If you spend much time on the Law School Toolbox (or on either of our other sites, Amicus Tutoring and The Girl’s Guide to Law School), you’ll probably notice that there aren’t a ton of “tips and tricks” posts.
Instead, we spend a lot of time talking about broader goals — What do you fundamentally need to understand to succeed in law school?
For example:
- A post on how law school exams are different from undergraduate exams, and what you should be getting from class.
- A post on outlining, which discusses the two purposes your outline should serve.
- A post on why you should take practice exams, explaining four potential benefits.
Why Have We Made This Choice?
Let’s face it, we could write “Six Great Ways to Format Your Law School Essay” posts all day long without much thought.
Is that information useful? Sure, somewhat. Is it going to make much difference to your grades? Probably not. (I assume for the sake of argument that if you’re intelligent enough to get into law school, you’re capable of using the “bold” feature of Examsoft.)
Our goal is to really demystify the law school exam process, which we can only do by talking about the reasons we’re making certain suggestions.
Understand the Goal, Figure Out How to Get There
In a nutshell, if you understand the ultimate goal, and why it matters, you’ll be able to figure out for yourself (with some suggestions, perhaps) what will work best for you. That’s the real issue.
I could give two law students exactly the same sample outline, and one of them might use it to get an A, while the other one flunks. Why? Their brains work differently! You’ve probably heard about learning styles before, and they are important. Figuring out a way to achieve the overall goal, but basing it on your unique learning style, is going to make law school a lot easier, and a lot more enjoyable.
What Have We Got For You?
So, I’ll encourage you to stick around, even if it sometimes seems like we’re talking at a really theoretical level.
Rest assured, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty, but we want you to have the necessary background information to really understand what you’re trying to accomplish.
That way, if one technique we suggest doesn’t work for you, all is not lost! You’ll be able to say:
Hey, this doesn’t seem to be working for me. I think I’ll try something else.
And you won’t feel like you’re weird or doomed to failure. There’s more than one way to skin a cat (ew!), and YOU know how you learn best.
Trust yourself, understand the goal, and you’ll be just fine.
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Hi! I’m a second year law student here in the Philippines and this website has taught me a lot! From outlining to dealing with my classmates. Can I ask for a tip on studying criminal procedure? Our finals week is coming and I’m really having a hard time mapping out the procedures. What do you think is the best way to study criminal procedure? Thank you!
Thanks for reading. Are you studying American Criminal Procedure or is Criminal Procedure in the Philippines somewhat similar? I have found flow charts helpful for US Criminal Procedure law especially relating to search and seizure. Also it is important to practice applying the law to facts, so try to do as much practice as possible. I hope this is a bit helpful! Good luck!
I think it’s quite similar to US Criminal Procedure because our laws are patterned to America’s. I will try it. Thank you! Thank you so much!