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1L Year: How to Succeed in Your Second Semester of Law School
Rest, Relax, Recharge
Autopsy Exam Mistakes
Discussing issues that fall outside the essay question prompt
Adjust your approach to succeed on your next exam. Read the question prompt first, before you dive into the fact pattern. Underline any limitations given in the question. Return to the question prompt before you start writing to confirm you’re on the right track.
Flubbing the rule
Plan to spend time this semester creating an exam-focused course outline. An exam-focused outline is organized according to legal concepts covered in your course and contains comprehensive rule statements that produce correct analysis. For tricky concepts, include a factual illustration from a case or a hypothetical given in class. It’ll make the concept easier to remember and apply on the exam.
Incompletely or incorrectly applying law to fact
- Did you recite facts without applying the rules? Weak application sections recite only facts. To earn more points next time, make explicit links between the facts and the legal conclusion.
- Did you omit relevant facts? Strong exam analysis makes use of all determinative facts provided in the hypothetical. Hone your skills by working with practice essay questions this semester. And try this trick to incorporate more facts in your application sections: X out facts on the hypothetical as you use them in your answer. If you see a large swath of text in the hypothetical with no Xs, return to it. Perhaps you missed something!
- Did you omit counteranalysis, discussing the issue as though it were one-sided? Some issues warrant discussing both sides. Practice writing application sections that present the strongest argument followed by the opposing side’s argument.
Streamline Class Preparation in Favor of Exam Preparation
In your second semester, aim to spend less time preparing for class and more time on exam prep. You’ll still have meaty casebook readings, but you can approach them with greater efficiency. Try these tips:
- Preread a case brief to increase speed. Skilled readers use reading cues to speed through assignments. Before you dig into the casebook, read an expert-drafted case brief or watch a case brief video to comprehend your reading faster.
- Focus on the main idea. Expert casebook readers also read selectively, with greater focus on important parts. Cases often discuss multiple points of law, but the casebook editor typically has just 1 point of law in mind as the teachable point. Focus on the facts, reasoning, and holding on that teachable point. Deploy a quick reading speed for everything else.
Make your first attempt at the bar exam your last with Quimbee
- 91% bar exam pass rate*
- 100% money-back guarantee
- 1,600+ real questions from past bar exams