Any targeted help for those at the "elite" schools would be tremendously appreciated.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15863336)

so why prepare to be below median?

edit: i wish you luck btw with your job search/career.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15863779)

what are some expedited study tips for relatively smart but lazy fucks like myself

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15863575)

You may need to work on your work ethic and analysis. Work ethic is obvious, but analysis can be tricky. You may be inclined to over-analyze issues and assume too much of the reader. You need to become comfortable using formulaic answers (esp. IRAC), explicitly assessing the strength of claims without excessive qualification, and ignoring inadvertent issues that may be presented by exam fact patterns.

As to studying smarter, be careful. If you fuck around with supplements too much, you may lose focus of what your professor wants. If you're relatively good at analyzing text (as you likely are), it might be better to just stick with the class materials.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15863654)

Don't waste time with a study group.

Start making outlines after a couple weeks of class.

Make notecards early and start memorizing, even if it is an open book test.

Write down things that the teacher says that they seem to be passionate about. Regurgitate on test.

And most importantly, Adderall.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15863791)

I think study groups are good for people who are auditory learners b/c socratic method sometimes loses the thread and class in law school can fail to cover huge swaths of the material. If you're the type of person who does fine just reading their textbook by yourself in your room, then don't bother.

EDIT: The one thing that group did that I thought was really smart--eight weeks out from the exam and got practice exams (preferably, though not necessarily, from the prof) and did the questions on subjects we had already covered, then went to office hours and asked about the questions and got the prof's view/comments. I went to one or two of these with them, and I think that helped them more than anything else they did. They were also all smarter than me, though, and probably better writers.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15867708)

you are far more likely to groove a class with a prof with a clear style who gives you practice exams and goes over them than with one who doesn't. i did the best in classes like this.

visiting prof? you might be fucked.

lazy prof anal about making old exams public? you might be fucked.

prof who loves policy but never discusses it in class? you might be fucked.

laptops banned in class? you might be fucked.

avoid these factors and more, plus work your ass off? profit. in 1L you have no control over any of them. best of luck.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15864147)

but i appreciate the candor

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15864166)

Avoid study groups at all costs.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15864655)

issue - law - analysis (argument/counterargument/argument/counterargument) - conclusion (use "may" and "likely")

cite cases in moderation. bring up policy points the prof brought up

too bad all of this will become moot when oci 2011 is a giant cock in the ass like the previous two oci's

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15865991)

I had drinks with a doooder a few nights ago that told me it was important to cite facts from cases in your exams.....is this true?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866799)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866826)

take practice tests

know key facts/key reasoning/rule of law in cases

don't brief

enjoy getting fucked by oci 2011, sincerely hth

edit: seriously after all this, if you go to law school, you are a fucking moron, no offense

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866829)

about a third of the class has no callbacks at all, and it's not just the lazy's and urm's. that includes people at median

you are taking a serious gamble, and, like so many 0Ls before you, have no idea how insanely competitive it is or how you will do. your work ethic and strategy have little to do with your success on a mandatory curve against other hard working, intelligent people

bump this thread around this time next year and try not to cry

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866845)

the 3Ls are even more hopeless

it's a fucking slaughter. like you i went in thinking i would follow a special strategy, do practice exams, use outlines etc. guess what? virtually every person does that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866856)

i'm telling you firsthand data of what is actually going on right now, and you are arguing with some bullshit rumor you heard on the internet probably generated by firms

this hiring season is looking to be shit pure shit

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866857)

let's see. my experience actually doing exactly what he is about to do v. some shit that he read on the internet. hm. i wonder who actually has a stronger grasp on the reality of the situation

goddamn there are some dumb fucking posters here

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866870)

That aside, I do not doubt that OCI is tough this year and I value your honesty; thank you for keeping my eyes wide open.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866883)

Secondary markets got crushed. People bet the farm on LA, SF, Boston, Texas and got shut out. The credited strategy was just to bid on all the NYC megafirms, but nobody told the medians.

To get 7-8 cbs at median you needed to be 1) URM, 2) substantial WE, 3) really click with the interviewer, not just last the 20 minutes and make no faux pas.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866898)

it's like invisible ink, new layers come out every few minutes

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866919)

Hyperbole? If true this would be much worse than last year. According to someone I know in CSO only about 40 peeps got 0 CBS last year

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866885)

Ugh...

