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How We Think About Law School Exams: An Overview

February 20, 2012 By Alison Monahan 3 Comments

Law School toolsIf 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.

— – —

Want more?
Sign up for the Law School Toolbox mailing list, and we’ll send you tons of fresh content to help you succeed in law school. As an added bonus, and only because you’re so awesome, when you join we’ll send our Top 10 Tips for Law School Success, right to your inbox. What a deal!

— – —

Got questions? Leave them in the comments and we’ll answer them for you!

Image by brokenarts via stock.xchng.


 

Looking for some help to do your best in law school? Find out about our law school tutoring options.


About Alison Monahan

Alison Monahan is the founder of The Girl's Guide to Law School, which helps law students and prospective law students get in to law school, get through, and stay true to themselves. Alison is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she was a member of the Columbia Law Review and served as a Civ Pro teaching assistant. You can find her on Twitter at @GirlsGuideToLS.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jzel Endozo

    10.08.13

    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!

    Reply
    • Lee Burgess

      10.08.13

      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!

      Reply
  2. Jzel Endozo

    10.08.13

    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!

    Reply

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