Articles
In addition to looking at old exams, a review of test-taking strategies can be helpful. Consult any of the following sourcess. (Note: HeinOnline is a UW Restricted source)
- Jack A. Hiller, How Not to Write Answers to Law School Examinations, 29 Stetson L. Rev. 1181 (2000). Available on HeinOnline
- John H. Langbein, Writing Law Examinations (essay by Yale Law professor).
- Jerry J. Phillips, Thirteen Rules for Taking Law Exams, 72 Tenn. L. Rev. 797 (2005). Available on HeinOnline.
- Patrick Wiseman, "When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It," and Other Sage Advice for First-Time Law School Exam Takers, 22 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 653 (2006).
Websites
- 6 Things Not to Do on Law School ExamsWritten by a law professor in 2005.
- Black Letter Series Outlines for 1L ClassesOutlines for civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts. Logon to WestlawNext required.
- Prepare for a Contracts Exam with Sample QuestionsSample exam questions from Prof. Edward J. Imwinkelried.
- Take a Practice Exam [LawNerds]Offers practice exams for civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts.
- Think Like a Lawyer: A Game of Analysis and Quick ThinkingDesigned to help students spot and analyze issues to prepare for exams.
CALI offers lessons and Classcaster (podcasts). Law students may obtain a password for CALI registration from the Reference Office.
- Exam Taking Skills, Outlines, and Advice for Law Students: Panel 1A 21-minute podcast.
- Exam Taking Skills, Outlines, and Advice for Law Students: Panel 3A 12-minute podcast.
- Exam Taking Skills, Outlines, and Advice for Law Students: Panel 3An 11-minute podcast.
- Tips for Multiple Choice Exams in Law SchoolAn 11-minute podcast. Covers different aspects of a multiple choice question: the stimulus, options, key, and distracters. Discusses the different types of multiple choice questions such as questions that test a student’s ability to recall information, those that draw on materials discussed in class, and those that require analysis. Students are taught how to respond to the call of a question, apply IRAC to multiple choice questions, as well as different tactics for eliminating options in a question. At the end of this lesson students will know how to decipher what type of question is being asked, how to spot the specific issue in the question, and how to eliminate the other choices.
- Writing Better Law School Exams: The Importance of StructureThis program is designed to be useful to students interested in improving their exam-writing techniques. In much of the written work done by lawyers (including writing exams as students), a special form of writing is used. The program begins with an explicit discussion of that form, and the structural implications it has. Within that specific context, the program goes on to discuss the tasks to be performed, the tools used in performing those tasks, and methods of sharpening those tools. The program concludes with some interactive opportunities to try the techniques described. 1.5 hours
Books
The Law Library has several books on taking law school exams. The titles listed below are located in the Reference Area unless noted otherwise. For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog by keywords: law examinations.
Cracking the Case Method, Legal Analysis for Law School Success, 2d ed. by Publication Date: 2018Available online in West Academic Study Aids
The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School by Publication Date: 2007Available in West Academic Study Aids online.
Library does not have a print copy.
First Year Law School Success: Law School Thinking, Essay Exam Writing, and Analysis, 3d ed. by Publication Date: 2012“Far and away the most concise and pragmatic explanation I have ever seen of the mechanics of law school issue spotter exams.” Prof. Jane Winn
Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams by Publication Date: 1999
How to Write Law Exams: IRAC Perfected by Publication Date: 2016Available in West Academic Study Aids online.
Library does not have a print copy.
Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win by Publication Date: 2007
Law School Secrets: Outlining for Exam Success by Publication Date: 2012Available in West Academic Study Aids online.
Library does not have a print copy.
Law School Success in a Nutshell: A Guide to Studying Law and Taking Law School Exams, 3d ed. by Publication Date: 2017Available in West Academic Study Aids online.
Mastering the Law School Exam: A Practical Blueprint for Preparing and Taking Law School Exams by Publication Date: 2007Also available online through West Academic Study Aids.
Open Book: Succeeding on Exams from the First Day of Law School by Publication Date: 2011
Writing Essay Exams to Succeed in Law School (Not Just to Survive), 4th ed. by Publication Date: 2014
