Exam time is fast approaching! This week we highlight a guide to succeeding on these all-important tests.
Open Book: Succeeding on Exams from the First Day of Law School
By Barry Friedman and John C.P. Goldberg
Law Study Skills Collection KF283 .F75 2011
Open Book: Succeeding on Exams from the First Day of Law School recognizes that most law schools and law professors do not talk about the logic of exam taking, or how to be a successful exam-taker. The authors’ goal, therefore, is to explain how exams works and why they work that way, in order for you to do your very best.
The book is organized “backwards” – it starts with exam-taking skills and works back to the beginning of the law school experience. The first section of the book, titled “Understanding the Law School Exam” is the heart of the book. This section addresses the relationship between legal practice, legal reasoning, and law school exams. It also explains how to effectively use IRAC to organize your essays, and addresses each IRAC element (issue-spotting, rules, application, and conclusion) individually. The second section of the book, “Beyond IRAC – How to Take Exams,” discusses different types of exams and exam conditions, gives concrete tips on improving your performance on exams, and offers advice on how to avoid exam trouble. The final section, “Succeeding on Exams by Exceeding at Law School,” explains how to leverage your experience in class throughout the semester on the final exam.
**A brief “how to use this book” portion at the beginning of this book is particularly helpful for those reading it at this point in the semester.