Product Description
This concise, plain-spoken book is the single indispensable guide for beginning law students. Field-tested by students all over the country for more than a dozen years for its practicality and its psychological realism, it has proved an invaluable introduction to: Cutting through the fog of case analysis; Minimizing the bewilderment of the Socratic method; Studying law; Writing for law school; Preparing for exams and exam writing; Managing precious time; Coping with the emotional stress of law study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Not really that helpful
I read this rather expensive book at the beginning of law school but didn't get much out of it. The only helpful thing in here is the stuff on case breifing...but we learned that from trial and error anyway.

Wonderful!!!
Very informative.Exactly what I was looking for and for a very reasonable price.Quite helpful!

Should be titled: Basic Social Studies for Those Who Missed the Entirety of Grade School
I was required to read this book by the law school I've enrolled in. I'll start by acknowledging that it's important to remember that no book is totally without merit. A good reader with an open mind should be able to take something away from every book they read. That being said, I am trying to keep this optimistic maxim in mind while I write my review of this book.

Let me stress to you that before you spend the $30 plus s/h on this little volume, you should REALLY try hard to check it out at your local library or your current university. Order it through inter-library loan if you have to. At best, maybe buy a used (cheap) copy.

This book was obviously well-intended, but is still shockingly disappointing, and borders on the truly condescending. Yes, it actually contains chapters on how to use an apostrophe and how to make certain that your subjects and verbs correlate in a written sentence. Do the authors think everyone going to law school missed elementary school?

Likewise, there are entire sections devoted to how to read a footnote, what a statute is, what a law review is, and how the U.S. government is structured. Hello? Let me save you $30 and a lot of time. There are three branches of government: namely, the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judiciary. Just in case you missed not only your basic Social Studies class AND never saw Schoolhouse Rock, these basic facts have been included in the book.Please, if you grew up in the U.S. and don't know this by now, don't go into law or politics. We have enough trouble as it is.

(As an aside, the fact that BOTH authors teach at Northwestern Law School - a highly competitive school, I might add - should scare all of us. Is THIS the standard of quality of their incoming classes? Really?)

Get it from the library first, and decide for yourself. In the meantime, if you decide to buy it, don't say you weren't duly warned.

Excellent Resource
This is required reading for several of my potential law schools.Written by lawyer parents for their son as a guide for his journey through law schools, this book explains (without an overabundance of legalese)some very important basics for potential law students!

Waste of time...
No offense to the authors.I'm sure their intentions were good.
This book is dry as sand in your mouth and not specific enough to make any sort of difference to anyone.
My law school told me this was 'mandatory' and made sure that we purchased copies before orientation, specifically to learn about case briefing.Unfortunately, this book talks about case briefing in theory, but doesn't bother with teaching the student to brief or show examples of what a case brief looks like.
For a vague, general view of law school, this book does a decent enough job, assuming you have the patience, but if you want a book with tips and techniques, this isn't it.Law School Confidential is a much easier read and provides far more information in a far more organized and efficient way. ... Read more

Product Description
This set of CDs includes a 2 1/2 hour lecture on Secured Transactions and a 24 page handout.For the Law School Legends Audio Series, we found the truly gifted law school professors most law students can only dream about - the professors who draw rave reviews not only for their scholarship, but for their ability to make the law easy to understand. We asked these select few professors to condense their courses into a single lecture. And it’s these lectures you’ll find in the Law School Legends Audio Series. With Law School Legends, you’ll get a brilliant law professor explaining an entire subject to you in one simple, dynamic lecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fun course on Secured Transactions
This course made me laught, listen and laugh again. Such a fun course. It was the most enjoyable Law school legends audio. Well done.

Content is good but the sound quality is terrible.
The content of the CD's are good. The overview is a bit cursory and is not really in depth as I would have liked. The biggest problem is that the sound quality is terrible. I have to crank the volume to even be able to hear the discussion. If I am riding the train then forget about it; I can hear nothing. Great if you are sitting at home and listening in a quite space. Terrible if you are a commuter like I am and are trying to listen on the go.

If you don't get anything from your Commercial Law/ UCC/ or Secured Transactions Class.... this is for you!
I highly recommend these cd's.They have been a life saver.The only thing that I was disappointed about is that these CDs only cover Article 9.There is very little information on Article 3. I like it includes a handout in .pdf format on the 4th cd.The lecturer follows the handout and it saves you from the need of taking too many additional notes.The lecturer has a very conversational style.Highly recommended!

Good exam help
I found this to be really helpful before my secured transactions exam.It simplified the whole subject into a couple hours.It probably would have been good to have in the middle of the semester.

A Top 3 law study aid
An efficient, affordable, effective way to learn Secured Transactions if you didn't take it in law school.I listened to the complete lecture once during my bar exam prep and a select part (on priorities) during the lunch break on exam day.It was like Spak had stolen the bar examiners' working notes.He gave a one-sentence rule that allowed me to answer a thirty minute secured transactions essay cogently and effectively. ... Read more

Product Description
This set of CDs includes a 4 hour lecture on Criminal Law and a 15 page handout.For the Law School Legends Audio Series, we found the truly gifted law school professors most law students can only dream about - the professors who draw rave reviews not only for their scholarship, but for their ability to make the law easy to understand. We asked these select few professors to condense their courses into a single lecture. And it’s these lectures you’ll find in the Law School Legends Audio Series. With Law School Legends, you’ll get a brilliant law professor explaining an entire subject to you in one simple, dynamic lecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

No good for car listening
The professor knows his material, and the organization is good. But he is a terrible speaker. He speaks too quickly and modulates the volume of his voice so much that some words are over-loud and others are inaudible. In particular, he will often rush the ends of his sentences and swallows the last word so you can't hear it. Maybe this is intelligible under headphones, but not while listening in the car with road noise. Even when he repeated a sentence and I still couldn't understand the last word or two. He blurts, blusters, mumbles, and loudly clears his throat.

