how to study law books effectively

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• Fowler School of Law
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• 20 Tips for Success in Law School

» 20 Tips for Success in Law School

• DO THE READING. Do all of the reading assigned for your courses. Do not fall behind; you may never catch up. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Also, do your reading in a location where you will not be distracted or tempted to do something else. Otherwise, you will find that it takes you far longer than necessary to prepare for class.
• BRIEF THE CASES. Take notes while reading. For each assigned case, write down the legally significant facts, the holding of the case, and the rationale for the court's decision. This is what is referred to as "briefing" cases. Your case briefs should be just that-brief.
• REVIEW BEFORE EACH CLASS. Review your reading notes (case briefs) right before class. That way, the cases will be fresh in your mind, and you will substantially increase your ability to follow the class discussion (not to mention avoid the embarrassment associated with being unprepared when called upon by the professor).
• GO TO CLASS. Most professors cover some material in class that is not discussed in the reading, so failure to attend class will put you at a big disadvantage when you take the final exam. Also, you will receive an "FW" if you miss more than 20% of the sessions of a course. This is factored into your grade point average as an "F" and is never removed from your academic record, even if you retake the course.
• PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Some misguided students use class time to shop on the Internet, play computer games or catch up on their e-mail. You are paying a substantial amount of money for tuition. Do you really want to spend your tuition money "surfing the net" or playing computer solitaire instead of paying attention to the class discussion? 
• PARTICIPATE IN CLASS. Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process.
• TAKE CLASS NOTES. Do not, however, get so caught up in trying to take down everything your professor says that you are not actively engaged in the class discussion. Review your class notes before starting your next reading assignment and analyze how the new cases you read affect those cases you already have reviewed in class.
• PREPARE AN OUTLINE FOR EACH OF YOUR CLASSES. Outlines prepared by more senior students or commercial outlines are not acceptable substitutes for making your own outlines. The analysis necessary to prepare a course outline helps you determine the rules of law applicable to the subject matter of the course, as well as determine how the rules relate to one another. If you do not go through this process, you are less likely to master the subject matter. Also, not all professors teach a subject the same way. In fact, many professors do not even teach a course the same way from one year to the next. The only way to get an outline tailored to your course is to make it yourself. Do NOT wait until the reading period to prepare your outlines; you'll never get them done in time. Some students like to outline once per week, others once per month. Still others prefer to outline whenever a topic is completed. Pick whatever schedule works best for you and stick to it.
• CONSIDER FORMING A STUDY GROUP. Study groups can be a valuable learning tool. Talking through material with classmates can increase your understanding and retention of course material. You also can obtain helpful study tips from your peers. If you decide to form a study group, seek out other students who are well-prepared for class and have similar academic goals. Do not let your study group meetings become social or gossip sessions. Also, do not use study groups as a way of sharing the workload. Lastly, if you find that you are not benefiting from your study group, resign from the group.
• REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Just because you don't have an exam until the end of the semester does not mean that you should wait until the reading period to begin your review. This is not undergraduate school. You cannot cram right before finals and get good grades. Therefore, make time for frequent review over the course of the semester.
• ATTEND REVIEW SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY YOUR PROFESSORS AND/OR THEIR ACADEMIC FELLOWS. Some professors and/or Academic Fellows hold review sessions prior to exams. This is a great way to clarify the issues about which you are confused without having to stand in line outside your professor's office. Moreover, helpful tips regarding how to write your exam answers in a way that will earn you the most points are often shared during review sessions.
• TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PROFESSORS. If your professor distributes a practice question and says that she will review your answer if you submit it by a certain time, DO IT! This is a great opportunity to get your professor's input and make any necessary adjustments before your performance is graded.
• ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED BY THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT CENTER. These workshops cover a number of topics such as outlining, time and stress management, and how to prepare for and write law school exams-skills essential to success in law school.
• TAKE PRACTICE EXAMS. Lots of them. Exams previously administered by your professor are preferable. This will help you determine how your professor drafts his or her exams. The Fowler School of Law Library maintains a number of prior exams prepared by law professors. Whenever possible, select a prior exam for which there is a sample answer on file. This will allow you to check your answer against the sample and evaluate your performance. If there is no sample answer on file, ask you professor if he/she will review and comment on your answer. Do not, however, wait until right before finals to ask your professor to review your answer. The earlier you ask, the more likely your professor will have time to review your answer.
• CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Many students complain that they do not have enough time to brief cases, prepare outlines and/or take practice exams. They're wrong! By planning your time in advance, you will have enough time to meet all of the demands of law school and have time to enjoy some outside activities. If you need help managing your time, see Professor Faulkner.
• DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PREPARE YOUR LRW PAPERS. Again, this is not undergraduate school. You cannot throw a paper together the night before it is due and expect to receive a good grade (or for that matter, a passing grade). Good legal writing takes time and lots of editing so start working on your LRW assignments as soon as possible. 
• REVIEW YOUR EXAMS. Meet with your professors to review your exams after grades have been posted. This is the best way to determine what you did well and what you need to improve.
• MINIMIZE YOUR STRESS. Law school can be stressful, but there are a number of steps you can take to keep stress to a minimum. Humor is a great stress reliever. Make time for exercise-carrying 100 pounds of law books every day doesn't count. Eat fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods on a regular basis-a diet Coke and a package of Ding-Dongs are not a balanced breakfast. Don't overdo your caffeine intake; drink lots of water instead. Get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Maintain a life outside of law school. You don't need to give up all of the things you enjoyed doing before you went to law school; you just won't be able to do them as often. Finally, if you think that your stress level is getting out of control, talk about it with your significant other, a family member, a close friend, a faculty member, one of the law school Deans, or Professor Faulkner.
• DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE COMPETITION ASPECT OF LAW SCHOOL. Face it. Only one student can finish at the top of the class. So instead of setting Numero Uno as your goal, focus on doing your very best. Also, be supportive of and respectful to your classmates. It will make for a more positive law school experience for you and your peers.
• GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. It is not uncommon for students to be confused about the substantive law covered in their classes, how to prepare for class, how to study for exams, how to manage their time or how to take law school exams. Indeed, it is the rare student who does not have questions about these subjects from time to time, particularly during the first year of law school. If you have questions, there are a number of resources available to you. Every professor holds weekly office hours. The Academic Fellows for your courses also are available to help you, as is Professor Faulkner. Please visit us if you have any questions. We're here to help.
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How to Study Law: 4 Great Study Techniques

Most law students often speak of law studies though they do not refer to the whole law subject as such. their primary focus is on subjects like civil law, cooperate law and commercial law, among others. .

The entire subject of law is more of theory so it requires a high degree of remembrance and recall of voluminous information taught. It is a challenge for many students to memorizes these large quantities of information like in national and international laws. 

Here are some of the techniques that will help on how to study law aiming at success in law studying.

Make use of keywords

Using keywords is a recommended study technique for students who find it challenging to memorize the content. Keywords can be highlighted in your outline using different colors. Underlining the keywords will help to reduce the content or material that you intended to study, thus helping to motivate your brain on how to recall the entire outline.

While using keywords, it is advisable to read the whole piece to text up to the end then underline the keywords since you will be conscious of the important words. As you highlight the keywords, it is recommended to make a summary of notes.

Many students have the idea of what it partakes in law, although they are not conscious of the keywords and vocabularies used. These students are faced with the challenge of not being aware of whether an offer requires a manifestation of intent for it to enter into a contract. The struggle in recalling the key vocabularies can be solved by highlighting the important words in the text.

Compliment your study notes with Mind maps

This technique for studying law focuses on the importance of creating outlines in law schools. Many students use mind mapping to connect different concepts and ideas visually. However, mind map nodes can be not too large for law subjects like where the learners are required to write a lengthy piece of text.

Therefore, in law, mind mapping is an excellent technique for lawyers because it allows them to collect information, organize it in a meaningful way turning it into a strong case to present in court.

It is also vital that you learn to create outlines when studying law because it is easier to learn from there than in the excerpt. Also, you should print the outline for the best readability mode and understanding since you can learn and read easily from a hard copy as compared to the electronic form.

The significance of printing the outlines is that you can draw on and highlight the keywords as well as creating them and continuously review them over the semester.

Another great way of coming up with useful study notes is to use a professional writer for  assignments help . Not only study notes, but they can also help you with thesis, dissertation and essays as well.

It is essential to have the  best law school essay topics at your disposal to come out with flying colors in exams and overall classroom assignments.

Have a collaborative study

This technique for studying law points out that students should occasionally devote their time to study individually. It is recommended that the students learn individually, however interaction with friends and a resourceful sharing of information, questions, interests, and ideas can help in understanding how to study law as well as other points of study.

One of the best ways of having a collaborative study is through law study groups so create or join one and use it frequently as a way of escaping falling into an “isolated law student trap.”

Also, a  collaborative study  can be achieved by taking note of your learning style. That is, a visual learner can incorporate colors, charts, and diagrams in his/her outline.

Those who prefer learning through hearing/talking they are recommended to make points with the rhymes to recall the elements and consider having a study group where law studying is done through hearing/talking. In law studies, many students are visual; therefore, they benefit more from charts, color, and diagrams.

Use Online Flashcards

The flashcards can be  used to study  and memorize keywords, therefore creating online flashcards is an important law studying technique needed for exam memorization.

You can review and change the flashcards to learn effectively and write great assignments or come up with winning  argumentative topics . Flashcards help to avoid procrastinating because you prepare for exams early rather than later.

Flashcards are a whole way on how to study complex areas like constitutional law, contract law, criminal law, property law criminal procedures in the US. Flashcards will help improve your law memorization skills.

The above techniques for studying will help both law students and law beginners with the ideas and tips on how to study law. The law school study techniques are meant to incorporate the students to make informed decisions to maximize the grades.

As a law student, it is your mandate to develop the habit of taking notes because they will help you memorize the entire excerpt. These tips show an active process of early preparation for success maximization. These techniques for studying law shows an effective and creative way of studying as an entire subject.

Author Bio:

Bobbi Sanchez is an academic writer working with an online writing agency of repute. She also works as a part-time competitive exam tutor to help students prepare smartly to get into top colleges and universities. In her free time, she listens to classical music, plays musical instruments and works on her travel blog.

Hi, I'm Oliver, the Editor for our Online Content. Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions or interesting content to send over!

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Student Spotlights

Tips for law school success.

Harvard Law School faculty and staff share wisdom, tips, and tricks for making the most of your time in law school

Do the readings. Take notes. Participate in class. Most of the advice about success in law school tends toward the obvious. Who didn’t already know that studying for an exam was crucial?

As many Harvard Law School students prepare to set foot on campus for the very first time, we asked faculty and staff to share what they wished they’d known about doing well and staying well in law school — useful whether you’re a first-year student just beginning your journey, an LL.M., S.J.D., or a 3L preparing to make your mark on the world.

