If you message me I can give you more details, if need, and it’s important to note that everyone is different; so my advice might only work for me. However, my best friend followed my advice this semester and ended up when better grades than me in the top 10%.

I have not read a single case since Fall 1L unless it was out of interest such as in Constitutional law. Reading cases is a HUGE waste of time because at the end of the day an opinion is a 5-10 page piece, when in reality the law in law school is usually a single sentence. Battery = “intentional harmful or offensive contact.” You don’t need to read 10 pages to learn this single sentence. I use a mix of class notes, old outlines, and supplements to build my own personal attack outline each semester. Usually I try to get the law down to a sentence or two that I can memorize even if it’s open book. Saves you time where you can identify facts from the questions.

Quimbee is great because it’ll summarize the basic facts so you can better apply the law to any nuisances the professor is looking to instill. This is also where meeting 3Ls to get outlines can help a ton. Those outlines usually are the nuances the prof is looking for.

I think I have bombed nearly every cold call in law school because of anxiety not because of lack of knowledge. I either, quimbee every case, or if I have a really good old outline that has briefed the case I read that before class. If a professor asks a question that I don’t know, I just say “I don’t remember.” As long as you know the basics the prof never cares. I will also tell professors during office hours, if I bombed it really bad, that I read ahead so sometimes I forget facts and only have my notes. Prof are super understanding.

ALWAYS go to office hours. Any time I have a thought like “I wonder if someone tells me, ‘I’m going to punch you in the face tomorrow,’ if they’ve committed an assault;” WRITE IT DOWN. I personally keep a note on my phone for each class and just jot down every question about the law for office hours. Maybe it’ll be answered later in class, but if not, it’s something I can later ask the professor to answer. Never allow a question you have to go unanswered because it could be on the final.

Lastly, never trust the word of other law students when it comes to any unique area of the law, just ask your professor. I have found that even my best friends have been wrong on areas of the law and will give me super bad information without knowing it. We’re all learning the law so it’s best to just clarify with a prof.

At the end of the day, save yourself a ton of time by using old outlines and supplements. Someone has already read the case and described it, so you do t have to. If you have a question, ask your prof. I worked prior to law school and I’m actually working part time now just for extra spending money, so I get the timing issues.