@@uselessinfo4634 Participation points depends on the professor. I have raised and lowered a final course grade based on participation. Others I know also count participation in the final course grade.
No joking... My cousin who is an attorney in Florida called me and tried to talk me out of going to law school once my aunt had told him my decision. It was really disheartening. He didn't give any good reasons except that "it's hard." :/
The temptation to master every case is such a massive hazard, especially since it's so intuitive to think you need super detailed notes going into a law exam, rather than concise statements of legal principles plus the odd fact if it was essential to the reasoning
Hi Professor Baez, One bad piece of advice I have received from both lawyers and non-lawyers alike is to go where you want to practice. The legal industry has changed. Gone are the days when you can just go to law school and make a success. Law school is an expensive investment which contrary to conventional belief is actually quite risky. This is not to discourage anyone from attending, but the reality is just that. One should rather look at the employment outcomes of schools more than where they want to practice.
I find the emphasis on outlining your cases an interesting and perhaps a significant difference between law school in the UK and in the US. I will be entering my fourth and last year of law school in the UK and in none of our classes were we instructed to construct our own outlines. Instead, professors instruct us to read the important cases, and if there are a lot of cases to look at, professors recommend looking them up in 'case books' - i.e., textbooks which offer summaries of cases. We were taught how to create outlines in an introductory class, but there was barely any emphasis on making it a habit or anything. After watching several of your videos, I feel like not making my own outlines may have deprived me of extracting the most out of my law school experience. I do tend to make my own notes on important cases, but I do not ever follow a standard outline format, like the one you have described. I still have a year ahead though and could try inculcating this habit now.
Thank you for the observation from the other side of the pond--love it when I hear about how legal education operates in other countries. Many students think that outlining is a waste of time because they are under the impression that their outline will never match what they can find out there. That is a correct observation. Glad that you are seeing beyond that surface understanding and seeing the deeper reason for outlining. Thanks for watching!
Just watched some of the other videos on notes and outlines and they seemed really good, but I wanted to comment on this one to say that the eyepatch is badass!
Never say never. One of my professors definitely had a few multiple choice questions based on cases we were assigned and would award points on the essay portion if you included analogous cases that were covered.
There are usually outliers, though were the questions on the facts from the case or the law in the case? The former is rare. But as you say, never say never.
@@Learnlawbetter The law was the important part, that's for sure. If a question was more fact-based it was regarding a KEY fact and the law was still a component of it.
What skills based courses would you recommend? I also really appreciate your speech pattern/inflections. For some reason, it makes it easier for me to understand key points.
Why do some law school professors expect first year students to read some cases before the first day of class if the students might have trouble understanding what they have read?
Hello, I have started watching your videos because I am interested in law school. I have learned a lot and I just wanted to say thank you! Although it can be easy to stay positive in the process, what would you say to someone who doesn’t get admitted to law school when they apply? What should their next steps be?
Belen De Jesus When you are rejected from entering law school there are two possibilities. One, think about some other path and follow that new path. Not everyone should pursue a legal education. The second option is to stop and reflect on why you were rejected. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do to change the barriers that are keeping you out, and then work on making changes.
#1 should be "Don't bother reading the case books." Starting in kindergarten through college, everyone becomes conditioned to the normal way that ideas are taught: concept first, then examples. There are these things called "letters", which we use to create words; A is for apple, B is for ball, C is for cat, and so on. When people get to law school, they're told the reverse: Here are the cases, and you have to learn to extract the law from them. Perhaps the main reason that many students struggle is that they aren't taught the theory first; they're just told that they have a massive amount to read and absorb for the next class. They need to start with commercial study guides to get the theory, but should definitely back that up with the examples-- the cases in the case books.
How far in advance of your 1L would you recommend taking a skills based prep course? What specifically should we be looking for in the curriculum to determine if a program is suitable? Thank you.
If you begin one year before law school, that is probably as far in advance as I would recommend. Important skills include case reading, case briefing, outlining, classroom discussion preparation, and some exam preparation. Most, if not all courses have some of this. What you need is a course that spends lots of time teaching and reinforcing these skills. Repetition is key to truly learning these skills.
