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**** law school. The Law School Hate Thread

ravenvii

ravenvii

macrumors 604
Original poster
Mar 17, 2004
7,588
494
Melenkurion Skyweir
I'm cramming for the exams.

I haven't done any of the readings up to now.

I wanted to get out a few months ago, but couldn't find a way out.

And now I have to take exams that I don't even care if I pass or not.

And I'm cramming anyway, because passing the exams will postpone having to face the "real world".

Yes pathetic. Yes emo.

**** it all.

(Any tips for cramming? I only want to pass, I don't give a crap about grades)

/post
 
(FYI: I'm a 3L)

I'm guessing you're in your first year. If you hate it that much, I think you need to find a way out. I know a lot of people who have been miserable the past 2 and a half years, and are going to be miserable going in to the legal profession. If you hate it now, you're probably going to keep hating it.

If you aren't going to quit, be advised that law school exams are not at all like college exams, or the LSAT, or anything else you've done before. They are about spotting legal issues and applying law to new sets of facts. The best thing you can to do study is to look over previous exams that your profs have given - see what kinds of questions they ask, what topics they almost always hit on, and whether your answers are close to old sample answers.

The other piece of advice I have is to make a list of cases that were covered in the class and write out a one line summary for each case. The line should either be the holding of the case or something quick that reminds you what the case was about ("the steel seizure case").

Good luck...
 
I am also studying for exams now, only one more semester for me. I have evidence Monday, then Corporate finance and real estate transactions wednesday....... Then back to work for a few weeks. School sucks.
 
1L here. But I do care about my grades. I want to kick some ass. Its tough studying because I have been working like crazy all semester. I work full time and go to school at night. I'm pretty confident as long as I can maintain an attention span long enough to study
good luck fellow law schoolers
 
I'm currently cramming for my torts final on monday and this is my plan of action
yours may vary

cali lessons (if available at your school)
compiled all notes taken into a massive 130 page document
compiled smaller 20 page document of key issues
compiled 3 page document of stuff learned from cali lessons

I am reading and re reading all three of these and weeding out crap I'm sure I know
further I am (after studying) writing down key issues about duty, breach, causation, damages and the same for intentional torts
and checking wikipedia for additional information if I discover that I missed that day of class
(if you dont have the notes use the topics on your syllabus and check wikipedia to create an outline, so far the information I have gotten from it has been accurate)

on sunday I am going over barbri questions and reading past torts finals and outlining answers to make sure I can think in IRAC

I am also drinking 2 pots of coffee a day and chain smoking

you also may want to do a google search for law school outlines online there are a crap load available for free and all you need to do is weed out info that doesnt pertain to your course and merge documents to make sure you have all of the information you need
(outlinedepot)
 
poopyhead said:
I'm currently cramming for my torts final on monday and this is my plan of action ...
Click to expand...

IMO you're pulling in way too many outside sources. The only material that matters is that material that your class has covered, not the entire universe of information on torts. But that's just my opinion...
 
foidulus said:
therefore I hate it :D
Click to expand...

Until you need one...... :D

As far as studying goes, you just need to know the big picture and be able to see where things fit in. So know the basics and be able to apply them. The application is the critical part.
 
So umm... if you hate it so much, why in bloody hell are you even attending a law school? To me it just sounds like "my parents told me to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I'm living their life's desires" :p

I for one am a beautiful artist creating beauty! :D Such a beautiful job - and best of all, I love my job, and I love every minute of any tuition that I require to further advance my maaad skillz :)
 
InkMaster said:
So umm... if you hate it so much, why in bloody hell are you even attending a law school? To me it just sounds like "my parents told me to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I'm living their life's desires" :p

I for one am a beautiful artist creating beauty! :D Such a beautiful job - and best of all, I love my job, and I love every minute of any tuition that I require to further advance my maaad skillz :)
Click to expand...

Your happiness repulses me.

It's difficult to understand without actually experiencing law school and its environment. If you're a good artist, you should be able to appreciate the nuances between practicing law and a legal education. What you want to do as a lawyer and your legal education often have little to do with each other.
 