All this makes for a frustrating listen: I bought this set to review the subject matter, but I found myself struggling to understand what the heck he was saying.

Gilbert should transcribe this lecture and re-issue it narrated by an intelligible lecturer.

Good Basics
Quick and easy review of the basics. Gives you the black letter law, pretty straightforward. I used this and felt that it was a great review. It really cemented the concepts that I had been studying throughout the semester.

waste of money
This is a recording of a single lecture in which Whitebread reviews all of criminal law in two hours. So, he simply states the black letter law, with little description or analysis. There is nothing on these tapes that you will not know from your classes or your textbook. I did not find it helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
This set of CDs includes a 4 hour lecture on Bankruptcy and a 14 page handout.

For the Law School Legends Audio Series, we found the truly gifted law school professors most law students can only dream about - the professors who draw rave reviews not only for their scholarship, but for their ability to make the law easy to understand. We asked these select few professors to condense their courses into a single lecture. And it’s these lectures you’ll find in the Law School Legends Audio Series. With Law School Legends, you’ll get a brilliant law professor explaining an entire subject to you in one simple, dynamic lecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Intro and Exam Prep
This review is excellent.Epstein's approach in this Bankruptcy review is to teach the essentials to write a good final exam.

I drive a lot.That's when and why I use these CD's.I listen to them in the beginning of the semester to get the "lay of the land" for the course.Then I listen to them again in the middle of the semester to keep perspective about where we've been and where we're going.Finally, I listen to them a third time at the end of the semester, when everything is review.I have found this to be an EXCELLENT strategy to supplement all of my reading+writing review.This is a constructive use of my driving time, and well worth the expense. ... Read more

Product Description
For a law student, numerous and massive assignments loom from the very first day - with no let-up until final exams - and with zero feedback until those finals. Law students wonder where to begin, how to begin, and what to do each day. Law School Fast Track is unique in its format: short, fast, inexpensive, and easy-to-read. It is written to help law students starting on day one with one thousand pages of assigned cases. Its immediate suggestions, examples, and tips are invaluable - worth far more than its modest price.

Law School Fast Track is also unique in that it focuses simply on the first week of law school - emphasizing the importance of establishing and maintaining good habits. Most habits in law school are formed before and during the first week. For example, during the first week a student will decide where to study, how long to study, how to brief a law case, what to do with class notes, how to outline, and when to start outlining, among many other demands.

Law School Fast Track is a concise, inexpensive, and easy-to-read guide written in an approachable, peer tone. In focusing on the first week of law school, this book emphasizes the importance of establishing and maintaining good habits, thus giving the readers an early advantage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

I wish I had this when I was a 1L!!!
Let me start off by saying that I am currently a 2L in law school. Like many students, I read a few books before my first year such as Law School Confidential and Succeeding in Law School. After reading them and before starting school, I thought that I was going to do great and that I had "the secret" to succeeding in law school. I soon realized that wasn't going to happen. I ended up falling behind in classes because I couldn't keep up with all the reading as a result of spending so much time briefing cases. The problem with these books is that they're unrealistic. In law school, you will not have the time to do all they say. For those of you considering going to law school or in your first year of law school, you will not know how to succeed until you finish your first year. As a 2L, I have a better idea of what I need to do and how to be effective. So I picked up this book. The book talks about exactly the things I felt that I needed to do my second year to succeed and even more. It has great tips on "briefing" cases and studying. Law school is not rocket science. Succeeding in law school is about having self discipline and smart, effective study skills. This book tells you exactly how to do that. I highly recommend it. Please, do not waste your time with Law School Confidential and the others. This book is all you need. Plus, the author wrote it while he was in law school! I find that amazing, the fact that he had the time to write a book and do well in school. It must be his effective study habits. That's really what made me read this book. My studying is more focused now, and I am able to keep up with my reading and can follow the lectures in class.

14 Habits of Highly Effective Law Students
This book is one of a kind! For those who are shopping, it is important that you recognize what this book will and will not provide you. Law School Fast Track is not about interview techniques or the best study aids or the pros and cons between study groups and individual study or what law review and moot court entail and whether they are worthwhile or the average law school graduate salary or the myriad of other topics typically covered in law school guides. This book is about the habits that are absolutely essential for success in law school. It might as well be called 14 Habits of Highly Effective Law Students. As a law student I was a law review board member and editor and well connected to all of the top-ranked students. I can verify that almost (yes, there are some exceptions) everyone at the top of the class developed these 14 habits early in their law school experience. Most, like the author, developed their good habits through trial and error. This book will save you the trial and error and you will be several steps ahead of the pack.

Too Good, Can't Put A Price On It
Although many people have successfully made it through law school without Hibbard's Fast Track guide, for those of us beginning this venture, the question truly is why would you ever want to? Isn't it everyone's dream that we could be as young as we are, starting the great adventures of life, yet have the wisdom and life lessons learned of the those who've already slayed the beast? Well, for once in life, we can have our cake and eat it too! Hibbard's guide gives law students what every law student wishes they knew when they started out in school. It is a brilliant support to students, allowing them to hone their skills, knowledge and lives without being boggled down by inexperience and naivete. And best of all it doesn't just cover the practical details of law school, it offers principles to guide behaviour and attitude development that will positively influence readers throughout many experiences of their life.

The personal stories were a fantastic touch. I felt as if I were casually conversing with a dear friend in a small Starbucks just off campus instead of reading a book. It was fun to read and the personal touches made the information meaningful and enduring. Trust and admiration are essential aspects of successful advice. A reader doesn't just take anything given to him. The setting for Hibbard's wisdom is so down to earth and intimate that it makes the advice something absorbed readily, leaving the reader ever hungry for more.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Cliffs Notes style Law School Guide
We live in a different age than those who went to law school even 5
years ago.Back then, you relied on the library and hours of research
among stacks of books. Now, like pretty much the rest of the world,
everything is online and easily accessible.Law School Fast Track is
the only book I've seen for law students that follows this trend.The
style of the book is to provide only the essential information and not
waste your time.I read the book in just a few hours and feel like I
know how to be a law student.

