2L and Back Again Forum

[cdotson2]

good to know, thanks everybody

[gsy987]

I love CivPro, but I'm one of those weirdo's that is obsessed with rules and following them and SHUT UP LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!

[Bearlyalive]

Everything is awesome.

(cue Lego Movie soundtrack)

[alora]

had a 2L tell me today they used an outline that was 150 pages long for civ pro, they seemed super happy with it. seems excessive but ok

[Hikikomorist]

had a 2L tell me today they used an outline that was 150 pages long for civ pro, they seemed super happy with it. seems excessive but ok

As a bit of unsolicited advice, I'd try to stick with an outline under 25 pages. I don't think (m)any people can really retain more than/even that.

[buckiguy_sucks]

had a 2L tell me today they used an outline that was 150 pages long for civ pro, they seemed super happy with it. seems excessive but ok

As a bit of unsolicited advice, I'd try to stick with an outline under 25 pages. I don't think (m)any people can really retain more than/even that.

my civ pro outline was 6 pages and it was my best grade 1L

[Nebby]

had a 2L tell me today they used an outline that was 150 pages long for civ pro, they seemed super happy with it. seems excessive but ok

As a bit of unsolicited advice, I'd try to stick with an outline under 25 pages. I don't think (m)any people can really retain more than/even that.

If you mean an attack outline for testing purposes, then I agree. But if you mean all outlines, then I disagree.

[ugg]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

[JDilemma]

4 hours for 3 classes seems about right for me (as far as reading goes). I've been getting rekt in legal writing (actual writing assignments) just because it feels so foreign/ nit picky.

[davey jones]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

i read for 2 classes a night and it takes me right around 3 hours give or take depending on how distracted i am or how difficult the case is (read: the year the case is from)

[Nachoo2019]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

This seems on point. 2Ls, 3Ls, and professors keep assuring us that we will get better and quicker with the readings. I'm still waiting for that to happen

[monceau]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

This seems on point. 2Ls, 3Ls, and professors keep assuring us that we will get better and quicker with the readings. I'm still waiting for that to happen

same here. i'm able to get through it all, but it just feels impossibly slow. i've been reading online briefs before i read the case to have an idea of what's going to happen/what to look for, but i can't tell if it's a bad idea to do that or not

[alora]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

This seems on point. 2Ls, 3Ls, and professors keep assuring us that we will get better and quicker with the readings. I'm still waiting for that to happen

same here. i'm able to get through it all, but it just feels impossibly slow. i've been reading online briefs before i read the case to have an idea of what's going to happen/what to look for, but i can't tell if it's a bad idea to do that or not

i would say read the case first, try to pick out the rules and relevant law on your own, and THEN look up case briefs if you don't get it

e: keeping in mind that i don't know wtf i'm doing yet either lol

[gsy987]

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

This seems on point. 2Ls, 3Ls, and professors keep assuring us that we will get better and quicker with the readings. I'm still waiting for that to happen

same here. i'm able to get through it all, but it just feels impossibly slow. i've been reading online briefs before i read the case to have an idea of what's going to happen/what to look for, but i can't tell if it's a bad idea to do that or not

i would say read the case first, try to pick out the rules and relevant law on your own, and THEN look up case briefs if you don't get it

e: keeping in mind that i don't know wtf i'm doing yet either lol

This has been my strategy too. I figure if I try to read the cases first, maybe I'll get faster than if I looked at sample briefs beforehand. Then again, what do any of us really know?

[chicharon]

How to read a case (according to my Torts professor)--look for the following:

1. Facts*
2. Arguments of the parties--what does P claim, what does D claim?
3. Procedural Posture--what was the action filed at the trial court level, and at the appellate court level (if any), and what did the lower court(s) decide?
4. Issue*--the big question
5. Rule*--usually when they start citing the Restatement/s and whatever other sources, you're reading the Rule
6. Holding*--what is the answer to the question, and why?
7. Dispositive--did this court affirm/deny/reverse/remand/new trial/what?

*Most important things to note.