Susannah Barton Tobin ’04, Ezra Ripley Thayer Senior Lecturer on Law : “I would remind new students that eating, sleeping, and exercising are the three essentials to maintaining a balanced and happy existence, law school or no law school, so try for at least two of the three each day!”

Kenneth W. Mack ’91 , Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law : “Among the rich resources of your law school experience, probably the most important are your classmates. They will be steadying influences during your first year, and study partners. Many of them will become your friends for life. They are extraordinary people, as are you. Get to know them. Your relationships with them are among the most important aspects of your time in law school.”

Eloise Lawrence , assistant clinical professor of law and deputy faculty director, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau : “Try not to forget what brought you to law school. You will face a number of prevailing winds that may throw you off course, but keep redirecting yourself back to the values and goals that motivated you to set out on this journey. Hopefully, you will discover opportunities that you didn’t even know existed to achieve your goals, but be wary of the things you supposedly ‘have to do’ or ‘everyone is doing.’ Instead, let your lived experience and core values guide you.”

Sheryl Dickey , attorney advisor for the LL.M. Pro Bono Program : “Your legal career is long, with many twists and turns, and you can put your legal training to work in a wide variety of ways. I have worked in big law, taught as a law school clinical instructor, and now work in higher education administration. It is so important to remember there is no one single path to success! An additional word of wisdom: Find people at HLS who make you laugh, challenge you, inspire you, and make you happy. The friends you make through your study groups, classes, student practice organizations, clinics, student associations, sports, moot court teams, or student government are the backbone of your HLS experience.”

Ruth L. Okediji LL.M. ’91, S.J.D. ’96 , Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law : “Time goes by very quickly, and it’s important to cherish the opportunity to build new relationships without abandoning the old ones. Law school has a way of pressuring time, and often what gets lost are the people or the loved ones that have been significant in our lives up until then. While three years will go by really quickly for you while you’re in law school, it can go by very slowly for those outside of that bubble. You may think you can pick those relationships up where you left off, but often people feel left behind and abandoned because we get so immersed in our legal study. Cherish this time and make new relationships, but don’t abandon the ones that have been so critical to your life thus far.”

Jill Crockett , associate director of clinical programs, Harvard Law School : “Join an SPO [student practice organization] — it makes the law school so much less big and overwhelming. There are a lot to choose from.”

Cindy Zapata , lecturer on law : “With everything going on in law school, do your best to not forget why you came to law school in the first place. Always remember that you belong here and you’re here for a reason.”

Richard Lazarus ’79 , Howard and Katherine Aibel Professor of Law : “I wish I had known before I started law school how many close, life-long friendships I would forge at HLS. If I had, I might have been even more ambitious in discovering my classmates, especially those with very different life experiences than my own.”

Rachel A. Viscomi , clinical professor of law and director, Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinic : “Law school is there to serve you; not the other way around. Try to remember why you came to law school and be intentional about how you make use of your time. Also, ‘Keep your eyes on your own mat.’ I had a yoga teacher many years ago who used this phrase to remind everyone not to focus on comparing your own practice and experience to others. In any given moment, we can get caught up in measuring our own performance against others and assessing whether someone else is more or less flexible, balanced, or focused than we are. The law school equivalent might be to imagine that everyone is smarter, more experienced, or more prepared than we are. That’s often an illusion and always a distraction from our development. We each have different strengths and challenges. The more we lean into who we are, on our own terms, and work on making progress from our own starting point, the easier it is to move forward.”

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The Successful Law Student: An Insider's Guide to Studying Law (2nd edn)  

The Successful Law Student provides insights, advice, and perspectives on the law student experience. The focus is on the things that can make a big difference to the student experience and ultimate success on the law degree or in other legal study, including making a smooth transition to university level law study; getting the most out of different classes, opportunities, and feedback; advice on how to approach law assessments; and finding a rewarding career. Complemented by a variety of insider voices, which add valuable context and real-life insight, the text incorporates the expertise of experienced law teachers and others to explore the learning process in law and look beyond it to consider what success means and provide support in dealing with the pressures of legal study.

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• Dedication  
• Acknowledgements  
• Student Voices in The Successful Law Student  
• 1. Introducing The Successful Law Student  
• 2. Studying Law at University: Opportunities and Considerations  
• 3. Preparing for Success  
• 4. Learning and Studying Law  
• 5. Making the Most of Your Classes in Law  
• 6. Developing Legal (and Other) Skills  
• 7. Finding and Using Legal Materials and Resources  
• 8. Preparing for Assessments and Assignments  
• 9. Assessments and Assignments in Law  
• 10. Feedback, Reflection, and Looking Forward from Assessment  
• 11. Study Abroad  
• 12. Expanding Legal Skills— Mooting, Negotiation, and More  
• 13. Volunteering, Paid Work, and Other Opportunities  
• 14. Preparing to Move On  
• 15. Career Pathways  
• 16. A Successful Future  

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How to Study Law: 4 Study Techniques to Improve Your Memory

Continuing our popular “How to Study” blog series, today we focus on the best techniques to study law. Don’t forget to take a look at our previous articles in this series discussing how to study Mathematics , History , Biology and Chemistry .

Studying law can be highly theoretical and require the need to remember and recall large volumes of information such as precedence, national and international laws and acts, so many students may find this difficult. However, there are some scientifically proven “shortcuts” that can help our brain store information easily .

As we discussed in our recent article about using Mind Maps to improve your memory , if you use your cortical skills more regularly and involve these skills in your learning process, it is more likely that you will remember information better. Read below to see how you can apply this theory to studying law:

4 Steps to Learn How to Study Law Effectively

1. use key words.

Underlining key words by using different colours can significantly reduce the material you need to study while stimulating your brain to remember information. It is advised that you read a piece of text to the end then highlight the key words as you would then be aware of which words are most important.

If we go a step further, you can also use the underlined portion of the text to create your own notes as a summary (do not forget to include pictures and different colours also in these notes).

Note : If your notes are similar to the image below, you’d better start again. Avoid highlight complete sentences and paragraphs!

2. Use Online Flashcards to Study & Memorize Key Notes

Create Online Flashcards with important laws you need to memorize for your exam. Once you have created your first deck of Online Flashcards, you can review them and change the order to test yourself properly. In this way, your brain is stimulated to a high degree which in turn will improve your memorization skills .

Note : Saying your notes out loud acts as a memory mechanism in your brain which help you remember your study notes better.

3. Complement Your Study Notes with Mind Maps

Many of you are probably already using Mind Mapping to connect concepts and ideas visually . However, sometimes, the nodes of a Mind Map can be a bit small for a subject such as law, where it is usually required that students write lengthy pieces of text. Therefore, the perfect solution is to incorporate Snippet Notes into your Mind Maps to provide more comprehensive information.

4. Study Collaboratively

Students should always devote time to studying law online individually, but interacting with peers and sharing questions and concerns can help you understand theory and other points of view . We recommend you create or join groups to study law and use them regularly to avoid falling into the “isolated law student trap”.

Have these tips helped you study law? Let us know in the comments below or via Twitter and Facebook . Stay tuned to our blog for more studying tips and techniques!

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How to Study Law

Studying smarter, not harder, is the key to success when studying law. The field of law provides such a diverse and vast opportunity for knowledge acquisition that there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to learn and do it all.

As a student of law, part of your job is to determine how and where you’ll allocate your efforts to maximize your success in your classes and to position yourself for a job offer following graduation.

Remember, just because your professor tells you to read something doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your time. As a law student, one the strongest signals to potential employers of your value as an applicant is your GPA.

As you study law, earning a high GPA should be a priority, but not your only goal. Your study of law, and the content of that study, should also focus on preparing you for a specific career path.

For example, if you want to be a real estate attorney, your time may be better spent studying contract law than in mock trials. Be strategic. Allocate your time and efforts in a way that will help you succeed not only in your classes, but also in your future career.

As a law student, part of studying smarter includes employing strategies and techniques that will help you maximize the effectiveness of the knowledge acquisition and learning process. Below we’ll introduce you to proven techniques and strategies that will facilitate your study of the law, improve your GPA, and prepare you for career success.

Do the reading. Don’t fall behind

Complete all of your assigned readings and complete them on time. If you fall behind in your readings, you may never catch up. Do your reading assignments at a time, and in a location, where you can focus and are not distracted.

Brief each case

As you read each case, take notes. Organize your notes into a short summary and analysis of each case for classroom discussion. Identify the legal issues, the holding of the case, and analyze the reason for the court’s decision. And remember, your briefs should be just that, brief.

Arrive at class prepared

Not only should you arrive at class having completed all assigned readings, you should also review your reading notes, and case briefs, before each class. If you arrive at class having neglected either of these tasks, your ability to follow class discussion will be limited, and when you’re called upon by your professor to answer a question, you’ll be unprepared. Avoid classroom embarrassment, and increase your ability to follow class discussion, by always arriving to class prepared.

Attend class regularly

It is true that class discussion often follows the assigned readings, but sometimes your law professor will introduce concepts and material not covered in the readings. If you don’t attend class, you’ll miss information vital to your success on exams and as a law student. Law school is already competitive enough, don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by not attending class.

Don’t just attend class, participate

Students who participate in classroom discussion tend to perform better than students who just show up to class. This could be because they are actively engaged in the learning process or because those that participate typically arrive to class prepared. Either way, you’ll learn best when you participate in classroom discussion.

Take notes in class

If you arrive at each class with notes from assigned readings, along with the student case briefs you’ve prepared, then your class notes should just fill in the gaps. Don’t write down everything your professor says.

Your class notes should include new material introduced by your professor as well as explanations and analysis that improve your understanding of the law as it relates to cases you’ve reviewed.

Never get so caught up in taking notes that you don’t pay attention to what is being said or become unengaged in class discussion. Review your class notes directly after class, before starting your next reading, and right before your next class.

Prepare an outline for each class

The process of preparing a course outline for each class is vital to subject mastery. Don’t rely on commercial outlines or those developed by more senior students. Using an outline prepared by someone else is no substitute for doing it yourself.

The analysis of the rules of law necessary to develop a course outline is what will help you master course subject matter and determine how the rules of law relate to one another.

You can prepare an outline once a week, once a month, or whenever a new topic is completed. The most important thing is that you actually do it.

Form a study group

With respect to the study of law, there are many advantages to forming study groups. Study groups provide students the opportunity to discuss course material with one another.

Talking through law concepts, cases and course material increases understanding and improves retention. It’s been said that two heads are better than one. This is another benefit of study groups. Each group member brings unique insight, perspective and knowledge to the group.

Keep study groups between three and five students. Select group members who are well-prepared for class and have similar academic goals as your own. Study groups should never turn into social gatherings and should run no longer than two to three hours.

Don’t procrastinate. Don’t cram

There is no place for procrastination or cramming in law school. Waiting until the reading period to start reviewing for exams is a recipe for bad grades. Cramming just doesn’t work.

