Hornbooks?

[Strong]

What are hornbooks, are there different varieties and how do I know which ones I will need to get?

Same question for commercial outlines and all suplements, how do I go about them?

[jimmyjohn]

If you're getting hornbooks there is no hope for you anyway.

[Strong]

Someone told me to use them. And now that I know they are in the library I won't be buying them.

Thanks for the help.

[pappahood]

i'll be nice to the 0L.  Hornbooks are totally useless unless you're doing advanced research in a legal topic area.  You don't use them in class and teachers barely even refer to them, if they do at all.  My inexperienced contracts prof refered to it repeatedly, but thats because you needed to look it up, its because she was an idiot.  Likewise, the most anal retentive and lost students resort to them. These kids usually end up at the bottom of the class. 

If you are that anal retentive kid, still don't buy it.  It's more likely than not in your law school's library and nobody will be using it.   

[beer gunner]

I am a 0L and don't have the experience or opinion, but King Matthies II likes Hornbooks - check out his detailed explanation here:

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php?topic=55164.15

It makes sense to me; if you are confused about subject matter you would probably want to consider canned briefs, commercial outlines, and commercial study aids like Gilbert's and Emanuel's

If you want further explanation, check out a hornbook (they usually cost about $50 and may be worth it if you are referring to it alot...

first sit through a couple weeks of class, then fish out some study aids at the library and see which one you like before buying

[jimmyjohn]

I am a 0L and don't have the experience or opinion, but King Matthies II likes Hornbooks - check out his detailed explanation here:

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php?topic=55164.15

It makes sense to me; if you are confused about subject matter you would probably want to consider canned briefs, commercial outlines, and commercial study aids like Gilbert's and Emanuel's

If you want further explanation, check out a hornbook (they usually cost about $50 and may be worth it if you are referring to it alot...

first sit through a couple weeks of class, then fish out some study aids at the library and see which one you like before buying

King Matthies is a self-important feminine hygiene product. If you are confused, why would you resort to a hornbook?  They are written in more detail than your casebook and are just as, if not more confusing, than the opinions themselves.  Really if you want a concise explanation consult a commercial outline such a Gilbert's or Emmanuels.  Hornbooks really won't do anything to help you understand black letter that you are confused about.  Hell, if you really want to get concise check out the Lexis course outlines.  They are free and I don't think you even need a password, you can access them from the front page. All of the above are better than consulting (and god forbid actually buying) a hornbook.

[Esq]

West Publishing has its "Hornbook" series on topics such as Torts and Contracts.  Usually the hornbooks are written by professors who have also authored casebooks on those topics. These books are sometimes called a "treatise."

The term "hornbook" is actually an old term that dates back to when schoolchildren had their one-page lessons affixed on a board the size of a paddle. The one-page "lesson" that they were to memorize was underneath a piece of clear material that came from the horn of a cow.

The modern Hornbooks are usually hardcover books and several hundred pages long.  They are usually not state-specific.  Instead they try to show the "majority" rules and the "minority" rules by drawing from laws all over the United States. Most law school libraries do have several copies of the major hornbooks.

 

[LostMyMonkeys]

If you are confused, read the E and E, look up the Lexis outline or *gasp* ask your professor.

Hornbooks are good if you are a professor writing a law review article.