Part of our mission is to teach students what to expect in law school -- the other part is showing students what is expected of them. Most of your classmates are going to rely on the skills that got them into law school -- the skills they developed as undergraduates. In law school, however, the method of instruction is different and the way students are tested is different. Law Preview students walk into law school with a full understanding of the academic success strategies they need to employ to truly excel during the all-important first--year.

Case-Briefing

Case briefing is an analytical exercise that simulates a student’s capacity to think like a lawyer, and the steady development of this capacity is critical to a law student's ultimate success. Law Preview students learn how to read critically and dissect case law, an invaluable skill for anyone hoping to excel during the first year.

Time Management

Effective time management is crucial and those students who are most efficient in allocating their time usually end up at the top of their classes. During the week, we teach students how best to spend their time, when to begin outlining, and when to begin preparing for exams. Reminder emails throughout the year help keep our students stay on course.

Outlining

Possibly the most important activity you will perform in preparation for exams is creating your outline. A course outline is a single document that contains a synthesis of all the cases you reviewed during the semester, together with your class notes and other relevant materials. Law Preview teaches students how to efficiently create and use class outlines.

Surviving The Socratic Method

The Socratic Method is intended to teach students to consider the broader implications of a case by forcing them to analyze and apply particular points of law in a variety of related circumstances. Law Preview students understand the goals of this method of instruction and, as such, walk into class more confident than their uninitiated classmates.

Note-Taking & Studying

Effective note-taking is critical. It not only ensures that you retain the important points of each class lecture and discussion, but it also ensures that you create a complete set of class notes and a record of the issues that your professors repeatedly highlight. Law Preview students learn not to be distracted by extraneous banter, and instead to be on the lookout for the four fundamental discussion points that must make it into their notes.

How To Think Like A Professor

When students sit for their exam, they are writing for an audience of one -- their professor. Although we do not believe that students must agree with their professor's view of a particular area of law, we teach students how to identify topics that they view as important, and which invariably make their way onto final exams.