This week's BarWrite Tip of the Week is in fact two tips, and both come from Scoring High on Bar Exam Essays.
Be an Active, not Passive, Learner
To make learning active, not passive, write down two or three questions you have on the basics of each
subject. When you attend lectures on that subject, make sure you get answers to your questions. Review your lecture notes immediately. Sit down right away and read through your notes. Make sure that you write down any new questions. Ask those questions of your instructor, your friends, your own lawyer—anyone who can answer them right. Be active in going over your lecture notes.
Master the Fundamentals of Each Subject
There is a well-known rule that applies to economics, to business, and to preparation for the bar examination. It states that eighty percent of the result flows from twenty percent of the raw material. In business, for example, sales managers find that eighty percent of the sales come from twenty percent of their salesmen.
You will find that eighty percent of the bar examination comes from twenty percent of the legal material you must study. You must be in full control of the fundamentals of torts, contracts, and the other Multistate subjects as well as of the fundamentals of the subjects covered in the essay part of the bar examination. You must also be familiar with the rest of the subjects. You cannot begin to understand the more complex areas, however, until you master the fundamentals.
Know the basic definitions in each field. What is a contract? What is consideration? What is the difference between an offer and negotiation? What is the difference between acceptance and a counteroffer? If you managed to make it through law school by using these terms in context without thorough understanding, fill in the gaps right now.
For more, see Scoring High on Bar Exam Essays.
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