And why not?The rest of law school is an information overload.To
read a law school guide any longer than this one is just a waste of
time, especially when all you really need is a few short and sweet
answers on how to be the best student you can be.

The only downside to this book, like reading a Cliff Notes edition of
a classic piece of literature, is that while you get everything that
you need--there isn't much substance.I think I would have liked to
hear more anecdotes about law school, as I was just as curious as what
law school was like, as I was about how to do well.

But then again, that was probably the point.At the beginning of the
book, the author states something like: this book is about being the
best law student you can be, leaving the experience of law school to
be experienced.

Well, the book definitely does what it set out to do.It has
everything you need to be a good student and provides some fantastic
advice that will help well into the legal career.

This is what we need...
A book that gets right to point about how to succeed in law school.

This book is a must read for new law students--100% helpful in that it
points the student in the right direction immediately from the get-go.
I've often wondered what it is about law school that has everyone so
mystified.People flock to books like this just because there is such
a mystery about how to do well.That, and it is so competitive in law
school that everyone is looking for that all-important edge over
everyone else.Well, if you want the edge, read Law School Fast
Track.This book is a great example of that famous proverb: teach a
man to fish rather than give him a fish.Instead of just giving
meaningless pointers, the book points out good habits to develop that
will make you a good student.The focus is pulled away from law
school and what law school is about, and instead focuses on the law
student and what makes a good law student.

I think it would have been better if the book addressed the entire
experience of law school, maybe giving advice on how to balance the
workload during the second year, and the increased apathy during the
third year. I just wish the scope of the book was explicitly broader.
The book is geared to those who are just starting out in law school,
but if you apply what you read and really develop these habits; you'll
be the best student possible throughout all of law school.

Maybe the Author will consider additional books that include second and
third year strategies.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent service
The book was received by the recipient about five days ahead of schedule, and it is in good condition, he says.Many thanks! ... Read more

Product Description
For graduate-level courses in School Law and Education Law. Well-known and highly-respected, this text is a compact survey of the full range of laws affecting education, particularly those generated by recent crises involving school violence, sexual abuse, student suicides, medication in the classroom, language barriers faced by immigrant learners, and discrimination in its many forms. The authors trace the legal controls that balance the rights of school administrators, teachers, pupils, and other parties involved in today's educational arena. Coverage addresses legislative as well as constitutional developments, and provides enough background to enable future teachers to recognize and address potential legal problems, make informed decisions about legal situations, and determine when professional legal representation is warranted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Law in the schools
I purchased this book as a required text for a graduate level class. I found it informative & helpful as well as current & up-to-date. ... Read more

Product Description
After doing very poorly on his law school entrance exam and almost dropping out during his first year as a law student, Chris Yianilos went on to graduate in the top 10 percent of his class. The Law School Breakthrough shows exactly how he did it-and how you can, too.Three years in law school convinced Chris that he could write the only book a budding lawyer needs before his LSAT entrance exam. The Law School Breakthrough can show even the most average student how to triumph over all the barriers to law school success-a crushing workload; the single winner-take-all exam system; the arrogance of most law school professors; the fierce, sometimes hysterical, competition from classmates.The Law School Breakthrough provides a comprehensive, holistic approach to surviving law school-both inside and outside the classroom. It contains proven techniques for overcoming every obstacle students are likely to face during the three most challenging years of their lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Great Guide to Success In and Out of the Classroom.
Like most incoming law students, I browsed the countless books on Amazon that claim to "show the way" in law school.I ended up buying and reading this book and Getting to Maybe.Both are quite helpful, but for different reasons. (Getting to Maybe is more exam focused; great book too, just a much more narrow focus).

I found this book quite helpful to read prior to staring class, as I was a student who really had no clue about how a class actually worked in law school, how to brief a case, how to outline etc.The author provided straightforward advice about how to do these things, and more importantly, why they are worth doing.

The author covers most of the basics needed to succeed in the first semester (and following semesters).Examples and stories abound from the author's own experience in law school, and give you an accurate preview of what you'll probably experience too (I know my experiences have been quite similar).

What I probably liked best is that the book is honest and realistic, yet also optimistic and looks beyond the law school universe.The author is honest that good grades are important and realistic that it will take hard work to get there.With that said, the author repeatably emphasizes that hard work, good grades and law school is not all there is to life.Life will go on if you get a bad grade, and 99% of the world (including most people you know) could care less about what goes on in law school.Its certainly easy to get caught up in the law school universe (and many do), but I think the author is on point in that it is easier to both succeed and enjoy life if you do not let it consume you.

I'd recommend this book to any incoming 1L - read it the summer before your first semester, and it will set you up well for success in and outside the classroom.

Jump start your law school success with this book!
As second year law student, I highly recommend this book to all entering first year students.You will be leaps and bounds beyond by reading this book and have the potential to be at the top of your class if you implement the book's recommendations.Unlike other law school guides, this book is not full of hype, rather this book provides an excellent framework to how approach law school and succeed.Do not waste your money and time on other books.This book is the one book that will put you on the road to be at the top of your first year class.As any law student will tell you, your first year success is critical, and this book provides wonderful and practical ways to make the year a great one!

Not very helpful
I bought this book after my first semester, hoping it would be some help.It was pretty much stuff I already knew.It might be helpful for someone who has never briefed a case before, but if you've been in class a week or more, this book probably won't be very useful.The rest can be summed up by: do your homework.

Excellent Guide to Law School
This book is a must have for anyone attending law school.I read the book before law school and still find myself referring back to it.The author provides a realistic look into the daily life of a law student.Moreover, the conversational style makes it an easy and enjoyable read.

The author also provides excellent tips for succeeding in the classroom.From briefing cases to taking exams, there are numerous practice problems so that the reader can experience applying the principles of the book outside the pressure of the classroom.

Again, I highly recommend this book to anyone in law school.

