Law School

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Also, what is the universal breakdown for LS tiers? T1=?

I don't know if there is a universal breakdown, but maybe people are referring to the US News & World Report rankings and treating the Top 100 as Tier 1 (1-50) and Tier 2 (51-100).

[shinerbock]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't know if there is a universal breakdown, but maybe people are referring to the US News & World Report rankings and treating the Top 100 as Tier 1 (1-50) and Tier 2 (51-100).

Thats what I figure. However, the higher you go the more discriminating the perceptions seem to be.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't know if there is a universal breakdown, but maybe people are referring to the US News & World Report rankings and treating the Top 100 as Tier 1 (1-50) and Tier 2 (51-100).

That's what I was using - my school is somewhere in the 40s, so that's the breakdown I used. I agree though that the schools at the top (the Ivies, U of Chicago, etc.) would probably laugh if I referred to my school as Tier 1 in front of them.

[adpiucf]

Orientation begins in less than 2 weeks...

Two more questions... Any recommendations for a good bag that will hold books and my laptop? Also, I'm inclined to use Word for note-taking, but a lot of people have been gushing about Microsoft OneNote-- any thoughts?

Thanks again, everyone!

Almost a 1L Go Gators!!!

[Kevin]

I have a messenger bag which is big enough to hold my laptop and two textbooks.

Word vs. Onenote? I prefer Word. The trick is to start your outline from day 1. Take all of your notes in outline form. Word is really good for that. Also, I'm more familiar with it. You won't really have time to learn a new piece of software. Stick to what's comfortable.

[LegallyBrunette]

I used a couple different bags, depending on the day, but actually found a North Face backpack to be the biggest and most comfortable. I had a few shoulder bags/messenger bags but found I usually ended up with a killer backache (I go to a school in an urban area that requires lots of walking to get home, so if you don't have to walk far, you'll probably be fine).That is, of course, assuming you don't want to incur the wrath of your fellow students by investing in a rolly bag (practical for back health, but annoying as hell to everyone around you--law schools are not airports).

As far as taking notes, I use Word too. Unlike Kevin, I do not worry about getting my notes in outline form initially. My opinion is that law school is overwhelming enough in the beginning to be prematurely concerned with outlining. Also as a very new 1L, what is important in class & your readings probably won't be readily apparent. Plus, converting my notes to outlines later in the semester has been my most useful study tool since it forces me revisit, re-organize and rewrite (I don't cut & paste) all of my notes, rather than just reading through them.

Good luck!

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by LegallyBrunette

I used a couple different bags, depending on the day, but actually found a North Face backpack to be the biggest and most comfortable. I had a few shoulder bags/messenger bags but found I usually ended up with a killer backache (I go to a school in an urban area that requires lots of walking to get home, so if you don't have to walk far, you'll probably be fine).That is, of course, assuming you don't want to incur the wrath of your fellow students by investing in a rolly bag (practical for back health, but annoying as hell to everyone around you--law schools are not airports).

As far as taking notes, I use Word too. Unlike Kevin, I do not worry about getting my notes in outline form initially. My opinion is that law school is overwhelming enough in the beginning to be prematurely concerned with outlining. Also as a very new 1L, what is important in class & your readings probably won't be readily apparent. Plus, converting my notes to outlines later in the semester has been my most useful study tool since it forces me revisit, re-organize and rewrite (I don't cut & paste) all of my notes, rather than just reading through them.

Good luck!

Yeah.. I have my finals study regimen down to an art form now... I take my notes in outline form, but then I completely redo/revamp my outline (starting from scratch and using several sources) probably around 2 weeks out from the final. I then take that outline and go into word, making a study sheet for rules and a study sheet for cases. I then put on one of those either the name of a rule, a question pertaining to it, etc. on the left with the answer on the right. For cases, I put the case name on the left and a one-sentence description of the facts and the holding on the right. I then memorize those.

Starting in outline form, however, saves me a lot of time. It's no that I use my note outline exclusively, it's just nice to have it all in one file and pretty much in order from the get-go. I can also use it to ensure I have a comprehensive outline.

A word on case briefing -- don't bother. I just book-brief everything. I highlight everything in about 8 colors, each color meaning something different (rules are green, holding is orange, interesting stuff is yellow, facts are pink, dissent holding is blue, trial court ruling is purple, intermediate court is red, etc.) I write questions and thoughts in the margins. A lot of people don't even go that far. Emmanuel's makes some pretty good brief books. I know people who do pretty well on those alone.

[adpiucf]

But I should brief at least the first week, right, just to get an idea of what to do?

I think I am going to stick with Word. OneNote has a lot of cool features, but I know the bells and whistles in Word to get it to do what I want. Plus, like many of you mentioned, there's a benefit to retyping and revamping your notes-- things tend to sink in better.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

But I should brief at least the first week, right, just to get an idea of what to do?

I think I am going to stick with Word. OneNote has a lot of cool features, but I know the bells and whistles in Word to get it to do what I want. Plus, like many of you mentioned, there's a benefit to retyping and revamping your notes-- things tend to sink in better.

Yeah.. I would brief the first week.

[LegallyBrunette]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

But I should brief at least the first week, right, just to get an idea of what to do?

I would say yes. You'll probably develop a better system on your own eventually (like Kevin's, for example), but I found briefing to be a good introduction on how to start organizing the information in cases.

Basically, there are tons of guides, software programs, hornbooks and suggestions you'll encounter, but ultimately there is no one way to succeed in law school and it's ultimately a matter of finding what works best for you. (At least, that has been my experience).

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

Two more questions... Any recommendations for a good bag that will hold books and my laptop? Also, I'm inclined to use Word for note-taking, but a lot of people have been gushing about Microsoft OneNote-- any thoughts?

I feel so old . . . so very, very old. Our choices were between pencils and pens.

I actually rarely took notes in law school. Not a practice (or lack of one) I'd recommend to anyone else, though.

[adpiucf]

Hey guys-- some of my profs are going to be giving multiple choice finals (or part multiple choice/part essay). Any tips on study aids that include multiple choice questions? Any tips in general on multiple choice exams?

Law school is going well so far (I think!). I ended up getting a few E&E's for some of my classes, and they've helped a lot to clarify or review ideas we've learned in class. (Our Torts prof actually recommended the E&E in her syllabus and I'm noticing that she takes a lot of hypos directly from it).

Thanks again for the advice!