Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L Forum

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lawhopeful10

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Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by lawhopeful10 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:34 pm

Over the last couple of months I have extensively combed this website for information relevant to succeeding in law school. 0L prep appears controversial as to its benefits, or at least substantial 0L prep such as learning the law. I wonder though if it would make sense to learn maybe 1 or 2 subjects such as torts or civil procedure for the sole purpose of exam prep. Many classify law school exam taking as a skill in itself. I am wondering if the detriment of possibly learning 2 subjects that you might have to change/relearn based on your prof will be outweighed by constantly practicing hypos before law school. On a different note how about using a wide variety of supplements to create exam skeletons/outlines for courses before you take them and then alter them based on what your prof says.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

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gaud

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by gaud » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:34 pm

Read Getting To Maybe and pick up LEEWS. You should be fine with that.

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Dany

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by Dany » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:36 pm

:|

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BlaqBella

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by BlaqBella » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:37 pm

Its been noted that how you do on exams will heavily/entirely depend on what your professor wants on an exam. As you haven't a clue who or what your professor prefers, any outlining/prep you do now will be futile.
Last edited by BlaqBella on Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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BlaqBella

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by BlaqBella » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:38 pm

Dany wrote::|

Hey now, most of us are gunners and many 0Ls have considered such approach prior to law school. Its TLS, after all. :mrgreen:

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lawhopeful10

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by lawhopeful10 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:38 pm

I am curious if the practices I described would be advantageous or give me the best possible chance at success or if 0L practice test taking could even be detrimental somehow. I am aware that many people will do well (and many will not do well) with just getting to maybe and LEEWS as their prep.

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BlaqBella

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by BlaqBella » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:39 pm

lawhopeful10 wrote:I am curious if the practices I described would be advantageous or give me the best possible chance at success or if 0L practice test taking could even be detrimental somehow. I am aware that many people will do well (and many will not do well) with just getting to maybe and LEEWS as their prep.
NO.

Everyone starts on equal footing in law school.

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A. Nony Mouse

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:41 pm

What you suggest is detrimental in that it's way more work than it's worth, and you won't really know enough to get any use out of any hypos or practice tests. 0L prep is useless - you'll learn what you need to know once you're in school. But if you really want to do something, sure, Getting to Maybe and LEEWS (Getting to Maybe doesn't make much sense before you know anything about the subjects, but have at it).

The thing is, like BlaqBella said, you won't anything about what your prof wants - you can't really prep for an exam until you know something about it. (Yes, 1L courses cover basically the same subjects; but profs are idiosyncratic. In my 1L year, one Torts prof covered only negligence, and nothing else. My Torts prof also covered intentional torts and some strict liability. So how can you prep for both their exams? You can't.)
Last edited by A. Nony Mouse on Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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lawhopeful10

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by lawhopeful10 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:41 pm

BlaqBella wrote:Its been noted that how you do on exams will heavily/entirely depend on what your professor wants on an exam. As you haven't a clue who or what your professor prefers, any outlining/prep you do now will be futile.
I had read that once a lot of people develop good law school exam skills they do well regardless of class/professor. However, I am guessing part of "good law school exam skills" is probably being able to recognize what the professor wants lol.

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gaud

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by gaud » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:42 pm

lawhopeful10 wrote: I am guessing part of "good law school exam skills" is probably being able to recognize what the professor wants lol.
That's all there is to it. That's why 0L prep isn't going to be the miracle that everyone hopes.

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by Icculus » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:42 pm

lawhopeful10 wrote:I am curious if the practices I described would be advantageous or give me the best possible chance at success or if 0L practice test taking could even be detrimental somehow. I am aware that many people will do well (and many will not do well) with just getting to maybe and LEEWS as their prep.
Best way to prep as an 0L:

1. Chill the fuck out
2. Drink
3. Read Getting to Maybe if you really want to, though the book itself is not exactly rocket science.
4. Enjoy yourself and go into 1L ready to work

If you learn anything you will need to relearn it. As an 0L you will have no idea how to approach a law school exam. For better or worse the socratic method/infinite class hypos will actually help you prep for exams.

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gaud

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by gaud » Mon Jan 28, 2013 2:45 pm

Icculus wrote:
lawhopeful10 wrote:I am curious if the practices I described would be advantageous or give me the best possible chance at success or if 0L practice test taking could even be detrimental somehow. I am aware that many people will do well (and many will not do well) with just getting to maybe and LEEWS as their prep.
Best way to prep as an 0L:

1. Chill the fuck out
2. Drink
3. Read Getting to Maybe if you really want to, though the book itself is not exactly rocket science.
4. Enjoy yourself and go into 1L ready to work

If you learn anything you will need to relearn it. As an 0L you will have no idea how to approach a law school exam. For better or worse the socratic method/infinite class hypos will actually help you prep for exams.
Truth.

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thesealocust

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by thesealocust » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:04 pm

No, it does not. You cannot prepare substantively for Torts, nor will you ever be tested on Torts. You will be tested on - and only on - the subset of Torts, including just some cases, just some parts of cases, and just some doctrines, taught by Your Torts Professor.

There's little to be said for understanding what one person thinks about Erie since you can only get points on your civ pro exam by applying the Erie doctrine your prof taught - including the emphasis and contours taught by YOUR professor.

Learning the law, broadly and generally, is not hard and does not warrant advanced study. Your grades are not going to depend on your learning Torts the best, they're going to depend on (a) your learning Your Prof's torts well enough, and substantially MORE importantly, (b) on creatively, thoroughly, and effectively applying the Law of Your Prof's Torts to the facts on the exam.

Law exams are not knowledge tests. You'll fail without the knowledge, but gaining it is straightforward. They are skills tests, and "prep" of this sort in advance of law school won't help.

Doing things like skimming Getting to Maybe to put your mind in the right frame of reference for class could be helpful, and learning about the law school timeline/process (through books like Law School Confidential) can be useful.

Obsessing over learning law before law school is just spinning your wheels.

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lawhopeful10

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by lawhopeful10 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:26 pm

(b) on creatively, thoroughly, and effectively applying the Law of Your Prof's Torts to the facts on the exam.
[/quote]

This was the part I was curious could be worked on and practiced, although it seems most people seem to agree it cannot. I did understand that learning the law the professor would teach is paramount and that learning the law broadly would not help. The only reason it would be done however was to practice point B that you made in the hope being even though learning the law itself would not be beneficial, learning to apply it to a fact pattern would be.

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Re: Outlining/Exam Prep As a 0L

Post by thesealocust » Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:24 pm

lawhopeful10 wrote:(b) on creatively, thoroughly, and effectively applying the Law of Your Prof's Torts to the facts on the exam.
This was the part I was curious could be worked on and practiced, although it seems most people seem to agree it cannot. I did understand that learning the law the professor would teach is paramount and that learning the law broadly would not help. The only reason it would be done however was to practice point B that you made in the hope being even though learning the law itself would not be beneficial, learning to apply it to a fact pattern would be.[/quote]

Take that instinct and use it to get into practice exams for material you've covered early in your first semester. You just won't be able to get anything out of this in the abstract.

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