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The First Year of Law School
The first year of law school is both exciting and frightening. Law school is a unique experience, one unlike anything most first-year law students have ever experienced. This research guide contains a partial list of resources available within the library’s collection that attempts to address issues many law students encounter, such as the legal system, study groups, stress reduction, study skills and law school exams. This guide is only a selection of the resources available in the collection. The library’s online catalog will assist in locating additional resources on any topic.
- Finding Books on the ShelvesUse the library map to help you find books by their call numbers. These maps are also placed near the stairs on each floor to help you navigate.
- Guide to the First YearThis guide was prepared by the law school to give you an easy reference manual for finding information. Be sure to check out the "Current Students" tab on the main law school website if you can't find an answer in this guide.
The Law School Experience
The majority of the library’s collection on the first-year experience is located on the second floor in and around the KF 285–287 call numbers. This list below is just a preview of the books we have available; look over the catalog or the shelf if you have other questions or are looking for advice on a specific topic.
You'll notice a few words in these titles jump out, such as "survival" and "fear." Law school can cause a lot of anxiety. We highly recommend you combine your readings from this area with our "Work-Life Balance" readings on the right.
How to Succeed in Law School by Call Number: KF283 .M86 2008ISBN: 0764139797Discusses topics such as taking good notes, study habits, exam performance and preparation
Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in a Nutshell, 6th by Call Number: eBookISBN: 0314290427Publication Date: 2017Tips on legal analysis, study skills, the litigation process and beyond the first year- Language of law school : learning to "think like a lawyer" byCall Number: eBook and KF279 .M47 2007
Law School Confidential by Call Number: See Career ServicesISBN: 0312605110Comprehensive discussion of the law school experience and tips for surviving the three years
The Law School Survival Guide by Call Number: KF283 .J3 2003ISBN: 0738207497Advice on financial aid, study habits, and admission to the school of choice
Law School Survival Manual : from LSAT to Bar Exam by Call Number: eBook and KF283 .R37 2010ISBN: 0735594902Breaks the law school experience up into chunks: before law school, the first two weeks, the first two months, etc, so it's easy to pick up based on where you are and get some relevant advice.
Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success by ISBN: 9781599414195Publication Date: 2009How to Approach Law Study; Law: Constitutions, Legislation and Courts; Briefing a Case; Precedent and How to Use It: Holding, Dictum and Rules; Expanding on Procedure; Roles of Judge and Jury: Facts and Law; Legal Reasoning; Interpreting Language; Balancing Competing Interests and Factors; Policy Foundations; Choices Among Policies; Remedies; Legal Writing; Studying and Reviewing; Exams; It's a Mind Game: Psychological Tips for the Study of Law.
One L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Law Professor’s Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School. by ISBN: 97803141948311L of a Ride essentially answers the questions, "What's the first year of law school really like and how can I make the most of it?" Following a chronological road trip metaphor, it tells new students what to expect, when to expect it, and how to respond to it. No other law school prep book takes this approach. The book addresses each aspect of academic success, including the top five habits of successful law students, effective class participation, how to interact with professors, case-briefing, note-taking, outlining, exam preparation, and essay and multiple-choice exam strategies.
Starting off Right in Law School by Call Number: KF273 .N97 2011ISBN: 1594608253Topics such as the legal process, case law and law school exams addressed in detail
A Student's Guide to Law School by Call Number: KF283 .A947 2013ISBN: 022606705XCovering more than just exams, this book touches on working with lawyers, how to read for class and participate, and how to survive becoming a lawyer
What the L? by Call Number: KF283 .M388 2010ISBN: 1594608601Witty, with a dash of strong language, this book offers a humorous look at surviving law school
Skills to Master
Legal Analysis: The Fundamental Skill by
Call Number: KF240 .R63 2009ISBN: 9781594602795Discusses the fundamentals of legal reasoning and problem solving, describing the theory and methodology of the skill for law students. The updated chapters in this edition address the following themes: case law, rules, inductive analysis and analogical reasoning, deductive analysis and rule-based reasoning, statutory analysis, policy-based reasoning, and the legal argument. Examples and practice exercises support the text.
Plain English for Lawyers, Fifth Edition by Call Number: KF250 .W9 2005ISBN: 9781594601514Plain English for Lawyers . . . has become a classic. Perhaps no single work has done more to improve the writing of lawyers and law students and to promote the modern trend toward a clear, plain style of legal writing.
Work-Life Balance
- Bleak House: Narratives in Literature and Law School by John J. OsborneThis article is by John J. Osborn, in the New York Law School Law Review, on how to prepare for the emotional side of law school.52 N. Y. L. Sch. L. Rev. 339 (2007)
The Happy Lawyer by Call Number: KF300 .L485 2010ISBN: 0195392329You get good grades in college, pay a small fortune to put yourself through law school, study hard to pass the bar exam, and finally land a high-paying job in a prestigious firm. You're happy, right? Not really. Oh, it beats laying asphalt, but after all your hard work, you expected more from your job. What gives?
Legal Ethics: Law Stories by ISBN: 9781587789359This collection of 10 significant ethics rulings reveals the rich background surrounding salient cases on issues of race, gender, class, taxation, bankruptcy, defense representation, confidentiality, practicing with law partners, and greed. This book serves as a reminder that ultimately law is about human beings, not doctrines or even cases, because the human lives it addresses are real and vivid.
Excellence in the Workplace : legal and life skills in a nutshell by Call Number: eBook and KF297 .K382 2018ISBN: 0314176098A different kind of nutshell, this book addresses how to live in the legal profession and work with other lawyers.
The Law Firm Associate's Guide to Connecting with Your Colleagues by Call Number: KF300 .M55 2009ISBN: 1604424869