Hi Mr. Baez, your videos are very helpful. I am starting law school soon and there are a few areas I am confused about. Would you consider doing a video explaining writ of cert and mandamus? Or maybe a general overview of the appeal process? I am trying to familiarize myself with these cases and holdings but I think I'm going about it wrong -- like trying to learn a language by dumping yourself in a foreign country and walking around, trying to put the pieces together without much reference.
Hello sir. I’m in college majoring in law. But i saw some of your videos about law school so I started looking at law schools abroad. Because to my knowledge we don’t have any law schools here. So I’m thinking about applying to law school abroad when i graduate from college. But the problem is, I’m middle eastern so the law there won’t apply here. Is that a problem?
Your country should have some governmental agency that regulates the practice of law in the country. Maybe the courts do. Find out what they will accept for practicing law there. You should find that other middle eastern countries have compatible legal systems, versus the US system which will be very different. Talk to a few lawyers and ask them about their journey. But don't just go to some law school without knowing if it will help you achieve your goals.
Hello Professor ~ I have a question, where could I get the full original case of (example) AG Jersey V Holley 2005? I am having a rough time to find such full cases so i can brief it down closely. By the way, if prof remembered me, my essay was alright for a first try in a level law. Thank you so much for helping prof ~ !
Yes, find one that offers skills training. Several courses I've seen are heavy on teaching legal doctrine, and that's not very useful before law school. Important skills involve case briefing, note taking, an outline creation.
There are currently several California accredited online law schools. The ABA will get there, eventually. But I can't predict when. But with all the law schools that have been online since March, I suspect it will be sooner rather than later.
I was thinking the same thing that there should be way more ABA accredited online law schools/programs for folks that have day time jobs and families and etc, that are interested in obtaining a law degree but cannot commit to day time/undergraduate like schedule ..... why law schools are sticking to so many outdated rules and principles of teaching?
Professor, is the MSL degree (Master of Science in Law) of any value? In other words, do you know of folks who have obtained it and what route they've gone in with that type of degree? All I've read is that the degree is geared more for those who are not necessarily seeking to be attorneys.
It is a degree for those that want some familiarity with the law but aren’t interested in becoming practicing lawyers. For example, those in a career where they interact with lawyers and want to better understand how we think.
100 or more, though this can vary widely depending on where you attend law school. I attended an elite law school, where the reading was much lower. A friend of mine attended a lower ranked law school, where the reading was about a 100 pages a night. But even 50 pages is more than most undergraduate students are used to--it can be overwhelming for some.
Learn Law Better Actually, I’ve been accepted to one of the most prestigious Law schools in Australia (UNSW, ranked 14th among law schools). But to be perfectly honest with you, I’m an international student, and my main concern is my English proficiency, especially compared to my native Australian peers! I’ve been following your channel for a year now and it has helped me a lot to understand the general idea of Law school.
It depends on each professor, but when I attended an elite law school, I had significantly less reading than my friends attending lower ranked schools.
What advice did you hear before going to law school?
Read the only the headnote of a given case.
Don’t brief cases, don’t go to class, when you’re in class don’t worry about participation because it doesn’t count towards your grade.
@@uselessinfo4634 Participation points depends on the professor. I have raised and lowered a final course grade based on participation. Others I know also count participation in the final course grade.
Learn Law Better I thought I remembered hearing that in one of your other videos. Keep it up! They’re very helpful.
No joking... My cousin who is an attorney in Florida called me and tried to talk me out of going to law school once my aunt had told him my decision. It was really disheartening. He didn't give any good reasons except that "it's hard." :/
The temptation to master every case is such a massive hazard, especially since it's so intuitive to think you need super detailed notes going into a law exam, rather than concise statements of legal principles plus the odd fact if it was essential to the reasoning
LOVED the Bonus Fact! I have known that case for years and never knew "the rest of the story"!!!
New students pay attention to what he says about reinforcing learning. This took me forever to find out
Hi Professor Baez,
One bad piece of advice I have received from both lawyers and non-lawyers alike is to go where you want to practice. The legal industry has changed. Gone are the days when you can just go to law school and make a success. Law school is an expensive investment which contrary to conventional belief is actually quite risky. This is not to discourage anyone from attending, but the reality is just that. One should rather look at the employment outcomes of schools more than where they want to practice.
It’s the process of creating the outline, not the outline itself that you are going for. The learning comes with doing.
I will use these tips in Engineering school.