Author spends more time bragging than giving advice.
This was one of many books i bought as part of my summer reading before beginning law school. Right away i noticed that the author of this book loved to talk about himself. He spends a lot of time explaining how well he did at every stage then over-exaggerates how difficult it will be for you to accomplish the same. You can easily identify the authors ego in his writing; I laughed out loud when I read about his "one and only" time he was unable to answer a professor's question and how HORRIBLY embarrassing it was for him. I never did finish this book because I found others (like Law School Confidential which is written by multiple authors!) to be more realistic, less horrific, and full of advice. ... Read more

Product Description
The classic survival guide to one of the toughest academic challenges you’ll ever face—first - year law… Slaying the Law School Dragon Second Edition First-year law classes are notoriously competitive and the pressure to excel is intense. Yet, each year, nearly 50,000 students willingly subject themselves to that ordeal. Written by a graduate of New York University Law School who went on to become a California Deputy Attorney General, Slaying the Law School Dragon gives law students precisely the brand of no-nonsense, practical advice they need to overcome the obstacles and pitfalls that can trip them up in their first year. While preparing students for all the intellectual rigors of law school, this witty, at times irreverent guide also steels them against the emotional demands placed on first-year students by professors’ attempts to intimidate and appraise them. In Slaying the Law School Dragon, readers will find invaluable tips on how to prepare in advance of the first day of classes; how to study effectively for class; how to prepare for exams; how to put together a brief; how to compose an argument; as well as overview chapters on first-year law courses. Offering the kinds of insights and advice that most students learn the hard way, Slaying the Law School Dragon gives students an indispensable competitive edge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Informative - but in a different way.
Let me begin this stellar review by noting: if you are looking for a book that gives you step-by-step advice and ideas on how to get through law school successfully, step-by-step then DO NOT buy this book.Go out and buy "Law School Confidential" - which will give you the low down on everything.

HOWEVER, if you've already bought your step-by-step books, but would like to get the big picture on law school, law practice and the history of law...BUY THIS BOOK.I've already done the shopping and read the books that are informative and quick.But in the back of my mind, fresh with the knowledge of how hard I'm going to work my first year, I've been wondering if I got the interest to go at this whole-heartedly (or do I just want to make money?)Call me a dork, but I loved the attention this author placed on the history of law, coming from the Common Law of England and citing cute little stories about punishing lawyers for writing too long of briefs or knights jousting to settle a case.Roth gives great attention to the extra-mile on how to go about legal research, studying for the bar and life after law school.I admit he doesn't dwell much on how to study, but rather gives a summary on each first year subject, he mentioned NOTHING on the Law Review, but suggests getting practice on writing briefs by involving yourself in Moot Court, and he has one chapter with the misleading title of "How to Study for Exams" although he pretty much talks about the Bar.And I'm not sure that you study the same for the Bar as for exams.

But at the risk of sounding uppity, I feel if you cannot appreciate the insight, advice and information that this book has to offer - then you don't have a genuine interest in law itself.I was hesistant about this book after reading everyone else's ... review - BUT AM NOW VERY GLAD THAT I BOUGHT IT.This makes me more excited about law school than any other book I read (which usually made me scared to death)And this book does offer some little tidbits and know-how of what to do when beginning law school - provided you are devoted enough to your studies to do this.This book goes beyond 'going to law school - here's how to do well and get a high paying job at a big firm and buy a yacht and a million dollar home', this book is talking about pure interest people, and devotion to your work.If you aren't willing to put forth such effort as he suggests than I question if you heart is in it.But hey, your heart doesn't have to be into Law in order to excel at it, it's just kinda nice to have happen.

Useful and Informative
This book was right on the money when it came to what I should expect frommy first year of law school.If you are disciplined and willing to makethe effort to succeed, then the tips that the book gives will prove veryuseful.If you are not willing to make the efort, then do not buy the bookbecause you will need more than a simple book to do well in school.

This book provides very few useful tips
The law school I attend suggested books to read before attending the first day of class.This wasn't one of them.I now know why.

The book provides very few (and I mean few) useful tips for first year. The tips itdoes provide are pretty useless.You will have enough to do in law schoolwithout attempting the strategies he suggests. I'll give you four tips ifyou are attending law school in the near future (for free): 1)Buy studyguides geared to the text the teacher uses(emanuel's, blonde's, etc.) 2)Getinto a good study group 3)Study 4)Get outlines from second years 5)Don'tbuy this book.

Excellent summary of what to expect in law school.
I enjoyed the presentation of topics in the book. It includes some helpful tips on how to prepare for a rigorous course of classes.

To each, their own
Before leaving for law school, I thought it was necessary to check out every "surving your first year" book on the market(By the way there are a million). After completing my first year, I have come to the conclusion that none of them give you a real picture of the first year. The suggestions offered by this book and many others may work for a discreet few but every law school experience is unique. It may be far more helpful to talk to other law students about thier first year. If you are considering law school, and feel you must buy something to calm your nerves, then this book is appropriate. However, because you are considering law school, my guess is you already know how to succeed. ... Read more

Product Description
As the Director of Suffolk University Law School's Academic Support Program, Professor Ramy begins receiving phone calls from new 1Ls as early as May. Their common question: ''What do I need to do to succeed in law school?'' Professor Ramy has written the second edition of Succeeding in Law School to help answer this question. This edition of the book has several new chapters that are geared toward success both in law school and in the job market. A new chapter on legal analysis addresses one of the most common problems professors see on law school exams--the absence of the counterargument. New materials on interviewing techniques, creating a writing sample, and writing a resume are designed to help students market themselves to prospective employers. Whether students are seeking advice in the summer months or are looking for help once the school year has begun, this book is an important tool for helping them get the most out of their abilities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Law School Prep for Dummies
This book was a no brainer outlook on law school.An entire chapter is devoted to recognizing when you are stressed and breathing exercises to help you sleep.It was a total waste of time and if it were not required reading I would have stopped reading after the first chapter.The only beneficial aspect of the book was where they broke down a recommended study/class/life schedule, but that was almost the last page of the book. If you was an obvious read for what to expect in law school this is for you, but if you are planning to go to law school you should honestly know most if not all of the advise given in this book.