One of the keys to superior exam performance, and achieving good grades in law school, is to review your notes and course material frequently throughout the entire semester.

Attend review sessions

If your professor holds a review session prior to the exam, make sure you attend. Review sessions are a great way to get answers to questions you may have. In addition, many professors will divulge helpful tips and information for improving your performance on the exam and provide insight into possible exam questions.

Take practice exams

Taking practice exams, especially those administered by your professors, is one of the most effective ways to prepare for exams.

Take each practice exam and then compare your answers to the sample answers in order to evaluate your performance. The more practice exams you’re able to take, the better prepared you’ll be for the actual exam.

Develop a study plan

As we already pointed out, there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. But there is enough time, if you plan carefully, to prepare outlines, brief cases, take practice exams, attend review sessions and complete everything else you need in order to succeed in your law studies – and still have a social life outside of school.

Part of your job as a law student is to determine the most efficient and effective use of your time. This requires creating a study plan. To learn more about effective time management for improving study skills read Using Time Management to Improve Study Skills .

Get an early start on LRW papers

Good legal writing requires time, preparation and a lot of editing. Good LRW papers don’t happen overnight. Once you’ve received your LRW assignments get started on them as soon as possible. The sooner you get started on an LRW paper, the more time you’ll have to review, edit and perfect it.

Review your exam performance

Law school isn’t just about getting good grades. It’s about learning the law. However, if you want to improve your grades and learn the law at the same time, then take the opportunity to review each exam with your professor after grades have been posted. With his help you can determine what you did well and what you need to do to improve in the future.

Don’t get caught up in the competition

Yes, law school is competitive, and you want to do your very best. But remember, only one person is going to be at the top of the class, and chances are it won’t be you.

Focus on achieving the highest GPA you can, while taking classes that are challenging and that will position you for career growth within your target niche. Don’t cheat. Be respectful of your classmates. Make law school a positive and fulfilling experience for everyone involved.

Additional study skills resources for law students

The following are additional study skills articles and resources we recommend for aspiring law students.

• The Cornell System for Taking Notes
• Improving Your Memory
• Using Study Groups
• Improving Your Note Taking

Other websites:

• Succeeding in Law School
• Study Techniques to Improve Your Memory

Similar Posts:

• Guide on College and University Admissions
• How to Handle the Transition from High School to College
• 25 Tips For Improving Student’s Performance Via Private Conversations

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How Law is Taught

You may already have an idea of how the law is taught from movies and books about law school, or from speaking with people you know who have been to law school. The popular image is of late nights in the law library and lectures spent being asked to recite back from what you’ve read. This isn’t so far from the truth, but it isn’t necessary to spend every waking hour studying and practicing if you take the time to figure out how to learn the law efficiently. These resources will help you figure out what works and what is a waste of time.

The first thing you need to know going in is that the law is usually taught by the case method, which originated at Harvard Law School almost a century ago. This method relies on students reading assigned cases by themselves, trying to figure out the rules those cases stand for, and then being asked to talk about them in class. The traditional law classroom is some combination of lecture and Socratic questioning, which means that the professor asks the students for the answer, and attempts to lead them to the correct conclusion with further questions. Today, different professors may use different techniques, but this is still a very common format for first year classes.

Reading the Law

The first thing you need to know is how to read a legal opinion, or ‘case.' I highly recommend that everyone starting law school read the following article as early as possible, as it lays out very clearly what you’re supposed to be doing when you read legal opinions as a law student. Orin Kerr, How to Read a Legal Opinion: A Guide for New Law Students , 11 Green Bag 2d 51 (2007)

There are also whole books devoted to the topic of how to effectively read and learn the law, and by following their advice, you can save yourself a tremendous amount of time by making sure you’re getting what you need out of your reading the first time. Here are some examples:

How to Brief a Case  (CALI) This is an exercise designed to introduce first-semester law students to the basic elements of a typical case "brief" and to teach them general methodology for writing their own briefs. Law School Academic Success Project Videos covering learning strategies for law students.

Studying the Law

While everyone will benefit from completing their assigned reading and participating in class, most law students also use other strategies to improve their understanding of the material. Many of these strategies are covered in the general law school guides above, but here are some more resources that are more specific to studying.

Outlining an area of the law is one of the most common study methods. Outlining means creating a summary of the law. Typically, students create an outline for each of their classes, so you might make an outline for the Law of Contracts, and another for Constitutional Law. There are several philosophies on how best to outline, and some successful students don’t use outlines at all. What is important is that your study method prepares you to take the exam, and helps you learn the law so you succeed on the bar exam and in practice. Here are some resources to learn how to outline effectively.

You can access our outlining guide here .

One mistake many law students make is thinking that they can substitute a commercial outline for one they create themselves. After all, they’re created by professionals, right? The mistake here is in thinking that having an outline is the valuable part. You won’t have time to refer to your outline much during the exam, so the real value of an outline is how the process of making one helps you to understand the law in a deep way. Nevertheless, comparing your outline to a commercial outline before your exams can be a good way to be confident that you haven’t overlooked anything, or made mistakes about the law. Westlaw Outlines from the Black Letter Series

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Criminal Law

While the casebook method is based on reading primary sources of law, mostly legal opinions issued by courts, many students find referring to secondary sources helpful. There are many kinds of secondary sources. Some are organized like traditional textbooks with chapters explaining each topic, while others are organized to facilitate different kinds of studying, like presenting legal problems and helping you walk through how you should analyze them. You can view subject-specific study guides here.

Researching and Writing About the Law

In addition to your doctrinal classes, you’ll be learning about legal research and legal writing. These are two of the most important skills for practice, and they can be difficult to learn. Expect your research and writing assignments to take more time than a research paper would have in your undergraduate studies, and get started early.

Legal research is a skill that can take a long time to master. Don’t expect your excellent Google skills to transfer over perfectly. You’ll receive instruction in legal research from your class instructors, the law librarians, and the representatives of the major legal databases, but even after all of that, you might be confused as to what you need to do. If so, please visit with one of the law librarians . They’re experts in legal research and they are eager to help you figure out what you need to do. Some other resources for legal research:

Legal writing is another skill that takes practice to develop. These resources can help supplement what you learn in your legal writing class.

Learning how to properly cite sources using Bluebook format can be confusing, but it is important for your legal writing assignments, and especially if you plan to work on a journal. Many students recommend reading through the Bluebook cover to cover to familiarize yourself with it. It may also be helpful to tab your bluebook so you can quickly refer to different sections. These resources can help you learn Bluebook citation with less headache:

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10 Books Every Law Student Should Read

30 Jan, 2024 | Blog Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Law Articles

5. “Learning the Law” by Glanville Williams

Similar to   About Law   at number one, this book is a slightly more detailed explanation of the English legal system.

It was first published in 2002, so it’s important to note that some of the passages are a little out of date now. That said, we’ve still included it on the list as it covers lots of legal fundamentals clearly and in a good level of detail.

6. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

A second fiction book, Lee’s novel is about racism and society in 1930s America. Like   Bleak House , it’s a classic in its own right. The specific relevance to Law students is that its main character, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer tasked with defending a man shunned by everyone else.

Finch represents the legal ideals of justice and equality, and the book is a great source of inspiration for those wondering why law is important, and why rights must be protected. Legal heroes – even fictional ones! – remind us why we’re studying the law.

7. “Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories” by Thomas Grant

From a fictional hero to a real one, this is a recent book about the numerous, thrilling cases that criminal barrister Jeremy Hutchinson has been involved in. From drug smuggling to the “Profumo affair”, Hutchinson represented some of the most notorious characters to have appeared in the courts in the last century.

His techniques and his level of success in court are incredibly impressive. I recommend you read this for a taste of the thrill and importance of life as an advocate.

8. “Winning Arguments” by Jay Heinrichs

Keeping with the theme of advocacy, you might like to read Jay Heinrichs’  Winning Arguments . The theme of the book needs little explanation but has particular relevance to Law students. Much of the work you will do, both as a student and a lawyer, will involve coming up with arguments that appear to be correct (even if they aren’t), to give both sides fair representation.

Heinrichs’ book is full of good advice on how to structure your ideas and use clever rhetorical techniques. It’s also light-hearted and fun to read!

9. “Lord Denning, A Life” by Iris Freeman

Linking back to some of the earlier books on the list, this biography is worth a read as inspiration for any aspiring lawyers. I’ve already given a brief insight into the importance of Lord Denning and the uniqueness of his writings, so I thought I’d include his biography in case you’d like to find out more.

As well as being a great judge, Lord Denning is an important figure because he rose to such a lofty position from a very poor family, with no prior links to the law at all. While many English judges have been wealthy or even aristocratic, Lord Denning worked his way from humble beginnings to the position of Master of the Rolls (the second-highest judge in the land) and the Master of the Court of Appeal. Nor did he forget his past when he reached these heights, as his approach to the law proves.

I recommend this book because it shows that you can become a great lawyer no matter where you come from.

Jurisprudence: A Choice of Three

My last recommendation is not actually one book, but a choice of three.

Jurisprudence is the study of the philosophy of law (or why and how it exists), and Ronald Dworkin, Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart and John Stuart Mill were some of the pre-eminent thinkers in this subject.

10 (i). “On Liberty” by John Stuart Mill

Mill believed that the most important thing in society was the liberty of the individual. He said that the only justification for law was to prevent harm to others. 

10 (ii). “The Concept of Law” by Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart

Hart thought that law was simply a collection of man-made rules, which we create and then choose whether we’re going to follow or ignore. 

10 (iii). “Law’s Empire” by Ronald Dworkin

Dworkin, meanwhile, felt that law was a product of morality, and that law cannot exist without it. His ideas are therefore directly opposed to those of Hart, and the two authors argued about this for many years (the question remains unresolved). 

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• May 19, 2021

Law School 101: Tips on How to Study Smart

Compiled by: Archiebal Faller Capila

How do they do it?

You often ask yourself how some of your classmates are able to answer the recitations with ease. You often ask yourself how some of your friends and colleagues ace their respective exams as if these were as basic as the alphabet. You often ask yourself what you are doing wrong. You often ask yourself what you are failing to do in order to become one of the best in your class. Doubts linger in your mind. You always ask the same questions. You always look for the answer— how do you stud y?

Law school is and will always be a test of brilliance and perseverance. Wits are not enough in law school. Law students are required to have a strong will in order to survive. However, between these two necessary factors, one must consider some gray areas in studying law. One question that comes to mind is how can you maximize your time in studying and at the same time, absorb all of them?

The study of law is quite known for its multitude of assignments. For every subject, there is an equal amount of assignment that challenges not only the brains of those engaged in its study but as well as their patience in finishing the same. Accordingly, information overload often comes in next because of the several pages of laws and annotations one needs to memorize and understand.

Indeed, law school requires a lot from law students. But cliché, as it may seem, studying hard, is not enough in law school. Sometimes, it is even the wrong approach when students focus their respective energies on the wrong aspect of the law. Some law students focus on minor details that won’t even pop out for recitations or exams . They memorize the minuscule part of the doctrine laid down by the court. They read several materials that have no connection or whatsoever to the reading assignment due for that same day.