I find the emphasis on outlining your cases an interesting and perhaps a significant difference between law school in the UK and in the US. I will be entering my fourth and last year of law school in the UK and in none of our classes were we instructed to construct our own outlines. Instead, professors instruct us to read the important cases, and if there are a lot of cases to look at, professors recommend looking them up in 'case books' - i.e., textbooks which offer summaries of cases.
We were taught how to create outlines in an introductory class, but there was barely any emphasis on making it a habit or anything. After watching several of your videos, I feel like not making my own outlines may have deprived me of extracting the most out of my law school experience. I do tend to make my own notes on important cases, but I do not ever follow a standard outline format, like the one you have described. I still have a year ahead though and could try inculcating this habit now.
Thank you for the observation from the other side of the pond--love it when I hear about how legal education operates in other countries. Many students think that outlining is a waste of time because they are under the impression that their outline will never match what they can find out there. That is a correct observation. Glad that you are seeing beyond that surface understanding and seeing the deeper reason for outlining. Thanks for watching!
Just watched some of the other videos on notes and outlines and they seemed really good, but I wanted to comment on this one to say that the eyepatch is badass!
Great content! Bad advice - you need to be very talkative or aggressive in order to be a good lawyer. And you need to remember everything by heart!
Professor that is the M O S T badass eyepatch
Great advice. Well stated!
Never say never. One of my professors definitely had a few multiple choice questions based on cases we were assigned and would award points on the essay portion if you included analogous cases that were covered.
There are usually outliers, though were the questions on the facts from the case or the law in the case? The former is rare. But as you say, never say never.
@@Learnlawbetter The law was the important part, that's for sure. If a question was more fact-based it was regarding a KEY fact and the law was still a component of it.
What skills based courses would you recommend? I also really appreciate your speech pattern/inflections. For some reason, it makes it easier for me to understand key points.
If possible, could you make a video regarding tips for online classes? Here in Canada, it seems the fall semester will be totally online.
Here is the link to a video I did for online classes a few months ago: th-cam.com/video/HpKj56sSiF4/w-d-xo.html
Read only headnote.
Why do some law school professors expect first year students to read some cases before the first day of class if the students might have trouble understanding what they have read?
You jump right into it. Part of the education is to learn how to read new material. But keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat.
We read well over a 100 pages of caselaw a night.
And I am doing more on It's
Hello,
I have started watching your videos because I am interested in law school. I have learned a lot and I just wanted to say thank you! Although it can be easy to stay positive in the process, what would you say to someone who doesn’t get admitted to law school when they apply? What should their next steps be?
Belen De Jesus When you are rejected from entering law school there are two possibilities. One, think about some other path and follow that new path. Not everyone should pursue a legal education.
The second option is to stop and reflect on why you were rejected. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do to change the barriers that are keeping you out, and then work on making changes.
Learn Law Better Thank you! I look forward to more of your videos and advice.
Very good advice
#1 should be "Don't bother reading the case books." Starting in kindergarten through college, everyone becomes conditioned to the normal way that ideas are taught: concept first, then examples. There are these things called "letters", which we use to create words; A is for apple, B is for ball, C is for cat, and so on. When people get to law school, they're told the reverse: Here are the cases, and you have to learn to extract the law from them. Perhaps the main reason that many students struggle is that they aren't taught the theory first; they're just told that they have a massive amount to read and absorb for the next class. They need to start with commercial study guides to get the theory, but should definitely back that up with the examples-- the cases in the case books.
✍️
You are amazing 🙏
How far in advance of your 1L would you recommend taking a skills based prep course? What specifically should we be looking for in the curriculum to determine if a program is suitable? Thank you.
If you begin one year before law school, that is probably as far in advance as I would recommend. Important skills include case reading, case briefing, outlining, classroom discussion preparation, and some exam preparation. Most, if not all courses have some of this. What you need is a course that spends lots of time teaching and reinforcing these skills. Repetition is key to truly learning these skills.
@@Learnlawbetter thank you! This information is critical and beyond helpful!
Great advice
Thank you, and I appreciate you watching my videos.
When taking a prep course, where do you find them? I am thinking of taking a prep course once I am done taking the LSAT test
There are several that pop up when you type law school prep course in a search engine. Then make sure to compare them.
@@Learnlawbetter do you have an recommendations?
Hi Mr. Baez, your videos are very helpful. I am starting law school soon and there are a few areas I am confused about.
