The Law Lifestyle

  After being an orientation leader for two years now, I've noticed one specific thing that consistently confuses and scares incoming 1Ls: outlining. One you're in law school, you drop that word so casually and it becomes such a normal part of your vocabulary that we just expect everyone around us to know what we're talking about. But that's not the case.  So, first off, what the heck is an outline?  In law school, outlines are created to summarize what you've learned in a class over the course of a semester. For some classes, you'll be allowed to use them during your final exam to help you recall information. You syphon the most important information from your classes so you can succeed on your exams.  Below, I'll go in-depth about how to outline, as well as provide some outlining tips that I've picked up over my time in law school.  How to Outline 1. Gather all your materials together.  By materials, I mean anything you've used throughout the semes

  You'll notice that the title doesn't say this is how you should take notes in law school--this is just the way I choose to do it. I'm a big believer in the idea that everyone approaches law school in a different way, so the way that I take notes may not be the way that works for you, but it could inspire you to figure out what note-taking method works best for you.  I use Microsoft OneNote to take notes in class. This semester, the only class I'm in is Constitutional Law II, so I'll be using my notes from that to show you how I prepare for class and take notes during class. Here's what a typical day of notes looks like for me:  As an overview, I read through and brief all my cases once before taking notes in OneNote. I find that it takes me too long to read through a case and take notes at the same time because I lose my place or train of thought too often.  The notes I take on my own are in the white font. Typically, this makes up the bulk of my notes for tha