Law School 411:
Books & Films on Law & Law School
LAW SCHOOL 411: Books & Films on Law & Law School is a multimedia bibliography of sources. It is prepared for students thinking about law school and for current students who are looking for books to read, movies to watch, and websites to visit. The listings included in Law School 411 run the gamut from interesting items on lawyers in popular culture to inspiring stories of social justice and law to materials about excelling in law school.
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⇒ BOOKS ABOUT LAW SCHOOL
⇒BOOKS ABOUT EXCELLING IN LAW SCHOOL
⇒INSPIRING STORIES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE LAW
⇒BOOKS ABOUT LEGAL CAREERS
⇒ FILMS ABOUT LAW, LAWYERS & LAW SCHOOL
⇒ CURRENT TELEVISION SERIES ABOUT LAW
⇒ FICTION BY LAWYERS-ABOUT LAWYERS
⇒ INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST
⇒ LEGAL WEBLOGS
⇒BOOKS ABOUT EXCELLING IN LAW SCHOOL
⇒INSPIRING STORIES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE LAW
⇒BOOKS ABOUT LEGAL CAREERS
⇒ FILMS ABOUT LAW, LAWYERS & LAW SCHOOL
⇒ CURRENT TELEVISION SERIES ABOUT LAW
⇒ FICTION BY LAWYERS-ABOUT LAWYERS
⇒ INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST
⇒ LEGAL WEBLOGS
BOOKS
ABOUT LAW SCHOOL
Note:
Some of the works available in the NYLS Library may be earlier editions
than those listed.
ONE L by Scott Turow. New York, Putnam, 1977. Now available as a Warner Books reprint.
Enjoy this classic tale of the famous novelist’s first year at Harvard Law. You can feel his anxiety and relief as you read about his experiences in the classroom and in his study group. If you only have time for one first person tale, this is probably it.
Available in NYLS Library
Anarchy and Elegance:
Confessions of a Journalist at Yale Law School, by
Chris Goodrich. Boston, Little Brown & Co., 1991.
Goodrich, a journalist, writes of his year on a fellowship at Yale Law School. He took first year law classes and observed first hand how students are trained to "think like lawyers." During that year he suffered some disillusionment with law school. He demonstrates how law school leads students to a new and disciplined way of “thinking like a lawyer.”
Available in NYLS Library
Goodrich, a journalist, writes of his year on a fellowship at Yale Law School. He took first year law classes and observed first hand how students are trained to "think like lawyers." During that year he suffered some disillusionment with law school. He demonstrates how law school leads students to a new and disciplined way of “thinking like a lawyer.”
Available in NYLS Library
Barman:
Ping-Pong, Pathos, and Passing the Bar, by Alex Wellen. New
York, Harmony Books, 2003.
In this work Wellen provides a look at law school at a second tier school. He describes in detail the all consuming work of looking for a job and going through the interview process. Later he takes readers with him on the journey through the bar exam from preparation through the months spent waiting for results. While full of humor, the book is at times serious and thought provoking.
Available in NYLS Library
The Bramble Bush: Some Lectures on Law and Its Study, by Karl N. Llewellyn. New York, Colulmbia University, 1930.
A legal classic, The Bramble Bush is Prof. Llewellyn's introduction to law and law school. Through it he teaches students how to read cases, how to prepare for class, and how justice in the real world relates to the law. It is based on lectures he gave to his first year law students almost 100 years ago at Columbia University.
Available in NYLS Library
In this work Wellen provides a look at law school at a second tier school. He describes in detail the all consuming work of looking for a job and going through the interview process. Later he takes readers with him on the journey through the bar exam from preparation through the months spent waiting for results. While full of humor, the book is at times serious and thought provoking.
Available in NYLS Library
The Bramble Bush: Some Lectures on Law and Its Study, by Karl N. Llewellyn. New York, Colulmbia University, 1930.
A legal classic, The Bramble Bush is Prof. Llewellyn's introduction to law and law school. Through it he teaches students how to read cases, how to prepare for class, and how justice in the real world relates to the law. It is based on lectures he gave to his first year law students almost 100 years ago at Columbia University.
Available in NYLS Library
Broken
Contract: A Memoir of Harvard Law School, by Richard D.
Kahlenberg. New York, Hill and Wang, 1992.
Kahlenberg recounts stories from his days at Harvard Law School in the late 1980s from the perspective of an idealistic student. He describes the everyday life of a law student filled with scrambling for law review positions, summer internships, judicial clerkships and, ultimately a job as a lawyer. His story is somewhat of an indictment of Harvard for its failure to nurture public-interest-minded lawyers.
Kahlenberg recounts stories from his days at Harvard Law School in the late 1980s from the perspective of an idealistic student. He describes the everyday life of a law student filled with scrambling for law review positions, summer internships, judicial clerkships and, ultimately a job as a lawyer. His story is somewhat of an indictment of Harvard for its failure to nurture public-interest-minded lawyers.
Brush with the
Law, by Robert Byrnes and Jaime Marquart. Los
Angeles, Renaissance Books, 2002.
The authors graduated from law school in 1998 and met while working in the same law firm. This book tells the story of their law school days at top law schools, Stanford and Harvard. In addition to school, the book is filled with tales of many non-academic activities such as gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc.
Available in NYLS Library
The authors graduated from law school in 1998 and met while working in the same law firm. This book tells the story of their law school days at top law schools, Stanford and Harvard. In addition to school, the book is filled with tales of many non-academic activities such as gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc.
Available in NYLS Library
Educating
Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law, by
William M. Sullivan et al. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2007.
This work is one volume in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Preparation for the Professions Series. This series is a comparative study of education in medicine, nursing, law, engineering and the clergy. Educating Lawyers takes an in-depth look at the professional education of a lawyer. In particular it examines the use of the Socratic method of teaching and the “lawyering” courses in the typical law school curriculum. It also studies the formation of legal professionalism in students. Through this work the authors intend to stimulate better teaching which bridges the gap from law school to practice.