While a law student may have the brilliance and the skill to persevere and eventually finish tasks, they must still have a sense of balance . Law students must be able to maximize their time and expand their knowledge by adapting to means which are necessary for their success. In short, law students are also required to be able to study smart.

In line with our advocacy in helping law students reach their maximum potential, Barrista Solutions lists down the tips on how to study smart, especially during this time of a health crisis . In order to fully maximize a law student’s time and capacity to absorb such materials, we have come up with a list to help you all.

Below are suggestions which one may adopt in the long run. While we admit that the study of law is not always the same for all law students because we all have our styles, may this list nonetheless help those students who are in dire need of tips and those who do not know where to begin within their respective journeys.

1. Stick to one book and one supplemental material

The common misconception in law school is that you need to read every available material there is when it comes to a particular subject. Law students tend to hoard several books and reading materials that supposedly would help them master the subject under a certain professor.

One does not have the time to finish all these materials. You would be lying to yourself if you would say that you will be able to read four books and four additional reading materials for a particular topic assigned by your professor.

Ask your professor what his preferred book is. If he or she does not have a preferred book, ask around some law students who already went through the particular professor. Check the recommended reading materials and determine which text you are most comfortable reading. Choose the book and the supplemental reading material which you believe will be most understandable on your part. It will help you improve your knowledge on certain topics.

2. Study the syllabus

Another misplaced effort by law students all over the country is the fact that they read a lot in the book, sometimes to a fault. Sometimes, they already cover a topic beyond the given assignment. While the advanced study is good, one must remember however that time is of the essence in law school. Law students do not have the luxury of time.

It is important to read the syllabus first before delving into reading and analyzing annotations for the assigned topics. By reading the syllabus, one will have an overview as to what topics are included and what topics are important that they are even highlighted in the professor’s syllabus.

By looking into the same, you will also gauge how far the topic is going to be. Normally, the professor would also dictate what the last topic of the day would be. Mark your respective syllabus and you will be able to manage your time wisely in focusing on certain topics. Accordingly, you will be able to determine what should be primarily studied or focused upon the said instance.

3. Note down the favorite topics of your professor

It is without a doubt that a professor has his or her favorite topic with respect to his/ her lectures, recitations, and exams. A law student would notice this when the professor continuously repeats a question or even calls several students in answering the same until it is perfect.

Note these down and be sure to study well for that topic because it is most likely that the exams will include these particular topics. More often than not, these topics are the ones that are also all-time favorites in the Bar exams. It is better to be prepared on these topics than not because general concepts, gray areas, and commonly asked questions and terms in the Bar will help you become adept and brilliant with respect to certain topics of the law.

4. Before memorizing, finish studying it first

You cannot memorize something you do not understand. If you will be starting off with memorization without fully understanding the reason, explanation, and story behind the same—you are preparing yourself for failure. Yes, you may be able to recite or write the text but the same is only good for short-term memory.

Before memorizing a codal provision, a key part of jurisprudence, or even some requisites or elements provided for by law, you must learn to finish the whole topic assigned so you will have the time for understanding and processing. Without understanding the topic at first, you will have a hard time applying such concepts in recitations, quizzes, exams, and even in real life.

Always remember that it will all be easier if you understand at first what you are reading before memorizing everything and cramming every provision there is.

5. Use mnemonics when memorizing

One of the tips in memorizing a codal provision, an excerpt in jurisprudence, or some of the essential requisites or elements of a doctrine is that you must be familiar with the keywords. As mentioned above, you must first understand it.

And when you have the keywords, you can create your own mnemonics so as to memorize everything with ease. While some books or reviewers have their own mnemonics, it is still better if you have your own version because you will remember more what you have done and memorized compared to the others.

Always remember that this is not a shortcut but rather a better understanding of the topics you have already read and understood.

These are just some of the tips on how to study smart in law school. As mentioned in the first few paragraphs, this is just a list of tips suggested by Barrista Solutions in order to help law students in this time of a worsening pandemic. To all the future lawyers who may be reading this, may you all have an easier journey from this point forward.

For more tips, view more articles on Law School 101 .

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• Mar 17, 2023

Top Study Techniques that Work Best for Law Students

I am one thousand per cent guilty of being on TikTok for longer than I needed to whilst I had a few unwatched lectures in my back pocket waiting for me. Sometimes I find the algorithm will expose me and start dropping not-so-subtle hints about how to study effectively or show pages of dark academia content from Cambridge or USYD. Yes, I'd love to be able to study in buildings dripping with history and pay for an overpriced kombucha lasagne. (Just kidding)

But I am curious, what study techniques actually work for law students? We are chronically time-poor, needing rest and still trying to achieve the best grades we've ever had. But how do we achieve that? Does one study method work for all of us? We road-tested and rated the most popular ones to help expose the best ones for you. Our reviews highlighted the pros and cons, and our ratings suggest how applicable the original study method is for law students.

The SQ3R method

The SQ3R method is a study technique that is designed to help students read and retain information from textbooks more effectively. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review, which are the five steps of the method.

Survey: In the survey step, you quickly skim through the chapter or section you are going to read, looking at headings, subheadings, and any visual aids, such as charts or graphs. This helps you get an overview of what the material is about.

Question: After surveying the material, you should come up with questions about what you are going to read. This can help you focus your attention and give you a purpose for reading.

Read: Read the material actively, taking notes and looking for answers to your questions. Trying to understand the material is more important rather than simply memorising it.

Recite: After reading a section, close the book and try to recall the information. This can help you identify what you do and don't understand, and reinforce your memory.

Review: Finally, review the material periodically to reinforce your memory and to help you remember the key concepts.

The SQ3R method is a popular and effective way to study, and it can be used with any reading material, not just textbooks.

The pros of this study method include the willingness to challenge your existing knowledge and learn through questions and answers.

The cons are that it's way too time-consuming to try and find questions yourself. We suggest using AI software to help generate questions for you (a huge time saver) and/or reading your tutorial questions and answering them first.

The PQ4R method

The PQR4 method is a study technique that can help students improve their comprehension and retention of information while reading. PQR4 stands for Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, and Review, which are the five steps of the method.

Preview: In the preview step, you quickly skim through the material, looking at headings, subheadings, and any visual aids, such as charts or graphs. This helps you get an overview of what the material is about.

Question: After previewing the material, you should generate questions about what you are going to read. This can help you focus your attention and give you a purpose for reading.

Reflect: After reading a section, reflect on what you've read for a few moments. This can help you identify what you do and don't understand, and reinforce your memory.

The PQR4 method is similar to the SQ3R method, but it adds the step of reflection, which encourages students to think more deeply about the material they are reading. This can help students make connections between different concepts and improve their understanding of the material.

The pros of this study method include skimming through the material, although this is not always applicable depending on the density of your readings.

The cons are assuming that I have time to reflect. The audacity. #injustice

Retrieval practice

Retrieval practice, also known as the testing effect, is a learning technique that involves actively recalling information from memory rather than simply rereading or reviewing it. It involves practising the process of recalling information from memory, which has been shown to improve long-term retention and retrieval of that information.

In retrieval practice, learners actively retrieve information from their memory, whether it be through testing, quizzing, or self-assessment. The process of retrieval strengthens the neural pathways in the brain that are associated with that information, making it easier to recall that information in the future.

Retrieval practice can be used in a variety of learning contexts, including classrooms, online learning, and self-study. It has been shown to be a highly effective learning strategy, especially when combined with other techniques such as spaced repetition and interleaving.

Overall, retrieval practice is a powerful tool for improving long-term memory retention and recall and is an essential component of any effective study or learning strategy.

The pros of this study method are that it can show you what you know, and what you don't know.

The cons are that you find out what you don't know. You can expect an increase in anxiety and the need for another coffee.

Spaced practice

Spaced practice, also known as distributed practice or spaced repetition, is a learning technique that involves spreading out study or practice sessions over time, rather than cramming all of the material into a single session. This approach allows learners to space out their learning and practice sessions over time, with the goal of promoting better long-term retention and retrieval of the material.

The basic idea behind spaced practice is that by spacing out study or practice sessions, learners can improve the strength and durability of the neural connections in their brain that are associated with that material. By regularly revisiting the material, learners are more likely to remember it in the long term.

There are several different ways to incorporate spaced practice into your learning or study routine. One approach is to schedule multiple study or practice sessions over time, with each session building on the material from the previous session. Another approach is to use spaced repetition software, which schedules review sessions based on a learner's performance and progress.

Spaced practice has been shown to be an effective learning strategy for a wide range of topics and subject areas. By spacing out learning and practice sessions over time, learners can increase their retention and recall of material, leading to better academic performance and a deeper understanding of the material.

The pros of this study method are that it can help you be more consistent since it's easier to recall your information if you maintain the same spaced practice schedule each week.

The cons are you might be too time-pressed to have a consistent schedule. Although, the results are cumulative so, perhaps even half an hour per day could make a difference.

The Feynman technique

The Feynman Technique is a learning method named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. It is a four-step process that helps you understand and retain a concept in your memory. The four steps are:

Choose a concept: Select a concept or idea that you want to learn or understand.

Teach the concept: Imagine you are explaining the concept to someone who has no prior knowledge of the subject. Use simple language and examples to convey the concept.

Identify gaps: As you explain the concept, identify any gaps in your understanding or areas where you struggle to explain the concept clearly.

Review and simplify: Go back to your sources and review the concept to fill in any gaps in your understanding. Then, simplify the concept using analogies or examples until you can explain it clearly and concisely.

The Feynman Technique is a powerful tool for learning and understanding complex ideas. It can be applied to a wide range of subjects, from science and mathematics to literature and history.

The pros of this study method include that it builds your confidence in what you know and what you don't know. Also, you can double-check what you're teaching yourself by posting on your student discussion forum.

The cons are pretty negligible. The Feynman technique reminds me of Einstein's famous quote- "If you can't explain it, then you don't understand it well enough."

⚖️ ⚖️ ⚖️ ⚖️

The Leitner system

The Leitner system is a study method designed to improve long-term memory retention. It involves using flashcards and a spaced repetition schedule to help you review information at increasing intervals of time.

Here is how the Leitner System works:

Create flashcards: Create a set of flashcards with questions or prompts on one side and answers on the other.

Divide the flashcards into boxes: Divide the flashcards into several boxes, with Box 1 being the easiest and Box 4 is the most difficult.

Start studying: Begin studying with Box 1. Review each flashcard, and if you answer the question correctly, move the card to the next box. If you answer incorrectly, return the card to Box 1.

Adjust the schedule: As you progress, review the cards in each box at increasing intervals. For example, review the cards in Box 1 every day, Box 2 every two days, Box 3 every five days, and Box 4 every 10 days. If you answer a card incorrectly during a review, move it back to Box 1.

