DOES THE PLS APPROACH WORK OR NOT?

[dft]

I just spoke to several people on Law Review at my school and they said they read and briefed EVERY case. This is so frustrating. I was a PLS skeptic and then I realized that it has a lot of value. Now, I'm beginning to doubt that. Maybe it doesn't apply to my school much. I know there are several debates on this board about this topic but I wish there was just a straight answer. I know there is no simple answer but: Does the "PLS Approach" work or not ??

[jimmyjohn]

For some it works, for others it doesn't.  As much as you dont want to admit it, the first semester of law school is at least somewhat trial and error.  There are no straight answers, and thats part of the difficulty of it.  So basically stop overanalyzing so much and do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

[jacy85]

Do what works for you.  You're going to hear that phrase over and over again all throughout first year.  I can't even tell you how many times people who've gone through 1L have told me that, and I haven't even started orientation yet.

So your simple answer is that PLS works for some, but it doesn't work for others.  Or, it may not work as well as something else.  The one coherent piece of advice I've gotten is to not set yourself 100% on a study method.  Try different things out.  You might love book briefing with different colored highlighters, you might like whatever PLS says.  You might liking using just one or two different supplements.  I've chosen a route I want to go (the one discussed in LSC), but if I find it's not working, I'll try something else.

[BigTex]

I just spoke to several people on Law Review at my school and they said they read and briefed EVERY case. This is so frustrating. I was a PLS skeptic and then I realized that it has a lot of value. No, I'm beginning to doubt that. Maybe it doesn't apply to my school much. I know there are several debates on this board about this topic but I wish there was just a straight answer. I know there is no simple answer but: Does the "PLS Approach" work or not ??

I've noticed in a lot of your posts that you seem to be preoccupied with whether or not PLS "works". You seem to be looking for a definitive binary answer of "yes" or "no". You also seem to be endlessly needling your peers in school about the matter. A suggestion:

If after months and months on this board pondering the question you still have not come to an answer for yourself, cease seeking an answer. Just spend your days studying in some fashion you deem reasonably productive. It seems strange and counterproductive for you to incessantly search for the answer as though it is of monumentally profound importance. School has started. Stop debating. Rather than find the metaphisically "right" answer about how to study for law school i suggest that you simply pick *some* reasonable approach and stick with it. Otherwise, you'll find yourself on the night before finals still pondering this inscrutable question of how best to study for your classes.

You also might want to consider whether your vacilation about "how to study" is really just a subconscious mechanism to delay yourself from the unsavory task of actually rolling up your sleeves and getting on with the hard work of sitting down and studying.

[lipper]

I just spoke to several people on Law Review at my school and they said they read and briefed EVERY case. This is so frustrating. I was a PLS skeptic and then I realized that it has a lot of value. Now, I'm beginning to doubt that. Maybe it doesn't apply to my school much. I know there are several debates on this board about this topic but I wish there was just a straight answer. I know there is no simple answer but: Does the "PLS Approach" work or not ??

dude - just read the cases. you are going to have to when you are a lawyer, why not start in law school?

[katrina]

I just spoke to several people on Law Review at my school and they said they read and briefed EVERY case.

But you didn't really believe that, did ya fella?!

[dft]

I just spoke to several people on Law Review at my school and they said they read and briefed EVERY case.

But you didn't really believe that, did ya fella?!

I don't know what to believe. I'm taking everyone's advice and doing "what works best for me." That being, the PLS Approach (no reading and briefing).

[BigTex]

I don't know what to believe. I'm taking everyone's advice and doing "what works best for me." That being, the PLS Approach (no reading and briefing).

If you think that the PLS approach says "don't read the casebook and don't brief your cases" then you really have no conception of what PLS endorses. I'm no devotee of PLS, but i'm following some of its suggestions. There are good points and bad points about it. But regardless of your feelings about PLS or any other suggested mode of law school preparation, at least do any such pedagogy the decency of representing its position with fidelity. A misguided follower who reads the gospel upside down and preaches his own inverted understanding to the masses is just about the worst thing any pedagogy could hope for.

[BigTex]

You are a fool. Read the section under Pushing the Panic Button. It says that if you haven't prepped, "Don't use your time to read the casebook." And I haven't prepped.

You are referring to a section of PLS that says, basically:

If you have decided not to follow any of the recommendations of PLS and have not prepped at all, then as a method of last resort do the following: ...

You characterize this "method of last resort" as the primary mode of law school preparation suggested by PLS. That is a mischaracterization of what PLS recommends. If you haven't prepped, you're not following the PLS pedagogy to begin with. The PLS suggestion is to read the primers before classes start and then dutifully read your casebook in conjunction with a commercial outline while simultaneously taking practice exams throughout the semester.

I'm no PLS devotee. For one of my classes i did no prepping at all. Nevertheless, i'm reading a primer (recommended by the prof actually), a commercial outline, and the casebook as i follow the course syllabus. I don't understand why you give up on reading the casebook - the fulcrum of classroom discussion. There's a lot of reading, but not so much that you can't do both.

[dft]

I take back the "You are a fool" comment. Thank you for your insight.

You are a fool. Read the section under Pushing the Panic Button. It says that if you haven't prepped, "Don't use your time to read the casebook." And I haven't prepped.

You are referring to a section of PLS that says, basically:

If you have decided not to follow any of the recommendations of PLS and have not prepped at all, then as a method of last resort do the following: ...

You characterize this "method of last resort" as the primary mode of law school preparation suggested by PLS. That is a mischaracterization of what PLS recommends. If you haven't prepped, you're not following the PLS pedagogy to begin with. The PLS suggestion is to read the primers before classes start and then dutifully read your casebook in conjunction with a commercial outline while simultaneously taking practice exams throughout the semester.

I'm no PLS devotee. For one of my classes i did no prepping at all. Nevertheless, i'm reading a primer (recommended by the prof actually), a commercial outline, and the casebook as i follow the course syllabus. I don't understand why you give up on reading the casebook - the fulcrum of classroom discussion. There's a lot of reading, but not so much that you can't do both.