The Complete Law School Companion: How to Excel at America's Most Demanding Post-Graduate Curriculum
Product Type: Book
Product Price: $17.95
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Description
Offers complete, accessible information on every topic of concern to law students ranging from the LSAT, the Bar Exam, Law Review, computerized research and videotape study aids to obtaining that important clerkship or job. Includes recent data on demographics of law school applicants, current salaries for a variety of legal careers, nontraditional courses, legal clinics, detailed discussions regarding the latest law trends such as deregulation and insider trading. Will appeal to law students at all stages of their education.
Reviews
Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2010-04-27
Summary: "Not Bad"
Overall-not a horrible book by any stretch of the imagination. I'd suggest buying a used copy for cheap. I still am looking for a another book to prepare me for law school.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-01-06
Summary: "good common sense book...straight forward"
I wasn't going to leave a review, but after reading those other reviews that gave a 3/5 star because the book "needs to be updated badly", I decided to throw in my own two cents...first...
This book does not need to be updated...it's fine...Law school hasn't changed in hundreds of years....As for laptops in class, so what?
Laptops are just things for taking notes. This book addresses the very important things: how to create great briefs, how to create a great outline, and how to take a test...that's ALL you need...
If you can't figure out that laptops and Examsoft (AKA the devil) are just ancillary to the above mentioned things...then this book (and any other your find on Amazon) ain't gunna help yo sorry *&$% in law school..
On a more positive note!
I highly recommend this book...Already told my friend to get it...It's very straightforward..takes the guess work out of everything...
BUY IT.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2008-11-07
Summary: ""How to Excel in Law School""
"The Complete Law School Companion: How to Excel at America's Most Demanding Post-Graduate Curriculum" by Jeff Deaver, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1992. ISBN0-471-55491-X, SC 206/229 pages. Appendices I - Intro. Legal Sys. & II - Glossary Terms with Index 3 pgs. No Illustrations.
This Revised & Updated edition (1984 - 1992) is a singularly attractive & informative reading for those interested in the core curriculum, types of study materials and teaching methodologies found in law schools. It is a well-rounded and well-written syllabus written by a cum laude law school graduate who is also a published writer of novels. Deaver provides a succinct explanation of necessary study habits, types of work assignments and obstacles one may expect to encounter in choosing law as a career. Special emphasis is given on steps to maximize performance on law school tests and the bar exam, using test examples and answers which follow a specific format and covers I Short Answer, II Issues Presented, III Analysis (Rule of Law, Applicable Facts, Conclusion), IV Other Considerations and V Conclusion. The author utilizes the LCM or Legal Concept Management as outline for learning this material.
Two Appendices are especially informative, i.e. the Introduction to the American Legal System, a federalist system of laws prescribed by both federal and state government, and a concise review of how laws come to pass and appear on the books, i.e., the categories of Procedural (how to redress) and Substantive (what one's rights are) Laws. A distinction between Criminal and Civil Laws and brief review of the court system (tri-level) into Federal District & Specialty Courts, Geographic or Circuit Courts (Appellate), and the Supreme Court is outlined.
Overall, this is a good read - for the targeted audience of enrolled law students, it is, perhaps, somewhat dated on finer points of law school and bar exam examination taking as some scoring methodology has changed and computer programming is paramount. It contains an excellent overview on "Law Review" and helpful tips on finding law clerkship or related jobs before graduation.
finis
Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2008-05-16
Summary: "This book is now extremely outdated, but has a few useful things"
I just finished my first year at a top ten law school. I didn't read this book or The Law School Companion in full before school started, but I read through parts of it during the year and over winter break. Overall it does help with giving you hints if you are utterly clueless on what to expect, but it is very outdated and there are far more useful books out there. One that I prefer is called Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in a Nutshell (based off the Nutshell series which is very helpful and used by practicing lawyers). I would recommend Law School Companion but I think that book will tend to scare you too much and be counter-productive. I wish I had gone into law school having read the nutshell book, but the truth is that you will figure everything out once you are there and there is no reason to read a pre-law book unless you are in really in a panic. If you do choose to buy this book BUY IT USED. I had a copy I put into recycling because the used copies are selling for so little.
Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2007-09-04
Summary: "Very helpful book"
As a first year law student with no idea what to expect, this book was extremely helpful. I purchased it the summer before my first semester, and imagine how excited I was when my legal writing teacher recommended this book over all law school aides. This book explains a great deal about law school, including what to expect in general, how to write briefs, and effective outlining methods. I would highly recommend this purchase!