How to Get a 4.0 Law School GPA
Hello! Below are 5 tips for maintaining a good gpa in US law school. This is what has worked for me for the last year and a half in my doctrinal classes.* My friend used some of these tips and she said it really helped her improve her gpa.
*This post doesn’t cover legal research and writing
1. Get outlines and past exams for all your doctrinal courses before classes begin. Get outlines from people who got an A in the class and skim them before the first day of class. Typically, I read past exams for the class before the first day of class as well to get an overall picture. I have never outlined once since school started. Usually before each class, I will read the relevant section of the outline to get a picture of what we will be covering and in class, I will follow along on the outline I have open, adding anything the professor says that I think might be important in a different color or using the “track changes” option in Word. During reading period, I will write a condensed version of the outline by hand once.
2. Don’t read. This is very controversial advice, but reading is a form of passive studying and the way I’ve maintaining a high GPA in law school has been to ramp up my active study methods. If you have a good outline and have access to case summaries, then that is all you need to pass a cold call. Instead, the time I would have spent reading, I spend reviewing my outline, creating my attack sheet, and most importantly, doing practice exams.
3. Pay attention in class. It is a lot easier to follow along with the professor when you have a good outline and will know what sorts of things to listen for. In class, I generally write down hypos and also pay attention to what the professor is highlighting because it will provide insight into what kind of answer the professor is looking for in the final. As my friend said: Exams in law school are not based on whether you’ve learned the information, but whether you are presenting the information the way the professor wants it presented.
4. Use supplements. I am a big fan of the E&E series, Siegel’s, and the Q&A series. I particularly like these supplements because of all the practice questions they have in them. If your professor has a particular supplement s/he likes, then definitely use that one because it will present the law in line with your professor. Typically, I start doing practice exams and practice problems one month into the new semester to get a grasp on what I have and have not understood. By doing problems so early in the semester, I have given myself ample time to learn what I do not yet understand.
5. Treat law school like a 9-5 job. Monday through Saturday, I wake up at 8AM and begin studying at 10AM. I will take an hour for lunch and occasional breaks throughout the day, but I do not watch TV or read a book until my “law school day” has ended, which is typically 8PM. After 8, I close all law related materials and wind down for the day watching netflix or reading a book. Especially as a 1L, law school was a full time job. Now, as a 2L, though the pressure of grades is less, I have found this routine to improve my productively dramatically, so will continue studying in this manner until I graduate. I find that it also prepares you for having good work ethic in the work force.
If there are any tips you’d like me to elaborate on, let me know!
My asks are always open, I will respond on Sundays.
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