Great resource for 1L's
I'm finishing up the last chapter of this book now and hvae learned quite a bit. I start law school in August and wanted to spend my free time reading prep books. Although this is the first, it has so far not disappointed me. It's easy to read and comprehend. It does provide some exercises to work on. I have started learning about law school, exams, and the process of becoming a lawyer. I wasn't looking for a book where I could necessary teach my and then begin school as a know it all but I wanted that could just help me get started and this book delivers.

0L and nervous?
If you're not worried about law school in the summer before it starts, you're probably not ready for law school. It's a whole new world. Professor Ramy's book is a great intro into the world of law school. It offers tips on reducing stress and maintaining a study schedule. The book also offers practice essay and multiple choice questions; get your feet wet if you're ready.

Read this book before orientation and make up your mind to follow the advice before the very first day of school. Don't be one of those people who falls apart because you can't make and keep a study schedule. Prof Ramy knows what he's talking about. This is a great book.

Single best resource book for new law students
I work closely with law students at a Top 20 law school.This book, by a longtime law professor and head of academic support at another law school, is the single best book out there for new law students.Unlike some other authors who offer advice on law school success, Prof. Ramy has spent years actually working with real, live law students to improve their experiences at law school as well as their academic performance.He covers almost everything a new law student would need to know and think about in order to succeed, including classwork, health and wellness, study methods, note-taking, outlining and how to answer law school exams.Law school is NOT an extension of college; it is professional school and that means it is an entirely different educational system with different goals.Prof. Ramy's book is an outstanding, useful primer on how to thrive within that system, not just as a lawyer-in-training but as a young professional and as a person.

excellent
I have read five preparatory books for law school, and this one seems far superior to any except, perhaps, Law School Confidential--which I would rank as equal. This book actually shows you how to approach the learning experience. In other words, it's not just a guide for time-saving techniques or a compilation of tips, but teaches the reader how he or she will need to think and approach the material in order to fully comprehend it. It doesn't tell, it shows. Extremely useful. I just wish the author had written additional books. ... Read more

Product Description
In this linguistic study of law school education, Mertz shows how law professors employ the Socratic method between teacher and student, forcing the student to shift away from moral and emotional terms in thinking about conflict, toward frameworks of legal authority instead. ... Read more

Product Description
When law librarian Tom Jones is tapped byDean Oberal to write the history for the one-hundred-yearanniversary celebration of Essex Law School, he takes hisassignment seriously. He soon discovers that the task willinvolve many challenges and will reveal even moresurprises.

Such is the case when Tom interviewsMary McCarthy, who served as the secretary to the school'sfounder, Dean Seth Adams. Mary is a legend at the school,and she says that the history Tom is writing won't reflecthalf of what she really knows. Mary reveals some interestinginformation about her relationship with Adams.

Tom also calls on Caleb Cushing, the school's oldestalumnus, who believes he graduated in either 1910 or 1911.Cushing not only has flavorful stories to tell about his lawcareer, but is also a colorful character in his ownright.

As Tom pulls together the pieces from theschool's one hundred years, he learns some tidbits thatmight not be fit to print. For Tom, this project provides aneye-opening glimpse into the legal world of academia with asidelight into its interesting social aspects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Law School intrigue
AALL SPECTRUM [blog]- September 2010

Book Review: The Hidden History of Essex Law School

Published September 3,

Book Review: The Hidden History of Essex Law School.Bander, Edward J. Trafford Publishing, 2010. Paperback, ISBN: 978-1-4269-3077-5, $19.50.291 pages.

Edward J. Bander is a legendary law librarian with a long and distinguished career spanning a half-century at elite law schools such as Harvard, Suffolk, and New York University.He drew extensively from his experiences for his first novel, The Hidden History of Essex Law School. That's right, I said novel. Reviewing a work of fiction is a rarity here, even an ambitious one like this: at once a historical novel, a lurid tell-all, a travelogue, a mystery, and surely a semi-autobiography as well.However, as a book by a law librarian ABOUT a law librarian (and a fictitious fourth-tier Boston law school), it merits a review as much as the latest treatise or research guide.

Tom Jones, Bander's protagonist, is an accomplished law librarian, library director, and faculty member at Essex Law School, sort of an underdog among New England's law schools that carved out a niche for itself by recruiting working-class students, women, and minorities when the Ivy Leagues remained exclusive institutions with quotas and high tuition rates.The dean has tasked Tom with researching and writing a history of the school in order to increase its profile and hopefully raise funds, but the deeper Tom digs, he starts to realize that Essex really deserves to have two histories written.One would be positive, for mass consumption and good public relations, but Essex's hidden history would have to be a hard-hitting expose that recounts all the conflicts, controversies, and conspiracies behind the school and its founders, faculty members, students, alumni, and benefactors - in other words, the truth.Though Tom becomes obsessed with his quest to write this latter history, he does not intend to share it with the world.

Tom Jones is an all-too-rare librarian hero who isn't a socially awkward bookworm, and Bander goes into great detail on how competent and well-respected Tom is by the majority of his peers at Essex Law School and the legal community as a whole.He at once personifies two other familiar literary archetypes: the truth-seeking investigative reporter and the relentless, unyielding detective, though he is more polite and mild-mannered than either archetype.While balancing his responsibilities at the law library and putting up with his overly-flirtatious, hard-drinking, estranged wife, Tom uncovers endless indiscretions by various professors and Essex alumni, stands up to an anti-Semitic, bullying associate dean, gets seduced by a prominent alumna while trying to interview her, and survives a noxious interview with the most flatulent old lawyer ever.Meanwhile, he befriends the elderly former secretary of Essex's founding dean, a woman with plenty of secrets of her own.