Would you consider doing a video explaining writ of cert and mandamus? Or maybe a general overview of the appeal process?
I am trying to familiarize myself with these cases and holdings but I think I'm going about it wrong -- like trying to learn a language by dumping yourself in a foreign country and walking around, trying to put the pieces together without much reference.
You have explained law school well. I wish you well and thank you for the video topic ideas.
Hello sir. I’m in college majoring in law. But i saw some of your videos about law school so I started looking at law schools abroad. Because to my knowledge we don’t have any law schools here. So I’m thinking about applying to law school abroad when i graduate from college. But the problem is, I’m middle eastern so the law there won’t apply here. Is that a problem?
Your country should have some governmental agency that regulates the practice of law in the country. Maybe the courts do. Find out what they will accept for practicing law there. You should find that other middle eastern countries have compatible legal systems, versus the US system which will be very different. Talk to a few lawyers and ask them about their journey. But don't just go to some law school without knowing if it will help you achieve your goals.
Learn Law Better Thank you for replying sir.
New to this, but what is a study aid? A doctrine book? And are those Emanuel books recommended?
A study aid is anything you don’t create on your own. It certainly includes Emmanuel’s, but also includes an outline created by another student.
@@Learnlawbetter thanks! Didn’t know there existed books to help you study, I thought there was only about the subject
Hello Professor ~ I have a question, where could I get the full original case of (example) AG Jersey V Holley 2005? I am having a rough time to find such full cases so i can brief it down closely. By the way, if prof remembered me, my essay was alright for a first try in a level law. Thank you so much for helping prof ~ !
A Google search brought up the full case in the top 10 search items: www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5b516daf2c94e010ef2baf42
@@Learnlawbetter thanks once again prof !
I'm about to start law school. I have no idea what I'm ssuppose to do in my free time?????
There won’t be much free time. Make sure to exercise and relax a bit.
Any law school prep programs in particular you recommend? Or as long as the program regardless of who offers it reaches you the right skills work?
Yes, find one that offers skills training. Several courses I've seen are heavy on teaching legal doctrine, and that's not very useful before law school. Important skills involve case briefing, note taking, an outline creation.
What are the chances that online law school will be a permanent thing? It has to be an option at this point.
There are currently several California accredited online law schools. The ABA will get there, eventually. But I can't predict when. But with all the law schools that have been online since March, I suspect it will be sooner rather than later.
I was thinking the same thing that there should be way more ABA accredited online law schools/programs for folks that have day time jobs and families and etc, that are interested in obtaining a law degree but cannot commit to day time/undergraduate like schedule ..... why law schools are sticking to so many outdated rules and principles of teaching?
Professor, is the MSL degree (Master of Science in Law) of any value? In other words, do you know of folks who have obtained it and what route they've gone in with that type of degree? All I've read is that the degree is geared more for those who are not necessarily seeking to be attorneys.
It is a degree for those that want some familiarity with the law but aren’t interested in becoming practicing lawyers. For example, those in a career where they interact with lawyers and want to better understand how we think.
@@Learnlawbetter Thank you.
What happened to your eye? Saw a video without the patch and with?
Born blind in right eye-it wanders at times.
I am there's for the law xchool
Why are you giving “bad legal advice.” (Just kidding.) You gave good advice. Thank you.
Thank, and appreciate you watching my videos.
What? 100 pages to read each night? :/
100 or more, though this can vary widely depending on where you attend law school. I attended an elite law school, where the reading was much lower. A friend of mine attended a lower ranked law school, where the reading was about a 100 pages a night. But even 50 pages is more than most undergraduate students are used to--it can be overwhelming for some.
Learn Law Better Actually, I’ve been accepted to one of the most prestigious Law schools in Australia (UNSW, ranked 14th among law schools). But to be perfectly honest with you, I’m an international student, and my main concern is my English proficiency, especially compared to my native Australian peers! I’ve been following your channel for a year now and it has helped me a lot to understand the general idea of Law school.
Learn Law Better BTW, Australian Law schools are similar to Americans, aren’t they? I want to get help from you, professor, to have a head start!
@@Learnlawbetter Is there a correlation between elite law schools and amount of assigned reading material?
It depends on each professor, but when I attended an elite law school, I had significantly less reading than my friends attending lower ranked schools.
3re Woo
Evil Learn Law Better: