Words of Wisdom for New Law Students

Did you know that even Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. didn't understand a word he heard on his first day of law school?  The Law School Academic Support blog recently posted a compilation of "Thoughts on Learning, Lawyering, and Life" from the successful and famous who learned that success at something challenging, like studying law, doesn't happen overnight or without the right attitude and approach. The Academic Support blog is one of over 40 legal blogs in the Law Professor Blogs network, all edited by law school faculty and lawyers dedicated to providing legal news and commentary in their subject fields, which range from Contracts and Immigration Law to Legal Technology. 

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Exam Tips 101

Viewed from my napping spot near the Reference Desk, it is obvious that final exam study has started in earnest.  One of my favorite pages of exam tips is "Law School Exam Prep 101" from the Law School Toolbox site.  Because often there's an aspect of studying for or writing exams that concerns a student most, this page links to focused tips on a wide range of topics from "What Makes a Law School Exam Answer "Good"?" to "The Key to Law School Exam Success? Think Like Your Professor." The tips are clear and straightforward; one or two of them may make the difference in your exam performance this semester.  Check them out.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Annual Law Student Survey Released

The results of the 2011 Law School Survey of Student Engagement are out. This annual survey is designed to measure how law students throughout the country study, experience growth, communicate with faculty, and rate the quality of their law school experience. The LSSSE was completed last year by more than 33,000 students at 95 schools in the United States and Canada. What do current law students really think about law school?  Would they enroll in the same school again?  Is law school helping them develop job-related skills?  Take a look at the survey results here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

How to Survive the First Year of Law School

Well, it's quiet today in my favorite corner of the Library, but not for long! Soon the tables will fill up with new faces, as the Hofstra Law Class of 2014 find their favorite spots, too. Being a brand new IL can seem overwhelming at first, so if you're starting law school this week, take advantage of the American Bar Association's free guide, "How to Survive the First Year of Law School." It's great review of the things you really need to know before it all begins.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Exams in the Good Old Days

Yes, it looks like law school exams were easier in the old days--well, the really old days, anyway. Thanks to the Harvard Law School Library, which has digitized and posted the full run of annual law school exams from 1871 to 1998, you can explore this treasure trove and judge for yourself. Of course, the law was much simpler without current tax, civil rights, sales and other statutes to deal with. And Professor Christopher Langdell, who introduced the case-method into legal education, had just begun his Deanship. But how long would you have had to study for this 1871 torts exam? Check out the exams and how they changed over the years, and see if you can answer the questions about them posed by the Wall Street Journal Law Blog.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Law Student Survey

Spring Semester classes start for most law students in just a few days, so this might be a good time to take a look at the annual survey that reflects law student satisfaction and engagement with the law school experience. The 2010 Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE), "Student Engagement in Law School: In Class and Beyond," was recently released. This year, it represents the survey responses of almost 25,000 law students from 77 law schools. What motivates some law students more than others? Are law students engaged with faculty as career mentors? How many are satisfied with career planning support and with preparation for working with clients? Finally, do the survey results reflect your perceptions, level of satisfaction, and experiences as a law student? Read the report and find out.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Your Law School or Your Grades: Which Matters More for Success?

It may not have received the media attention that a new Supreme Court justice attracts, but a study was released last week that may be more personally relevant to current law students. According to a post in the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, a new paper, authored by two law professors, challenges the conventional wisdom that to make it big in the legal profession, your grades don't matter as much as the prestige of the law school you attend. Take a look at "The Secret of My Success: How Status, Prestige and School Performance Shape Legal Careers" and judge the authors' conclusions for yourself.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Grading Law School Exams

In the midst of exam week stress, have you ever taken a minute to think about your stressed out professors, faced with grading all those exams? For a humorous take on how law professors really grade exams, check out Assault and Flattery 2009, scenes from Louisiana State University Law School's annual comedy show and roast of the third year class, produced by the school's SBA. The professors are real. Hopefully, the exams were not.

A hat tip to Legal Blog Watch for the timely reminder.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law School Learning Survey

The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) has just released its 2009 annual survey report, "Student Engagement in Law School: Enhancing Student Learning." Unlike well-known rankings and other studies, the LSSSE is dedicated to knowing and improving the quality of the law student learning experience. Law students at 82 schools, including Hofstra, completed the survey during the past year. The selected findings in the report focus on how current law students describe their engagement with the classroom learning environment, faculty feedback, and outside-class discussions with professors. The report also charts factors such as motivation, the relative value of various law student activities, changes in employment expectations and interests, and the impact of technology and of law school debt. Before Spring Semester begins in earnest, check it out.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Starting Law School--A Little Help

For 1L's in the midst of orientation and first class assignments, LexisNexis has posted some straightforward background information on the American legal system with common terms and concepts used in studying cases. Take a look at Introduction to the American Legal System, which might be a useful brief guide as you begin your legal studies. The book from which this excerpt is taken, and many other books on the American legal system and legal research, can be found in the Law Library's collection.

We've also compiled, and posted to Research/Research Guides section of the Law Library web site, a list of Study Guides available in the Library, arranged by subject and series. Be sure to stop by the Reference Desk with any questions you may have!



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Lawsuit Over 'Sham' Supplement

Law Students, you know those supplements you purchase for $15 or $20 to go along with your $100 casebooks? Apparently casebook authors do, in fact, take these supplements seriously. The authors of a casebook are seeking an injunction against West for publishing a supplement that its purported authors are calling a "sham." West allegedly did not include key reversals by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania its most recent supplement to a casebook on Pennsylvania criminal procedure, angering the law professors who wrote the casebook.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat