reading case briefs instead of the case, extremely stupid?

[TitoJay]

Either read the cases or go for a secondary legal source.  Don't bother with case summations.  If you understand everything being discussed in class, read the cases and work on your skills at developing a legal rule based on the progression of the cases.  Remember to compare the facts and analysis of the cases! 

However, if you don't understand diddley squat about what people are talking about in class, and you are immediatley confused when you look at a sample essay question when getting ready to study for the exam, go to a secondary legal source and compare it to your notes.  This will give you an idea about the format of the class and how the professor is developing a legal rule for you to learn.  Remember, law school is based on the common law manner of developing law.  It's good for your career as well as for the latter years of school to develop the skill at learning how the law progresses.  God bless. 

[robsanpedro]

I think it depends on your situation. . .in general you are better off reading and briefing the case yourself.. .however, better to read a canned brief than go into class unprepared. . .I work full time have a wife and three kids, so sometimes there not enough hours in the day (even with Red Bull).

[Steve Young]

I think it depends on your situation. . .in general you are better off reading and briefing the case yourself.. .however, better to read a canned brief than go into class unprepared. . .I work full time have a wife and three kids, so sometimes there not enough hours in the day (even with Red Bull).

It's week 10 of law school for me, and I spent the first 8 weeks reading every case and briefing it. I'm glad I did.  I got faster and I understand how to read like a lawyer because of it.  That's an important tool; you must learn to read like a lawyer and that comes with practice. 

Now that that there are only about 4 weeks left in the semester, as a tactical strategy, I still plan on reading the full cases and I trying to understand what they are saying, but I incorporate a lot of lexis nexis into my brief by copying and pasting stuff, so that I'll have time to outline and do my Legal Writing memo. That cuts down a lot of time, but to do that the entire semester would be just plain stupid.