My biggest complaint about this book is that it could have used the close, critical eye of a copy editor.It suffers from several distracting typographical errors.Most are punctuation-related (missing or extra periods, quotes that never close, and so forth), but occasionally characters' names are switched randomly, even within the same paragraph.It includes an index, uncommon for novels, but practically necessary for keeping the characters straight.One affectation caught me off guard every time, though: Bander's continuous spelling of Harvard as "Havad" (surely to capture the regional accent). The book's pacing tends to be slow, but it is not a "legal thriller" by any means, nor does it attempt to be.

Unfortunately, despite its commentary on legal education, lawyers, and scholars, The Hidden History of Essex Law School is ultimately a work of fiction, so it would not fit into most law library collections.Our law school has a very small legal fiction section due to a Law and Literature class we offer, and I can imagine Bander's book shelved there alongside Grisham and Turow.However, we all know that our law students put "reading for pleasure" on hold for three years, and while many law professors might appreciate this look behind the occasionally-stained curtains of a law school through the decades, I doubt many of them have much time for novels either.I do recommend law librarians purchase this book, though: it would be most appropriate as a gift to give yourselves or each other.There is no doubt that Bander's labor of love is intended for his fellow law librarians to enjoy, and other audiences discovering it would just be a bonus.

Louis Rosen is a Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law Library at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, Florida.

A great read!
What Turow's One L and John Jay Osborn's Paper Chase was for first tier law schools, The Hidden History of Essex Law School(available on Amazon) is for the other tiers. Tom Jones, Jr., Essex Law Librarian, is asked to write a centennial history of the law school. He decides to write two histories: the one the dean wants and the real one. His interviews with practitioners, judges, and law professors uncovers sexual harassment, embezzlement, and the vagaries and varieties of legal education. The history leads Tom to adventures in Boston, Concord, MA, New York City and Mt. Desert Island, ME. Not since Louis Auchinloss, James C. Cozzens, Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, and Robert Traverhas the academic world of law been under such an intense microscope. The book is indexed by chapter, and readers, at their peril, can skip Tom's marital problems and go right to such topics as Antisemitism, Cataloguing Mishaps, Faculty Meetings, Law School Inspections, Professors, Tenure for Law Librarians, Women and other choice topics. A fun read. ... Read more

Product Description

The Hanafi school of law is one of the oldest legal schools of Islam, coming into existence in the eighth century in Iraq, and surviving up to the present. So closely is the early development of the Hanafi school interwoven with non-legal spheres, such as the political, social, and theological, that the study of it is essential to a proper understanding of medieval Islamic history. Using rich material drawn mainly from medieval Islamic biographical dictionaries, Nurit Tsafrir offers a thorough examination of the first century and a half of the school's existence, the period during which it took shape. She provides a detailed account of the process by which the school attracted ever more followers and spread over vast geographical areas in the Islamic world empire.

Customer Reviews (1)

The early spread of Hanafism
Many people do not realize that in the early period of Islamic Jurisprudence, the so-called Hanafism, Maliki, or Shafiism did not exist as a single school of law. This book under review portrays the complex interrelationship between the sources and the scholars who spread Hanafism during eighth to ninth century. The sources of Hanafi legal systems, the author said, alrealy existed and widely circulated in the eight century, but none of scholars made clear boundaries between Hanafi and other schools of law. That is to say, beside the follower of Hanafi itself, some other scholars who were not part of this circle might spread Hanafism unintentionally. This book also includes a common issue in the development of Islamic history; that is political debate, in this specific case, regarding the election of official qadi in the early Abbasid period. Scholars in this field should have this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Law School Admissions Guide provides the tools for law school admission that cannot be found elsewhere. The purpose of this Guide is to increase your chances of getting into law school.The Guide was written with the intention of creating a concise and authoritative step-by-step guide to help make the entire admissions process one that is understandable and manageable.Included in the Guide is a timeline to help you stay organized.

Do not take the risk of sending in your application until you learn how to increase your chances of acceptance.From tactics to help you do well on the LSAT to pitfalls you should watch out for when requesting letters of recommendation, this Guide helps you to create and finalize an application that law schools will evaluate as truly significant and worthy of special notice.Find out what you can do TODAY to help you increase your chances of getting admitted to law school!

The author of the Guide was accepted to numerous schools—including the school of his first choice.He provides his hindsight 20/20 perspective, so that you may benefit NOW—before you apply to law school—from the methodology set forth in this book, and from lessons he was only able to see and learn in hindsight.

Being accepted by a law school is highly difficult, and the numbers are against most applicants.The acceptance rate is very low, as low as 12% at some schools.However, the fact is that there is a law school for virtually everyone.The vast majority of students who are not admitted to law school failed to apply to the right schools.The Guide will show exactly what law schools to apply for that are likely to admit you.The Guide may be the most valuable tool you will ever have to get into law school.Law school is life altering.Don’t miss the opportunity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful but WAY too much money.
I had a head injury during my freshman year of college and it affected my college career including my GPA so I ordered this book. It has some valuable information but the price is ridiculous. It is a small, thin little book with some good information but it's certainly not worth around $35.00...$19.95 at the most maybe. The information is not THAT valuable--boy, talk about greed! ... Read more

Product Description
This set of CDs includes a 4 hour lecture on Family Law and a 21 page handout.For the Law School Legends Audio Series, we found the truly gifted law school professors most law students can only dream about - the professors who draw rave reviews not only for their scholarship, but for their ability to make the law easy to understand. We asked these select few professors to condense their courses into a single lecture. And it’s these lectures you’ll find in the Law School Legends Audio Series. With Law School Legends, you’ll get a brilliant law professor explaining an entire subject to you in one simple, dynamic lecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Useful and Helpful
I found the course to be very helpful. While the course of six CDs plus a 7th CD with a PDF handout, which you can print and save to your computer, covers somewhat more material than the Abridged Sum and Substance Family Law, the big difference is the handout. It is easier to understand the material while reading along with the handout. (This is specially true with the Wills and Trusts which I highly recommend.) I've found that very few CD courses cover every subject as well as s book, for example, Gilbert's Family Law covers Parenting and the audio course barely scratches the service. Also, there are many particulars to Financial Consequences of Dissolution like Interstate Enforcement that you don't really need in a broad review of Family Law.

