Law School Discussion
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Messages - middlelanguage

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11
Current Law Students / Re: Does briefing cases as a 1L = waste of time?
« on: August 27, 2007, 12:52:36 PM »
I found the CALI lessons ostensibly helpful, but I realized that they really didn't do anything for me (though they may do something for you). Just read the cases and be active (this does not necessarily mean "participate") in class. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy Law & Order.

12
Job Search / Re: OCI screening interviews
« on: August 25, 2007, 08:12:27 AM »
Most firms do not notify you of a rejection. You will most likely hear only if you receive a callback.

13
Current Law Students / Re: Does briefing cases as a 1L = waste of time?
« on: August 22, 2007, 07:19:54 AM »
Quote from: Peaches on August 21, 2007, 07:53:48 PM
Quote
Law school really doesn't seem as difficult or intense as you guys make it out to be...

Take it from the grizzled 2 day veteran...law school isn't as intense as it's made out to be.

I'm also at a school where we all get good jobs, so the pressure's off anyway.  I plan to get excellent grades, but I won't be homeless and saddled with loans I can't pay if I don't.

Congratulations, Peaches, you have solidified yourself as a giant feminine hygiene product. As for briefing "never" being a waste of time, that is simply incorrect. Many times briefing does not increase your knowledge of the case so much as eat up time (because you are copying things from the textbook that may or many not be relevant). Often as a 1L you will write down extraneous information, wasting even more time. I agree that briefing can be beneficial, but more often than not it is a waste of time.

14
Current Law Students / Re: Does briefing cases as a 1L = waste of time?
« on: August 20, 2007, 05:21:57 PM »
Quote from: jd06 on August 20, 2007, 04:03:02 PM
Quote from: Peaches on August 20, 2007, 02:50:46 PM
Just my personal observations from Day 1 as a law student...
- the people who were called on who had briefed were tied to what they had written and not as able to think on their feet in class.
- the people who had briefed thought that the work had taken a very long time and were wondering how they were going to get through the semester.

I didn't brief and was glad.  But then again, I found the cases easy to read, retain information pretty easily, enjoy classroom discussion, and don't mind going back through the cases for outlines.   



Be careful, Peaches.  Your memory retention may be ok for one or two class sessions, but come the end of the semester you will have discussed hundreds of cases in multiple classes.  Yes, weekly briefing takes time, but the more you do it the quicker you get.  And, most importantly, come exam time you want to be studying for the exam, not re-reading cases.  Put the time in now, there's so much material to absorb for finals you just won't have the time to be flipping through your case book. 

Btw, if you do case briefs correctly you won't be "tied to the brief" because you will have read the case in its entirety and the brief will simply bring you back to the cogent facts and law.  Your classmates' struggles likely just reflect the adjustment period that all 1L's go through. 






Peaches, you sound like a gunner. I recommend keeping your incredible mind to yourself.

Jd,

You seem to assume that everyone goes back and rereads all the cases when they make their outlines--or at least that everyone should do so. I knew plenty of people who never read a case more than once and did just fine. I don't think it "saves" any time to brief cases because you often don't need to know the entire "brief" of the case come exams.

15
Current Law Students / Re: Does briefing cases as a 1L = waste of time?
« on: August 20, 2007, 06:13:58 AM »
I agree with Jacy. I would add that each professor's style will typically require different preparation. For example, my CivPro professor would absolutely scour the notes, and often times we would spend over an hour on the notes. Obviously, this was a class in which I made sure to read the notes. Other classes, however, such as torts did not require the same type of preparation. Finally, some classes, such as property, required no preparation at all.

On the whole, however, I would say briefing cases, or taking notes on cases, is a complete waste of time. That said, it can prove very beneficial to some people--though I was not one of them. In sum, if after two weeks you find that the briefs are helping, by all means continue to brief. If the converse is true, however, your time would probably be better spent reading the case more closely the first time. I'd say by my second year, I would spend an average of 30 min - 1hr. on reading for each class, whereas the amount of time I spent reading as a first-semester 1L probably was at least double that.

16
Current Law Students / Re: Applying to law school
« on: August 20, 2007, 06:09:30 AM »
Quote from: rich1234 on August 19, 2007, 08:33:14 PM
I always was set on applying and going to medical school, but I've been considering law school lately. I will graduate next may with a predicted 3.8-3.9 with a BS in Finance. I was curious if applying to law school is similar to applying to medical school in that for medical school we must have a lot of EC's and volunteering activity, etc. Or if for law school it just rests on school you graduated from, gpa, lsat, and ability to interview?

Thanks in advance,
-Rich

Go to Med School.

17
Current Law Students / Re: How do I type the article symbol?
« on: August 19, 2007, 04:33:28 PM »
You don't. STOP wasting your time briefing cases.

18
Current Law Students / Re: My Advice to Incoming 1L's
« on: August 19, 2007, 04:32:56 PM »
Quote
If your school offers seminars on how to take a law school exam, go to them.

I wholeheartedly disagree. I think that seminars on exam-taking could be the most worthless and forgettable part of my 1L experience. Much like CSOs' fora, "seminars" on exams offer nothing of import to anyone. General advice, like budget your time, is usually tossed around. Other than that, there isn't more than a granule of useful material.

If you take practice tests and study the material, there is no need to do anything more. At some point ("diminishing returns"), you will be wasting time studying--you will inevitably do this, but your goal should be to minimize the amount of time you waste. That said, you should still study hard. Just remember that no matter what you do, the intimidation of taking an exam will probably play a role in your performance as well. The more confident you feel about the professor's exams and your grasp of the material, the better chance you have of "keeping a level head" and performing as best you can. Trite advice, I know, but it's definitely truthfully.

19
Current Law Students / Re: Is law a good career to get into?
« on: August 18, 2007, 09:24:09 AM »
Yes, if you are a masochist.

20
Job Search / Re: Probability of Interview leading to SA Position???
« on: August 10, 2007, 04:08:16 PM »
Wrong. If you have a screening interview, that is what the firm uses to see who they should invite back.

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