What Do I Do In Class?

  1. Go to class.
  2. Stay focused. Don't check e-mail, surf the internet or play games.
  3. Take notes. Here's how:
    1. Listen attentively and write down relevant information.
    2. Accentuate the rules of law and their elements as your professor mentions them (underline them or highlight them to mark their importance).
    3. Put the pages numbers of the cases next to your briefs so that you can refer back easily.
    4. Write down the hypotheticals and answers your professors give in class. These may show up again on the final exam.
    5. If you professor writes something on the board, put it in your notes.
    6. Make notes on the professor's opinions on how issues could have been handled differently or the social policy on the issues.
  4. Pay attention for summaries. If your professor repeats something, make sure you put it in your notes.
  5. Participate!!! It may seem uncomfortable at first, but this is one of the best ways to learn a subject and it teaches you how to argue like a lawyer.
    1. Consider both sides and make your own judgment.
    2. Answer open questions or hypotheticals.