Resources for First-Year Law Students

In this work, nationally-recognized exam expert Professor Charles Whitebread will teach you the eight secrets that will add points to every exam answer you write. You will learn the three keys to handling any essay exam, how to use time to your advantage, issue-spotting, how to organize your answer, and the hidden traps of the IRAC method. Once you have mastered these skills, you can put your knowledge to the test with sample exam questions, and check your answers against those provided. There is also a special section on how to do well on other exams, like open book, multiple choice, or policy exams.

Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades is the complete handbook for students who want to significantly improve their performance in law school. In most law school classes, 90% of a student's final grade is based on a single comprehensive exam that is given at the end of the semester. This book focuses on developing the one skill that can really improve a student's GPA: getting the best possible grade on that all-important exam. Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades offers a practical, top-to-bottom strategy that can be applied to almost any law school exam, regardless of the topic or level. Written from the perspective of a student with a 4.0 GPA, this book offers fresh and unique insights on law school exams by stripping the exam format into a series of repeatable steps and building blocks. It also teaches students how to prepare for exams, instead of preparing for class, with proven time-management, outlining, and case-briefing techniques. Based on the author's highly successful seminar series at the University of Miami, these strategies have already helped hundreds of law students improve their grades. Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades is perfect for the over-achieving law student who is aiming for perfect grades, the struggling upper-division student who needs guidance to stay afloat, or the eager pre-law student who wants a peek at what lies ahead.

Recognizing that law students operate under severe time constraints, Professor Calleros employs a reassuring, accessible style that makes points quickly and clearly. Starting with creative examples and illustrations from familiar, nonlegal contexts, the author introduces students to new concepts by analogy and then advances to more complex legal examples. Exercises and practice exams, with a focus on essay questions and model answers, help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, plan strategies, and organize their efforts. Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win offers techniques for maximizing scores on several types of essay questions, as well as on multiple-choice and other questions. Exam anxiety is tackled by a helpful, positive perspective: the right amount of stress can serve as a motivator. Students get help in reducing anxiety to a productive level by learning how to place exams into proper perspective. Stress-management techniques are introduced, including, stretching, meditation, and listening to motivational music. The Second Edition introduces new sample flow charts into the presentation, and additional examples, questions, and sample answers appear throughout the text. Hallmark features of Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win: --accessible, reassuring style o points are clear and concise for students under severe time constraints --creative examples and illustrations from familiar, nonlegal contexts o introduces students to new concepts by analogy o then advances to more complex legal examples --exercises and practice exams organize student's effort o identify strengths and weaknesses o focus on essay questions and model answers o help plan strategies --addresses techniques for maximizing scores o several types of essay questions o multiple-choice and other objective questions --tackles exam anxiety o helps students understand that a small degree of anxiety can motivate o shows how to reduce anxiety to a productive level --place exams into proper perspective --prepare thoroughly --adopt stress-management techniques: stretching, meditation, motivational music

Open Book: Succeeding on Exams from the First Day of Law School offers today's law students more than simple exam preparation. The authors, both award-winning teachers with a wealth of classroom experience, reveal what professors really look for in exam answers. By linking exam-taking to the actual practice of law, they explain what it means to "think like a lawyer" in an exam setting, and how to get the most out of classes. Open Book also showcases a distinctive central pedagogy, "the pinball method of exam-taking," and provides detailed examples and a wealth of concrete exam-taking techniques.

Essay exams don't have to be a mystery. With its wealth of visual aids, examples, and practical advice, John Dernbach's concise guide enables pre-law and law school students to develop the strong essay-writing skills they need to succeed and feel confident taking essay exams.