Available in NYLS Library
This work is one volume in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Preparation for the Professions Series. This series is a comparative study of education in medicine, nursing, law, engineering and the clergy. Educating Lawyers takes an in-depth look at the professional education of a lawyer. In particular it examines the use of the Socratic method of teaching and the “lawyering” courses in the typical law school curriculum. It also studies the formation of legal professionalism in students. Through this work the authors intend to stimulate better teaching which bridges the gap from law school to practice.
Available in NYLS Library
The
History of Legal Education in the United States: Commentaries and Primary
Sources, by Steve Sheppard. Clark, N.J., The Lawbook
Exchange, 2007.
This anthology is a collection of writings by leading legal historians, along with a wealth of related primary sources by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher C. Langdell, Karl N. Llewellyn, Roscoe Pound, Tapping Reeve, Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Story, John Henry Wigmore and other distinguished contributors to American law. It is divided into nine sections: Teaching Books and Methods in the Lecture Hall, Examinations and Evaluations, Skills Courses, Students, Faculty, Scholarship, Deans and Administration, Accreditation and Association, and Technology and the Future. Among the contributors to this volume are Morris Cohen, Daniel R. Coquillette, William P. LaPiana (one of NYLS’s own) and Fred R. Shapiro.
Available in NYLS Library
This anthology is a collection of writings by leading legal historians, along with a wealth of related primary sources by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher C. Langdell, Karl N. Llewellyn, Roscoe Pound, Tapping Reeve, Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Story, John Henry Wigmore and other distinguished contributors to American law. It is divided into nine sections: Teaching Books and Methods in the Lecture Hall, Examinations and Evaluations, Skills Courses, Students, Faculty, Scholarship, Deans and Administration, Accreditation and Association, and Technology and the Future. Among the contributors to this volume are Morris Cohen, Daniel R. Coquillette, William P. LaPiana (one of NYLS’s own) and Fred R. Shapiro.
Available in NYLS Library
The
Insider’s Guide to Your First Year of Law
School, by Justin Spizman. Avon, MA, Adams Media,
2007.
This book was written by a recent graduate who remembers his first year anxieties well. In this book Mr. Spizman tells first year students how to manage their workloads, determine what their professors really want, discover what kind of law job is right for them, and reduce stress. He emphasizes the importance of networking, clerking during law school, and getting prepared for the job hunt, and ultimately for a legal career.
This book was written by a recent graduate who remembers his first year anxieties well. In this book Mr. Spizman tells first year students how to manage their workloads, determine what their professors really want, discover what kind of law job is right for them, and reduce stress. He emphasizes the importance of networking, clerking during law school, and getting prepared for the job hunt, and ultimately for a legal career.
It’s
Harder in Heels: Essays by Women Lawyers Achieving Work-Life
Balance, by Jacquelyn Hersh Slotkin and Samantha
Slotkin Goodman. Lake Mary, FL, Vandeplas Publishing, 2007.
This work is a collection of essays by women lawyers. The essays tell their stories of struggle and success to practice law while juggling the demands of family life. The women have had careers as varied as law professor, prosecutor, Wall Street corporate attorney, in-house counsel and broadcast legal commentator.
Available in NYLS Library
This work is a collection of essays by women lawyers. The essays tell their stories of struggle and success to practice law while juggling the demands of family life. The women have had careers as varied as law professor, prosecutor, Wall Street corporate attorney, in-house counsel and broadcast legal commentator.
Available in NYLS Library
Ivy
Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student, by
Martha Kimes. New York, Atria, 2007.
Kimes, a former litigator, tells the story of her law school days at Columbia University in the mid-nineties. She includes tales from the law school classroom, from summer clerk work in law firms, and from her days preparing for the bar exam.
Kimes, a former litigator, tells the story of her law school days at Columbia University in the mid-nineties. She includes tales from the law school classroom, from summer clerk work in law firms, and from her days preparing for the bar exam.
The Language
Of Law School : Learning To "Think Like A
Lawyer," by Elizabeth Mertz. Oxford [England]:
New York, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Mertz bases this work on a linguistic study of tape recordings from first year Contracts courses in eight different law schools. She shows how the professors employ the Socratic method to shift students from moral and emotional views of conflict to a view based on frameworks of legal authority. This move away from moral frameworks represents an underlying worldview at the core of law education and the American legal system. There is some concern that this view fails to deal with aspects of fairness and social justice.
Mertz bases this work on a linguistic study of tape recordings from first year Contracts courses in eight different law schools. She shows how the professors employ the Socratic method to shift students from moral and emotional views of conflict to a view based on frameworks of legal authority. This move away from moral frameworks represents an underlying worldview at the core of law education and the American legal system. There is some concern that this view fails to deal with aspects of fairness and social justice.
Later-in-Life
Lawyers: Tips for the Non-Traditional Law Student,
by Charles Cooper and Thane Messinger. Honolulu, Fine Print Press, 2006.
Law school can be intimidating for the older, non-traditional student, who is often grappling with children, mortgages, and other later life issues in addition to law school. This book provides advice from the author and dozens of current and former law students on dealing with the LSAT and GPAs, the law school application process, paying for law school, surviving first year and non-academic hurdles, all the while dealing with everyday demands of family living.
Law School Confidential, the Complete Law School Survival Guide: By Students, For Students, by Robert H. Miller. New York, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2000.
A look at law school today, this book provides support from the moment a student first thinks of going to law school through the entire three years of school. LSAT preparation, choosing law schools, applying to law school and financing legal education are among pre-school topics covered. The book goes beyond the surface of law school life support with attention to law school and class etiquette, as well as basics like class preparation, and studying for exams. This book does not stint second and third year issues, and even covers summer clerking and job searching. This is outstanding support for the entire three years.