The Leitner System is based on the idea that the more you review information at spaced intervals, the better you will remember it in the long term. By gradually increasing the intervals between reviews, you can improve your retention of the material and avoid forgetting it over time.

The pros of this study method are that it allows you to recognise which areas of law you struggle to understand and why - especially since you can rank your questions from easiest to hardest.

The cons are that this method can bring out your inner perfectionist. One of the problems I've encountered with creating my flashcards is that it diverted my study from understanding the law to classical art theory. I got way too invested in having good notes rather than an in-depth understanding of why certain legal concepts were so important. However, we do offer digital study notes for law students on our Instagram.

Colour-coded notes

Colour-coded notes can have several study benefits, including:

Improved organization: You can quickly and easily identify the information you need by assigning different colours to different topics or categories.

Enhanced memory retention: Associating different colours with specific pieces of information can help you remember and recall them more easily.

Increased engagement: Using colourful notes can make studying more visually appealing and engaging, which can help you stay focused and motivated.

Faster information processing: Color-coding can help you quickly process information and identify key points, allowing you to study more efficiently.

Reduced stress: By keeping your notes organized and easy to read, you can reduce the stress and anxiety that can come with disorganized study materials.

Overall, colour-coded notes can be a powerful tool for improving your study habits and achieving academic success.

The pros of this study method are that once you pick a particular colour for a subject, it's a lot easier to remember key cases or bits of information from those colour-coded subjects.

The cons include the presumption that sticky notes work for everyone. You can highlight your notes on your iPad too. That's still a massive win.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a technique used to organize information visually, and it has several benefits, including:

Improved creativity: Mind mapping can help stimulate the brain's creative thinking, encouraging brainstorming and generating new ideas.

Better organization: Mind mapping can help organize information in a more logical and structured way, making it easier to understand and remember.

Enhanced memory retention: The use of visual cues and imagery in mind mapping can help improve memory retention and recall.

Increased productivity: Mind mapping can help break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable components, making planning and prioritising tasks easier.

Better communication: Mind maps can be used to communicate complex ideas and concepts clearly, concisely and visually.

Greater clarity: Mind mapping can help you see relationships and connections between different ideas or pieces of information that may not be immediately obvious.

Mind mapping is a powerful tool for improving creativity, organization, memory retention, productivity, communication, and clarity. It can be used in a wide range of settings, including education, business, and personal development.

The pros of this study method are that it could help you visualise relationships in your hypothetical questions for property, family or contract law.

The cons are that it's not particularly helpful in getting a deeper understanding of the legal principles that arise from the common law.

If you've read this far, we know you're a law student who can speed read like nobody's business. I hope you enjoyed reading this article. There's so much "self-help" advice out there for law students, but not all of it is relevant to us. The top study methods that I've found most helpful include the Feynman technique, colour-coded notes, writing case summaries and having a system in place for how to answer legal hypotheticals. What methods do you like to use when you study?

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The (Not-So-Secret) Survival Guide To Law School

Jan 07, 2019

By : Angel Cruz

There’s no need for argument.

Law school is hard beyond reasonable doubt, and we’ve got strong evidence to prove it. If you’re an incoming freshman or in school already, you should know that in-between passing the test and practicing the law comes the real challenge: surviving law school and everything that comes with it (read: not to scare you but yes, survive ).

While not everyone gets admitted in law school, not everyone stays admitted in law school too —the clincher usually favors the determined and prepared. So before you panic your way out, calm down and remember these 10 not-so-secret tips that’ll (hopefully) help you get through law school alive and kicking:

1. Develop the right mindset.

Say bye-bye to your undergrad level thinking and adopt a grad school mindset from Day 1! Law school is gonna look A WHOLE LOT different from college (read: heavier workload plus higher expectations) so save yourself from unnecessary comparison and put your game face on right from your freshman year!

Pro Bono tip:

Declutter your heart, mind and soul before you enter law school. It’s gonna be a tough battle out there, you’d want to come prepared.

2. Study your study habit.

Know your superpower! What works for others may or may not necessarily work for you. Sure, learn from others but make sure to study the way you know best! Law school is hard but finding a study habit that works for you might make it a lil more bearable. #need

Practice taking old exams. This is a no-fail way to study for a test!

3. Learn to read.

As if it needs any special mention, we’re putting it out here just the same: prepare to read A TON throughout law school. Reading fast and actually understanding what it means is an important skill you need to learn pronto. Read, read, read! The sooner you learn to love reading, the sooner you’ll adjust to the law school life.

Skim, scan, understand and take down notes. Have you tried the Cornell Note-taking method ?

4. Be organized.

Before all the readings drown you, save yourself from the mess and organize your life (read: files)! What good is a regular study period if half your time goes to hunting down your notes, right? Put everything where you can easily retrieve it when necessary. You can thank us later!

Being organized looks different for everyone. Are you the one to keep track of nitty-gritty details? Keeping track with a planner might help!

5. Don’t procrastinate.

Never mind if you put the pro in procrastination, your last-minute adrenaline rush won’t do you any good come law school. How do you plan to recite a case study word for word if you skimmed through it five minutes before class? Unless you hold the time stone, study when you say you’re going to study. Let discipline spare you from unnecessary stress.

Set an earlier deadline than what your professor gave you. Procrastination is costly, but punctuality pays off!

6. Never stop learning.

There are some lessons that make sense better when applied in real life, especially when you want to pursue law. Learn as much in homeroom lectures as you would in conferences and workshops. But don’t be confined with those either! Read often, listen intently, watch carefully. Make learning a lifestyle!

Get in the habit of reading your professor’s reference materials. They’re a gold mine!

7. Invest in relationships.

There’s hardly anyone who made it through law school alone—you can’t and you don’t have to. Involve people in your journey! Join a group study to help you with difficult topics, consult with your prof for an upcoming exam, or just be part of a support group!

Law school isn’t just about getting a degree. Learn to network too! Who knows if some of ‘em become your work colleagues someday?

8. Stay fit and healthy.

Law school is tough. Make sure you’re emotionally, mentally and physically prepared! While the first two are often emphasized already, remember too that your body functions better when properly cared for. Eat right, sleep right, and exercise daily if you can. You’ll never go wrong with taking care of your body. #selflove

Skip the junk food. Stack up on brain food!

9. Find your happy place.

No matter how busy law school can get, promise yourself to pause once in a while and take a breather. You need it! Whether it’s a quick hangout with your squad or Netflix and chill, go ahead and do it. Remember, you have life outside legal briefings too!

Intentionally put sanity breaks in your schedule. Do a non-study activity or a do-nothing time. If it recharges you, it counts.

10. Cling on what motivates you.

When the going gets tough, go back to your starting point, to your why. What’s your goal when you first decided to take the PhilSAT? When you realize that every hard-earned grade in a recitation or quiz inches you closer to becoming a lawyer, it’s hard not to give it your best every time. Whatever motivates you, cling on it.

Ever had a vision board? Create one and put it where you’ll easily see it!

By this time, it’s pretty clear that entering law school is not a walk in the park. For sure, it’s gonna be a long winding road and you’ve got to be ready for it. So while you’re still on your way to win cases in courtrooms, keep this survival guide in mind and slay your case studies in the classroom. We’re rooting for you, future lawyer!

Want to learn more study tips and hacks on how you can survive and thrive in law school? Read more articles like this in the College Life  blog section at Edukasyon.ph now!

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• #college-life
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Written By:

Angel is a storyteller who enjoys a good cup of coffee while listening to her family and friends' everyday stories. As a Development Communication graduate, she firmly believes that communities are the birthing ground of change where real people with real stories are just waiting to be heard. She is passionate about learning, coffee, and the next generation. On her spare time, you can find her happily lost in bookstore shelves, grocery alleys, coffee shops... or taking a nap.

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Take care of your mental health

Students’ guide to flying with singapore airlines, how to ditch the mindless scroll and have fun on the internet instead, 5 things you can still do online even in your f2f learning, how to channel confidence this back-to-school season, which wellness reminder do you need today, 5 ways to deal with face-to-face classes anxiety, 3 ways you can do a wellness check-in, 5 ways to manifest wellness in your life, dear besties, why am i not feeling well today, 3 ways online learning has made us better students, 5 ways to positively use the internet in 2022.

No need to cram! This is the fun kind.

Learn and earn rewards along the way!

Planning for college? Don’t worry, we gotchu!

Let us help you achieve your dream job by matching you with the right schools.

Need more info?

HOW TO STUDY LAW

How to series.

Release date: 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

You may practise law as a barrister or a solicitor if you have a law degree. One of the nicest elements of becoming a lawyer is representing your clients in legal proceedings. As a lawyer, nothing is more rewarding than turning a client's loss into a victory.

Finding the correct institution to complete your legal education is essential. Do your homework, since there are many excellent law school programmes available at various universities around the country.

Pick a subject of study that will give you the edge you need to flourish in this competitive market. You won't learn the fundamentals of legal studies, such as how to do research or analyse cases, in university. This book is essential reading for anybody contemplating a degree in law at an accredited institution. This guide will help you to be well-prepared for any challenges you may face in your pursuit of a degree in law, as well as to get yourself organised and know exactly what to do to ensure that you graduate with honours.

Do you wish you knew the ins and outs of writing effectively in the legal field? How serious are you about excelling in your legal studies? That's why you should read this book. Want some advice on how to approach your legal studies? Do you wish there were better, more time-saving methods to locate reliable information? Read case law and judgements give you trouble? You can get through anything with the advice in this book.

Don't give up because of the difficulty of the legislation. If you want a leg up on the competition, read this book right now. You WIll be able to write like a lawyer, do research like a pro, and answer questions with confidence after reading this. If you read this book, you will immediately see improvements in your legal study.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Aims of the book.

Through this Law Book, students will be able to demonstrate the ability to: 

Show that you understand the fundamentals of legal studies.

Evaluate complex fictitious fact patterns critically and identify underlying legal questions applicable across a range of legal disciplines.

Use everything they've learned to write a formal evaluation.

Put up your argument and evaluate contrasting points of view.

Make proper use of legal jargon and other specialised terms.

Take charge of their education and display a high degree of flexibility in their employment.

The aim and purpose of this book of the law is to:​

Introduce the fundamental ideas and principles of law to students and potential students of how to study law.

Exam preparation requires a framework that places the study of law and it within a broader academic context.

Give them a comprehensive study guide to help them prepare for the written portion of their legal essays and exams.

Inspire the growth of students' capacity for writing and analysis.

Facilitate the development of problem-solving abilities.

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION What is Law?     Why study Law?    

