Introduction
Mabie Law Library has nutshells, hornbooks and other study resources available for use by law students. Typically, the latest editions of the nutshells and hornbooks are available in the Stauffer Reserve Collection, unless a professor has placed the title on course reserve. You can search for either hornbooks or nutshells in OSCAR, the library's online catalog, by searching by title for the phrase: hornbook series or nutshell series. Other series students may find of interest are: Black Letter, Law School Exam Series, Examples & Explanations, Siegel's, Exam Pro, Legal Text Series, Questions & Answers Series, or the Understanding Series. Please check with the reference staff if you need assistance in finding a title.
The library also has old SCU Law exams on file, but only those exams that the faculty have agreed to include in our collection. These published exams normally include only essay questions and do not include multiple choice or true/false questions. Please see the research guide, How to Find Previous Exams to find exactly what you need.. Some professors may place multiple choice exams on course reserve in the library or professors may place exams, multiple choice questions, sample answers, or other special exam materials online on
- ClaraNet [password required],
- their personal web site,
- TWEN [The West Education Network]
- Lexis courseware
- Camino
The library staff recommends that you utilize the exam indexes first to locate exams. If no exams are available for your course or professor, check the Course Reserve Lists on OSCAR. Finally, you should check the personal website of the faculty.
Articles to Get You Started in Law School
- How to Read a Legal Opinion by Orin S. KerrThis essay is designed to help new law students prepare for the first few weeks of class. It explains what judicial opinions are, how they are structured, and what law students should look for when reading them.
Essential Reading
Acing Your First Year of Law School : The Ten Steps to Success you won't learn in class. 2nd ed. by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 N69 2008ISBN: 9780837714103Publication Date: 2008Provides advice for the first year law student on a variety of issues and strategies to help them avoid the pitfalls that are common among first year students.
Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School : Strategies for Success. 2nd ed. by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 S87 2009ISBN: 9781594606038Publication Date: 2009This text provides advice that can assist the student in making the transition from college to law school. The authors explain: the "why" of law; the "how" of law; and the "what" of law. The authors also offer suggestions and tips on time management, exam preparation tips, and other resources to help the student "bridge the gap".
Demystifying the First Year of Law School : A Guide to the 1L Experience by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 M66 2010ISBN: 0735584494The authors provide law students with explicit frameworks for reading and analyzing court opinions in all first year courses. Using hypothetical classroom dialogues, the book explains how these frameworks will help student understand and participate in classroom discussions, answer questions on exams, and use the skills learned in the first year when representing clients in practice.
Hard-Nosed Advice from a Cranky Law Professor by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 .P37 2010ISBN: 1594608024Publication Date: 2010This book is designed for new law students who would like to improve their chances of doing well in law school. Written from the perspective of a cranky, cantankerous professor, the book side-steps pleasantries to provide no-nonsense, sometimes hard-nosed advice that is intended to instruct students on what they must do to succeed. While blunt, the practical advice is provided in a light-hearted, humorous way. The book's aim is to give concise answers to questions that most students have when they begin law school.
Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 .S335 2012ISBN: 9781611630596Publication Date: 2012This text offers fresh insight into law school exams. It covers time management, outlining, and case briefing techniques.
Law School Fast Track by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 .H53 2011ISBN: 9781888960242Publication Date: 2011This text is written to help law students starting on day one with one thousand pages of assigned cases. Its immediate suggestions, examples, and tips are invaluable. Law School Fast Track is also unique in that it focuses simply on the first week of law school - emphasizing the importance of establishing and maintaining good habits.
Law School Revealed: Secrets, Opportunities, and Success! by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 F87 2009ISBN: 9781593576165Publication Date: 2009This text offers a very comprehensive look at the law school experience. While the main focus is on law school academic success strategies, the book also covers critical information such as joint degree and concentration options, study abroad, extracurriculars, and career planning. There are also sections on legal research, legal writing, and writing great law school exams. For those looking ahead there is a section on the Bary Exam and Career Planning.
Learning Outside the Box: A Handbook for Students Who Learn Differently by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 C48 2011ISBN: 1594606922Publication Date: 2011The purpose of this book is to provide research-based learning strategies for law students who learn differently. If you are a student who has been diagnosed with a learning disability or if you simply have a unique learning style, you may need to outline differently, read cases differently, and approach law school in a more active, engaged and efficient manner. This book offers learning strategies grounded in empirical research to help law students who learn differently maximize their academic success.
Learning the Law: Success in Law School and Beyond by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 F73 1997ISBN: 0806518715Publication Date: 1997Learning the Law shows the reader what it means to think like a lawyer. It introduces you to legal reasoning and some basic jurisprudence. It also takes you beyond graduation and explains what lies ahead.
Strategies & Tactics for the First Year Law Student : Maximize Your Grades by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 W35 2004ISBN: 0735539987Publication Date: 2004This text gives you a detailed, step-by-step program for surviving the first year of law school. There are sections on sharpening your note-taking skills, dealing with pressure and exam taking tips.
Succeeding in Law School. 2nd ed. by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 .R36 2010ISBN: 1594607400Publication Date: 2010This edition of the book has several new chapters that are geared toward success both in law school and in the job market. A new chapter on legal analysis addresses one of the most common problems professors see on law school exams--the absence of the counterargument. New materials on interviewing techniques, creating a writing sample, and writing a resume are designed to help students market themselves to prospective employers. Whether students are seeking advice in the summer months or are looking for help once the school year has begun, this book is an important tool for helping them get the most out of their abilities.
The Law Student's Pocket Mentor by Call Number: Law Open Reserve KF283 .I35 2007ISBN: 9780735540347Publication Date: 2007This text guides students from the summer before starting law school straight through to their first clerking experience. It is a practical, step-by-step guide that uses exercises, worksheets, and checklists to help students identify their needs, plan strategies, and organize their efforts to maximize success in law school.
The Zen of Law School Success by Call Number: Law Stacks KF283 .N67 2011ISBN: 9781611631210Publication Date: 2011This text offers a comprehensive approach to succeeding in law school. The author offers practical advice for doing well during the classroom Socratic Method, managing law school stress, and doing well on final exams.
Practical Advice
- How To Save Money On A New SuitIf you haven’t started law school yet, you’ll want to include a new suit in your list of back to school supplies. You’ll not only need it for job interviews, but if you plan on taking part in moot court, you’ll have to wear one, too. But at $200-$300 a pop, suits are expensive, especially for a starving law student like yourself. Here are 5 tips on how you can save tons of money on your next suit, but still look like a million bucks.
- 180 Money Saving TipsHere’s a list of 180 money saving tips that can turn your financial life around 180 degrees.
CALI
The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction is a non-profit consortium that creates tutorials for first and second year law students. They are typically Flash-based and include quizes, examples, and interactive illustrations. Some students find these to be very helpful for preparing for exams.
