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Newsletters>
Success in Law School
August 27, 2007
TO SUCCEED IN LAW SCHOOL GET M.A.D.™
Law school is simply a rite of passage; you have to go to
law school to be able to take a bar exam so that you can
obtain a license to practice law. Law school will not teach
you to be an attorney, nor to think like one, nor will it
give you the business skills that will ensure your success
as a practicing attorney. Law school will expose you to the
law, and whether you learn anything will be strictly up to
you and no one else.
The teaching methods used by professors in law school are
determined by economics and the fact that most professors
hate teaching and would rather be playing golf, writing
books, taking the next big case, or trying to get their own
show on TV.
The "Socratic Method" is used because it's inexpensive and
can accommodate a large number of students. It has its
merits, but as far as teaching someone to think and act
like a lawyer it falls short of what is required. The
"Socratic Method" is effective in teaching philosophy and
that is exactly what you will learn in law school: the
philosophy of law.
Learning to argue and think like a lawyer is strictly a
matter of good legal research and experience. It is the art
of persuasion. Such a skill can only be learned over a
period of time and with experience. The "Socratic Method"
plays no role in developing legal research skills, and only
a small role in developing the art of persuasion.
It is for this reason that the vast majority of lawyers who
practice are mediocre. In addition, the majority of law
school graduates do not practice law five years after
graduation.
What's wrong? Nothing, really. It's just that law schools
have a monopoly and for the most part are enjoying it. Law
schools and the practice of law are nothing more than a
business. The sooner you realize this the better off you
will be.
This may seem very cynical but it was written to try and
make a point. Do not be impressed by or scared about what
will happen in law school. Law school is not a "Paper
Chase", although some professors love the image of
Kingsfield tearing apart students causing them to melt in
nervous breakdowns. Remember, the person who asks the
questions using the "Socratic Method" wins the argument.
Remember the vast amount of anxiety you feel as a law
student is because you are faced with the unknown on a
large number of levels. You are with people you do not
know, and you have no idea who to believe with all the
"worthless" advice you are receiving without ever checking
who is giving it.
In response to this stress most of you will abandon all the
methods you have used in the past to learn things. Don't be
so stupid. The same thing that got you good grades in
undergrad or in any other higher education endeavor will be
the same thing that gets you through law school except for
one minor difference. All the material you learn in law
school builds upon each element so you must learn and
remember it all and not do a data dump after each test.
To get through law school you only need to do five things:
Memorize the law.
Learn the application of the law.
Learn the skill of issue spotting.
Learn the skill of exam writing.
Learn the methods of legal research.
So don't get frustrated, don't get nervous, don't go crazy
studying everything, just get M.A.D. ™
The M.A.D.™ study method is unique to the Study Partner law
outlines. It consists of the following study methods:
* MEMORIZE
* APPLY
* DISSERTATE
The law that you need to memorize is contained in a concise
and easy to learn format in the Study Partner™ law school
series. This entire series is now contained on the Rom Law™
program. Contained in these study guides are all the
elements of the law as well as the definitions that you
need to use to write essay exams in school and on Bar
Exams. Because the product is digital it is very easy to
modify and add to the outlines. You can enhance the given
definitions with class notes or with more details on finer
points of law that you learn in class. Many students like
to input the case names and holdings into the ready made
outline.
It is important to note that if your note taking exceeds
the current size of the outlines already given you, you
should stop writing and listen more to the concept of the
law and its application.
You learn the application of the law by reading and
briefing the entire case and not the edited version in the
casebook. In addition you must also do large numbers of
short form questions and answers and longer hypos in the
form of practice exams. We have a bank of short form Q&A in
the back of each Study Partner™ outline in the Rom Law™. We
also have 720 Series™ Flash Cards in Rom Law™ to assist you
in both memorization and application reviews. We have
hundreds of hypothetical questions in the Exam Writing
section of the Rom Law™ as well.
In addition to the memorization and application that you
learned in class, you will have to spend a significant
amount of time dissertating on the law. Dissertation of the
law is a proprietary study method of Study Partner™.
Dissertation is essential to your complete understanding of
the law and cannot be overlooked.
In order to dissertate, simply choose a topic and write
down everything you know about the topic in five minutes or
less. When you are finished, compare the completeness and
accuracy of your writing with what is contained in the
Study Partner™ Law Outlines on Rom law™ and with your own
class notes on the topic. What you did not write down is
what you do not know about the law. In your study group
sessions you should be dissertating on the law with each
other (both verbally and in writing).
The five minute time limit is important because it will
help you quickly organize your thoughts on the topic into a
general outline. This will give you a significant advantage
on exams with time limits. Pay particular attention to the
dissertation of majority and minority law as this will aid
you in answering MBE questions as well as in answering
essay questions and automatically giving you two sides to
an argument.
Study Partner ™ study methods work. Don't let law
professors confuse you! Get into a daily routine of
learning the law the Study Partner™ way and achieve
superior results in law school and on Bar exams.
Study Partner™ is proud to be the only law outline company
that is able to supply all its outlines, flashcards, and
case briefs on computer programs that work on Windows
operating systems. With all the information you need on
computer it is even easier to customize your outlines and
print them out on demand for class of study sessions.
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