If you're looking for a preparatory course or general broad review, this will serve you well. If you want to know some of particulars of Family Law, you'll need your book, especially since it will vary from state to state.

Family Law CD's
Received CD's quickly.Can't rate the content as these were for my daughter in Law School. ... Read more

Product Description

The Islamic school of law, or madhhab, is a concept on which a substantial amount has been written but of which there is still little understanding, and even less consensus. This collection of selected papers from the III International Conference on Islamic Legal Studies, held in May 2000 at the Harvard Law School, offers building blocks toward the entire edifice of understanding the complex development of the madhhab, a development that even in the contemporary dissolution of madhhab lines and grouping continues to fascinate.As scholars look to the construction of a new Islamic legal history, these essays inform on the background to madhhab formation, on inter-madhhab polemics and the drive toward legal authority, on madhhab perpetuation and anti-madhhab tendencies, on the constitutional role of the madhhab, on the madhhab's legislative and adjudicative mechanisms, and on the significance of the madhhab in comparative terms. This volume is of value to anyone interested in the nature of Islamic law.

Product Description
From the founders of JD Jungle magazine, a hip must-read for present and future law-school students, or anyone who wants to learn the "laws of the jungle."

There's an old saying about law school: The first year, they scare you to death; the second year, they work you to death; the third year, they bore you to death. Helping to alleviate this famed fright, sweat, and boredom, The JD Jungle Law School Survival Guide expertly shows current and prospective students how to navigate all three years of law-school torture. Comprehensive, practical, and witty, it includes advice from students in the trenches, successful graduates, sage professors, and working professionals, including:
How to identify and get accepted at the law school of your choice
Places to look for and get financial aid
Effective note-taking, study, and exam-day strategies
Tips for managing law-school stress
How to pass the bar exam the first time
How to land a law internship-and then the job of your dreams

Founded by parent company Jungle Interactive Media in 2000, JD Jungle is one of the hottest new magazines on the market. With a circulation of 80,000 subscribers, it can be found on newsstands everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

At Least the cover looks nice (somewhat)
For any prospective law student, you don't need a Juris Doctor to know that the entire process of becoming a lawyer is going to be long, strenuous, and exhausting. "The Law School Survival Guide" does it's best in trying to address every step of the law school ladder starting from "Why go to Law school?" right up to passing the BAR exam.

However, when done reading this book, you may be baffled by whether or not JD Jungle tried to the fullest extent possible to bestow the most detailed and accurate information to a prospective law student. Important information needed to make big decisions for a law student is minuscule in comparison to sections that are of less importance. For example; "Paying for Your Education" chapter is a mere 5 pages while the "Summer Reading" section that includes such sensational suggestions like "The Crucible" and "Feminism Unmodified" deprives the reader of 8 pages of relevant advice.

Not much information is provided to the reader about how to actually get into law school. After all, if you don't actually get into a law school, this book would be rather useless.
A brief deal of information is set forth about passing the LSAT. The LSAT is one of the most important and difficult steps in entering law school. As the saying goes "Law school is much harder to get into than actually passing". I HIGHLY recommend a prospective law student to invest in a more in-depth LSAT review book that synopsizes the test as well as prepares the LSAT taker with the material. Almost Anything from Kaplan or Law School Admission Council is money well spent.

A lengthily amount of time is spent on "Eat Right: The Art of the Recruiting Meal". Where many of their "Etiquette" tips are pretty much given such as "make sure your fly is zipped up" and "shower before going."

Some of the finer points about the book include a rather detailed chapter about the dreaded first year of Law School. However, once again the book falls short, and fails to detail what second and third years academics involve. JD Jungle instead explains clerkships and summer associate positions leaving the reader with nothing more than "third and second year academics are much easier. You get to pick your subjects............(next chapter)"

The "Passing the BAR exam" chapter does anything but motivate or provide helpful advice. Rather, it spends pages telling tales of horror and pure terror to the test taker. You might get a chuckle out of it but will still have no idea where you should begin to prepare for the BAR.

Now for the most laughable chapter of the entire book; Chapter 10 "Inspiration". JD Jungle takes a shot at providing "Inspirational" interviews to six so-called "Legal Luminaries", which include:
1. Erin Brockovich (who is more of a Hollywood celebrity/Oprah guest than a legal pundit not to mention she has never even been through law school)
2. A leftist Supreme Court justice (which they admit)
3. A Kennedy family member turned environmental crusader
4. A tobacco company assailant
5. An ACLU soldier/ anti-capital punishment "activist"
6. A comical NAACP Al Sharpton-emulating lawyer

Inspiration for what? Heading to sue McDonalds for making kids fat?

Look into "Law School Confidential" for a much worthier law school guide which is more frank and geared towards practical information.
Law School Confidential (Revised Edition): A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students

Skim it for free at the library!
I took this book out from the library, instead of buying it...I would have been really disappointed if I had wasted my money. Right now, I am in the process of applying to law schools and checked out a few books...the ones I plan on buying are "Law School Confidential" and "Planet Law School"...I've also heard really good things about "Law School Insider"."JD Jungle" is so light weight in comparison. There is nothing new or insightful about this book.The legal pop culture references to television, movies & sensational trials- feel more like name dropping than useful information. Erin Brockovich in a law school guide?C'mon! She's never even gone to law school. Who needs to hear about how well Julia Roberts portrayed her in a law school guide?!?I did find the interview of Justice Stevens insightful...but again not enough to justify buying this book.

