Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win

HalfTitle Page......Page 2
Title Page......Page 5
Copyright Page......Page 6
Dedication Page......Page 10
Contents......Page 13
Preface......Page 25
Acknowledgments......Page 26
EndHalfTitle Page......Page 27
Part One - Overview......Page 28
A. Motivated for Success While Maintaining Collegiality......Page 29
A. Effective Study Habits......Page 30
D. Examination Techniques......Page 31
III. The Next Step......Page 32
I. Fact-Based Essay Examinations in IRAC Format......Page 33
2. An Illustration in a Nonlegal Context......Page 34
1. A Full Analysis Still Earns the Most Points......Page 37
2. An Illustration in a Nonlegal Context......Page 38
III. Objective Questions: True–False and Multiple-Choice Questions......Page 39
IV. The Next Step......Page 40
Part Two - Law School Study Techniques......Page 42
A. Take Your Studies Seriously......Page 43
B. But Put a Positive Spin on It......Page 44
II. Hit the Ground Running......Page 45
A. Prepare a Schedule......Page 46
B. Use Class Time to Your Advantage......Page 48
IV. The Next Step......Page 50
A. Branches of Government......Page 51
C. Common Law......Page 52
D. Case Law and Cases......Page 55
E. Court Structure......Page 58
3. Precedent from Other Court Systems May Be Persuasive but Not Binding......Page 59
4. Precedent from a Reviewing Court May Be Distinguishable, and Thus Nonbinding, Although Still Potentially Useful......Page 60
II. Briefing Cases......Page 62
A. A Popular Format for a Case Brief......Page 63
B. A Sample Case Brief......Page 66
A. The Socratic Method......Page 68
1. When the Answer Is Uncertain, Develop Arguments......Page 70
2. An Illustration in a Nonlegal Context......Page 71
III. The Next Step......Page 77
Part Three - Preparing for Exams......Page 78
A. Staying Engaged During Class......Page 79
II. Case Synthesis......Page 80
A. Backing Up to See the Whole Forest (and Not Just Individual Trees)......Page 81
1. Warm-Up: Example in a Nonlegal Context......Page 83
2. Example in a Legal Context......Page 88
III. The Next Step......Page 90
Chapter 6 - Outlining Course Material......Page 92
II. The Outlining Process: Getting Started......Page 93
A. A Nonlegal Example......Page 94
B. Example: Misrepresentation and Nondisclosure in Contract Formation......Page 97
III. Putting Flesh on the Bones of Your Outline......Page 103
A. Learning Through Outlining......Page 105
3. Strategic Guide for Problem Solving......Page 106
A. Synthesizing Two Cases and Outlining Ads as Offers......Page 108
B. Advanced Exercise: Outlining Consideration......Page 113
VI. Flowcharts and Other Graphics......Page 115
A. An Illustration from International Sales Law......Page 116
B. An Illustration from First-Year Contracts......Page 119
C. Don’t Force a Flexible Analysis into a Mechanical Flowchart......Page 125
VII. The Next Step......Page 126
I. Find and Study Past Exams......Page 127
A. Practice Makes Perfect......Page 129
B. Solicit Feedback on Your Performance......Page 131
IV. Take the Exam as Written (Not as You Wish It Were Written)......Page 132
V. The Next Step......Page 134
Part Four - Taking Law School Exams......Page 135
I. Adopt a Winning Attitude......Page 136
II. Maintain Your Machine......Page 137
III. Facing Exam Day......Page 138
IV. The Next Step......Page 139
A. Expect Time Pressure......Page 140
B. Logical Allocation, Not Gambling......Page 141
1. An Illustration in a Nonlegal Setting......Page 142
2. Application to the Legal Setting......Page 145
3. Allocating Your Time Among Essay Questions......Page 147
1. A Plan of Action......Page 149
2. An Illustration......Page 150
B. Plan Your Answer......Page 153
