FOR EVERYBODY STARTING LAW SCHOOL THIS FALL

[Which class are you least looking forward to?]

Which class are you least looking forward to?

K's

 12 (11.1%)

Property

 24 (22.2%)

Torts

 12 (11.1%)

Crim

 11 (10.2%)

Con Law

 15 (13.9%)

Legal Writing

 34 (31.5%)

Total Members Voted: 105

[Jhuen_the_bird]

What the hell?  Civil Procedure!

We don't have property or criminal law until next semester :-P

[Special Agent Dana Scully]

What the hell?  Civil Procedure!

We don't have property or criminal law until next semester :-P

same

[Gengiswump]

I don't have crim til next semester either.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Interesting...that could actually be a good thing to get civ pro down first before you start reading cases in other classes.  Our school did the reverse, and case law didn't "click" for me until I had civ pro so...

[cui bono?]

so I guess I went to the only retarded azz school in the country:  2 semesters of each the 1st yr:  property, K, civ pro, torts (and LW).  3 credits per course 'cept LW in the second semester which was 2.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Torts for a whole year?  I could understand property or contracts but not torts.

For our 1st semester, we did:
Torts
Property
Contracts
Crim

For our 2nd semester, we did:
Civ Pro
Con Law (I and II)
elective

and of course, LRW for the whole year

[cui bono?]

Yep torts for the entire year.  Every other course was mandated to take either in the summer btw 1L and 2L or as a 2L.  So Evidence was mandatory and so were quite a few others.  ELECTIVE?!?!?!?  No such thing until 2nd year. 

[naturallybeyoutiful]

Now that I'm 1.5 weeks from the start of 1L, I can better appreciate the advoce post that started the column.  Good looking out, Sands!  Also, what is K class?  Someone let me know.  Thanks!

[rugercaptain]

Now that I'm 1.5 weeks from the start of 1L, I can better appreciate the advoce post that started the column.  Good looking out, Sands!  Also, what is K class?  Someone let me know.  Thanks!

Contracts.

[cui bono?]

So I remember this time last year I was getting really frustrated with reading cases.  How long it took, didn't understand the purpose, "well why can't they just tell me the rule".  Any tips for the 1Ls? 

My .2 to my own question:  it gets easier as time goes on.  But remember briefs should be brief.  My first few briefs were PAGES long.  Damn near longer than the case itself.  What should be in the brief: parties (last names), court, date, page # in the casebook (just in case u want to go back to it but u prolly wont) rule of law, few facts to help u remember what the case was about.   You may also want to "classify" the parties.  Who is suing who?  Not just "Hawkins v. McGee" but who were they?  I remember one time I got called on and I started with my slang terms.  I had written:   "shady azz wife vs her dumbazz hubby" "Cui, what happened in this case"  Well "shady a-, I mean the wife..."     But your briefs should be like "patient sues doctor..."

come up with ur own mini hypos with each case u read.  "This is the rule but if the facts changed to XYZ, then would the rule be the same?"

read the note cases dont skip 'em, sometimes they clarify the big ones