You've
probably heard the horror stories about that grueling first year of law
school. That's likely the main reason you signed up for this course! Rest
assured that you've done the right thing. The best way to avoid the pitfalls
of the first set of courses is to prepare yourself for the unique way
you will need to study in law school. And this course is designed to give
you the tools you need to be ready for the first year of law school and
beyond.
Over the last
25 years, The Center for Legal Studies has demystified the study of law through this unique educational
program that helps students to excel in, and not merely survive,
their first year of law school. We'll lead you through what to expect
from the Socratic teaching method and show you how to master the
casebook method of instruction used at nearly all law schools. We
share with you a particularly effective method of case briefing
that you can use throughout law school and your legal career. You'll
learn how to take notes effectively and turn those notes into course
outlines that you'll use to master your final exams. We help you
to integrate law school into your life from day one so that you
get more done in less time and have a chance to continue your friendships,
hobbies, and relationships even while you excel in your classes.
Finally we show you how to start making the most of your legal career,
a career that begins now.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
After successfully
completing the lessons and assignments for this seven-week online
course, here's what you'll be able to do:
- Prepare
for your first year in law school well in advance of your first
day of classes.
- Take
responsibility for your legal education and learn to actively
approach each class period and study group.
- Create
substantive law outlines that you will use for class discussion,
exams, and the bar examination.
- Excel
in studying for and taking law school exams with the "IRAC" briefing
method.
- Prioritize
and organize your life during law school and set yourself up for
success.
RECOMMENDED
MATERIALS:
Everything
you need to complete Law School Prep is included in your tuition
and available in your online course materials. You may elect however
to purchase one or both of the following recommended resources:
Westlaw online
legal research: This service is available to Center for Legal
Studies' students for the very low price of $75. This subscription
gives you access to the Westlaw legal library for the duration of
the seven-week class session, and you must be enrolled in one of
the courses offered by The Center for Legal Studies to take advantage
of this opportunity.
Purchasing access
to this valuable legal research resource allows you to view virtually
any legal research material that you can find in your law school
library and much more. It also gives you access to a Westlaw representative
to help you with any questions you may have about using Westlaw.
You can familiarize yourself with law books and learn to conduct
legal research before you enter your first year of law school!
Black's Law Dictionary:
Every law student needs to own a portable legal dictionary, and Black's
is one of the oldest and most used by law students and attorneys. You
can purchase this valuable legal resource at almost any bookstore, and
The Center for Legal Studies has the paperback edition available for purchase.
To order Westlaw
access and/or a copy of Black's legal dictionary, please call The Center
for Legal Studies at 1-800-522-7737 or Order
Now Online
| Course
Outline |
| Lesson One:
Knowing What to Expect from Law School: This session describes
for you the unique nature of law school and gives you techniques for
adjusting to your new environment. |
| Lesson Two:
Mastering the Casebook Method of Instruction: Law school courses
consist primarily of thoroughly dissecting and discussing important
cases. This session provides you with an overview of what to expect
during class. |
| Lesson Three:
Briefing a Case: To prepare for class discussions, you need to
understand what a particular case is all about. This session explains
how you go about grasping the important elements of a case by showing
you how to effectively "brief" a case. |
| Lesson Four:
Extracting the Essence: Course Outlines and Note-taking Shortcuts
Your law school classes present you with a ton of information. To
succeed you need to know how to synthesize everything you learn. This
session supplies you with the standard shortcuts law students use
to shorten their note-taking time, and it tells you how to boil down
an entire course into one succinct outline. |
| Lesson Five:
Succeeding on Law School Exams: Your entire course grade could
be based on your performance on just one final exam! This session
lets you know what you need to do to boost your score. |
| Lesson Six:
Setting Yourself Up for Success: Excelling in law school requires
more than knowing how to brief cases and create course outlines. You
also need to know how to balance your personal life with the obligations
of law school. This session delves into how to achieve that balance
and gives you tips for succeeding in a law career after you graduate.
|
| Course Wrap-Up
|
v
BULLETIN
BOARD ASSIGNMENTS:
For
every lesson you'll post in the Bulletin Board section of the course software
your responses to a set of questions that are designed to foster class
discussion, review the material covered during the lesson and give you
the opportunity to evaluate what you've learned. Your responses to these
questions are due by 9:00 a.m. Friday, and are available to everyone in
class.
WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS:
In addition to the
Bulletin Board assignments, you'll have the opportunity to apply what
you've learned with two practice assignments. First, you'll brief a sample
case; this assignment is due the Monday morning of the fourth week of
class. Then, you'll complete a "mini" law school exam, which is due by
the Monday morning of the sixth week of class. Both of these assignments
can be accessed from within the lesson material, or by selecting 'Assignments'
under Activities on the Left Hand Block. Your instructor will provide
you with feedback about your performance.
GRADING
You won't receive a letter grade for completing this course,
but your instructor will provide you with a pass or fail on every lesson
assignment and on each of the two practice assignments. This way you can
chart your success as you make your way through the course.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Students may drop the course with a full tuition refund less a non-refundable
$15 administrative fee if written notice is sent to The Center for Legal
Studies by email at info@legalstudies.com by the Wednesday before class
begins. Students may drop the course with a 50% tuition refund if written
notice is sent to The Center for Legal Studies by email at info@legalstudies.com
anytime from the Thursday before the course begins until the first Thursday
of class. After the first Thursday of class, no refunds will be issued.
|