CHAPTER 2 - LAW COURSES     A level Law     LLB     PGDL SQE or Bar Course    

CHAPTER 3 - STUDY SKILLS

Legal Reading How to Learn Legal Rules How to Find Case Law OpenAthens Understanding How to Read Judgments

Legal Writing Making Law Notes Good Legal Writing Legal Writing Rules     Using the I.R.A.C. Method     The Fact Law Sandwich     Write a First Class Law Essay Types of Essays     Example of a First Class Essay     A Few More General Hints     Turnitin     How to Pass Law Exams     How to Write a Law School Exam Answer?     How to Become a First Class Law Student  

  CHAPTER 4 GETTING A JOB     Learn How to Publish     Pro Bono Work     How to Get a Training Contract     How to Get a Pupillage    

CONCLUSION    

LEARN HOW TO STUDY LAW

• Law Articles

8 Tips for Beginners to Study Law and Remember It

Studying law requires proper strategy and commitment. It is complicated and time-consuming. Yet, the journey to study law is very informative and exciting. You get to read about so many new things that you have only seen in movies or have heard from elders.

Doing good and becoming successful in the legal field requires elaborate thinking. Over time, you will have to develop the ability to think out of the box. You’ll have to make swift decisions.

One of you, let us say named V, contacted me on WhatsApp and asked, ‘ How Should I Study Law? ‘

Well, here is my reply. But before you read even five lines of this post, keep in mind that- “ It is not about how much you know, but how fast you learn! ”

Dear V, First of all, thank you very much for supporting me and my website. It means a lot. Secondly, it is good that you want to study law.

Now, you wish to know how to start studying (and as you say, not as a law student but as a future lawyer.) Well, a male can not become a man without first being a child! But I understand what you are trying to say. I know you already are in MBA, and you can not start from the very very beginning.

Whether you start as a law student or skip and try to become a lawyer, the holy water of law is ‘Bare Acts.’ In the easiest words, I can say that Bare Acts, as the name says, are the raw, exact, on-point rules/laws.

Good lawyers interpret these laws and apply them in different cases.

Please understand that very, very few people know all the sections and articles of the Bare Acts. You might have seen in real life or movies that a lawyer’s chamber is filled with books. It is to take help from those books, depending on the case.

So do not force yourself to remember all these sections and articles. You will automatically remember important ones, and as time goes on, you will get better. They will be at your fingertips!

Most Important Bare Acts Are:

• Constitution of India
• Indian Penal Code
• Civil Procedure Code
• Criminal Procedure Code
• Indian Evidence Act

There are many acts. But the above ones are the most important and extremely useful .

Other Essential Bare Acts Are:

• Indian Contract Act
• Transfer of Property Act
• Sale of Goods Act
• Specific Relief Act
• Indian Partnership Act

You need time to read these. The first five laws are vast. I have all these acts systematically on this website. You can learn from there, or you can buy books for them. I have a list of recommended books for these subjects . Now, since you want to focus more on being a good lawyer, this is pretty much it. But this is NOT EVERYTHING.

Learn Law from Internship

Very frankly speaking, the main thing that you need to know to be a good lawyer is not in any of the books. It is in an actual court.

You will have to learn a lot of things like Drafting, Pleading, Framing Applications , etc. You can learn these ONLY if you do an internship under a lawyer in an actual court.

But keep this in mind too, that without those bare acts, it will be very tough, and if you do not read them, you will be clueless in court when you intern under any lawyer. If you do not know the law, and if you work as an intern, you might not be treated very well. You will have to make photocopies and bring tea for months before the lawyer under whom you intern starts valuing you. (Also, even if you are very well-read in law still if you intern, you will have to do these small works.)

Now, you said you are reading articles and watching law videos. EXCELLENT! Keep doing that. BUT DO NOT FORGET TO READ NEWS AND ESPECIALLY LAW NEWS. Apps like BAR AND BENCH and LIVE LAW will help you a lot. They have all the new law news. ( I also wish to have apps like these one day. )

Learn Proper Drafting

Drafting is an essential part of being a good lawyer. Drafting is writing what your client will say in a proper, legal way. A good draft, at times, is capable of making or breaking a case. You will learn these in an actual court, but you can learn the basics of drafting in books. A lawyer can also earn good money even if he just knows how to draft well.

Be Confident and Make Connections

Apart from this, to be a good lawyer, you need to have good connections (with fellow lawyers and all sorts of people who can get things done like Police, etc. But these are things that you have to think about after 3-4 years. Not now.)

You also need to be very frank. Be confident, even if you are wrong. This is against the professional ethics of an advocate, but this is what happens in practical life. Never feel ashamed in court. Talk to everyone and anyone you can. Make a habit of greeting senior advocates when you see them. This is not buttering someone but just being social and respectful.

It is said that after a student completes law, it takes him at least five years to establish a practice of his own; assuming his father, brother, or family members are not advocates. Being established as a lawyer is hard and requires time.

8 Best Ways to Study Law and Remember It

1. Make a daily habit of reading Bare Acts. This is very important.

2. If you do not understand something, read it ten times. I bet you will start understanding.

Here, it will seem that I am pitching an ad for my website, but honestly, I am not. I will request you to read from my site because Bare Acts on my website have internal links. You won’t find this on any other law website (that I have seen), and this feature is not in books either.

What this is that- Bare acts on WritingLaw have internal links to save you time. For Example- Section 174A of the Indian Penal Code  has a mention of Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Now, many students, especially new law students like you while reading this section of IPC, will not know or remember what Section 82 of CrPC is. It will take time to find that section in a different bare act. It will take time to Google search and all that. What I have done is that I have given links for these sections right there. Clicking on it will instantly take you to that section in a new browser tab. So it will be easy to study.

3. Be updated on new law news and judgments. Download at least one app that I said above (Live Law or Bar and Bench)

4. Keep reading Law Notes, Articles, and keep watching YouTube videos. (Video will be better for now than reading. First, you need to develop an interest. Watching videos will build interest in you.)

5. See if you can work/intern under any lawyer. Keep this option open, and the moment you join law college/class, start working/interning under a lawyer. (You will learn most of the things here.)

6. Write at least two paragraphs every week. No need to write big ones. Just small, basic articles. Start with any topic.

Make yourself think. Make yourself believe harder. Question your thoughts and also answer them. Argue with yourself. (Believe me, it will be amazing and helpful.) Now, write these on a copy, but if you have a laptop or computer, then please use that. It will improve your typing and help during drafting.

7. Argue/Debate with friends on any topic. It does not always have to be law. As the law is interconnected or linked with almost all fields. So there is nothing like a “law boundary” you have to be in. Just debate. Argue (in a positive sense.) It will increase your quick thinking skills and make you come up with faster, responsive replies.

8. Share whatever exciting things you read in law/bare acts with your friends orally. If you discuss it verbally, you will never forget it.

• Latest Posts

• Reference, Review, and Revision in Civil Procedure Code - 28th March 2024
• Witness and Types of Witness Under Indian Evidence Act - 18th March 2024
• How to Start Studying Law – For New, Existing, and Old Students - 3rd March 2024

10 Comments

Hi Ankur, I hope you are doing good, I want to thank you for all the hard work you do so that lost people like me can save their time and put all their time and energy in studying law. secondly, I’ve read this article a few weeks ago and started following it step by step and have seen the improvement in myself too adding more reasons to be more thankful to you. all your notes and articles are so precise and well structured, this world needs more people like you.

Hi Samiksha, Thank you very much for your nice, kind, detailed words. It gives me please to know that it is helpful to you.

Please, write a blog as above for those students who are preparing for judicial exam. The above article is very useful for the students of law. If you give us proper guidance for judicial exam it will be better for us. Thank you.

Sure. Please see this: How to Study for Judiciary Exam

useful information

Happy you find it worthy.

Really needful , absolutely correct Thinks easier once you read thoroughly.

Happy you liked it. 😊

nice blog thanks for sharing..!

Glad you liked it. I will work harder to improve even further.

Comments are closed.

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My name is Ankur . I am a law graduate. I was my college topper for five years. In March 2018, I started  WritingLaw.com . The main motive was to make a modern law website that is clean and comfortable.

Everything is going well . This is because of law students, advocates, judges and professors like you, who give me satisfaction, hope and the motivation to keep working. Thank you for your love and support. I hope you have a fruitful time here.

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• May 8, 2023

HOW TO STUDY LAW EFFECTIVELY

Are you a law student? Or you just want to know - how to study law effectively. Learning how to study law is  a common sense lesson, students will need to figure out fast the essential abilities they will need to understand " how to study law ." This book serves as an introduction for those learning about legal concepts for the first time.

If you are studying law in a common law system, like the Canada, India or the UK. The book's goal is to teach law students how to understand, assess, and use legal sources. It offers examples of how to find, read, and assess a variety of legal writings, such as court decisions, laws, essays, and textbooks. Additionally, it includes more basic study techniques that are required of all law students as well as more specialised legal ideas.

As private law tutors, we have spent the last 16 years working on this. we have produced and publish this manual on how to study law since there was not much useful information available on the subject. It is a law book that goes to to the point and explains the strategy that many law students before you have followed to get better marks.

This book is intended for everyone law students and non-law students who may be studying law for the first time. If you wants to know how to study law and are interested in studying tips. It will teach you how to prepare for examinations, compose essays, and get an top marks in law.

The author of the book is a prominent legal professor with vast expertise in both teaching and practise. It provides the information and skills necessary for law school success and how to study law effectively. The book covers a vast array of subjects, from reading and writing skills to work success, to ensure that you are prepared for this journey. This book will help you enhance your your marks by showing you how to: create first class law essays and how to answer problem questions. The books discusses how to incorporate cases into your writing; and compose a law dissertation.

LAW STUDY SKILLS

This book is perfect for you if you have been thinking about getting a legal education but aren't sure where to start. It will show you the kind of books to read, how to prepare for your tests, and the types of careers you may pursue when you have completed your degree. This book will assist you in understanding the fundamentals of law, as well as the format of legal examinations and the requirements necessary to get a first in law. At university, you will not get instruction on how to study law. 

EFFECTIVLEY STUDYING LAW

How to Study Law equips students who are interested in pursuing a legal education in the future with the core information and skills necessary for a successful legal education. Before moving on to teaching students how to locate, read, and critically evaluate a wide variety of legal documents, such as cases, legislation, articles, and research reports, in print, this law book begins by acquainting them with the fundamentals of English law and the principles upon which it is built. Students get the opportunity to evaluate and hone their newly gained skills via the use of diagrams, working examples, and other hands-on tasks.

This book does not waste any time. It goes straight into what a student needs to know, which is how to read, write, and edit effectively in order to get a first in your law courses. We do not want you to be studying law ineffectively. We truly hope that you have fun reading this book, and more than anything else, I really hope that it helps you save time and gets you a better job in the legal field. If you click on the book's title, you will be sent to the page on Amazon where the book may be purchased.

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Practice-Ready Licensing

Rethinking licensure.

This article is adapted from an article, “Enhancing the Validity and Fairness of Lawyer Licensing: Empirical Evidence Supporting Innovative Pathways ,” forthcoming in the Washington University Journal of Law & Policy .

