Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Theater of Law
l “The Law” such a perennially popular subject, more on par with sport and the
entertainment industry that its close relations in the other professions.
l Law is one of the principal “literary professions.”
l Lawyers must master literature and history to succeed in the practice of law. A lawyer
without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason. If he possesses some
knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.
POP Culture
l Law school teaches you four things: Delay. Deflect. Derail. Deny- Curtis Bell
l The lawyer always adds a touch of excitement, suspense, and intrigue into any plot for
entertainment.
l Law school is the place where you will be judged by the strength of your arguments and
the logic and persuasiveness of your reasoning
Power
l Lawyers are principal actors in the battle against thieving telecoms, plunderers, electoral
cheats, environmental polluters, junk food manufacturers, sexual predators, mass
murderers, political warlords, land grabbers, corporate profiteers, and other unsavory
police characters.
Boies Town
l Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs- Henry Ford
l Lawyers should learn not only by reading books and hearing lectures but also by
engaging moot courts and simulated legislatures helped to make the study of law fun as
well as informative. -George Wythe
l David Boies- today’s legendary lawyers who suffered from dyslexia since childhood
Magnet
l Law school is more than “ the thumping excitement of contest, where the weapons are
words and the defenses are wits.”
l They forget that this is also the place where brains are fried and egos are crushed beyond
recognition
l They go in with “a skull full of mush” and end up “thinking like a lawyer”
l The only road to the highest stations in this country is that of law- Sir William Jones
l High (I.Q.)intelligence quotient, high (E.Q) emotional quotient and a high (A.Q)adversity
quotient
Sparks of Genius
l Consciousness is what defines genius
l Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius- Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle
l Law students must have the required cultural literacy to excel in their environment
l A legal education will demand the best of you
l Law school is the place where bright minds meet to discuss solving legal problems and
resolving social conflicts without bloodshed.
Positive Attitudes
l Crafty men condemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them
1. Visualize yourself being successful
2. Control your inner voice
3. Reward yourself for doing well
4. Be persistent
Preparation
1. Developing a strategy for academic success
2. Getting mentally prepared for the awesome task ahead
MID-GAME
l Outside activity should supplement, rather than replace, classroom learning
l Advantages of front row seating
1. Preparedness
2. Active participation
3. Mature accountability
4. Concentration
5. Self-Confidence
6. Prompt instructor help
7. Improved rapport
8. Auditor clarity
9. Clear sightlines
10. A positive impression
11. Memorability
12. Attendance
l Four key instruments in scoring major points in law school: CODES, CASES,
COMMENTS, CONSTRUCTION
l Preparing for class lectures
1. Attend classes regularly
2. Use your professor’s syllabus for a test as soon as it is announced
3. Learn to pick out the important ideas in a lecture
4. Read topics in advance
5. Know your reading pace
6. Work extra problem
7. Study on your own before engaging in group discussion
8. Form questions as you study
Writing
l Writing everyday is a way of keeping the engine running and then something good may
come out of it
Taking Exams
l IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion
l Read all of the questions on an essay exam
1. You will know what you have to do on the exam
2. Questions are related to each other, and you will want to know this ahead of time
3. You will have more time to think about how to answer the more difficult ones
l Nerves is the number one enemy of the test takers in law school. The root of the most
destructive form of test anxiety is the feeling of academic adequacy
Fox Method
l Keep current
l Be prepared
l Quickly scan the entire test at the start
l Mentally schedule your ansswers and set priorities
l Study each question carefully and plan your answer
l Avoid dogmatic presentations
l Don’t belabor the obvious
l Use clear expressions
l Alow time for review
WILLIAMS METHOD
l Train oneself in problem answering before hand
l Read every word of the problem
l Begin by addressing yourself to the problem
l Practice writing answers before the examination
l Spend more time each week revising the week materials
l Dividing up his time as equally as may be between all the questions
Finch&Fafinski Method
l Make sure that your script is eligible
l Stay until the end of the exam
l Follow instructions
l Keep calm
Bradney Approach
l Make a revision timetable in good time
l Consider practicing timed answers
l Make sure you get enough rest
l Reduce your notes to a manageable size
l Question-spotting is a risky strategy
l Make sure you are as comfortable as possible during the examination
l Develop good examination technique
l Read the rubric carefuly
l Answer the question
l Answer the correct number of questions
l Remember that examiners are human too
Hansen Method
l Study in small but concentrated chunks instead of one long period
l Avoid cramming for an exam
SUMMARY
l Record
l Reduce
l Recite
l Reflect
CLUSTERING METHOD
l Start a few inches from the top of the page and write the professor’s main idea in the
circle near the middle of the page
l If the professor gives an example, draw an arrow to another circle in which you write the
example
CHAPTER 17 CASE DIGEST