In action:

[+] Spoiler

Bouton v. Allstate Insurance Co.
(491 So. 2d 56, La. Ct. App. 1986)
***briefed to focus on the "reasonable apprehension" element of assault

Facts:
Bouton was giving out candy on Halloween night. 3 kids approached to do trick-or-treat. One of the kids was dressed in military fatigues and had a fake submachine gun. Bouton shot that kid. Bouton was tried for 2nd-degree murder and was acquitted, but lost his job and got bad publicity in the process.

Arguments of the parties (with some procedure thrown in):
Bouton filed a suit against the kids' insurers alleging assault by the kids. He said he was frightened by them.
Insurers filed a motion for summary judgment, alleging that Bouton had no cause of action (aka dude has no facts/nothing in tort law on which to base his claim).

Procedural Posture:
TC: MSJ is OK

Issue: Was there an assault?

Rule: To recover for assault, a party must have had a reasonable apprehension of an impending battery or physical harm.

Held: No, there was no assault.
Why? Here, there was no reasonable apprehension. "Although it is possible [for Bouton]... to be so frightened that a battery is imminent, under the circumstances... such apprehension would not be reasonable." (emphasis mine) I mean come on. It was Halloween, and Bouton was even giving out candy to trick-or-treaters. In this situation, a reasonable person would not have had an apprehension of battery.

Dispositive: TC judgment affirmed.

So the "brief" above is just stuff I copied from notes I wrote in my casebook, in the page margins, while reading. It's not an all-out legal writing type brief. Also I tend to mix the rule and holding together.

Hope that was helpful...? Or not

[Smallville]

When you miss a week and a half of the first weeks of law school lmfao

how does this work? Are all your professors cool with it and its kinda just on you to catch up on the material? its a lot diff than ug since for the most part there's no actual work aside from knowing stuff incase you're cold called.

How many hours of reading do you do a night? It's taking me 3/4 hours to get through like 3 classes. Idk.

This def sounds reasonable, it takes more 3 hours for 1 class for me lol but I don't just read, I take notes/brief everything I read to 1. try and help me retain it and 2. so I have quick access to anything that might be important incase I'm called on.

I've heard so many people say briefing is a waste of time but I legit couldn't imagine just reading and highlighting and that's it... I feel like I would have so much free time I would go crazy

eta: oh and as far as work load increasing... only slightly for me, in part bc getting legal writing assignment, and part this week bc yesterday was filled with stuff which took up time I normally use to get most my work done since Wednesday is our lightest day of the week normally

[Dr. Nefario]

Sept. 9th, if you haven't started outlining yet, kiss goodbye to an A+

[Willie Beamen]

Sept. 9th, if you haven't started outlining yet, kiss goodbye to an A+

what is an outline?

[OtterLaw]

Checking in. When does this feeling of having no clue wtf is happening wear off? Lolz. Yay Friday!

[BirdLawExpert]

Hello why is 90% of law school drinking nobody told me this I could have been more prepared.

[ugg]

Hello why is 90% of law school drinking nobody told me this I could have been more prepared.

uhhhhhh Not here

[KissMyAxe]

Hello why is 90% of law school drinking nobody told me this I could have been more prepared.

Fact....Lot of alcohol involved. It's super hard to keep up with the work load with all the social events going on, virtually all of which contain copious amounts of booze.

[OtterLaw]

Hello why is 90% of law school drinking nobody told me this I could have been more prepared.

Duuuuuude, tell me about it. And I'm like 10 years older than most people in my class. I had to start skipping social events during the week.

[davey jones]

yeah im not doing the social events

[thesealocust]

1L social events are all extra weird because of how many people have their hard-charging, type-A nutsoness turned to 11/10 all fall. 2L/3L year being all-drinking, all-the-time makes a lot more sense, and is p. much the only redeeming part of law school.

Checking in. When does this feeling of having no clue wtf is happening wear off? Lolz. Yay Friday!

The gnawing sense of inadequacy! It comes at no extra charge!

It never goes away. Sorry.