Insider Tip: Academic struggles can be overcome by changing the way you organize, learn, and practice writing every topic before exams.
Challenge Yourself: Instead of just working harder, is there something you havenât tried yet that could make things click?
We all struggle to learn in law school at some point.
The difference between students who struggle and those who seem to "just get it" isnât about intelligence, undergraduate GPA, or even effort. It often comes down to study habits that some students havenât developed yet.
Here are some common things struggling law students often donât doâand why they matter:
They Donât Start the Semester by Identifying Main Topics (Step 1 of my Study System): Many struggling law students dive straight into reading cases without first figuring out the main topics and subtopics each case is meant to highlight. Identifying these main topics at the start helps you feel more confident and in control because you know the boundaries of what youâre about to learn.
They Donât Create a Visual Framework for Each Subject (Step 2): Each class is made up of interconnected topics youâll learn throughout the semester. Breaking down the individual topics in your syllabus gives you a framework to work within, so you can organize information into manageable chunks.
They Donât Maintain One Master Document Per Topic (Steps 3, 4, and 5): Some students keep multiple documents for reading notes, lecture notes, case briefs, and personal insights, while others make outlines that are way too long and mix up unrelated information. To save time and avoid mental overload, keep one organized outline for each main topic in the course. This makes it easier to pull everything together when you create an exam attack sheet or essay approach later on.
They Donât Use Pre-Reading Strategies (Step 4): A lot of students skip pre-reading commercial summaries of cases or materials from places like Quimbee, BarBri, or Westlaw/Lexis before tackling the full case because they think it's cheating. But reviewing these summaries first can really boost your understanding by helping you spot key issues, facts, rules, and arguments right away.
They Donât Practice Writing Each Topic (Step 8 of my Study System): The final exam shouldnât be the first time you practice writing a topic. Practicing with exams and hypotheticals throughout the semester helps you lock in your understanding and perform better when it counts. Having an exam strategy makes it even easier.
They Donât Realize Thereâs a Formula for Studying and Writing: Thereâs a system for learning every topic and a formula for writing organized essays with strong analysis. You don't have to waste time reinventing the wheel!
Struggling students arenât any less capable than othersâthey often just need a different study approach to achieve their academic goals.
If exams arenât going your way, take a step back and think about how you organized, learned, and practiced writing each topic before the exam. Can you modify your study system to get different exam results?
Cheers to achieving your academic goals in law school,
That's all for this week, thanks for being a part of my incredible community!
