If you could give one piece of advice to an incoming 1L,....

[philibusters]

I read Delaney's learning legal reasoning, but hardly use it, I don't brief or pay that much attention to the cases in general. Thats my least favorite book by him.
I like the crim law E&E (I like all the E&E's), I like Delaney's crim law more though-it might be how you learn that affects us, answering hypos is not a weakness, but I am have huge organizational problems and obviously that is a weakness for me-so learning how to organize information is more important to me than hypos.
To be honest I didn't use Delaney's CRIP formats that much the first time around, I think that was a mistake because my weakness on my exams I think was organization.  Sounds like I should look into LEEWS.

My gut tells me we probably have different learning styles.  Delaney crim law book also does a lot better at connecting the larger themes of crim law to individual cases and facts, thats the type thing that a E&E doesn't do, but is very important in distinguishing yourself from the rest of the pack.  For example its one thing to say it was or wasn't forseeable, but its impressive if you realize foreseeability is more a conclusion than a mode of reasoning and you then tie the issue of forseeability to the larger purposes of crim law or torts.

However, I love E&E's, and own one for every class I have ever taken.  Last semester I only did 20% of the assigned reading in my property and barely did anywork the entire semester in that class, in three days I buckled down and read and did the examples in my property E&E and got a grade that put me in the middle of the class, so I def. don't want to insult E&E's in anyway, they are a gift from God if you only have a few days to study and you have taken most of the semester off in a class.

[brewha]

Crim law E&E is a piece of *&^%. I follow the PLS approach and still think that... avoid the book at all costs

[dft]

Crim law E&E is a piece of *&^%. I follow the PLS approach and still think that... avoid the book at all costs

It's better than Delaney's in my opinion. I started looking at Dressler's "Understanding Criminal Law" like the day before the exam and realized how good it was... better than the Crim Law E&E, but downside = it doesn't have hypos and answers.

[hoopster]

I have one question for all of those already in law school.  How much did you have to study each day outside of class as a 1L?  The reason I ask is that I've heard different things.  Some have told me that they didn't study much at all, and that law school was actually easier than undergrad.  I find that hard to believe.  Others have told me that they studied for like 10 hours each day outside of class.  Which seems to be the norm?  Did most of you actually have time to party on weekends?

[philibusters]

lawschool not easier than liberal arts major, possibly easier than hard science major.  Also you don't have to study much to get middle of the class or slightly below median, but if you want top 5%, you probably are looking at 8 hour days outside class.  In undergrad, if you increase your studying your grade went up at a steady pace, whereas in law school due to the nature of the curve it gets hard to move as you get closer to the top of the class.

[inthesun]

My advice: date outside the law school.

[LoverOfWomen]

My advice: date outside the law school.

Indeed.  Date someone like the beautiful Miss Amy Sue Cooper:

[image removed]

[LostMyMonkeys]

No, law schools don't care if you can write an exam.  My school had a lunch time "presentation" on how to write an exam, but it was pretty much crap.  Law schools only teach you the law; it's up to you to figure out how to use it and write an effective exam.

LEEWS is probably one of the best exam writing programs out there.  In the late summers, it tours and has one day programs/workshops.  The CDs probably just as good (I used the CDs).

Lots of people "Getting to Maybe" is good too.  I haven't read it, so I can't say.

My school has regular workshops to practice exams. MC and essay. We also have 'study groups' where upper division sutdents put together and administer practice exams for us throughout the semester.

[LostMyMonkeys]

Crim law E&E is a piece of *&^%. I follow the PLS approach and still think that... avoid the book at all costs

Are you kidding me? I guess it just goes to show how everyone is different. The Crim Law E&E is my bible for the way my crim law class is taught. I barely read my casebook because its a bunch of crap  but I read the E&E and I am golden.

[LoverOfWomen]

Really, most exams are just common sense and good outlining.  Don't understand what all the stress is about.