The world doesn't need more lawyers.


This is what the world would be like without lawyers.
200px-World-without-lawyers.gif

As you can see, everyone is HAPPY.

However, the world does need more shrinks. :p
 
ravenvii said:
Contracts down. Property coming up.

How did I do? Absolutely no clue.
Click to expand...

That's about right....

Prof. said:
The world doesn't need more lawyers.

However, the world does need more shrinks. :p
Click to expand...

Ha. I maintain that psychology has screwed up more people than anything else ever has.... And I've seen what happens when there's no law and no lawyers:
 

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Property DOWN!

I know I'm gonna put a jinx on myself for this, but I actually think I did pretty damn well on this one.

*knocks on wood*

Criminal Law coming up. Ugh, I am sure gonna be damn glad when that one's over with. Do not want!
 
ravenvii said:
Property DOWN!

I know I'm gonna put a jinx on myself for this, but I actually think I did pretty damn well on this one.

*knocks on wood*

Criminal Law coming up. Ugh, I am sure gonna be damn glad when that one's over with. Do not want!
Click to expand...

so what were the exams about - do tell, I am quite curious :p
 
ravenvii said:
Property DOWN!

I know I'm gonna put a jinx on myself for this, but I actually think I did pretty damn well on this one.
Click to expand...

Bad sign!

(Sorry, but often true...)

ravenvii said:
*knocks on wood*

Criminal Law coming up. Ugh, I am sure gonna be damn glad when that one's over with. Do not want!
Click to expand...

Criminal should be straightforward. Just make sure you know the elements, and don't forget accessory and conspiracy--favorites on crim law exams.
 
Drop out and go to med school, you will have a comparable amount of studying to do, but at least the content is interesting.
 
Not to worry or concern you anymore than you are already in your 1L.

If you think 1L is tough and you are already thinking about getting out, wait till you see what is in store for you after law school.

Life in law firms is sick. Utterly miserable beyond description.

As for now, my advice to you is to (1) get the past years exams and sample answers for the identical professors you have, and look at them CAREFULLY and try to emulate; (2) get outlines that were prepared by past students of the identical professors, and study from there, rather than the commercial outlines.

You have plenty of time to study from the outlines. You probably will have not enough time to read the cases now since it is already late in the semester to play catch up reading. But if you manage to get a good outline, and study from there, you will have no problem doing well. You still have alot of time.

With the right outline, you need 1-2 days max to prep for exam in one course -- so you are talking about 8 days to prep for torts, conlaw, contracts, civ pro etc, whatever you have in your first semester.
 
Naimfan said:
So why did you go in the first place? Law school is a lousy way to just stay in school for 3 more years.
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Yeah, but that's the thing... if I get out, then what? I don't know what I want to do with my life, and if I get out now, I probably will have a hard time finding jobs, and end up with a crap one.

From what I've seen, I've already decided that I do not want to work in a law firm, or even be a lawyer. So dunno. Maybe I'll just get the JD and see where it leads from there.

I won't be in much debt come graduation, not compared to others anyway, so even if it's a awash, it's not all that bad, and a JD looks good on a resume.

All that is, if I don't find some inspiration and get out.
 
ravenvii said:
Yeah, but that's the thing... if I get out, then what? I don't know what I want to do with my life, and if I get out now, I probably will have a hard time finding jobs, and end up with a crap one.

From what I've seen, I've already decided that I do not want to work in a law firm, or even be a lawyer. So dunno. Maybe I'll just get the JD and see where it leads from there.

I won't be in much debt come graduation, not compared to others anyway, so even if it's a awash, it's not all that bad, and a JD looks good on a resume.

All that is, if I don't find some inspiration and get out.
Click to expand...

Yikes.

Can't argue about not wanting to work in a law firm--that's why I do my own thing! But if you're this miserable now, it's only going to get worse....or you might have an epiphany and find a subject you really like. Also, the light bulb will go off for you at some point--and that's when you "get" it. Hard to explain, but it's that "Aha!" moment when you suddenly understand what's going on. Once you have that moment, law school is easy. Really.
 
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