Available in NYLS Library
Law school can be intimidating for the older, non-traditional student, who is often grappling with children, mortgages, and other later life issues in addition to law school. This book provides advice from the author and dozens of current and former law students on dealing with the LSAT and GPAs, the law school application process, paying for law school, surviving first year and non-academic hurdles, all the while dealing with everyday demands of family living.
Law School Confidential, the Complete Law School Survival Guide: By Students, For Students, by Robert H. Miller. New York, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2000.
A look at law school today, this book provides support from the moment a student first thinks of going to law school through the entire three years of school. LSAT preparation, choosing law schools, applying to law school and financing legal education are among pre-school topics covered. The book goes beyond the surface of law school life support with attention to law school and class etiquette, as well as basics like class preparation, and studying for exams. This book does not stint second and third year issues, and even covers summer clerking and job searching. This is outstanding support for the entire three years.
Available in NYLS Library
Law
School Insider: The Comprehensive 21st
Century Guide to Success in Admissions, Classes, Law Review, Bar Exams and
Job Searches for Students and Their Loved Ones, by
Jeremy B. Horwitz. Amherst, The Lion Group LLC, 2002.
An insider's view of law school in all its facets by a cum laude graduate of Cornell Law School. The book starts at the beginning with admissions and provides insight into the job scene, doing well in classes and exams as well as participation in important law school activities like law review.
The Law School Rules: 115 Survival Strategies to Make the Challenges of Law School Seem Like Small Stuff, by Marion T.D. Lewis. New York, Harmony Books, 1999.
The author provides 115 rules to help survive law school. The rules concern both scholarly and non-scholarly pursuits during the law school years.
Available in NYLS Library
An insider's view of law school in all its facets by a cum laude graduate of Cornell Law School. The book starts at the beginning with admissions and provides insight into the job scene, doing well in classes and exams as well as participation in important law school activities like law review.
The Law School Rules: 115 Survival Strategies to Make the Challenges of Law School Seem Like Small Stuff, by Marion T.D. Lewis. New York, Harmony Books, 1999.
The author provides 115 rules to help survive law school. The rules concern both scholarly and non-scholarly pursuits during the law school years.
Available in NYLS Library
Letters
from Law School: The Life of a Second-Year Law
Student, by Lawrence Dieker, Jr. San Jose, CA,
Writers Club Press, 2000. [fiction]
A well-written fictional account of a student’s work intensive second year at Tulane Law School. Thee story is told in a series of diary –like vignettes. Readers get a good look at how job hunting dominates the life of a second year student.
Looking at Law School: A Student Guide from the Society of American Law Teachers, edited by Stephen Gillers. Rev. 4th ed. New York, Meridian, 1997.
This series of articles written by law professors deals with issues students face before law school and others which arise after they begin school. Chapters are devoted to the decision to attend law school, the choice of a law school and methods of financing legal education. The book also includes articles on each of the first year and basic required courses, as well as articles on classroom environment and special issues for minority students, women, and gay and lesbian students.
A well-written fictional account of a student’s work intensive second year at Tulane Law School. Thee story is told in a series of diary –like vignettes. Readers get a good look at how job hunting dominates the life of a second year student.
Looking at Law School: A Student Guide from the Society of American Law Teachers, edited by Stephen Gillers. Rev. 4th ed. New York, Meridian, 1997.
This series of articles written by law professors deals with issues students face before law school and others which arise after they begin school. Chapters are devoted to the decision to attend law school, the choice of a law school and methods of financing legal education. The book also includes articles on each of the first year and basic required courses, as well as articles on classroom environment and special issues for minority students, women, and gay and lesbian students.
Pinstripes and
Pearls: the Women of the Harvard Law Class of
’64, by Judith Richards Hope, New York,
Scribner, 2003.
The Harvard Law Class of ’64 was 513 strong, but only 15 of the graduates were women. The author was one of the 15. This book describes legal education in the sixties and the specific discrimination that women who braved the male bastion faced.
Available in NYLS Library
The Harvard Law Class of ’64 was 513 strong, but only 15 of the graduates were women. The author was one of the 15. This book describes legal education in the sixties and the specific discrimination that women who braved the male bastion faced.
Available in NYLS Library
Planet Law School: What You Need To Know (Before You Go)… But Didn’t Know To Ask by Atticus Falcon. Honolulu, Fine Print Press, 1998.
Intended to be read before students begin law school or even apply to law school. The title reference is to law school as so different from school as students have previously known it as to be like studying in another world or planet. The author proposes to prepare students for this new life by examining the basics: law school courses, books, materials and methods. The author also discusses class and exam preparation, and then devotes a significant part of the book to upperclass concerns such as law review, summer clerkships, clinics and the bar exam. The final section of the book is devoted to making the decision to go to law school and handling the application process.
Slaying The Law School Dragon, by George J. Roth. 2d ed. New York: Wiley, 1991.
The author names the dragon in the title, and its name is intimidation. He then tells students how to slay the dragon with tips on class preparation, class participation, studying for exams, and taking exams.
Starting Off Right in Law
School, by Carolyn J. Nygren. Durham, N.C., Carolina
Academic Press, 1997.
This book is an outstanding introduction to law school based Ms. Nygren's work with first semester students in several law schools. The book's two goals are to introduce students to the legal system, and to help students acquire study skills for success in law school. The book introduces students to the court system and to the trial and appellate court process though case studies involving injuries from food. Students also learn about the tools of their trade such as casebooks and course outlines, as well as techniques for taking and preparing for law school exams.
This book is an outstanding introduction to law school based Ms. Nygren's work with first semester students in several law schools. The book's two goals are to introduce students to the legal system, and to help students acquire study skills for success in law school. The book introduces students to the court system and to the trial and appellate court process though case studies involving injuries from food. Students also learn about the tools of their trade such as casebooks and course outlines, as well as techniques for taking and preparing for law school exams.