Survival Guide sinks
I expected more from JD Jungle.A barebones guide, only sparse and vague advice is given on how to study, how to brief a case, how to outline for exams, and understanding the IRAC procedure. A mere 1.5 pages were devoted to how to ace law school exams, for example.No example cases or practice briefs were provided unlike other law school prep books I have read.
The only reason that I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 was the engaging interviews in the last chapter.The chapter is entitled "Inspiration" and it did not disappoint.
Such legal heavy-weights such as Erin Brockovich, Justice John Paul Stevens, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.are included in this chapter.
In sum, I would recommend a different guide.Or, better yet, do it the free way~ online.I have gotten extensive feedback from online law student message boards and online advice columns(such as lawnerds). ... Read more

Product Description
The result of eight years of Nygren's work with first-semester students in five different law schools, this book melds information about the legal system usually found in legal methods books with information about study skills usually found in books with a "how to succeed in law school" focus.

The book uses one area of law — the implied warranty of merchantability as it applies to food — to illustrate various legal issues and the skills needed to master them. It introduces basic legal concepts and vocabulary in the context of one hypothetical case, and then focuses on the structure of cases and types of reasoning courts use. When finished with the book, readers will have the background they need in order to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of legal materials.

A teacher's manual is also available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Starting off Right
The book itself is in good condition and the description given by the vendor is correct. However, I am not sure this book was needed for me to buy only because it's a Starter Book. It's not really the main book for my classes, I found this out once I got all the REQUIRED books for class.So it would of saved me money if I opt out on buying this.This is only my own thoughts as I noticed most of the materials in this book is covered in the REQUIRED Book too.

Very informative
This is an easy, informative read. Whether it will help me in law school remains to be seen as I have not started yet. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting better knowledge of legal terms whether they are a student or not. Also, the cases in the book were fun to read and consider. All in all, it is a great book.

Best starter
This is the best little book I have found for those wanting just a basic starter in the law.It is concise and clear, a good overview for the summer before law school or those considering applying.

Excellent primer on the study of law
This is a book, along with _Bramble Bush_, by Karl Llewellyn, and _Introduction to Legal Reasoning_, by Edward Levi, that all prospective law students ought to read.Ms Nygren's method is to introduce the prospective law student to the concept and strategy of legal thinking and legal study.

In her introduction, she cites two reasons for having written the book: (1) to provide information about the legal system, and (2) to provide information about the study skills necessary for success.

These two themes are repeatedly addressed in this book.It is very tightly focused and dry, but if you push yourself through the book you will learn a lot.Ms Nygren starts the book with a hypothetical situation--in which you, the reader, are a lawyer, and a client comes in with a complaint about a restaurant's food--and then she takes you through the process of identifying the legal issues in the case, how to advocate for your client, et cetera.Though she addresses only very small portion of "the law"--the liability faced by a restaurant--the detailed and close manner in which she takes the reader through this portion of the law is of obvious relevance to the rest of the law.

Ms Nygren provides a very comprehensive introduction to the structure of legal reasoning, and the kind of thinking needed by law students who wish to excel in their studies.

Necessary and sufficient
This short book is clear, helpful and on target.I read it most of it before starting law school last year.The book accurately describes the legal learning process, the process of the law, and the experience of law school.This book is a must read for anyone heading to law school. ... Read more

Product Description
Is a career in law right for you?

Thinking of attending law school?

Where should you apply?

The verdict is in: This comprehensive guide has the answers to all your questions.

Written from the perspectives of a veteran lawyer and a recent law school graduate, this guide covers every aspect of preparing for and pursuing a career in law. Going to Law School? takes you through the entire process—from what you need to do before applying to what you can expect during law school to what career paths you can follow after graduation. You'll find:

• Straight facts on the application and admissions process
• Tips on studying for and taking the LSAT
• Advice on determining which law school is right for you
• An insider's look at how law schools operate
• A thorough survey of career options.

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Author, Great Book!!
Having had a chance to meet the talented Mr. Niewoehner during one of his recent autograph session/book reading at my local Jimbo's Bookwormania, I must confess that I was overwhelmed by is wonderous outlook on life and on law school.I found him, much like his book, to be an inspirational journey into legalistics.I, too, would someday love to attend that institution of institutions, Harvard Law School, and I believe that reading Mr. Niewoehner's book twice or perhaps even three times will start me in the right direction.It is, indeed, what I like to call a "must read" for the lawyers of the future!

Yusuf Paradisi

A Must Read for Anyone Considering Law School
I thought the book, notably the law school section, was superbly researched and written.A true must-read for anyone considering law school and a legal career.

Currently attending a top law school myself, Ithought some of the earlier reviews characterizing the book as"generic" or "common" were way off the mark and likelywritten by dumb poo-poo heads who went to state schools.

Very weak book in comparison to others of the same type.
After he persuades you not to go to law school, he gives very short and common descriptions of what law school is like.I think you would definitely be much better off with another book.A student counselor atany major college or university could have just as easily written thisbook, and quite possibly done a much better job.

You probably don't need this book
I picked up this book after I had been accepted to a law school, but now I feel it was a waste of money. For one thing, I feel that the information is so generic, that any student who has talked someone who is in (or has recently been to) law school or their pre-law advisor would know this. This is espicaly true with the application process. One feeling I got from the book was that it was intended for a freshman in college who is thinking about going about law school. If you are a junior or senior, you probably know the stuff in the book. All and all, not bad but I suggest "How to Succeed in Law School" by Gary Munneke if you want to know what law school itself is about.

an absolute must- read for anyone thinking about law school
The best thing about this balanced, comprehensive review of law school is that it does not assume that everyone should go to law school.It provides a detailed description about what a law studen'ts life is like and carefully lays out both the costs and benefits of getting a law degree.Those who are dead-set on going to law school might want to skip ahead to the sections on applying, but anyone who is even mildly curious about what law school is like would benefit from the authors' depictions.The book also provides sound advice on deciding where, when, and how to apply; the calendar in the back is especially helpful.Although those who, like me, have already graduated college may find some of the advice on how to choose a major a little belated, the book does its best to be relevant to both younger and older students and doesn't make any assumptions about financial resources or academic qualifications, either.All in all, this book is a well- written primer for anyone thinking of becoming a lawyer. ... Read more