Guides to Law School - 1L Year - How to Succeed - Research Guides at University of Colorado Law School

What to Read Before Starting Law School

These resources will help you understand how law school works, and show you what you need to do to succeed. When using these resources, remember that what you are reading is advice from experienced and well-qualified people, often law professors. Their advice is worth heeding, but there isn’t a single “correct” way to approach law school, and you need to take that advice and apply it in a way that works for you. If you can, read one or even a few of these books before starting law school.

Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School by Ruta K. Stropus; Charlotte D. Taylor
Call Number: LAW STACKS 2nd floor KF 283 .S77 2014
ISBN: 9781611632248
Publication Date: 2014-05-27
Most first year law students will need to make major changes to the way they studied in college as they adapt to law school. This book attempts to guide the reader from their college-level study habits to a traditional law school study strategy. It provides a detailed look at the standard law school study techniques, including briefing cases, creating outlines and flowcharts, and preparing for exams, including several examples of each. If you're wondering how studying in law school differs from studying as an undergraduate, and if you'd like to have your study plan laid out for you in detail, this is a good choice for you.
Excelling in Law School - A Complete Approach by Jason C. Miller
Call Number: LAW STACKS 2nd floor KF 272 .M55 2013
ISBN: 9780735599246
Publication Date: 2013
Covers the entire experience from deciding whether to apply to law school to preparing for the bar exam. Written by a recent law school graduate, it contains sensible advice and straightforward descriptions of the law school experience.
Hard-Nosed Advice from a Cranky Law Professor by Austen L. Parrish; Cristina K. Knolton
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .P37 2010
ISBN: 9781594608025
Publication Date: 2010-05-01
If you are less interested in reading about the experience of being a law student and would rather just get good advice for what you need to do, this may be the book for you. It is written less like a guide and more like a manual, with prescriptions and instructions for what you need to do to succeed in law school (following the traditional study model fairly closely) and some insight into what your professors might expect from you. It is short and clear, and will give you a clear understanding of why to do things the orthodox way.
Law School Success in a Nutshell by Ann Burkhart; Robert Stein
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .B87 2017
ISBN: 9781683281856
Publication Date: 2017-07-14
Starts from the beginning, both in terms of giving advice for what to do before entering law school, and giving an overview of the American legal system that you should be familiar with before starting your study of law. This guide is more focused on familiarizing you with law school terms and concepts than giving advice on what to do, but it does this well, and it does a good job of covering exams, including model questions and answers.
Law School Survival Manual by Nancy Rapoport; Jeffrey D. Van Neil
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .R37 2010
ISBN: 9780735594906
Publication Date: 2010-05-24
This book looks at the law school experience as a whole, and focuses on specific aspects of law school that are particularly stressful or important to your success. As such, there are aspects of law school the authors don’t thoroughly cover, but the topics they do focus on are some of the most important you’ll face as you navigate your time in law school, and they discuss these issues in a conversational, helpful, and often humorous tone.
''One l of a Year'' by Leah M. Christensen
Call Number: LAW STACKS 2nd floor KF 283 .C473 2012
ISBN: 9781594609473
Publication Date: 2012-10-22
This general guide to law school sets itself apart by looking at the traditional approaches to law school and adapting them to modern learning theory. It also takes into account the different learning styles that different students might prefer, dealing with the anxieties that come with law school, as well as all the practical studying and exam taking advice you need.
Strategies Tactics First Year Law Student (Maximize Your Grades) by Steven Emanuel
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .W35 2010
ISBN: 9780735591073
Publication Date: 2010-07-07
This guide to your 1L year covers most of the things that you should know when you begin law school, and it very helpfully starts out by going through many of the things that are frustrating or stressful to new law students, including explanations for why casebooks can be intentionally confusing, why your peers might be misleading you (and themselves), and why many of the things you hear all the time about law school aren’t true. As the title suggests, this book is more focused on the mindsets and strategies you can adopt to be successful, but there is still practical how-to advice.
Understanding Law School
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .U53 2004
ISBN: 0820561932
This book is part of LexisNexis’s Understanding the Law series, and it consists of excerpts from other books in the series, allowing you to read the introductory chapter of the Understanding book for each area of the law you’ll study during your first year. These introductions usually include high-level overviews of the subject, discussion of key concepts and terms, and some history of the area of law. Other introductory guides may offer more complete coverage of the subjects in this guide, but this book is a good way to quickly introduce yourself to all the areas of law you’ll study as a 1L.
Your Brain and Law School by Marybeth Herald
Call Number: LAW STACKS 2nd floor KF 283 .H47 2014
ISBN: 9781611632262
Publication Date: 2014-09-04
If you prefer to have a scientific rationale for your study strategies, you will be well served by this book. It outlines modern principles of neuroscience and the science of learning, and applies those concepts to the context of law school. The first section of the book details how the brain absorbs information, and what strategies for learning in law school are best supported. The second half of the book explores some key pieces of "thinking like a lawyer", particularly on analysis and persuasion. It explores the cognitive biases that a lawyer needs to take into account to perform dispassionate analysis.

Your Brain and Law School is clearly written and relatively short at 187 pages, and it is an excellent primer for tailoring your learning strategies with how your brain operates. It doesn't include introductions to specific legal topics like many of the other resources on this page, so it pairs well with a primer like Understanding Law School, above, which focuses on the legal subjects typically studied by first year law students.
The Zen of Law School Success by Chad Noreuil
Call Number: LAW RESERVE 2nd floor KF 283 .N67 2011
ISBN: 9781611631210
Publication Date: 2011-10-01
The concept that sets this book apart from the other guides on this list is its focus on your mindset. It attempts to draw from Buddhist tradition a way to keep your stress low and your focus clear as you navigate the difficult task of law school. Don’t think it neglects practical advice, however, as the author is a long-time law professor. It includes helpful advice for studying, preparing and taking exams, and other aspects of doing well in law school. The author also writes the blog www.lawschoolzen.com.

Videos and Podcasts

Preparing for your First Semester of Law School (CALI)

In this podcast, two law professors share their experiences and insights on time management issues for law school students, preparing for class, how to brief a case, research tips applicable for 1L writing assignments (and the eventual practice of law), how to develop an understanding of the law, and techniques and tips for studying and preparing for the final exam.

Other Resources

Chapman University's 20 Tips for Success in Law School

If you don’t have time to read a book about law school, this is a good collection of tips to get you on the right track, including nuggets of wisdom like a reminder to eat a balanced breakfast and get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

Articles at top-law-schools.com

Law School Zen Blog

1L Year - How to Succeed

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What to Read Before Starting Law School

Videos and Podcasts

Preparing for your First Semester of Law School (CALI)

Other Resources