Sample Syllabus Forum

[jjlaw]

...

[lalalawya]

You get to take the final with notes? Sweeeeeeeet! Is that standard for every class or just civ pro?

[lalalawya]

Haha, well my mind is still in UG mode, so I just read "open-note" and get excited.

[Dr. Strangelove]

It is very common for law school exams to be open-note. You misunderstand the nature of these exams, however, if you think that is a huge advantage.

Open-note isn't always an advantage- especially in classes with a curve...
Even though I'm still an undergrad student, I've heard of two reasons why these exams are difficult from law students..

1.) The fact that the exam is open-note simply gives you a plethora of facts to work with while writing essays on the exam- and law school professors are often tough graders.
2.) There is so much information that it would eat up a lot of time to be relying on your notes for the entire exam..

[kalvano]

This is my syllabus for the final half of the semester in Crim. Thankfully, he lightened the reading load a bit for the final half.

17. Oct. 19
Homicide (cont.) KWB 436-451; Loredo v. State, Lomax v. State (TWEN) Summary Review TPC § 19.02(b)(3)
Plea Bargaining Assignment (Intro) Begin Working on Plea Bargaining Assignment

18. Oct. 21
Justification and Excuse KWB 507-514
Defensive Force KWB 515-531

19. Oct. 26
Defensive Force KWB 540-545 (begin on p. 540 with note 12 and conclude on p. 545 with note 15); TPC §§ 9.31, 9.32

20. Oct. 28
Defensive Force KWB 545-549 (through note 2); KWB 552-563
Prosecutors Must E-mail Plea Bargain Results by Nov. 1

21. Nov. 2
Necessity KWB 563-584; TPC § 9.22
Plea Bargaining Debrief Part I

22. Nov. 4
Plea Bargaining Debrief Part II
Duress TPC § 8.05; KWB 584-599
Justification and Excuse (Summary)

23. Nov. 9
Attempt TPC § 15.01; KWB 659-673 (skip People v. Murray and note 1 following the case); KWB 676-679 (start with Rizzo on p. 676 and read through note 5 on p. 679); KWB 684-691 (start with Staples on p. 684 and read through note 1 on p. 691)

24. Nov. 11
Attempt KWB 694-701 (start with Booth on p. 694);
Summary Lawhorn v. State (TWEN); TPC §15.04; TPC § 15.03
Complicity KWB 715-740 (note 3 on pp. 723-725 is optional background material)

25. Nov. 16
Complicity KWB 743-750 (start with section “B” on p. 743 and read through note 3 on p. 750); KWB 757-762 (start with “Combined Standards and Unintended Harm” on p. 757 and end before “C” on p. 762); KWB 767-780; TPC §§ 7.01-7.03 (skip § 7.02 (b) for now)

26. Nov. 18
Conspiracy TPC § 15.02; TPC § 7.02 (b); KWB 791-812

27. Nov. 23
Conspiracy KWB 812-821 (end before “D” on p. 821)
Summary KWB 823-831 (read through note 5 on p. 831)

28. Nov. 30 Review Practice Exam