C. Reacting to Apparent Mistakes in an Exam Question......Page 154
2. Do Not Lightly Alter the Facts of an Exam......Page 155
A. Production Rather Than Perfection......Page 156
B. Express All the Links in Your Chain of Logic......Page 157
C. Depth of Analysis......Page 158
2. Sample Exam Answers on Same Issue......Page 159
a. In-Depth Answer......Page 164
b. Full IRAC with Moderate Depth of Analysis......Page 166
c. Hurried Analysis in an “Issue-Spotting” Exam......Page 168
IV. The Next Step......Page 170
I. General Format......Page 171
1. Identifying Issues......Page 173
a. An Example from a Nonlegal Context......Page 174
b. An Example from the Common Law of Burglary......Page 175
3. Expressing Your Identification of Issues......Page 176
1. Presentation of Legal Rules......Page 180
2. Depth and Formality of Analysis......Page 183
1. Presentation of Fact Analysis......Page 184
1. Taking a Position......Page 186
3. Do Not Cut Off Secondary Issues......Page 188
A. A Nonlegal Example......Page 189
B. An Example Raising Issues in Quasi-Contract......Page 192
A. A Nonlegal Setting......Page 194
B. Negligence: Application of Tort Law to Facts......Page 196
C. Offer: Application of Contract Law to Facts......Page 198
D. Contract Formation: Application of Contract Law to Facts......Page 200
E. Unconscionability: Application of Contract Law to Facts......Page 202
V. The Next Step......Page 203
A. Explaining a Result Rather Than Arguing Both Sides......Page 205
B. Recognizing and Reacting to Questions with Certain Answers......Page 206
C. Example: The Battle of the Forms......Page 208
D. Exercise: UCC §2-207......Page 212
A. Explanation of the Legal Doctrine......Page 213
B. Exercise: International Sale of Goods......Page 215
C. Critique and Policy Analysis......Page 217
III. Take-Home and Performance Exams......Page 218
A. Easing the Time Pressure......Page 219
B. Performance Exams with Sophisticated Answers......Page 220
IV. The Next Step......Page 221
I. True–False and Multiple-Choice Questions......Page 222
A. Look for the Flaw in a Statement with Mostly True Assertions......Page 223
B. But Recognize That the Statement Might Be True in All Respects......Page 224
C. True–False Questions with Fact Patterns......Page 225
1. Most Elements of the Statement of Law Are Correct, but the Conclusion and at Least One Element of the Law Are Incorrect......Page 227
2. The Legal Rule Is Incorrect, Even Though the Conclusion May Be Correct......Page 228
3. A Correct Conclusion Is Purportedly Explained by Facts That Would Be Relevant Only Under an Inaccurate Implicit Legal Premise......Page 229
4. The Statement of the Law Is Correct in the Abstract, but It Produces a Different Conclusion When Applied to the Facts......Page 230
5. Accurate Statement of the Law Is Irrelevant to a Correct Conclusion and Thus Does Not Explain It......Page 231
6. Exercise: Five True–False Questions Relating to Common Facts......Page 232
A. Relationship to True–False Questions......Page 234
1. Alternative Abstract Statements of the Law......Page 235
2. Fact-Based Questions......Page 236
A. The Nature of the Problem......Page 239
B. Reacting to Mistakes or Flaws in an Objective Question......Page 240
A. Theories of Contract Liability......Page 242
B. Five Civil Procedure Questions Based on Extensive Common Facts......Page 244
VI. The Next Step......Page 250
Epilogue......Page 251
Appendix A - Sample Answers to Oulining Exercises in Chapter 6, Section V......Page 253
Appendix B - Sample Answers to Essay Exam Exercises in Chapter 10, Section IV......Page 257
Appendix C - Sample Answers to Essay Exam Exercises in Chapter 11......Page 268
Appendix D - Explanation of True-False and Multiple-Choice Exercises in Chapter 12......Page 271