what are thoughts on law preview

[spanktheduck]

any advice for 0L summer... what are thoughts on law preview

Waste of time and money. You'll have enough time to learn the law in class . You only need to know it for the finals so getting a jump 4 months ahead is rather pointless.

[Snooker]

Flashcards seem pretty useless on the face of things. Lots has been written on the various common law subjects - Hornbooks, E&E, and more that will not only refresh and strengthen your knowledge of the law, but add more insights about it.

Pretty much any concept works like this. Consider explaining the concept of a "game" in a single sentence, it can be done, but is not very useful. If you consider board-games, card-games, ball-games, Olympic games, war games, ring around the rosies, naughts and crosses, and the game of law school admissions, a huge class of things without any single defining trait running through every example, it quickly becomes apparent that any single sentence definition cannot account for the definition of "game". Thus, the best way to learn about the true meaning and application of a concept is to encounter it in all of its appropriate contexts.

[Snooker]

For me at least, I found that every hour spent during the reading period and through finals week was worth 6 hours spent earlier in the semester. I think that was the key to my success; law school is a slow and steady marathon that builds to a dramatic sprint at the finish. It breaks my heart to see 0Ls reading PLS and skimming E and E's over their summer...I know because I nearly fell for all that nonsense myself.

There's several people here who got accepted to Harvard and are reading E&Es over the summer, or have even already started. It's unreasonable to be critical of their choice. Everything we know from cognitive psychology says doing so is helpful, whereas the only case against the practice is pure spite against the "nonsense" and a gloating arrogance about one's own good grades.

[TTT-LS]

.

[ancientone]

Flashcards seem pretty useless on the face of things.

Good strong thesis.

It's unreasonable to be critical of their choice. Everything we know from cognitive psychology says doing so is helpful

Everything we know from not being booger-eaters says that you eat your boogers.

[SoxyPirate]

Flashcards seem pretty useless on the face of things.

Good strong thesis.

It's unreasonable to be critical of their choice. Everything we know from cognitive psychology says doing so is helpful

Everything we know from not being booger-eaters says that you eat your boogers.

I laughed so hard I shat myself!

[SteelReserve]

There's several people here who got accepted to Harvard and are reading E&Es over the summer, or have even already started. It's unreasonable to be critical of their choice. Everything we know from cognitive psychology says doing so is helpful, whereas the only case against the practice is pure spite against the "nonsense" and a gloating arrogance about one's own good grades.

Your point is fine, but my reference to "nonsense" was directed principally at PLS...I think any 1L and beyond can agree that that book was outrageous and misleading on so many levels. I remember when I read it a year before I applied to law school and I felt like I had this magic tome of legal counter-culture greatness. I felt like I had this massive leg up simply because I was going to hate my professors and ignore the casebook completely. Once I actually went to law school I realized what a hack that anonymous author was and I was glad as hell I rented the book from my library instead of actually paying for that bitchfest that somehow passes as a law school advice book.

[underdawg]

law school confidential sucks too. it's written by almost all UPenn guys, but they pretend that their complaints extend to law school generally

conclusion from LSC: penn must really suck

[neverborn]

"PLS study group forming. email massivetool@gmail.com for details"

[18488]

Hi all 1Ls! Curiously, what do you think of the "Law-in-a-Flash" flashcards? I'm not going to look at them this summer or anything (I'm not that bad), but thought they might come in handy next year, and I have the opportunity to purchase 11 sets on Craigslist for $75 (all 1L courses plus some). Worth it or not? Thanks for any feedback!!!

100% useless.