Additional Resources

Law School Academic Success Project

The Law School Academic Success Project represents the combined expertise of law schools across the country in providing academic success services to their students. With more than three decades of experience, the project is an important resource for law students and legal educators. We encourage you to examine the pages devoted to students for additional information on enhancing your law school experience.

Writing Skills

Purdue English Department: Online writing lab that teaches lessons, gives examples, and lets students do workbook problems
Writing Tips: Contains thorough tools to improve writing from the sentence level to the writing process and organization
PC NineOneOne: Addresses common grammatical and spelling mistakes
The Legal Writing Teaching Assistant: The Law Student’s Guide to Good Writing

Exam Preparation Tips

Do's and Don'ts of Exams by Structured Study Group Leader Kacy Wothe (PPT)
Podcast on Predicting the Questions on Your Law School Exams (Professor Herbert N. Ramy,Director; Academic Support Program; Suffolk University Law School)

General Law School Links

CALI-Computer Assisted Legal Instruction – Includes multiple choice questions on all first-year subjects.
The Lectric Law Library's study of Law Study 
Ten Instructions for Briefing Cases  
Internet Legal Resource Guide

Suggested Readings

There are a number of good books that discuss how to get through law school. Both as you prepare for and begin law school, and in order to gain some perspective during your time in law school, it can be helpful to look at outside sources. A beginning student may want to use these readings to become more familiar with the U.S. legal system, including books covering the various court structures (federal & state; trial and appellate; criminal; civil; tax; court of claims); how a law suit progresses through the court; and how legislation is passed and becomes law. If you have time, watch the movie Paper Chase and read some John Grisham novels.

Law School Study, Exams, and Strategies

Burkhardt, Ann & Robert Stein, How to Study Law and Take Law Exams (West 1996).
Civiletto Carey, Christen & Kristen David Adams, Practice of Law School: Getting In and Making the Most of Your Legal Education (ALM Pub 2003). 
Editors of JD Jungle and jdjungle.com, JD Jungle Law School Survival Guide (Carolina Academic Press 2004). 
Falcon, Atticus, Planet Law School II: What You Need to Know (Before You Go) – But Didn’t Know to Ask – And No One Else Will Tell You (Fine Print Press 2003). 
Gershman, Bennett L. & Lissa Griffin, The Law School Experience.
Hegland, Kenney F., Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in a Nutshell (Thomson West 2003). 
Hricik, David, Law School Basics: A Preview of Law School and Legal Reasoning (Nova Press 2000). 
Miller, Robert H., Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, For Students (St. Martin’s Griffin 2004). 
Munneke, Gary A., How to Succeed in Law School (Barron’s Educational Series 2001). 
Noyes, Shana Connell & Henry S. Noyes, Acing Your First Year of Law School: The Ten Steps to Success You Won’t Learn in Class (Fred B. Rothman 1999). 
Schwartz, Michael Hunter, Expert Learning for Law Students (Western State University College of Law 2003). 
Shapo, Helene S. & Marshall Shapo, Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success (Foundation Press 2002). 
Stropus, Ruta K. & Charlotte D. Taylor, Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success (Carolina Academic Press 2001).

The Practice of Law and Legal Systems

Fine, Toni, American Legal Systems (Anderson Publishing 1997).
Tonsing, Dennis J., 1000 Days to the Bar, But the Practice of Law Begins Now (William S. Hein  2003). 

Writing Style and Grammar

Block, Gertrude, Effective Legal Writing for Law Students and Lawyers (5th ed. 1999).
Brody, Susan, et al., Legal Drafting Chapter 3: Write Carefully (1994).
Dickerson, Darby, Less is More: Use the Delete Key to Streamline Legal Writing, 8 Ill. B.J. 185 (Apr. 1997).
Dumond, Van, Grammar for Grownups (1993).
Strunk, Jr, William and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (3rd ed. 1979).
Wydick, Richard C., Plain English for Lawyers (3rd ed. 1994).

Entertainment

Harr, Jonathan, A Civil Action (Random House 1995).
Meltzer, Brad, The Tenth Justice (Warner Books 1998).
Turow, Scott, One L (Warner Books 1997).