Strategies
And Tactics For The First Year Law Student by Kimm
Alyne Walton and Lazar Emanuel. 2d ed. Larchmont, N.Y., Emanuel
Publishing, 1997.
This work covers the basics: how to study, brief cases, develop outlines, and prepare for exams.
Available in NYLS Library
A Student’s Guide to Legal Analysis: Thinking Like a Lawyer, by Patrick M. McFadden. New York, Aspen Law & Business, 2001.
The author predicates this work on three essential legal questions: Is there a law? Has it been violated? What is the remedy? Students learn to think “like a lawyer” by looking at these three questions in different legal contexts.
Available in NYLS Library
Surviving The First Year Of Law School, by Ralph Canada et al. Dover, MA: Lord Pub., 1978.
Another warm recounting of the first year experience complete with tips for success.
A Woman’s Guide to Law School: Everything You Need to Know to Survive and Succeed in Law School, by Linda R. Hirshman. New York, Penguin Books, 1999.
This work is based on interviews and data analysis from a number of law schools, and should be read by women in the preparatory stages when they are thinking about law school and deciding which schools to apply for. Ms. Hirshman maintains that at all levels of law schools, certain schools are statistically more friendly to women than other schools, and women at these schools are more successful than at certain other schools. The book includes tips for success in law school and in the job search.
Available in NYLS Library
SPECIAL SYMPOSIUM:
"Symposium: Advice for Prospective Law Students," 80 University of Detroit Mercy Law Review 457-550 (Summer 2003).
Collection of 18 short articles on a wide variety of topics of great interest to prospective law students, but quite useful to matriculating law students as well. These articles were written by attorneys working in all types of practice, as well as a few students still in law school. They cover topics such as "thinking like a lawyer," the Socratic method, getting experience through internships, understanding the IRAC method of analysis, and are filled with useful hints for a more rewarding law school career.
This work covers the basics: how to study, brief cases, develop outlines, and prepare for exams.
Available in NYLS Library
A Student’s Guide to Legal Analysis: Thinking Like a Lawyer, by Patrick M. McFadden. New York, Aspen Law & Business, 2001.
The author predicates this work on three essential legal questions: Is there a law? Has it been violated? What is the remedy? Students learn to think “like a lawyer” by looking at these three questions in different legal contexts.
Available in NYLS Library
Surviving The First Year Of Law School, by Ralph Canada et al. Dover, MA: Lord Pub., 1978.
Another warm recounting of the first year experience complete with tips for success.
A Woman’s Guide to Law School: Everything You Need to Know to Survive and Succeed in Law School, by Linda R. Hirshman. New York, Penguin Books, 1999.
This work is based on interviews and data analysis from a number of law schools, and should be read by women in the preparatory stages when they are thinking about law school and deciding which schools to apply for. Ms. Hirshman maintains that at all levels of law schools, certain schools are statistically more friendly to women than other schools, and women at these schools are more successful than at certain other schools. The book includes tips for success in law school and in the job search.
Available in NYLS Library
SPECIAL SYMPOSIUM:
"Symposium: Advice for Prospective Law Students," 80 University of Detroit Mercy Law Review 457-550 (Summer 2003).
Collection of 18 short articles on a wide variety of topics of great interest to prospective law students, but quite useful to matriculating law students as well. These articles were written by attorneys working in all types of practice, as well as a few students still in law school. They cover topics such as "thinking like a lawyer," the Socratic method, getting experience through internships, understanding the IRAC method of analysis, and are filled with useful hints for a more rewarding law school career.
Academic Legal
Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, Seminar Papers, and Getting
on Law Review, by Eugene Volokh. New York, N.Y,
Foundation Press, 2007.
This is a practical "nuts and bolts" work which covers special academic writing: articles, student notes, and seminar papers. There are chapters on research and writing. The writing chapter particularly addresses logic, rhetoric and writing issues. The author pays special attention to the use of evidence in writing and cite checking. The sections on law review writing are very practical and include guidance on editing and setting timelines. Prof. Volokh knows what he is talking about. His student article is one of the most heavily cited student works in the past 20 years. No student should begin a writing project without reading this book.
Available in NYLS Library
This is a practical "nuts and bolts" work which covers special academic writing: articles, student notes, and seminar papers. There are chapters on research and writing. The writing chapter particularly addresses logic, rhetoric and writing issues. The author pays special attention to the use of evidence in writing and cite checking. The sections on law review writing are very practical and include guidance on editing and setting timelines. Prof. Volokh knows what he is talking about. His student article is one of the most heavily cited student works in the past 20 years. No student should begin a writing project without reading this book.
Available in NYLS Library
Acing Your
First Year Of Law School: The Ten Steps To Success You Won’t Learn
In Class, by Chana Connell Noyes and Henry S. Noyes.
Littleton, CO, Fred B. Rothman, 1999.
This book is about how to do well in law school. It covers the Socratic method, class preparation and participation, reading and briefing cases, using study aids, and preparing outlines. It is replete with practical tips for the critical skills of preparing for exams and writing exam answers.
Available in NYLS Library
Bridging the Gap between College and Law School: Strategies for Success, by Ruta K. Stropus and Charlotte D. Taylor. Durham, N.C., Carolina Academic Press, 2001.
New law students learn how law school differs from the undergraduate experience, and the implications of that difference for such essential exercises as class preparation, note taking, exam preparation, and exam taking. Students get great tips on outlining, exams and time management in this work.
Available in NYLS Library
The Complete Law School Companion: How To Excel At America’s Most Demanding Post-Graduate Curriculum, by Jeff Deaver. 2d ed. New York, Wiley, 1992.
This book is the complete companion. It covers issues which are important from the moment students think about going to law school until they graduate: taking the LSAT, studying for classes, briefing cases, preparing outlines, studying for exams, taking exams and writing papers.
