Equipment List

[tony_rocky_horror]

Starting to gather my equipment and looking for thoughts/suggestions:

1. Laptop- already picked out
2. Note taking software - Evernote?
3. Printer - get the cheapest cost per page that prints on front/back, amy suggestions?
4. File cabinet? is a small one helpful?
5. Any other software suggestions, other than the note taking and office?

[Slumdog Lovebutton]

1. Are you going Mac or PC?
2. Depends on #1
3. Does your school offer free printing?  CLS gives you 2500 pages per year (I'm told nobody ever exceeds that), and some schools just give you flat unlimited printing.  You can print out cases directly from lexis/westlaw for free if you do it in the library on one of their official printers, but that is only useful for legal research (you will probably not be printing cases in your regular classes).
4. I don't have one, but I do have a lot of file folders.  So, I guess this is not a bad idea if you have the space.
5. AspenLaw studydesk is pretty decent, although by no means perfect.  If you have a Mac, OmniGraffle is AWESOME for flowchart making, which came in handy while studying for finals in subjects like Civ Pro.

Don't buy highlighters.  Vendors give them away like candy at law schools.  In fact, they usually give them away WITH candy.

[tony_rocky_horror]

It will be windows (pc)---will have to check on the free printing but I imagine doing alot of printing at home.

[tony_rocky_horror]

I just looked at the AspenLaw Studydesk and that looks like a must buy.

[Matthies]

It will be windows (pc)---will have to check on the free printing but I imagine doing alot of printing at home.

Credited response. Free printing at school works great for people who like to hang out at school. I don’t. I get too distracted at school, I’m gone as soon as class ends. I think I’ve printed at school once, everything else I print at home. Plus *&^% gets piled up at school and people will take your stuff off the printer to get theirs, or you have to wait in a queue to get printed (this sucks on memo due day). Its just a pian in the ass if you don’t like hanging out at school.

I’ve been through three printers in law school. Depending on your budget I recommend getting a business class printer, home office ones can’t keep up with the demand over 3 years. Both me and a class mate have the HP L7680 and love it. The XL print cartages will last you an entire semester even with heavy printing. 

If you not the study at school kind get a BIG desk. I went to home depot got an plain white interior door for $25 and put it on top of two file cabinets, cheap HUGE desk.

[Slumdog Lovebutton]

If you not the study at school kind get a BIG desk. I went to home depot got an plain white interior door for $25 and put it on top of two file cabinets, cheap HUGE desk.

I remember your desk post from last year!!  You have a truly inspiring work space.

I just looked at the AspenLaw Studydesk and that looks like a must buy.

The outlining feature did not work out as well as I'd hoped.  If you buy, I recommend doing a sample outline after the first week (or before class starts) to see how it organizes stuff so that you can use it more effectively.  Seems like that feature would work best if you take your notes within the program also, and only use one category marker per item (i used multiple keywords/topics for each of my case briefs, only to find that the software placed multiple copies of my whole brief under each section in which it was categorized.

That said, the brief templates were really helpful, and it was a great way for me to keep my case materials organized last semester.

[EarlCat]

I just looked at the AspenLaw Studydesk and that looks like a must buy.

studydesk sucks IMO

[tony_rocky_horror]

I just looked at the AspenLaw Studydesk and that looks like a must buy.

studydesk sucks IMO

Maybe but I haven't found a good alternative yet

[Matthies]

If you not the study at school kind get a BIG desk. I went to home depot got an plain white interior door for $25 and put it on top of two file cabinets, cheap HUGE desk.

I remember your desk post from last year!!  You have a truly inspiring work space.

Thanks, I need it to be inspriring becuase I have to spend like 12 hours a day in it!

[lebron]

Learn and use Onenote. It comes with Office 2k7. If your school doesn't heavily subsidize Office, TTT.

Also, screw file cabinets. They're too difficult to keep organized, are easily undone, and aren't portable. Either expandos+rubbermade tubs, or manila folders+redwelds+rubbermade tubs.

More importantly, why are you printing this much? By definition, if you can print it, you have an e-copy of it. What's wrong with reading it on your computer?