Pre-Law School Classes or Reading

[FitnessGirl]

Hi everyone! This is my first post although I've been lurking for probably a year. I will most likely be attending law school next year. I'm definitely a non-trad...29, but will be 30 by the time I start law school...married...no kids. My undergrad degree is in music and I have an MBA.
I'm starting to get a bit anxious about law school and would like to make sure I am prepared. Can anyone recommend classes, books or anything that would help prepare me for the experience. Thanks!

[RobWreck]

Hi everyone! This is my first post although I've been lurking for probably a year. I will most likely be attending law school next year. I'm definitely a non-trad...29, but will be 30 by the time I start law school...married...no kids. My undergrad degree is in music and I have an MBA.
I'm starting to get a bit anxious about law school and would like to make sure I am prepared. Can anyone recommend classes, books or anything that would help prepare me for the experience. Thanks!

It seems like the majority of posters suggest just taking it easy and relaxing before law school, that there is very little that can be done to prepare you for it. Many have voiced the opinion that the law school prep classes are not worth it (possibly LEEWS being a slight exception). Some have suggested reading books like "One L" and "Planet Law School".
Is any of this good advice? Who really knows... but it's what I've heard on these boards...
Rob
30+ non-trad 0L

[Boss]

I agree with Rob.  After talking to current 1L's, I have yet to meet anyone who says Law Preview or other prep courses are worth it.  Most schools do an orientation that covers a lot of what those courses cover - but for free!

Some schools have a suggest reading list, but it's not really anything to freak you out.  Just some stuff to get you in the legal mindset, and also because once school starts, you probably won't read for fun for another 3 years.  Here's a list Alabama provides:  http://www.law.ua.edu/prospective/index.php?re=readinglist.  It's got everything from a biography of a SCOTUS judge to Getting Past No. 

I've also heard read/watch entertaining law books/movies to get you in the mood for law school.

Mainly though, people say in order to prep for law school, you should:
1.  relax
2.  pay down as much debt as possible, work a 2nd job if you have to
3.  relax some more if your debts are paid down
4.  move to your new city early
5.  buy your books early
6.  relax

[FitnessGirl]

Thanks for the responses! I guess I won't feel bad if I decide to take a month to hike part of the Appalachian trail.

[RobWreck]

Hi everyone! This is my first post although I've been lurking for probably a year. I will most likely be attending law school next year. I'm definitely a non-trad...29, but will be 30 by the time I start law school...married...no kids. My undergrad degree is in music and I have an MBA.
I'm starting to get a bit anxious about law school and would like to make sure I am prepared. Can anyone recommend classes, books or anything that would help prepare me for the experience. Thanks!

It seems like the majority of posters suggest just taking it easy and relaxing before law school, that there is very little that can be done to prepare you for it. Many have voiced the opinion that the law school prep classes are not worth it (possibly LEEWS being a slight exception). Some have suggested reading books like "One L" and "Planet Law School".
Is any of this good advice? Who really knows... but it's what I've heard on these boards...
Rob
30+ non-trad 0L

The majority of posters here are 0Ls whose opinions on the advantages of prep reading are unfounded.

I highly recommend getting all the Emmanuels for your first semseter classes and reviewing the main topics.  Particularly if you have no prior legal experience.

If nothing else buying them ahead of time so that you have them from day one to parallel the assigned reading is important.

To clarify, "taking it easy and relax' was the most common response I got when I asked lawyers about wha they thought was the best thing to do your 0L summer. Of course, I phrased the question as "Is there anything you did or would have done your 0L summer to get ready for law school?". Sadlyu, the second most common response I got was 'Not go to law school'... 
Rob

PS: Hey Credo... are you currently a law student? You're right that most posters are inexperienced 0L's. Did you do as you suggested, and did you find it helpful or is this just a suggestion on what you think would have helped? Your suggestion sounds reasonable... I'm just looking to verify the source.

[Boss]

If nothing else buying them ahead of time so that you have them from day one to parallel the assigned reading is important.

Now I haven't found any current students who suggest you read things like these ahead of time, buying all of your books and supplements well in advance is totally highly recommended. 

[Boss]

Obviously you can do what you want with your time.  Spending a hundred bucks and investing a few hours over the summer on this stuff doesnt seem like a big deal to me but apparently the majority of posters on here militantly oppose this.

I'm violently opposed to spending a few hundred bucks if it's not worth it.  I have yet to meet any current law students who say that Law Preview or anything like it helped them.  However, if you went to one and loved it, please share your story.

[Boss]

Obviously you can do what you want with your time.  Spending a hundred bucks and investing a few hours over the summer on this stuff doesnt seem like a big deal to me but apparently the majority of posters on here militantly oppose this.

I'm violently opposed to spending a few hundred bucks if it's not worth it.  I have yet to meet any current law students who say that Law Preview or anything like it helped them.  However, if you went to one and loved it, please share your story.

I dont know anything about Law Preview.  Im just advocating reading over the fundamentals in some outlines. I feel I would have benefited by having the outlines form the beginning and reading the pertinent sections from the get go last semester.

Thats not what you want to hear, I get it.

I'm not sure why you're getting so fiesty with me.  I want to hear stories from people who had a successful approach prepping for LS.  Most people I've talked to say that the school sponsored orientation is adequate, so unless I hear a first hand story of prepping working out for someone, I'm pretty apprehensive.

I'm glad to hear that reading outlines, or at least purchasing them, before class worked for you.  In fact, since you've given it such a positive endorsement I might be likely to do it.  Yet, again, I don't know why you're getting all defensive.

The reason I brought up Law Preview is because it is expensive and I've heard not worth it.  Emanuals are only about $40.  That's not bad at all, especially if you'll use them during the semester.

[road]

I get excited about things and then go read all the books I can find on the subject. So I've done a bit of "prep" reading, here's my thoughts on the books I've read.

Law School Confidential--A good balanced overview. Has a chapter on getting in and chapters on each year of law school. Covers study techniques, recommended supplements, job search etc. I recommend it.

Planet Law School--Pretty kooky. Most of the book is a rant about how cutthroat law school is, about how professors are too greedy and lazy to actually spend time teaching you anything etc. He outlines an intense study plan that can run from 1 year to three months (the three month plan is full-time!). I think this is the prep plan that is at the root of all the objections to pre-law prep. Despite (or maybe because) of all this I actually found it entertaining reading. Read it if you're curious but don't take it too seriously.

One L--I really like this book. It's a memoir of the author's first year at Harvard law school. The book is probably almost 30 years old but the law school experience hasn't changed much. The author is a bit neurotic at times and I think law school is portrayed as much more intense than most would experience it now--which is why some people warn 0Ls not to read it. I find the author to be insightful and the book to be entertaining.

I bought an E&E book on torts but it's a bit too detailed for entertaining reading so I'm putting it aside until class starts.

Law 101 (by Jay M. Feinman)--An overview of American law. It has a chapter on each of the first year subjects and is very interesting. You're not going to be ready for finals after reading it but you will know the basics of each subject and the major questions that scholars debate in the field. I recommend it.

Learning Legal Reasoning (by John Delaney)--I've only read the first little bit. It's an introduction to how to read and brief cases. It looks quite good. I plan to read it through over the summer.

Getting to Maybe--I haven't read it but it seems to be highly recommended. It covers how to take a law school exam. Another likely summer read.

[melisssasue]

tag

I am looking for some reading material for the summer.  Thanks.