Available in NYLS Library
The Eight Secrets Of Top Exam Performance In Law School, by Charles H. Whitebread. Chicago, Harcourt Brace Legal & Professional Pub., 1995.
This short book elaborates on Whitebread’s eight secrets and concentrates on the all important exam. Special attention is given to organizing your time, spotting issues, using IRAC effectively and organizing your answer. Whitebread also deals with special issues arising in take home exams, open book exams and multiple choice or short answer exams.
Available in NYLS Library
This book is about how to do well in law school. It covers the Socratic method, class preparation and participation, reading and briefing cases, using study aids, and preparing outlines. It is replete with practical tips for the critical skills of preparing for exams and writing exam answers.
Available in NYLS Library
Bridging the Gap between College and Law School: Strategies for Success, by Ruta K. Stropus and Charlotte D. Taylor. Durham, N.C., Carolina Academic Press, 2001.
New law students learn how law school differs from the undergraduate experience, and the implications of that difference for such essential exercises as class preparation, note taking, exam preparation, and exam taking. Students get great tips on outlining, exams and time management in this work.
Available in NYLS Library
The Complete Law School Companion: How To Excel At America’s Most Demanding Post-Graduate Curriculum, by Jeff Deaver. 2d ed. New York, Wiley, 1992.
This book is the complete companion. It covers issues which are important from the moment students think about going to law school until they graduate: taking the LSAT, studying for classes, briefing cases, preparing outlines, studying for exams, taking exams and writing papers.
Available in NYLS Library
The Eight Secrets Of Top Exam Performance In Law School, by Charles H. Whitebread. Chicago, Harcourt Brace Legal & Professional Pub., 1995.
This short book elaborates on Whitebread’s eight secrets and concentrates on the all important exam. Special attention is given to organizing your time, spotting issues, using IRAC effectively and organizing your answer. Whitebread also deals with special issues arising in take home exams, open book exams and multiple choice or short answer exams.
Available in NYLS Library
Expert
Learning for Law Students, by Michael Hunter
Schwartz. Durham, N.C., Carolina Academic Press, 2005.
The first part of this book is devoted to learning theory and individual learning styles and self-regulated learning. Part two addresses specific learning strategies for law students in a variety of contexts: reading and briefing cases, learning in the law school classroom, learning legal analysis, and excelling in legal research and writing courses. There are also sections on organizing strategies and memorization strategies. The guide includes tips on time management and information on the use of color as a technique for memorization.
Available in NYLS Library
The first part of this book is devoted to learning theory and individual learning styles and self-regulated learning. Part two addresses specific learning strategies for law students in a variety of contexts: reading and briefing cases, learning in the law school classroom, learning legal analysis, and excelling in legal research and writing courses. There are also sections on organizing strategies and memorization strategies. The guide includes tips on time management and information on the use of color as a technique for memorization.
Available in NYLS Library
Getting To
Maybe: How To Excel On Law School Exams, by Richard
Michael Fischl and Jeremy Paul. Durham, N.C., Durham Carolina Academic
Press, 1999.
The two law professor authors of this work attempt to help students make the transition from preparing for and writing undergraduate exams to preparing for and writing good law school exams. They demonstrate how to spot issues, analyze them and incorporate their work into good exams.
Available in NYLS Library
The two law professor authors of this work attempt to help students make the transition from preparing for and writing undergraduate exams to preparing for and writing good law school exams. They demonstrate how to spot issues, analyze them and incorporate their work into good exams.
Available in NYLS Library
The
Insider’s Guide to Your First Year of Law School: A
Student-to-Student Handbook from a Law School
Survivor, by Justin Spizman. Avon, MA, Adams Media,
2007.
The book is just what the title indicates. Spizman tells students what to expect in the first year, from orientation to classes to exams to job hunting. Spizman discusses preparing for class, creating the all important outline and studying for exams. In addition he gives practical tips on dealing with professors and networking with classmates.
The book is just what the title indicates. Spizman tells students what to expect in the first year, from orientation to classes to exams to job hunting. Spizman discusses preparing for class, creating the all important outline and studying for exams. In addition he gives practical tips on dealing with professors and networking with classmates.
Law
School Exams: Preparing and Writing to
Win, by Charles R. Calleros. New York, Aspen
Publishers, 2007.
This book Is a practical guide to law school success from admission to law school to the first set of exams. It is a step-by-step guide to writing good exams. The book includes a number of examples and illustrations, as well as exercises and practice exams, with a focus on essay questions and model answers. It helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses and organize their efforts. In addition there are tips on multiple-choice tests and other objective questions.
Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success, by Helene Shapo and Marshall Shapo. 2d ed. New York, Foundation Press, 2002. [available Summer 2002]
This work by two law professors grew out of their advice to their son as he began law school. It provides a lot of first year support including help with analytical techniques used in first year classes, chapters on how to study, how to handle classroom interactions, how to take exams, and a chapter on the psychology of law study entitled “It’s a Mind Game.”
Available in NYLS Library
This book Is a practical guide to law school success from admission to law school to the first set of exams. It is a step-by-step guide to writing good exams. The book includes a number of examples and illustrations, as well as exercises and practice exams, with a focus on essay questions and model answers. It helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses and organize their efforts. In addition there are tips on multiple-choice tests and other objective questions.
Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success, by Helene Shapo and Marshall Shapo. 2d ed. New York, Foundation Press, 2002. [available Summer 2002]
This work by two law professors grew out of their advice to their son as he began law school. It provides a lot of first year support including help with analytical techniques used in first year classes, chapters on how to study, how to handle classroom interactions, how to take exams, and a chapter on the psychology of law study entitled “It’s a Mind Game.”
Available in NYLS Library
The Law Student’s Pocket Mentor: From Surviving to Thriving, by Ann L. Iijima. Austin, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business/Aspen Publishers, 2007.