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866928)

1. Legal writing is your most important class. Figure out how to write like an attorney. Learn IRAC, or as some say IRAAAAC. Slavishly obey that format for your exams. Professors want to see you apply the facts to the law. Regurgitating black letter law will not get you an A. Explaining why certain facts support a legal conclusion will.

2. Take practice exams, review the answers with classmates. The best way to get inside the professor's head is to see what the professor has done before. And even if you can't get exams from that professor, seeing what similar professors' exams look like can be very beneficial.

3. Avoid study groups. These are generally a large waste of time. It's the blind leading the blind, someone trying to one-up the rest of the group, a large flirting session, some people trying to imitate a 70s movie, whatever.

4. Listen to your professors. You're taking Prof. X's class, not Prof. Gilbert's or Prof. Emmanuel's. The professors will use certain language, highlight certain points time and again.

5. Do not study 24/7. Establish a good sleep schedule, a good diet, and a good exercise routine. It is better to spend 5 hours a week exercising than the incremental "benefit" of increasing your study time from, say, 45 to 50 hours.

6a. Don't be a jerk in class. Think before you speak, and speak rarely. Your professors will appreciate this. And if you ever go back to them for recommendations later on, you want to be remembered, from the beginning, as a thoughtful, intelligent classroom participant, not a gunner asking random questions to fill classtime.

6b. Don't be a jerk to your classmates. It will make you feel more miserable and isolated. And when times get tough, or you need some help, or you want to talk about jobs, you do not want to be among the isolated and ridiculed souls. Go to social events, bar nights, whatever.

7. If you can disable your Internet card in class, do it. Figure out if you can remove that temptation as early as possible.

8. People have different theories about when to start outlining. I think it's best to start about a month into the semester. The first week is too early because you don't know where the subject is going and still don't even understand how to read cases. But you don't want to wait too long.

9. Spend a substantial amount of your exam time, at least 20%, to reading the question, outlining the answer, and proofing. If you have a clear, well-organized answer, edited for clarity and conciseness, you are well ahead of many.

10. Supplements are a backup. Your professor's commentary and the casebook are primary. Start with them, and go to supplements for clarity or alternative treatment.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866894)

that being said,

1. True to some extent, but this is an academic view. My experience is that legal writing taught in law schools and legal writing in courts and firms are different animals.

2. credited

3. generally credited, though if you can find a tight 2-3 person team of smart people it can work well

4. you should be able to get enough of the professor's views from the sample exams. classes where i tried to "listen to the professor" were generally shitshows since despite what they all say, all they really want is the black letter with some rhetorical fluorish. they can't remember what they said on a topic any more than you can. classes where i went off a black letter outline generally went better.

5. credited

6. credited, especially b. if you get a reputation as a snobby bitch, it will follow you forever

7. overstated. got the best grades in classes where i surfed the internet. many classes, particularly things like torts and conlaw, turn into gunnerfests very early on. what the kid in the front row thinks about topic X will not be on the exam, and in a lot of classes that's 60-70% of the class time.

8. credited

9. can't say i agree with this. certainly get the call of the question, but spending 12 minutes of an essay allotted an hour reading and proofing? you're toast.

10. meh. had lots of exams throughout law school where the casebook was never ever a factor. you need black letter with individual professor's spin on it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15866914)

Some might dispute this, but I think that's how I'd balance it. And it's not terribly helpful, I know, but it's some perspective.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15867407)

Ks - Chirlstein

Civ Pro - Glannon

Crim - Understanding Crim from Lexis

Property - Understanding Property from Lexis

Torts - No single "best" here, but E&E is decent

Con Law - Chemerinsky

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15868642)

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Criminal-Law-Lega-Text/dp/0820550272

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15868664)

1) Don't worry about being "prepared" for class. Worry about being prepared for the exam

2) Practice exams are your only ticket to success. Find as many as you can, do as many as you can.

3) ORGANIZE YOUR EXAM ANSWER. Use headers, bold them, have clean breaks between issues/paragraphs, etc. It WILL give you additional points.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1403368&forum_id=2#15868696)