THE LAW SCHOOL OUTLINE

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THE LAW SCHOOL OUTLINE
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• WHY OUTLINE?
• WHAT IS AN OUTLINE?
• HOW SHOULD I DO IT?
• What materials do I use?
• What gets included?
• AND WHEN?

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What is an Outline?

• Method of Organizing and Conceptualizing
  Information
• Lots of Models
• samples posted online
• A Personal Translation/Learning Document
• The course is your focus
• An Analytical Process Document
• The exam is your focus

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How Should You Outline?

• Organize
• Conceptualize
• Integrate
• Condense

• Alone or with others?
• Divide up or do all of it?
• Commercial Sources?

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What materials should you use?

• Course syllabus
• Case book (TOC)
• Class notes
• Hypotheticals?!
• Notes from readings/case briefs
• Commercial outlines?
• Emmanuel did NOT take your torts class.

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Tips On What To Include

• Organize around legal principles. Rule?
  Definition? Elements? Terms of Art?
• Case examples (when was the rule violated? when
  not?)
• Hypos from class to demonstrate how the rule is
  applied
• Defenses? Remedies? Make sure your outline
  covers application of the legal principles from
  every side.
• Consider the bigger picture too. Not just how
  to apply the law but are there any social,
  political, economic, moral etc. policy points
  that come into play?

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When Should You Outline?

• Time Management
• Whats your style? Why it may be a good time to
  change!
• Set a schedule
• Which class do you want to tackle first?