Licensing systems aim to protect the public by excluding incompetent practitioners from the profession. The bar exams administered in the United States, however, fail to live up to that promise. Those exams do not assess candidates’ ability to counsel clients, interview witnesses, or negotiate with opponents. Nor do they require candidates to draft contracts, respond to discovery requests, or develop strategies for addressing client matters. The exams do not even require candidates to show their proficiency at legal research, an essential skill given the vast number of U.S. and foreign rules that will affect today’s clients.

In the United States, each jurisdiction (including states, territories, and the District of Columbia) sets its own rules for admitting candidates to the bar. Some of those jurisdictions have started to ask: What if the requirements for licensing more effectively measured the competencies that new lawyers need for practice? These jurisdictions are breaking the hold of the traditional bar exam, creating new ways to assess the competence of candidates for bar admission.

In this article, we describe the problems that plague the bar exam and the new avenues that jurisdictions have adopted or are exploring. We then present empirical evidence that one of these avenues—evaluating candidates during a period of postgraduate supervised practice—is a valid, feasible, and fair way to assess competence for law practice. This approach, the data shows, can benefit candidates, their employers, and the clients they serve.

What’s wrong with the bar exam?

The traditional bar exam falls short on three fronts: (1) It fails to assess the knowledge and skills that new lawyers most need to practice competently. (2) It imposes heavy financial burdens on both jurisdictions and test-takers. (3) Partly because of those financial burdens, the exam disproportionately excludes from the profession candidates of color, candidates with caretaking responsibilities, and candidates who live with disabilities.

Defining competence

The recent Building a Better Bar study offers a particularly persuasive picture of the competencies new lawyers need. That study convened 50 focus groups, some with new lawyers and some with supervisors, in 18 locations across the country. The lawyers described the competencies that new lawyers need, the mistakes they make, and the training that would help them avoid those mistakes. Analysis of transcripts from those sessions demonstrated that lawyering competence rests on 12 interlocking building blocks:

• The ability to act professionally and in accordance with the rules of professional conduct
• An understanding of legal processes and sources of law
• An understanding of threshold concepts in many subjects
• The ability to interpret legal materials
• The ability to interact effectively with clients
• The ability to identify legal issues
• The ability to conduct research
• The ability to communicate as a lawyer
• The ability to see the “big picture” of client matters
• The ability to manage a law-related workload responsibly
• The ability to cope with the stresses of legal practice
• The ability to pursue self-directed learning

Traditional bar exams measure fewer than half the competencies identified by research, and NCBE’s proposed NextGen exam will do little to address the problem. Instead, those exams focus on knowledge and skills that are unnecessary—and even harmful—for contemporary practice. They test knowledge of common-law rules that no longer govern client matters, require extensive memorization of legal rules, and prize rapid responses over reflection and deliberation.

Lawyers who participated in the Building a Better Bar study emphatically rejected these exam-based habits. New lawyers must look to contemporary statutes, regulations, and court decisions rather than common-law rules; they must check their knowledge from sources rather than relying on memory; and they must take time to reflect on client matters, seek input from others, and revise their written work. The slapdash responses demanded by the bar exam can produce mistakes in practice.

Traditional bar exams measure fewer than half the competencies identified by research, and NCBE’s proposed  NextGen exams  will do little to address the problem.

Practicing lawyers also criticized the static fact patterns that dominate bar exams. These questions do not test the candidates’ ability to explore a client’s varying goals, gather facts, or adapt to the changing circumstances of real-world representation. Nor do the exams require candidates to develop a holistic view of client problems. Bar exam questions focus candidates on narrow doctrinal issues, replicating law school exams rather than law practice.

These flawed exams are expensive for both jurisdictions and candidates. Each exam requires the development, editing, and pretesting of questions. Jurisdictions then pay steep fees to rent exam sites, compensate proctors, and arrange accommodations for test-takers with disabilities. California spends more than $5,600,000 per year to cover those costs alone. Grading, scaling, and equating the exams add still more to the tab.

The heaviest expenses, however, fall on candidates. They pay some of the exam development and administrative costs through exam fees, and they pay travel and lodging costs to stay near exam sites. Most burdensome, candidates purchase expensive bar-preparation courses and forego income while devoting 10 or more weeks to intensive study. The exams’ focus on excessive memorization and undue speed requires those expenditures: research demonstrates that candidates who do not—or cannot—assume bar-prep costs are more likely to fail the exam.

The bar exam’s expense disadvantages test-takers with limited financial means , as well as those with caretaking responsibilities . Educational loans, notably, do not cover bar-prep courses, exam fees, travel expenses, or the cost of living while studying for the exam. Unequal resources explain at least part of the race and gender gaps that characterize bar results. Bar exams sharply favor white test-takers over examinees of color and offer some advantage to male candidates . Jurisdictions rightly worry about this impediment to diversifying the profession.

Many candidates who live with disabilities also struggle with bar exam. Jurisdictions require them to submit expensive documentation to secure accommodations and often refuse accommodations that candidates have relied upon during law school. The fact that the exam is offered just twice a year imposes additional obstacles for candidates with chronic conditions, those with illnesses, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

States, finally, set different passing scores for their exams—even though most administer the same Uniform Bar Examination . Research shows that higher passing scores dramatically reduce the diversity of lawyers in states with those scores, without increasing the competence of new lawyers. Economic advantage and freedom from caretaking exacerbate this unfairness: candidates who fail in one jurisdiction, but have sufficient financial resources and personal mobility to relocate, can move to a state where their score will allow them to practice law.

New avenues

In light of these flaws, several jurisdictions are exploring or adopting new ways to license lawyers. Starting in May, candidates for admission to the Oregon State Bar will be able to choose between taking the traditional bar exam and demonstrating their competence through a Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (for more on this, see “Speaker’s Corner.” ) Candidates who choose the latter option will obtain provisional licenses, allowing them to practice under supervision. During their supervisory period they will compile portfolios consisting of written work product, assessments of client encounters, and appraisals of negotiations. Bar examiners will review redacted versions of this work to determine whether a candidate is competent to practice law.

The California State Bar has recommended that the California Supreme Court establish a pilot program for a similar licensing option. Task forces in several other states are exploring ways other than the traditional bar exam to measure lawyering competence. Updated information about those innovations, including licensing paths based upon experiential work in law school, is available from a website we maintain with other scholars.

Will [supervised-practice pathways] measure the skills and knowledge that new lawyers need?

Some lawyers wonder whether supervised-practice pathways will be valid, feasible, and fair. Will they measure the skills and knowledge that new lawyers need? Will practicing lawyers be willing to serve as supervisors? Will these programs generate new forms of bias and unfairness for applicants, which has been a problem in countries using articling and apprenticeships?

Supervised-practice pathways differ significantly from articling and other forms of apprenticeship. The pathways offer an option, not a mandate, which reduces both the demand for supervisors and the power that supervisors hold over candidates. Independent examiners provide a further check on supervisors’ power. Substantial research in medical workplaces, meanwhile, shows that it is possible to evaluate licensees fairly and rigorously as they work with patients; those studies offer detailed models for assessing lawyers. And we already have evidence, drawn from a study of New Hampshire-’s Daniel Webster program , that portfolio-licensed lawyers can outperform peers who pass a traditional bar exam. Our research adds to this evidence base.

The current study

We obtained access to a unique data set offering a first look at the validity, feasibility, and fairness of licensing systems that, like the one adopted in Oregon, assess candidates’ competence while they engage in postgraduate supervised practice. The data derives from participants in two California programs . The “Original Program” allows pandemic-era graduates to practice under supervision while waiting to pass the bar exam. The “Pathway Program” allows some individuals who narrowly failed the bar exam to become fully licensed after 300 hours of supervised practice. While working under supervision, candidates in both programs use provisional licenses that allow them to do most types of legal work.

Neither program completely parallels the licensing pathways that Oregon recently adopted and other states are considering. Candidates in the Original Program must still take the bar exam to gain full licenses, while those in the Pathway Program do not submit portfolios of work product to examiners for review. The programs, however, offer important insights into the competencies that can be assessed during supervised practice, as well as the feasibility and fairness of such programs.

In fall 2022, the California State Bar surveyed candidates and supervisors in both programs, as well as candidates who were eligible for the Pathway Program but did not participate. Those surveys generated the data we analyze in this article. The survey responses offer strong evidence that practicing lawyers are willing to supervise candidates for bar admission; that workplaces have sufficient training and mentoring systems in place to support those programs; that candidates find supervised-practice placements fair; that supervised practice assesses a greater range of knowledge and skills than the bar exam; and that innovative licensing paths expand client service—including to clients who currently lack access to justice.  

The California State Bar surveyed three populations: (1) 1,585 candidates who had received provisional licenses, (2) 1,393 supervisors of those candidates, and (3) 1,154 candidates who were eligible for the state’s Pathway Program but did not participate. Survey links were emailed to all population members in October 2022.

Response rates exceeded survey standards for all three groups: 47.8 percent for candidates holding provisional licenses, 32.0 percent for supervisors, and 47.2 percent for individuals who were eligible for the Pathway Program but did not participate. The California State Bar collected all responses in a deidentified database that was given to us for analysis. State bar staff did not participate in our analyses, and the views in this article do not reflect the perspectives of the state bar.

Key findings

Benefitting employers: feasibility.

Supervised-practice licensing systems are feasible only if practicing lawyers are willing to supervise candidates working toward their licenses. In California, almost 1,400 licensed lawyers stepped forward to supervise candidates with provisional licenses. That number of volunteers is particularly impressive because the program was new, and the state bar offered no incentives or support for participation. Survey responses, moreover, suggest that many of these volunteers are willing to make an ongoing commitment. More than two-thirds of supervisors (70.6 percent) indicated that they were willing to continue supervising candidates, and another 16.5 percent were open to that possibility.

Survey respondents backed up this commitment by pointing to many benefits of working with candidates holding provisional licenses. Supervisors were satisfied with their candidates’ work and thought their candidates were especially hardworking. This competence and work ethic allowed organizations to serve more clients: almost nine-tenths of supervisors (86.8 percent) reported expanding their client base with the help of supervised-practice candidates.

Supervisors also applauded the diversity that candidates brought to their practice teams. The candidates were more demographically diverse than recently licensed lawyers, and some possessed unusual life experiences or training. That diversity allowed organizations to enhance service to existing clients, tap new client bases, and even explore new practice areas.

Employer benefits

“The work product of the [candidate] was superior to other ‘full’ attorneys because he would put more time and effort into preparing his cases.” —Private Practitioner

“[Candidates with provisional licenses] allowed us to provide pro bono full representation to clients, whereas we would have only had the resources to provide them with advice.” —Legal Aid Supervisor

“[Our candidate] increased the diversity of our firm’s attorney staffing, which was badly needed. She also bridges our firm to new client groups . . . and is a notable client referral source. Our firm is monetarily better off, and her underserved community has greater access to much needed legal referrals.” —Law Firm Partner

“Being able to offer guidance and support to my [candidate] was personally and professionally rewarding and just made me feel good to be able to share knowledge and help her grow professionally.” —Solo Practitioner

California’s provisional licensing programs, finally, complemented employers’ hiring practices. The programs were attractive to candidates, which gave organizations an advantage when recruiting in a tight labor market. At the same time, the programs allowed organizations to give candidates a trial run before committing to a full-time position. During that trial period, candidates did not need time off to study for the bar exam; they could devote all their attention to learning the employer’s practices and serving clients.  

