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Preparing for Your Semester at Law School

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published January 18, 2013

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left

You should set aside as much time as possible before school starts to prepare for your classes. Used properly, this period could be one of the most productive of the entire semester. You will be able to come to the first lecture with a good lead on most of your fellow students and you will have time available right from the beginning to handle not only the mandatory outside reading assignments, but also the discretionary reference suggestions and extracurricular work which are essential if you want to make better-than-average progress and grades.
 
Preparing for Your Semester at Law School

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Time is the most valuable asset you have as a law student; a relaxed attitude probably comes next. On the other end of the scale, over-anxiety and procrastination can lead to academic bankruptcy. Ideally, you should come to each lecture confident that you are fully prepared on the required work and ready to participate in an intelligent discussion of the subject at hand.
Have you ever tried to drive a car to a destination known only by name or address, with someone giving you staccato directions for each turn moments before you approach the corner? Compare that with a trip where you have looked over the entire route on a map first, and as you go along, your guide gives you the same information.

A lot less stressful, isn't it? That's because you are aware of the total picture; you know where you are going and have at least a general idea of how to get there. You do not have to absorb entirely new information in a short time. Rather, you supplement what you already know and are much more receptive to this additional information.

To adapt this overview system to your law school studies, start by acquiring the required casebooks as early as you can before classes commence. At the same time, also buy the textbook specifically written to accompany each casebook. If you can't afford it, get it at the library. If you lay the textbook and casebook side by side, you will see that they complement each other. Most of the time, the cases in the casebook are referred to in the textbook.

When an author puts together a student casebook on a particular subject—contracts, for example—cases illustrative of specific legal principles are assembled in historical order to show the development of the subtopic at hand. Under the section heading "What Constitutes a Contract," the first case chosen for the casebook might perhaps be some old English, New York or other state opinion discussing the proposition that a purely social agreement does not rise to the status of a contract. The next case might be from some other jurisdiction, pointing out that an agreement against public policy is not legally enforceable as a contract. The opening sentences of the accompanying textbook, under a similar chapter heading, might read:

Not every agreement between two persons constitutes a contract. Thus, it has been held that an invitation to dinner is an agreement relating to a purely social arrangement, and as such is not actionable in a court of law. Likewise, a suit will not lie to collect a gambling debt in a jurisdiction where gambling is illegal, for the courts will refuse to enforce an agreement that is fundamentally against the expressed public policy of the state. The textbook summarizes, along with many other cases, the holdings of the opinions in the casebook; the opinions in the casebook elaborate on the statements of the law found in the textbook.

In the casebook, the citation of the case appears at the beginning of the case. In the textbook, the citation appears in a footnote. In our hypothetical illustration, both books cite the same two cases. This generally parallels reality. When using your actual casebooks and accompanying textbooks, you will find that it is relatively easy to cross-reference the judicial opinions with the editor's text.

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United States

How to use the study method: First, without trying to learn anything, and going as rapidly as you can, copy the textbook sentence giving the holding of the case on top of the title of the case in the casebook. Do this for every case in the casebook. At this stage you are not trying to learn anything, only doing mechanical copying. The purpose of all this is so that you will have the rule of the case right in front of you when you later start to study.

Should there be no textbook specifically designed to accompany a particular casebook, use another available one to get as many of these one-sentence holdings as you can. A number of the cases are standard fare, and a prior edition by the same author, or even by someone else, may have many of the same references. To save time, you may have to skip a few of the missing cases for the time being. Later, if you feel it is necessary, you can look up those cases in the digests or the reports and pick out what seems to be the most applicable headnote to fit the particular place in the casebook table of contents under which the case has been categorized. But if you do this, make some note to remind you that it is a headnote you picked and that it may not be the holding you are looking for.

Probably without realizing it, by putting down the rule of the case (what the case holds; what it stands for) for practically every case in the casebook, you will have actually read the textbook through once and have also written it once before school has even started. Although you were going rapidly without trying to make or retain meaning from what you were doing, at the very least you have been subconsciously exposed to the contents, and you may have picked up a bit more than you expected.

It could take the better part of two weeks to do this rule copying for all your first-semester courses, depending on how fast you can go and how continuously you work. If you do not finish before school starts, try to be equally far into each casebook so that you will be ahead in every course. The more you can complete in advance, the more time you will have to study during the semester.

Next, study the table of contents of each casebook. Look up all unfamiliar table terms in your law dictionary and write the definitions on top of each word. Do not guess; if a word looks like it is a legal term, look it up and write it down. You do not have to make any attempt to memorize these definitions at this time; the main thing is to understand what you are reading at the moment. Later, through usage and reading the cases, these words will become an integral part of your vocabulary. Do memorize in advance, however, the major section headings, and the subheadings for at least the first one or two subsections.

In the customary method of law school study, you are expected to use the cases as building blocks with which to build a structure: the law for that particular subject. When you first start out, if you lack the overview, your unfamiliarity with the language may make it hard to comprehend what any one "block" is all about. It will be even harder to visualize what the finished structure will look like. Even at the end of the course, some students have only a hazy outline of what should by that time be as clear as an architect's rendering. Many spend the week just before exams struggling to get that clear picture; many do not succeed—it is too late.

Avoid that situation. The time spent studying and memorizing the table of contents will quickly give you a beginning idea of the building you are trying to erect. It is like visualizing the skeleton framework of a skyscraper: the unity which holds the whole thing together. Knowing that it is there, and what it looks like, will give you a perception of what the goal of the course is. As the details are filled in through daily class work, the image will become clearer, and by the time the final exam approaches you can spend your review time going over a sharp, professional-looking picture, instead of having to go through the frustration of trying to imagine a hastily sketched drawing as a well-crafted oil or watercolor.

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About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations—from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

  • Immigration law
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Insurance defense
  • Family law
  • Trusts & estates
  • Municipal law
  • And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

  • Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
  • Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
  • Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
  • Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success – The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm’s unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison’s legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here.

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials—he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison’s work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

  • Finds and creates job openings that aren’t publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
  • Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
  • Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney—no matter their background, law school, or previous experience—has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

  • Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
  • Senior attorneys who believed they were “too experienced” to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
  • Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options—only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
  • Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist—often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today – Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison’s expertise will help you take control of your future.

? Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

About LawCrossing

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.
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