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[per Dave's request] 0L/Pre-1L Prep Advice
Nicole Hopkins
Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
Hey y'all—
Just popping in from 1L land per @DumbHollywoodActor 's request to share some thoughts about 1L prep—specifically, Larry Law Law's KTCOOLS course. I started Larry's course around this time last year and I don't think it's too early to start thinking about this. Here goes.
1) I have one of the highest GPA's in my entire class (I know of one person with a 4.01, I have a 3.975) and (to the best of my knowledge) the highest GPA for doctrine classes. We have a graded legal writing course, which your school probably will not. So, for all of the courses relevant to Larry's course, I may have the highest GPA at a T10 law school. I got an A+ in Crim and A's in Torts, Contracts, and Civ Pro.
2) I did this well because I didn't waste my time/energy on things that didn't matter and managed my expectations. Your grades in doctrine classes depend almost exclusively on your performance in a 3-4 hour period one day in December/April. I didn't brief cases (I have a very specific method of "book briefing" which I'm happy to share with you all over the summer) and I did practice exams early and often (not full exams but hypos that are ~45min to 1 hour, which typically represents the amount of time you will spend on an individual section/fact pattern on a law school exam; full exams you do during reading period and they should be exams your professor has released).
3) These principles (not briefing cases/book briefing and approach to PE's) I learned from Larry's course. Everything you will learn in law school is to the contrary: they will tell you to brief cases and hold off on PE's until reading period. I promise that you will have no idea how to take a law school exam unless/until you're exposed to them, ideally early on and in a context with some guidance. And I promise that briefing cases is a waste of time as far as exams are concerned. Book briefing is another matter, but writing out full briefs is, in my opinion, madness. It will make you miserable and you will get nothing for all of your effort.
People thought I was crazy. My study group thought I was crazy. That's because when you get to law school, the administration and mentors etc. will tell you to brief cases and wait to practice taking exams. Do not do these things.
So—I learned all of the things that I think differentiated me from KTCOOLS. I'm not saying it's sufficient/necessary, but that's where I got the ideas for how/what I did.
My personal tips include: take all of your notes by hand, don't have your computer or phone out in class, and start outlining by the middle of the semester. First-pass outlining is typing your notes. Real outlining (what you will actually use on the exam) you do at the end of the semester. And make all of your own outlines. The reason you outline is to master the material. Use A or A+ outlines from upperclassmen who had your professors only to supplement your own or to get ideas. Only use supplements if 1) they are written by your professor 2) the professor recommends (rare) and/or 3) to get enough of the law internalized to do hypos early on. Be warned that supplements will almost definitely lead you astray with at least a couple of your professors, so you may need to "forget" what you learned in order to practice exam taking when it comes to what your professor actually teaches. But that is a small price to pay for the experience of taking practice exams, refining your methods, and getting used to legal analysis under timed conditions.
I'm not going to have time to address specific questions/comments, but much love to all 
Dave knows where to find me and he can bring important questions to my attention, but for now, I'm signing off and thinking of you all very fondly.
Comments
Thank you! And hope to see you on the admitted students weekend at NU soon!
Thanks so much @"Nicole Hopkins"
@"nicole.hopkins" is a ROCK STAR
BRAVA! I need to bump this every year at this time. Docketing...
Great post deserving of a timely bump.
"I have a very specific method of "book briefing" which I'm happy to share with you all over the summer."
I'm still interested in learning more about this! @DumbHollywoodActor think you can talk to Nicole about setting something up?
Funny how we are all told "3 months and some PTs... you can score 165 as long as you're not dumb" and then we are told another set of potentially misleading guidance in 1L.
Question everything; especially which sources of guidance to you trust.
Hey, maybe JY should start a 7Sage course for 1L.
Bumping this 2 year thread. Does anyone know if the KTCOOLS course still available? Does anyone know of a comparable/effective alternative?
It's still available last I checked. There are a few alternatives, but no one really has the time or resources to compare them.
I think the sales usually open around March and close as soon as they sell out.....
Thanks @Bamboosprout and @akistotle !