That's it...it is really that simple. ;-)

Read assignment
Think about assignment
Brief cases in assignment in whatever way you are comfortable
Go to class
Take notes
After a few weeks start typing up outline using your notes and the topic headers in the casebook as a starting point.
A few weeks before exam, start reviewing outline while keeping up with reading
Don't freak out at any time and continually remind yourself everyone is as lost/panicked/behind/confused/clueless as you are.
Repeat all of the above

That's it...it is really that simple. ;-)

(PS: You should not, however, be lost, or panicked, or behind, or confused, or clueless. If so, stop to ask why. You're smart, and the study of the law is not brain surgery.)

Thane,

My first semester grades are now coming in. I applied the study techniques you advocated and I received an A- in Contracts. I think I need to improve my analysis skills but I am satisfied I did the best I could for my first try at law exams.

I passed LWR and that is all that matters there. I did not put as much effort into Bluebooking as I spent most of my time learning BLL and how to use it in my substantive classes. Next semester I have to do a brief in LWR. Problem is I hate that class! If anyone has suggestions on how to do that class well without it sucking the life out you, please let me know.

Thanks for advice and your book. I see now that I can do this. Here is hoping I did OK in Civ Pro. Have not gotten that grade yet.

Regards,
Howard

Nice job! I am jealous as we don't get grades until the second week of January. I am sure you are going to do just fine in Civ Pro. Sounds like you know what to do and will do well for the rest of law school. LWR is a crap shoot. I spent 40+ hours on my memo for LWR the first semester and got a B. I spent 6 hours the second semester and got a B. Go figure.

Tony,

Thanks!

I find LWR the most frustrating class. It demands massive amounts of time and you never sure you are doing it "right." I submitted my draft and met with the instructor. After that meeting I thought I was doing great. Then I get back my draft and it had a very point total. WTF. So I revised and submitted the final. I think the final was much better (according to the comments on my draft) but my low score on the draft killed my final score. Oh well, I'll see how the brief goes this coming semester.

Regards,
Howard

Tony, Howard, and All -

Your experiences are likely shared by most. It was certainly true for me as well, and I found out later that the head of the program had in fact never practiced law. Sigh. No matter . . . in a sense this touches upon one of Morten Lund's points in his book on memos: give bosses what they want. Usually, we have valid reasons for wanting what we want, and as new attorneys we are well advised to listen. (As if we had a choice otherwise. = : )

In law school, it's less about being "right" than about following the expected format. It should look pretty, and it should accomplish its goal with a minimum of fuss (and especially a minimum of spun wheels).

Here might be one way of reducing that frustration factor: visit your instructor as often as you can get away with, with some version of "Am I on the right track here?" From there, well, give 'em what they want . . . and happily so. That's the academic version of jujistu, yes? = : )

Happy holidays to all!

Thane.

PS: Academic noogies to your instructor, Howard, for counting drafts at all, much less heavily. Required, sure, but the point of a draft is to get to the final. As with law exams and law school, once it's committed to the final final (paper or memory), earlier drafts are all but irrelevant. In the real world they are relevant only if a mistake is made or to confirm a specific point; we do cross-check of course, but we revise forward, not backward. In law school, the point is to show and teach that there is that process, and that it's important to reach the final product. Shame on them.

Of course, if drafts didn't count, many students would blow them off.