Most organizations already provided supervision and training to newly licensed lawyers; they were able to use that infrastructure to provide oversight and feedback for candidates with provisional licenses.

Supervisors reported obtaining these benefits with few costs. More than two-thirds of supervisors experienced no problem “at all” from candidates making mistakes, and just 4.4 percent reported that mistakes concerned them to a “great extent.” Similarly, few employers found the supervision and training of candidates burdensome. Most organizations already provided supervision and training to newly licensed lawyers; they were able to use that infrastructure to provide oversight and feedback for candidates with provisional licenses. Many supervisors shared the sentiment of a government lawyer who commented: “This program is rare in that I cannot identify one downside as it was administered in my office.”

Benefiting candidates: Fairness

Some stakeholders worry that bias and old boy networks could disadvantage women and people of color in finding supervisors or succeeding in supervised-practice pathways. Just the opposite was true in California’s programs. Women and people of color were significantly more likely than white men to participate in the Pathway Program, and they were slightly more successful than white men in completing the program and earning full licenses. 

First-generation college graduates, individuals living with disabilities, and individuals who identified as LGBTQIA+ also succeeded as candidates. We found no significant difference in success rates for these groups compared with other candidates. Nor did satisfaction ratings differ by race/ethnicity, gender, first-generation status, disability, or sexual orientation. Members of all groups expressed very high degrees of satisfaction with supervised practice. Indeed, respondents from historically disadvantaged groups offered eloquent comments about the importance of the supervised-practice program to them, their families, and their professional careers. Some supervisors volunteered similar observations.

More inclusive licensing

“I am a first generation BIPOC law student with a disability. As a single parent . . . I do not have the luxury of not earning money for months while I study for the bar.” —Candidate

“My [candidate] was exceptionally qualified and was having trouble passing the bar because her first language was not English. She was better than at least 50 percent of attorneys practicing who have passed the bar.” —Law Firm Partner

“The alternative pathway to licensure substantially improved almost every aspect of life. It allowed me to rediscover a sense of purpose and dignity, and to gain additional skills, knowledge and insights that could not have otherwise been achieved without this opportunity.” —Candidate Living with a Disability

“I know of two women of color from low-income backgrounds who qualified and succeed[ed] under the program. Our bar will benefit from their admission. Both had given up and moved on and otherwise would have left the profession.” —Nonprofit Director

Some candidates (9.7 percent) reported experiencing harassment or discrimination while engaged in supervised practice, but most of them characterized the challenges from this negative treatment as “small” or “moderate.” More important, candidates who reported discrimination or harassment were just as likely as other candidates to succeed in the programs. They also reported the same levels of satisfaction as candidates who did not report any negative treatment. Some candidates noted that the discrimination or harassment they experienced in the programs was no greater than what they endured in other contexts and that the programs, on balance, “countered” discrimination by allowing them to establish their competence and serve clients.

Stakeholders also worry that supervised-practice programs could force candidates to work without pay or accept low-paying positions. Almost all (93.6 percent) of the candidates in California’s Original Program, however, received compensation. Two-fifths of supervisors (39.4 percent) reported paying those candidates the same salaries as they paid newly licensed lawyers; 37.4 percent paid the same wages given to unlicensed law graduates; 14.4 percent paid paralegal wages; and 8.4 percent paid law student rates. These numbers suggest that programs allowing candidates to substitute supervised practice for the written bar exam may benefit both candidates and employers financially. Candidates will save the heavy expenses of bar preparation (including 10 weeks of foregone income), while employers have the option of modestly discounting entry-level salaries during the licensing period. Jurisdictions, meanwhile, can ensure that employers don’t discount salaries too heavily by requiring that employers pay candidates at least as much as they pay other law graduates who have not yet passed the bar exam.

Benefiting clients: A more valid measure of competence

The California data confirms that supervised-practice programs can assess more knowledge and skills than the traditional bar exam. More than three-quarters of candidates reported that they used key skills that are not tested on the bar exam. The prevalence of these skills in the first months of law practice demonstrates both the need to assess candidates’ competence in performing them and the possibility of assessing them during a period of supervised practice.

Percentage of licensees exercising skills

Jurisdictions can readily incorporate each of these skills into their portfolio requirements. For the small number of candidates who are not able to exercise these skills in their supervised-practice settings, jurisdictions can follow Oregon’s lead and create simulations for candidates to use in developing and demonstrating missing skills. While the traditional bar exam fails to test essential lawyering skills like research, counseling, and client communication, supervised-practice pathways will protect clients by rigorously assessing these critical competencies.

The California data confirms that supervised-practice programs can assess more knowledge and skills than the traditional bar exam.

California’s survey responses offer similar reassurance about the scope of doctrinal knowledge that can be assessed through supervised practice. Candidates reported drawing upon an average of 5.5 doctrinal areas in their practice, with a quarter of them listing eight or more subject areas. Even candidates who focused on a particular practice area, such as criminal law or personal injury work, drew upon concepts from a range of subjects.

Candidates did not work in every subject area that they might pursue as lawyers, so a licensing system based on supervised practice could not assess their knowledge in all fields. This, however, is also true of traditional bar exams. Those exams assess knowledge in just eight to 12 doctrinal areas, with a heavy emphasis on common-law rules. The California data demonstrates just how narrow the bar exam is: almost nine-tenths of candidates reported using knowledge from subjects that are not tested on the bar exam, and more than a fifth reported practicing in four or more subjects that do not appear on the bar exam.

“Our [candidate],” one law firm partner wrote, “has been the best ‘associate’ that we have had at our firm, better than associates that have passed the bar exam.”

Supervised practice, in other words, may be more effective than the bar exam at testing candidates’ knowledge in areas of contemporary practice. Those areas include critical fields like immigration, intellectual property, arbitration, tax, employment law, and dozens of other areas that are not tested on the bar exam. Licensing systems rooted in supervised practice, moreover, will adapt naturally to changes of focus in entry-level practice.  

What about candidates who work in one field during supervised practice and then, after receiving a full license, switch to another practice area? Will those lawyers endanger clients? Once again, the same question applies to lawyers licensed through the bar exam. They are allowed to practice environmental law, international tax, admiralty, and any other subject. Supervised-practice pathways, like the bar exam, assume that professionals who have demonstrated their competence in some areas of practice are able to transfer their skills to other areas and learn the doctrinal rules of those new subjects.

The California survey did not ask supervisors to compare candidates to attorneys who had passed the bar exam, but some did so spontaneously. “Our [candidate],” one law firm partner wrote, “has been the best ‘associate’ that we have had at our firm, better than associates that have passed the bar exam.” Other supervisors noted that candidates gained “on the job training,” experience “dealing with clients,” and “more applicable knowledge” than peers who had passed the bar exam.

Practice-ready lawyers

“By participating in the actual practice of law, rather than memorization techniques for three months as with the current Bar Exam setup, these new attorneys learn more, focus on what is expected of them in the profession, and can hit the ground running faster when licensed as compared to those who have just passed a test.” —Law Firm Partner

“The ability to issue spot with a live person by asking the right questions and having the right ‘bedside manner’ is quite different from picking apart a written set of facts.” —Candidate

“Much of what we do is not even covered on the bar exam. In my experience, competence on the job is a greater predictor of success than bar passage.” —Legal Aid Supervisor

“The practical application of the law is what truly changes your view and understanding of the complexity of the law itself.” —Candidate

Finally, our research suggests that supervised-practice licensing paths can expand access to justice. In the California programs, more than a fifth (22.2 percent) of licensees worked for legal aid, public defenders, or other public-interest employers. They were able to represent disadvantaged clients immediately, without waiting to take and pass the bar exam. As one provisional licensee noted, “I am working as a first-generation lawyer in a legal aid office.  I have already put in 3,000 hours of direct community lawyering in a domestic violence clinic and doing housing rights advocacy.” Public-interest employers expressed similar enthusiasm for supervised practice. “The provisional licensees I supervised were highly competent legal advocates,” a legal aid attorney wrote, “passionate about serving low-income clients, and expanded the availability of legal services in underserved portions of rural California.” 

Building on the data

Data from California’s supervised-practice programs suggests that these programs offer a promising pathway for licensing lawyers. Practicing lawyers are willing to supervise candidates, and their organizations benefit from the candidates’ work. Supervised-practice paths lower expenses for law graduates and open the profession to candidates who can more readily demonstrate their competence in practice than on a traditional exam. Most important, supervised-practice paths allow jurisdictions to protect clients by using a more comprehensive and rigorous assessment process that encompasses a fuller range of skills and contemporary doctrine than the bar exam measures.

California’s current programs, though, are just the beginning. Jurisdictions can build on those programs—as Oregon has done—to increase their feasibility, fairness, and validity. Law schools and bar associations can help connect candidates with willing supervisors. Bar associations might offer training to supervisors who want to enhance their supervisory skills. Regulations can prevent economic exploitation of candidates, and an ombudsperson can aid candidates who encounter problematic treatment. Lastly, candidates can compile portfolios of redacted work product that they submit to bar examiners for review. Measures like these will develop a rigorous, inclusive licensing system that benefits employers, candidates, clients, and the public.

A team of highly regarded psychometricians once wrote : “The time-honored way to find out whether a person can perform a task is to have the person try to perform the task.” State courts and bar examiners are starting to heed that advice, seeking more authentic ways to assess the competence of aspiring lawyers. Our research shows that licensing systems rooted in supervised practice offer a valid, feasible, and fair avenue for measuring the knowledge and skills that lawyers need to serve contemporary clients effectively. As jurisdictions explore those options, we hope that they will add to this research base. Research can point the way to licensing systems that increase both the competence and inclusiveness of our profession.

Questions for further research

The data from California supports further exploration of licensing pathways rooted in postgraduate supervised practice. As jurisdictions develop those programs, additional research should address questions like these:

• How can jurisdictions create reliable systems for portfolio review?
• How will the costs of reviewing portfolios compare with the costs of preparing, administering, and grading exams?
• How does the performance of lawyers licensed through supervised practice compare with the performance of those who pass the traditional exam?
• How does the inclusiveness and equity of supervised-practice pathways compare with the traditional bar exam?

Deborah Jones Merritt is Distinguished University Professor and John Deaver Drinko-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law Emerita at Moritz College of Law, the Ohio State University.

Andrea Anne Curcio is Professor of Law at Georgia State University College of Law.

Eileen Kaufman is Professor of Law at Touro Law Center.

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