Iijima guides students through the law school experience beginning with the summer before classes start. She covers reading and briefing cases, taking notes in class, outlining, writing exams and also gives excellent career preparation advice. She deals with practical matters like learning to organize time, take notes, and prepare for exams. She also addresses issues of non-traditional students. She even includes forms to help students develop effective techniques
Available in NYLS Library
Making Law
Review: The Expert’s Guide to Mastering the Write-on
Competition, by Wes Henricksen.
Durham, N.C., Carolina Academic Press, 2008.
In addition to being invited onto the law review on the basis of top law school grades, many law schools have “write-on competitions” for places on the law review. Making Law Review explains how the competition works, and reveals some of the techniques students have used to excel in it. Mr. Henricksen interviewed dozens of current and former law review members at many of the top law schools to learn their secrets to success in the write-on competition. His book includes tips from successful competitors and valuable advice on how to writing a winning paper.
Durham, N.C., Carolina Academic Press, 2008.
In addition to being invited onto the law review on the basis of top law school grades, many law schools have “write-on competitions” for places on the law review. Making Law Review explains how the competition works, and reveals some of the techniques students have used to excel in it. Mr. Henricksen interviewed dozens of current and former law review members at many of the top law schools to learn their secrets to success in the write-on competition. His book includes tips from successful competitors and valuable advice on how to writing a winning paper.
Mastering the Law
School Exam: A Practical Blueprint for Preparing and Taking Law School
Exams, by Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus. St. Paul, MN:
Thomson/West, 2007.
This book is designed to help students navigate the intricacies of law school exams. The emphasis is practical rather than theoretical. Students learn to create a successful path from note taking to outlining to exam writing. The book helps students become familiar with the general types of law school exams through examples and detailed analyses of sample answers.
Available in NYLS Library
This book is designed to help students navigate the intricacies of law school exams. The emphasis is practical rather than theoretical. Students learn to create a successful path from note taking to outlining to exam writing. The book helps students become familiar with the general types of law school exams through examples and detailed analyses of sample answers.
Available in NYLS Library
The Siri
Method: The Formula for top Law School Grades with Minimal Effort and the
Shocking Trust about American Legal Education, by
Aaron Siri. New York, Kay Cee Press, 2007.
The Siri Method provides an in-depth examination of the case method of instruction. It categorizes law school classes and law school examinations, and then gives students tips to prepare for the different types of examinations.
The Siri Method provides an in-depth examination of the case method of instruction. It categorizes law school classes and law school examinations, and then gives students tips to prepare for the different types of examinations.
Starting Off
Right In Law School, by Carolyn Nygren. Durham, N.C.,
Carolina Academic Press, 1997.
Just as the title indicates, Ms. Nygren focuses on “starting off right” in first year class preparation and exam taking skills. She tries to provide students the tools they need to be prepared from the very first day of law school . She insists that students need a rudimentary understanding of the legal system before they can understand cases read for the first day’s classes. She reviews the basics of the court system, the trial and appellate process and basic legal terms. This work fills a niche for the new law student and will raise the student’s comfort level during those critical first days.
Available in NYLS Library
Just as the title indicates, Ms. Nygren focuses on “starting off right” in first year class preparation and exam taking skills. She tries to provide students the tools they need to be prepared from the very first day of law school . She insists that students need a rudimentary understanding of the legal system before they can understand cases read for the first day’s classes. She reviews the basics of the court system, the trial and appellate process and basic legal terms. This work fills a niche for the new law student and will raise the student’s comfort level during those critical first days.
Available in NYLS Library
Succeeding in
Law School, by Herbert N. Ramy. Durham, N.C.,
Carolina Academic Press, 2006.
Some students recommend reading and re-reading this book. It is hailed for its sound advice on time management, reading cases, and even dealing with law school stress. The author is the Director of Suffolk University Law School’s Academic Support Program, and he routinely deals with a single question from recently admitted students? "What do I need to do to succeed in law school?" His answer is in the pages of this very helpful book.
Available in NYLS Library
Some students recommend reading and re-reading this book. It is hailed for its sound advice on time management, reading cases, and even dealing with law school stress. The author is the Director of Suffolk University Law School’s Academic Support Program, and he routinely deals with a single question from recently admitted students? "What do I need to do to succeed in law school?" His answer is in the pages of this very helpful book.
Available in NYLS Library
INSPIRING STORIES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE LAW
Buffalo Creek Disaster, by Gerald M. Stern. New York, Random House, 1976.
This truly inspiring book tells the story of the suit of survivors of a coal-mining disaster. A large coal mining company built a dam which collapsed during a storm causing flooding which killed 125 people and destroyed countless homes. This book tells the story of the litigation against the company and the creative work by attorneys committed to see that justice was done. An upfront look at civil procedure in action.
Available in NYLS Library
A
Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr. New York, Random
House, 1995.
Book about an attorney who represents families whose children died after being exposed to toxic wastes. Eventually his law firm failed from the financial burden of representing these families. Opposing attorneys and corporations use time, money and trickery to make a just solution elusive.
Available in NYLS Library
Convictions: A Prosecutor’s Battles Against Mafia Killers, Drug Kingpins, and Enron Thieves, by John Kroger. New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2008.
A career prosecutor, John Kroger takes the reader through his world where the battle in the courtroom is the culmination of long and intricate investigative work. He reveals how to flip a perp, how to conduct a cross-examination, how to work an informant, and how to placate a hostile judge. Kroger relates it all with a novelist’s eye for detail and a powerful sense of the ethical conflicts he faces. Often dissatisfied with the system, he explains why our law enforcement policies frequently fail in critical areas like drug enforcement and white-collar crime. He proposes new ways in which we can fight crime more effectively, empowering citizens to pressure their lawmakers to adopt more productive policies.
Available in NYLS Library
Book about an attorney who represents families whose children died after being exposed to toxic wastes. Eventually his law firm failed from the financial burden of representing these families. Opposing attorneys and corporations use time, money and trickery to make a just solution elusive.
