Strategies For Becoming A Top Law Student

Law school is a serious commitment that will affect your relationships, consume all your time, and change your day-to-day life. To become the best law student, you must have dedication and perseverance. Here are some tips to help you excel:

- Create a solid routine: Organize your time effectively by prioritizing tasks, keeping a planner, and finding a suitable study spot.

- Do the reading: Stay on top of your assigned readings and try to get ahead to avoid falling behind. Take notes and briefly summarize each case, including legally significant facts, holdings, and the court's rationale.

- Attend and actively participate in class: Most professors cover material in class that is not in the readings. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and take notes during class.

- Outline and take notes: Create your own outlines and notes instead of relying solely on those provided by senior students or commercial sources. This helps you retain information and master the subject matter.

- Review regularly: Consistently review your notes and outlines to reinforce your understanding and reduce the feeling of overwhelm before exams.

- Practice self-care: Law school can be stressful, so it's important to maintain a healthy balance. Make time for exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and activities outside of law school.

Create an effective routine

Creating an effective routine is key to becoming a top law student. Organisation is crucial, and a weekly routine that makes room for class attendance, reading time, study time, and even gym time (with time for meals, of course) is ideal. It is also important to schedule some periodic breaks so you don't burn out.

Time management is an essential skill to master before starting law school. Invest in a traditional planner, virtual assistant, or digital scheduling platform to help you practice good time management, organise your assignments, and track your goals. Keep both short-term and long-term commitments and goals in mind so that your planning becomes a roadmap guiding you towards overall success.

A solid routine will help you stay ahead of the curve and will ultimately affect your career as a lawyer. It will also help you avoid procrastination.

Read and take notes

Reading and taking notes are essential skills for any law student to master. The volume of reading and the complexity of the material can be challenging, so it's important to develop good habits early on. Here are some tips to help you excel in this area:

Do the Reading

Staying on top of your reading is crucial. Law school assignments are often dense and extensive, so it's easy to fall behind. Create a consistent reading routine and choose a quiet, distraction-free environment to maximise your focus. Read at times when you're most alert, and don't leave it until the last minute.

Take Notes While Reading

Briefing cases is an important skill. For each case, note down the legally significant facts, the holding of the case, and the court's rationale for its decision. Keep your notes concise and easy to understand for future review.

Review Before Class

Before attending class, review your reading notes (case briefs) to freshen your memory. This will enable you to actively participate in class discussions and follow along more effectively. It also reduces the risk of embarrassment if you're called on by the professor.

Take Class Notes

While in class, take notes on what the professor is saying. However, don't get too caught up in transcribing every word. Stay engaged in the discussion and analyse how new cases relate to those you've already reviewed.

Create Outlines

Creating your own outlines for each class is highly beneficial. Manipulating and organising the material in your own way deepens your understanding and helps identify areas requiring more study. While senior students' outlines may be tempting to use, creating your own ensures you fully digest the information.

Review Regularly

Law students cover a lot of ground, so it's easy to forget what you learned previously. Regularly reviewing your notes and outlines will help solidify the information in your memory and reduce the feeling of overwhelm when it comes to exams.

Mastering the art of reading and note-taking will provide a strong foundation for your law school journey and future legal career. It takes dedication and discipline, but these habits will serve you well throughout your studies and beyond.

Review notes and outlines

Reviewing your notes and outlines is an essential part of becoming a successful law student. It is important to review your notes and outlines regularly, as this will help you feel less overwhelmed when it comes to final exams. The more often you review, the more likely you are to retain the information and master the subject matter.

To make the most of your review sessions, it is recommended that you create your own outlines and notes, rather than relying solely on those provided by senior students or commercial sources. By manipulating and organizing the material yourself, you will be able to identify what you know well and which areas need more practice or study. This process will also help you determine how the rules of law relate to one another and how they are applied in different contexts.

It is also beneficial to review your notes and outlines before each class. This will ensure that the material is fresh in your mind, enabling you to follow class discussions more easily and actively participate in class. Regular review will also help you identify how new cases and readings affect those you have already reviewed.

In addition to reviewing your own work, it is worth taking advantage of any review sessions conducted by your professors or their academic fellows. These sessions can provide valuable insights into the issues that may have confused you and offer tips on how to structure your exam answers to maximize your score.

Finally, creating a study plan can help ensure that you have enough time to review your notes and outlines, as well as complete other tasks such as briefing cases and taking practice exams. By planning your time in advance, you can stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the demands of law school.

Manage your time

Time management is a crucial skill for law students, who are inundated with reading assignments, outlines, and other tasks. Here are some tips to help you manage your time effectively:

Create a Routine and Stick to It

Establish a solid routine that works for you and stick to it. This might include finding your favourite study spot, keeping a planner, and prioritising tasks on your to-do list. A routine will help you stay organised, manage your workload, and avoid procrastination.

Plan Your Time in Advance

Create a weekly schedule that includes time for class attendance, reading, studying, and other commitments like externships or extracurricular activities. By planning your time in advance, you will be able to meet the demands of law school and still have time for outside activities.

Get Ahead in Your Reading

Try to read ahead whenever possible. Reading the material at least two or three times will help enforce your overall knowledge and reduce the potential for falling behind. It will also help you apply what you've learned to real-world situations before you study it in class.

Review Regularly

Review your notes and outlines often to avoid feeling overwhelmed when it comes to exams. Regular review will help you retain information and ensure you don't forget what you've learned from one week to the next.

Take Advantage of Free Resources

Many law schools offer free resources like seminars, mock exams, office hours, and study aids. These can help you stay on track and provide valuable support when needed. Check with your school's student services office to see what resources are available to you.

Stay dedicated

Law school is a serious commitment that will affect your relationships, take up all of your time, and change your day-to-day life. It's important to stay dedicated, especially because law school is competitive. There will be students who will do anything they can to get ahead of you. Remembering to stay dedicated no matter how hard, exhausting, and boring it may get is an important part of law school success. Dedication and perseverance will help you stay ahead of the curve and ultimately affect your career as a lawyer.

• Create a solid routine– Your life will be inundated with reading assignments, outlines, and more. Create a routine that includes time for reading, studying, and other commitments. Find your favourite study spot and stick to your routine.
• Prioritize– You will likely never feel like you have enough time to finish an assignment. Prioritize each item on your to-do list and keep a planner to stay organized.
• Stay ahead– Get ahead in your reading assignments. Read the material at least two or three times and attempt to teach yourself how you would apply what you learned in real-world situations before you study it in class. Reading ahead helps to enforce your overall knowledge and prevents you from falling behind.
• Be consistent– Consistency is key to staying dedicated. Show up to class, participate, and be an engaged scholar. Make it a habit to practice self-care and maintain healthy habits to avoid burnout.
• Seek help– Don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. Take advantage of your professor's office hours and seek advice from your academic support team, peers, and mentors.

Frequently asked questions