102: How to Read Cases and Prepare for Class in Law School

Welcome back! Today we are going to dive into one of the realities of day-to-day law school life -- reading cases and preparing for class. You'll end up spending much of your day reading and preparing for class. And, yes, there is a "right" way and a "wrong way" to prepare for law school classes. This podcast will give you some valuable tips to make sure you're getting the most out of your study time.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why reading cases and preparing for class can seem daunting and difficult
• How to prepare for class correctly and make the most of your study time
• The elements of a case opinion you should be able to identify and become familiar with
• The significance and purpose of a case brief and dos and don'ts of case briefing
• Appropriate and helpful uses for supplements
• The struggle is real – really. Struggling with the material is part of the process!

Resources:

• Start Law School Right Course (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/start-law-school-right)
• Best Practices for Using Supplements (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/best-practices-for-using-supplements/)
• Podcast Episode 95: Top 1L Questions: Time and Life Management (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/podcast-episode-95-top-1l-questions-time-life-management/)
• Constitutional Law Stories, by Michael C. Dorf (https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Law-Stories-Michael-Dorf/dp/1587785056)
• Is Handwriting Notes a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/is-handwriting-notes-a-good-thing-or-a-bad-thing/)
• How to Brief a Case in Law School (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/how-to-brief-a-case-in-law-school/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Episode-102-Reading-Cases-and-Preparing-for-Class.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/law-school-toolbox-podcast/id1027603976) (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're concerned about the bar exam, check out our sister site, the Bar Exam Toolbox (http://barexamtoolbox.com/).

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee