Recently in Law School Category

Outlining for law school can be one of the most tedious and daunting tasks in studying for finals.  And though we can't change that, there may be a way to boost your outlining backhand.

Granted, you don't usually hear JDs say, "Yeah, I applied to law, med, vet, and dental school...and then chose law."  Considering the number of pre-requisites needed to gear up to apply to any of the medical profession grad programs, there's not a ton of overlap between those graduate programs and law.  Should there be?  Okay, that's probably another topic for another blog.

In this one, we want to look at the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report pitting law school against the other grad school options in terms of minority enrollment and cost of education. 

The GAO set out to answer three questions:

Hey...hey, hey

So when they said you've got pay to play

Did they mean by going to law school night and day

And forking over more than $90k

Even when you want to go the public service way?

Studying takes on a whole new meaning in law school.  And no matter how ideal a single study spot can be, sooner or later you may feel a little stir crazy hunkering down in the same place day after day.

So, where are the study hotspots for law students?  Here are a few conventional picks, a few more creative ones, and some that were just out of left field. 

1. Law school library.  It's close, it's convenient, and hey you can scope out the competition.

2. Coffee shop.  Where one shot of espresso is never quite enough.

3. Undergrad library.  When you need a break from the law school scene, re-live the days you thought you knew what studying was all about.

4. Bookstore. Holiday music during finals time, you've been warned.

Though 2Ls and 3Ls are accustomed to the rigmarole, 1Ls may be surprised to see that peppered in with their fellow classmates' armful of casebooks are a number of equally sizeable paperbacks with distinct names.  Seeing "Gilbert's", "Emanuel's", "High Court Summaries"--can make you wonder...did you miss the memo?

Worry not.  First off, the books are popular law school study aids and supplements (i.e. hornbooks) that students use in addition to, and in conjunction with, their casebooks to grasp cases and key concepts better.  Let's face it, the excerpts printed in casebooks are often randomly abbreviated versions of cases aimed to highlight particular rules of law or complexities in interpreting the law.  It is often pretty challenging to know exactly what you are supposed to glean from the text.  (On a side note, wouldn't it be nice if every bright-line rule was marked with, well, a bright line.)

In any case or casebook, the game is all about keeping law school students at the edge of their seats.  And to make for a more comfortable ride, are the law school study aids.

We did an informal poll amongst alumni to find out which study aids helped them survive the 1, 2, and 3Ls of law school.  Here are the top 7 picks, in countdown format, for added effect:

Ah, 3L.  For the past two years you have seen the upperclassmen (and women) rule the law school roost with confidence and ease, and now they've passed the baton on to you.  By now you may have much more focused idea of what you want out of the field of law.  Or, you may honestly still have no idea.  We're not judging. 

But you will have to make some big decisions this year.  Namely, about taking the Bar exam.  And in which state(s).  In the midst of major life decisions at least you also have planning that post-Bar trip to distract you a little...

In some ways, 3L is the calm before the storm. 

Dorthy realized she wasn't in Kansas, and you might be waking up to the fact that you're not a 1L anymore.  The anticipation, the hype, fear of the unknown...yeah, you're kind of over that now.  So, what does this new 2L Pandora's box have in store for you?  Don't start the year without recalibrating for the extra L.

• 1L summer: crystal ball or passing fad?

Whether you studied abroad, clerked for a judge, interned at the DA or PD's office, did the summer associate thing, took summer classes, or played Warcraft for 9 hours a day, chances are it was the first time stepping out of the legal lecture hall and into a real-world setting as an bona fide apprentice of the subject.  You introduced yourself as having completed your first year of law school and you got a chance to see and feel the reaction from practitioners in the field as well as from the non-legalese-speaking professionals and public.  

Welcome to law school. You've made it through orientation, and now all that's left is surviving the year that gives law school a bad name.

Here are some sought-after tricks and tips to see you through first year, simply known as 1L.

Advice for 1L's:

How does $10,000 sound to take the edge off the bitterness that can develop from reflecting on three years of camping out at the law school library, paying a six-figure sum in fees, and missing major events of family and friends?

Well, that's what the non-profit organization Access Group is attempting to do with its video scholarship contest hosted on YouTube.  And now you can click in to the action of deciding the winner.  Voting is on now and continues for just a couple more days, with virtual polls closing on August 21st. 

What's it all about?

Southwestern Law School of Los Angeles had its 1L orientation earlier this month, with students surprised to see a Hollywood star among them.  Actor Jerry O'Connell is enrolled as a part-time night student at the 1000-student, private, ABA-accredited law school in Southern California.

And that's not all on O'Connell's plate these days.  He and wife Rebecca Romjin recently welcomed twin daughters seven months ago and with Romjin back to work on her tv sitcom, Eastwick, Jerry will be balancing the roles of Mr. Mom and Sleepless 1L.