Available in NYLS Library
Convictions: A Prosecutor’s Battles Against Mafia Killers, Drug Kingpins, and Enron Thieves, by John Kroger. New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2008.
A career prosecutor, John Kroger takes the reader through his world where the battle in the courtroom is the culmination of long and intricate investigative work. He reveals how to flip a perp, how to conduct a cross-examination, how to work an informant, and how to placate a hostile judge. Kroger relates it all with a novelist’s eye for detail and a powerful sense of the ethical conflicts he faces. Often dissatisfied with the system, he explains why our law enforcement policies frequently fail in critical areas like drug enforcement and white-collar crime. He proposes new ways in which we can fight crime more effectively, empowering citizens to pressure their lawmakers to adopt more productive policies.
Available in NYLS Library
Five
Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo, by
Murat Kurnaz. New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
This book tells the story of a young man’s ill-fated trip from Bremen to Pakistan shortly after the September 11 attacks. He was pulled from a bus in Pakistan by the police, singled out because of his light complexion, and then turned over to the U.S. military in exchange for a $3,000 bounty. The book tells the story of his arrest and transfer to an American prison in Afghanistan, his transfer to Guantanamo, his years of torture at Guantanamo, and finally, his release and transport back to Germany five years later. Interspersed throughout are snippets of Kurnaz's past: growing up in Bremen, his visits to his extended family in Turkey, and his marriage to a young Turkish woman.
This book tells the story of a young man’s ill-fated trip from Bremen to Pakistan shortly after the September 11 attacks. He was pulled from a bus in Pakistan by the police, singled out because of his light complexion, and then turned over to the U.S. military in exchange for a $3,000 bounty. The book tells the story of his arrest and transfer to an American prison in Afghanistan, his transfer to Guantanamo, his years of torture at Guantanamo, and finally, his release and transport back to Germany five years later. Interspersed throughout are snippets of Kurnaz's past: growing up in Bremen, his visits to his extended family in Turkey, and his marriage to a young Turkish woman.
Informant: A
True Story, by Kurt Eichenwald. New York, Broadway Books,
2000.
Informant is the true story of the investigation of corruption at Archer Daniels Midland, the agribusiness giant. Investigative journalist Eichenwald tells the story of an ADM executive who wore wiretaps to uncover the corruption while embezzling at the same time. This true story reads like a Grisham novel.
Informant is the true story of the investigation of corruption at Archer Daniels Midland, the agribusiness giant. Investigative journalist Eichenwald tells the story of an ADM executive who wore wiretaps to uncover the corruption while embezzling at the same time. This true story reads like a Grisham novel.
Scottsboro and Its Legacy: The Cases that Challenged American Legal and Social Justice by James R. Acker. Westport
Nine black teenagers were accused of raping two white women on a train in 1931 in northern Alabama. They were arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in the town of Scottsboro in little more than two weeks. In this book Acker details the alleged crimes, their legal aftermath, and their immediate and enduring social significance. Acker explores the legacy of the Scottsboro trials and appeals and examines serious issues such as capital punishment, racial discrimination, the composition and functioning of trial juries, the quality of legal counsel for indigents, evidentiary issues in rape cases, and media interactions with the courts., Conn., Praeger, 2008.
To Kill A
Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. New York, Warner Books,
1960.
A classic and a Pulitzer Prize winner, this novel is told from the perspective of a child. The child recounts the story of three years in the life of a small southern town during which time is marked by the arrest and trial of a black man for the rape of a white woman. This novel is a look at race, the court system and justice as seen through the eyes of a child.
Available in NYLS Library
A Trial by Jury, by D. Graham Burnett. New York, Knopf, 2001.
Princeton professor Graham Burnett writes a first-hand account of his experience as a juror in a murder trial in New York. He brings to life quite dramatically the trial, the jury deliberations and the other individuals who serve as jurors. While the book is a serious examination of issues of law and justice, it has its moments of humor.
Available in NYLS Library
BOOKS ABOUT LEGAL CAREERS
A classic and a Pulitzer Prize winner, this novel is told from the perspective of a child. The child recounts the story of three years in the life of a small southern town during which time is marked by the arrest and trial of a black man for the rape of a white woman. This novel is a look at race, the court system and justice as seen through the eyes of a child.
Available in NYLS Library
A Trial by Jury, by D. Graham Burnett. New York, Knopf, 2001.
Princeton professor Graham Burnett writes a first-hand account of his experience as a juror in a murder trial in New York. He brings to life quite dramatically the trial, the jury deliberations and the other individuals who serve as jurors. While the book is a serious examination of issues of law and justice, it has its moments of humor.
Available in NYLS Library
BOOKS ABOUT LEGAL CAREERS
The
Business of the Practice of Law: What Every Associate Should Know about
Law Firm Life, by William Koster. Bloomington, IN,
Author House, 2004.
The author takes a frank look at the inner workings of the contemporary American law firm, including the business aspects of law practice and its cultural milieu. It is a “must read” for students undertaking the job hunt.
The author takes a frank look at the inner workings of the contemporary American law firm, including the business aspects of law practice and its cultural milieu. It is a “must read” for students undertaking the job hunt.
Excellence in the Workplace: Legal and Life Skills in a Nutshell, by Kay Kavanagh and Paula Nailon. St. Paul, MN, Thomson West, 2007.
This book is an invaluable guide for law students as they make the transition from law school to the legal workplace. Filled with commonsense tips about personal issues like dressing, eating, and making conversation, it also addresses workplace concerns such as completing assignments, taking feedback, and relating to co-workers. This is a must read before your first law position.
The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider's Guide to Every Major Practice Area, by Lisa L. Abrams. Chicago, Harcourt Legal & Professional Publications ; Washington, D.C. : National Association for Law Placement, c2000.
