1. Grades in Most Law School Classes Are Based on One Final Exam
In college, most of your classes probably had grades based on at least three exams and other smaller tasks. If you did not score as well as you would have liked on one test, you could still make up for it through homework assignments or subsequent exams. You will not have that luxury in law school, however. Most law school classes base your grade on how well you do on a final exam. This can greatly increase the stress levels of all of the students. Understanding the expectations and studying early and often can help you tackle your finals and feel prepared.
2. Outlining Early Can Help You to Stay Ahead of the Game
A large part of law school is learning to love outlining. You will find that outlining your notes and the reading from your textbooks is vitally important for passing your classes. You should begin the outlining process early on. It is a good idea to outline your class notes every week so that you have an ongoing outline that builds along with the course material as it is presented to you.
It is also possible to search for outlines of the textbooks you will have for purchase online or from students at your school who have already completed the courses. Just remember that there is no guarantee that another person's outline is a good one, and outlining helps many students learn the material while writing their outlines.
It is also smart to save your outlines from your first year of law school. The classes you will take in your 1L year mirror the topics appearing on your bar examination. Saving the outlines can help you to be better prepared when you sit for the bar.
3. Learn to Love the IRAC Method
You will be expected to internalize a method of analyzing facts from a legal perspective to the point that doing so will become second nature. This is called the IRAC method, which stands for issue, rule, analysis, and conclusion. Doing this involves identifying the legal issue presented in a set of facts. Then, you will need to identify the correct rule that applies. Once you have identified the issue and the rule, the analysis should be straightforward. You finally wrap up your answer by writing your conclusion, which should be a restatement that flows naturally from your analytical process.
Some students make the mistake of overfocusing on every single word in a set of facts rather than taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. You will find that looking at the entire forest will help you spot the issues and the applicable rules much faster than spending too much time on the individual trees that make up the forest. After you have used the IRAC method for a while, it will become second nature to you. If you want to be ready to use it beginning the first day, you could always ask for practice sessions with any lawyer friends before starting law school.
4. Head to the Library for Supplements
There are supplements available for your law school courses. Many students find the supplements very helpful, and some feel they need them for every course they take. You will likely hear about the Legal Lines Case Briefs series of books from your classmates. While these supplements are good, they are also very expensive. Running out and purchasing them for all your classes could quickly add up. Instead, head to your school's library to find the supplements titled Examples and Explanations, Nutshells, and others for the information you need but without the hit to your wallet.
5. Don't Forget to Live Your Life Beyond Law School
When you are in law school, you will quickly find that there never seems to be enough time to complete your work. Law school is rigorous and demands significant amounts of your time. If you spend all your time studying, outlining, writing, and researching, you will likely burn out and give up. Instead, learn to put your books down and go out and have fun. You might try making a schedule for studying, reading, and having fun so that you don't let life pass you by while in law school.
Law school can be both exciting and difficult. If you take the time to prepare yourself, you might have an easier time once you begin your classes. While it may seem stressful while you are in the throes of your legal education, you will be surprised at how fondly you will look back on your law school days once you have moved on with your legal career.
