law study help
How do law students make notes to memorise essential information? Can anybody tell me how they read cases and make case briefs because the process I use is so lengthy and I do not even do for all cases because I get exhausted. Also what is this outline system? And how do you organise deadlines and study for exams (recommend some apps)? Cramming is not working for me 
Hey there. I am in my final year studying Law with Criminology at Sheffield Hallam.
The best way I have memorised information is by ensuring my lecture notes are relevant, removing any unnecessary info and making my notes look presentable. This has helped me as in first year, I would write down every single bit of info, then my lectures would end up being 7 pages long each which meant revision was almost impossible.
I recommend watching YouTube videos on topics, buying useful textbooks and resources such as 'nutcases' as this meant the information was in a simpler format.
When it came to memorising caselaw, I would use a mini whiteboard and I would write out the cases over and over again until I remembered them. This sounds silly but this really helped me. Also using flashcards was helpful, I would get my family or flatmates to quiz me on them. Also make use Quizlet and Kahoot, these are really good online resources to help with memory. I also made flowcharts for certain areas of law.
When it comes to reading cases, I only make notes on relevant facts. You won't usually need the extensive case facts, just the rationale is usually relevant. However, I found that knowing a little bit of the case facts helped me remember the case a bit easier.
Remember to write to-do lists and prioritise topics too. To-do lists will help ensure you are organising your revision and it means you can be more productive with your time. When it came close to my essays and exams, I would spend a lot of time in the library as this was where I was most productive, as I had little distractions as opposed to doing my work from my flat.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Scarlet - Sheffield Hallam Student Ambassador
The best way I have memorised information is by ensuring my lecture notes are relevant, removing any unnecessary info and making my notes look presentable. This has helped me as in first year, I would write down every single bit of info, then my lectures would end up being 7 pages long each which meant revision was almost impossible.
I recommend watching YouTube videos on topics, buying useful textbooks and resources such as 'nutcases' as this meant the information was in a simpler format.
When it came to memorising caselaw, I would use a mini whiteboard and I would write out the cases over and over again until I remembered them. This sounds silly but this really helped me. Also using flashcards was helpful, I would get my family or flatmates to quiz me on them. Also make use Quizlet and Kahoot, these are really good online resources to help with memory. I also made flowcharts for certain areas of law.
When it comes to reading cases, I only make notes on relevant facts. You won't usually need the extensive case facts, just the rationale is usually relevant. However, I found that knowing a little bit of the case facts helped me remember the case a bit easier.
Remember to write to-do lists and prioritise topics too. To-do lists will help ensure you are organising your revision and it means you can be more productive with your time. When it came close to my essays and exams, I would spend a lot of time in the library as this was where I was most productive, as I had little distractions as opposed to doing my work from my flat.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Scarlet - Sheffield Hallam Student Ambassador
Original post by hallamstudents
Hey there. I am in my final year studying Law with Criminology at Sheffield Hallam.
The best way I have memorised information is by ensuring my lecture notes are relevant, removing any unnecessary info and making my notes look presentable. This has helped me as in first year, I would write down every single bit of info, then my lectures would end up being 7 pages long each which meant revision was almost impossible.
I recommend watching YouTube videos on topics, buying useful textbooks and resources such as 'nutcases' as this meant the information was in a simpler format.
When it came to memorising caselaw, I would use a mini whiteboard and I would write out the cases over and over again until I remembered them. This sounds silly but this really helped me. Also using flashcards was helpful, I would get my family or flatmates to quiz me on them. Also make use Quizlet and Kahoot, these are really good online resources to help with memory. I also made flowcharts for certain areas of law.
When it comes to reading cases, I only make notes on relevant facts. You won't usually need the extensive case facts, just the rationale is usually relevant. However, I found that knowing a little bit of the case facts helped me remember the case a bit easier.
Remember to write to-do lists and prioritise topics too. To-do lists will help ensure you are organising your revision and it means you can be more productive with your time. When it came close to my essays and exams, I would spend a lot of time in the library as this was where I was most productive, as I had little distractions as opposed to doing my work from my flat.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Scarlet - Sheffield Hallam Student Ambassador
The best way I have memorised information is by ensuring my lecture notes are relevant, removing any unnecessary info and making my notes look presentable. This has helped me as in first year, I would write down every single bit of info, then my lectures would end up being 7 pages long each which meant revision was almost impossible.
I recommend watching YouTube videos on topics, buying useful textbooks and resources such as 'nutcases' as this meant the information was in a simpler format.
When it came to memorising caselaw, I would use a mini whiteboard and I would write out the cases over and over again until I remembered them. This sounds silly but this really helped me. Also using flashcards was helpful, I would get my family or flatmates to quiz me on them. Also make use Quizlet and Kahoot, these are really good online resources to help with memory. I also made flowcharts for certain areas of law.
When it comes to reading cases, I only make notes on relevant facts. You won't usually need the extensive case facts, just the rationale is usually relevant. However, I found that knowing a little bit of the case facts helped me remember the case a bit easier.
Remember to write to-do lists and prioritise topics too. To-do lists will help ensure you are organising your revision and it means you can be more productive with your time. When it came close to my essays and exams, I would spend a lot of time in the library as this was where I was most productive, as I had little distractions as opposed to doing my work from my flat.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Scarlet - Sheffield Hallam Student Ambassador
Hi!! Thank you soo muchh for finding time to give such an extensive response. I have a few follow up questions:
- what note making style did u find helpful?
- law school is hectic and reading intensive, so how do u find time to make notes, modify it and even go ahead and make flashcard.
- while using flashcards, do u write the fact of the case or rationale. Generally the fact itself is so long that i cannot cram it in the same card.
- how did you improve your essay writing skills?
- sometimes I have to read certain articles for class discussion, although I read it I cannot retain unlike other people. Could you recommend how to go about it?
- Lastly, how do u manage to stay consistent most of the time?
(edited 10 months ago)
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