Insider's Guide To Your First Year Of Law School: A Student-to-Student Handbook from a Law School Survivor

Insider's Guide To Your First Year Of Law School: A Student-to-Student Handbook from a Law School Survivor

by Justin Spizman
Insider's Guide To Your First Year Of Law School: A Student-to-Student Handbook from a Law School Survivor

Insider's Guide To Your First Year Of Law School: A Student-to-Student Handbook from a Law School Survivor

by Justin Spizman

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Overview

They say that there are more students in law school than there are practicing lawyers. If they’re right, then you need every possible advantage. In this insider’s guide, Georgia State University School of Law student Justin Spizman helps you get the head start you need. Whether you are considering law school or are already ensconced in the curriculum, Spizman tells you what you need to know to survive—and thrive! With firsthand experience and interviews with both professors and practicing attorneys, Spizman gives you the edge you need to manage your workload, figure out what your professors really want, get an edge on your future in the legal field, determine the right type of law to pursue, reduce stress, and more. In addition, this guide addresses current issues that law students like you face every day, including computers in the classroom, electronic databases, the Socratic method, outlining and study tips, balancing a heavy workload with everyday life, and making time for friends and family. The Insider’s Guide to Your First Year of Law School promises to show you not only how to get through your first year—but how to get ahead!

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440516900
Publisher: Adams Media
Publication date: 03/13/2007
Sold by: SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format: eBook
Pages: 240
File size: 541 KB

About the Author

Justin Spizman just finished his third year of law school at Georgia State University School of Law. Throughout his first two years of law school, Spizman clerked for criminal defense and entertainment attorneys to gain legal experience and training. Even though Spizman survived his first year, he realized how much he wished he had known before it all began.

Table of Contents


Letter to the Reader     xiii
Foreword   George H. Ross     xv
What to Expect in Your First Year
Let the Game Begin     2
Orientation     2
The First Day     5
Let Me Introduce You to a Few of My Friends: Your First-Year Courses     6
Importance of Class     11
Classmates     12
Sections     13
Preparing for Classes     14
Classroom Routine     14
Reviewing after Class     16
Professors     16
Studying     17
Summary     18
Preparing for the Cl-ass Kicking of Your Life
What's the Big Deal about Class?     20
Attendance     20
The "Foolish Scenario"     22
Nightly Reading     23
Case Briefing     24
Dog Days     26
Class Is in Session     27
Study Guides     29
Helpful Ways to Use Outlines and Briefs     31
Classroom Etiquette     32
Class Over     35
Winning Over Your Profs
Picking Your Profs     38
Avoiding the Tough Guys     39
The Initial Introduction     41
Don'tBe Scared, Be Prepared     43
Contact Your Profs (Using Their Office Hours)     47
Networking Through Professors     50
Parents, Friends, and Family     52
Sick/Personal Days     53
Let the Synergy Begin     54
Filling the Rolodex: Networking During Your First Year
Let the Networking Begin     56
Lifelines     57
Breaking the Ice with Your Classmates     57
When Should I Network?     59
Organizing Your Network     63
Using Your Network     66
The Power of a Network     71
The Etiquette of the Network     74
Start Building that Network of Yours     76
Outline Your Way to a Successful Exam
Just Another Four-Letter Word     80
Relax     80
Monsters under the Bed     82
Scheduling and Exam Prep     86
Outlining: An Introduction     87
Outlining in Study Groups     90
Textbooks, Notes, and Study Guides, Oh My!     93
Outlining: From Beginning to End     97
Time-Saving Tips and Hints     100
Follow Through: Studying and Taking the Test
Study Time     106
Taking an Exam      110
Relax the Night Away     110
"Time" for Exams     111
Accessorize     113
The First Test     114
Manage Your Time     116
Outlining Exam Answers     117
IRAC     119
Review     123
The Aftermath     124
What a Chapter!     127
Legal Writing: What's the Difference and How Is It Done?
College Education and Law School Writing: Lessons to Learn     131
What's the Big Difference?     133
A Tale of Two Styles     135
What to Expect as a 1L Writer     136
The Writing Process     140
On Your Mark, Get Set, Write     145
Writing Made Easy: Easy Tips for Even Easier Writing     148
Now It's Time to Get Started     156
Distractions: The Good, the Bad, and the Necessary
The Balancing Act     160
Time for Distractions     162
The Good Distractions     165
The Bad Distractions     172
The Necessary     176
When the Stress Comes Marching In     178
Fifteen-Minute Motivators     181
Go Forth, Young Scholar
The Job Search     187
Interviewing     192
I Got the job, Now What?     196
Back to School, Back to School     198
The End (or Is It Just the Beginning?)     202
Appendix A     205
Index     217
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