This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are welcoming our 1L, transfer students, and those taking short courses! We are so happy you are here!

Law Library Orientation

Join us on Thursday, Aug. 18th from 9:00am – 10:00am in room 160 for an introduction to the law library and library resources.

Hours & Access

Law Library Circulation Desk

Currently, building access is restricted to Monday — Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm. UC Bearcat cards do not currently work at the entrance doors. The Law Library is still under construction and currently our stacks are closed. Please request print books through UCLID, the online catalog. When they arrive you will be notified by email and you can pick them up at the Circulation Desk. E-books and electronic materials are available to you 24/7.

Law School Success

5 Resources to Help Prepare for the Year Ahead

The resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions. For more information on accessing our study aids, view our Introduction to Study Aids video and our 1-L Study Aids page on the 1-L Survival Guide.

1L of a Ride by Andrew J. McClurg

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, covers topics such as pre-planning, top student fears, first-year curriculum, the Socratic and case methods of teaching, effective class participation, top habits of successful students, essential study techniques, legal research and writing, exam strategies, maintaining well-being, and much more. Combines anecdotes, comments from law students, empirical research, and authentic samples of signature documents from the 1L experience, including exam questions, Socratic dialogue, and student case-briefs, class notes, and course outlines. McClurg is an award-winning professor who has taught at six different law schools.

Coming to Law School: How to Prepare Yourself for the Next Three Years by Ian Gallacher

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), demystifies law school and the process of studying the law. The book shows how study skills such as case briefing, taking notes in class, and preparing exam outlines are interrelated and how an incoming student can practice them before coming to law school, making the transition from prospective to actual law student easier and as painless as possible. The book also contains information about many practical issues, including the law school process, how to do well in a summer job, and taking the bar exam.

Law 101: What Law School’s Really Like by Chad Noreuil

Law 101, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), gives a behind-the-scenes look at what law school’s really like. The advice covers all aspects of law school, and ranges from academic advice on such topics as study techniques, classroom skills, and tips for exam success, to the best ways to participate in extracurricular activities, maintain healthy relationships outside of law school, and get a job after graduation.

Starting off Right in Law School by Carolyn J. Nygren

This text is available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive). Law school is different. Incoming students, confronted with an entirely new vocabulary and unfamiliar with the discipline’s unique and demanding educational methods, are often disoriented. This book is designed to give these students a head start, both by introducing them to the fundamentals of the legal process and by helping them acquire the study skills necessary for success. Starting Off Right in Law School introduces new law students to the practice and study of law by following a lawsuit from its inception through the appeals process, illustrating what lawyers actually do, how they prepare, how they interact with clients and in courtrooms, how a lawsuit proceeds, and how students can effectively read and analyze cases, outline, and apply what they have learned on the exams.

A Weekly Guide to Being a Model Law Student by Alex Ruskell

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, gives law students weekly checklists explaining the skills necessary to successfully navigate their first year of law school. Each chapter provides a checklist of things to do that week, such as briefing cases, going over notes, outlining classes, or doing practice questions. When a new concept is introduced, this book clearly explains the concept and its purpose and provides examples. It also includes a bank of over 100 short, medium, and long practice questions in six first year subjects.

Comments are closed.