How to Prepare for Law School Exams

In many law school classes, your entire grade is based upon one exam. It is, therefore, crucial that you prepare as thoroughly as possible for each exam. This article will explain the different steps that you should take to prepare for your exams.

Things You'll Need

• Class notes
• Case books
• Computer
• Law School Library
• Study Group

Instructions

1. Throughout the semester, you should incorporate your reading assignments and class notes into an outline. At the end of the course, you will have a complete outline with all of the important cases and legal standards included.

2. Compare your outline to the outlines of your classmates or students who have previously taken the same class with the same professor. Likely, each outline that you read will offer cases or legal standards that were not included in your original outline. Add those cases and legal standards into your own outline.

3. Complete practice exams. The best practice questions are on previous exams given by your professor or sample exams written by your professor. Some professors hand out sample or previous exams in class. Others make them available at the Law School Library and still others have them available on the internet. Check with your professor to see how you can obtain previous or sample exams.

4. After you complete the practice exams, get together with a study group made up of other students in your class. Review everyone's answers to the practice or sample exams. Think about what you missed in your essay that other people did not miss. Think about writing style and how best to organize your exam responses.

5. The night before the exam, review your outline and get a good night's sleep.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose your study group wisely. Try to form a study group with the brightest students. Think about who has answered questions well in class and who seems to be studying diligently.

• Some professors will allow you to take an outline that you have prepared into the exam with you. If your professor allows this, make sure that your outline is extremely well organized and that you know where to find all off the important information so that you do not waste time looking for information during the exam.