Proceed with
Caution: A Diary of the First Year at One of America’s Largest, Most
Prestigious Law Firms, by William R. Keates. New
York, Harcourt Legal & Professional Publications, Inc., 1997.
A behind the scenes look at the everyday life of a new attorney in a large firm. The author kept a diary of his days at work and used them as the basis of this book. The title should give readers the idea that there is something more to big law firm life than prestige and big salaries. In fact, the author encountered hard work, unpredictable hours and a lot of stress.
A behind the scenes look at the everyday life of a new attorney in a large firm. The author kept a diary of his days at work and used them as the basis of this book. The title should give readers the idea that there is something more to big law firm life than prestige and big salaries. In fact, the author encountered hard work, unpredictable hours and a lot of stress.
What Can You Do With A Law Degree? A Lawyers Guide to Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law, by Deborah L. Arron. 5th ed. Seattle, Decision Books, 2004.
Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job Of Your Dreams, by Kimm Alayne Walton. Chicago, Harcourt Brace Legal and Professional Publications, 1995
Available in NYLS Library
Nonlegal Careers for
Lawyers, by Gary A Munneke; William D Henslee; Ellen S
Wayne. Chicago III: ABA, Law Practice Management Section, 2006
Available in NYLS Library
Available in NYLS Library
Should You
Really Be A Lawyer?: The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During
& After Law School, by Deborah Schneider; Gary
Belsky. Seattle, WA, Decision Books,
2005.
The Legal Career
Guide: From Law Student to Lawyer, by Gary Munneke.
4th ed. Chicago, Il, ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2002.
Available in NYLS Library
Available in NYLS Library
FILMS ABOUT LAW, LAWYERS & LAW SCHOOL
Adam’s Rib (MGM, 1949). Classic farce of married attorneys played by Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn on opposite sides of a sensational attempted murder case.
Anatomy Of A Murder (Columbia Pictures, 1959) Outstanding courtroom drama of murder trial. The defendant insists that he suffered temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife.
A Civil Action (Paramount, 1998) Drama of an attorney who gets caught up in a tragedy. His law firm fails from the financial burden of representing families of children who died after exposure to toxic wastes of companies. Opposing attorneys use time, money and trickery to prevent a just solution
Erin Brockovich (Jersey Films, 2000) Based on true story of unemployed single mother who becomes a legal assistant and by diligent work and persistence almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.
Eyes on the Prize (Blackside, 1987) documentary.
A look at the civil rights movement from the early fifties until 1965.
Eyes on the Prize II (PBS Home Video, 1990) documentary. The struggle for civil rights as it continues past 1965.
A Few Good Men (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1992) Rookie military lawyer Kaffee played by Tom Cruise has a good record based on plea bargaining and no real courtroom experience. He faces a crisis of conscience when he defends Marines accused of murder who insist they were acting on orders of a military icon played by Jack Nicholson. Kaffee discovers that he has a talent for the courtroom and a thirst for justice.
Gideon’s Trumpet (Worldvision, 1980). Drama based on the landmark Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US. 335 (1963). The film tells the story of Clarence Gideon's struggle to have counsel appointed for him at the expense of the state.
Judgment at Nuremberg (Roxlom, 1961).
Drama of a trial of some of the lesser Nazi criminals at Nuremberg. This movie is about really about the judges. This trial is about 4 Judges who used their offices to conduct Nazi sterilization and cleansing policies. Retired American Judge, Judge Dan Haywood has a daunting task ahead of him. The Cold War is heating up and no one wants any more trials as Germany, and allied Governments, want to forget the past. But is that the right thing to do is the question that the tribunal must decide.
Just Cause (Warner Brothers, 1995) Blair Underwood plays a young black man accused of murdering a young girl. The accused turns to a law professor played by Sean Connery to prove his innocence. The prosecutors and police are not interested in the exculpatory evidence Connery finds.
Legally Blonde (MGM, 2001). Comedic look at Harvard Law School life. Elle Wood (Reese Witherspoon) gets dumped by her east coast blueblood boyfriend just before he leaves her to start law school at Harvard. Elle decides to follow him and win him back. She aces the LSAT and prepares a video personal statement which the admissions committee decides is sufficient for admission. The movie shows academic one-upmanship, cattiness and arrogance as Elle makes her own very personal statement through the campus and law school. Lots of laughs, and a look at justice in the courtroom to boot!
A Man for All Seasons (Open Road, 1966). This film is about Sir Thomas More and the untenable position Henry VIII placed him in when Henry decided to divorce his wife. Henry expected More’s approval and support and forced More to choose between his principles and his king
My Cousin Vinny (20th Century Fox, 1992). A couple of New York teenagers are on their way to college in California when they get delayed in the south. A series of circumstances land them in jail and in big trouble charged with first degree murder. The family sends cousin Vinny to the rescue. Vinny is a mechanic turned lawyer who has recently passed the bar after multiple attempts. His first courtroom experience is trying to get the teenagers free. This film is a combination comedy and drama which dramatizes regional and class differences.
Paper Chase (20th Century Fox, 1973)
Prof. Kingsfield can literally scare you out of your seat, but few law school classrooms today match the scene in this classic movie set at Harvard Law. Still, you will enjoy the movie, and be thankful once classes have begun that few Prof. Kingsfields are teaching today.
Pelican Brief (Warner Brothers, 1993). Based on a Grisham novel, the star of this thriller is law student Darby Shaw played by Julia Roberts. Shaw uses research databases to discover what lead to the recent assassination of two Supreme Court justices. She details her theory in a brief which falls into the wrong hands. From that time on Shaw is running for her life with help from a newspaper reporter. Give an A+ to the librarian who taught Darby how to use Lexis and Westlaw!
Philadelphia (Clinica Estetico, 1993). A gay lawyer in a prestigious Philadelphia law firm is fired after partners discover that he has AIDS. He turns to a homophobic personal injury lawyer to represent him in his suit against his former law firm. Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett, the gay attorney.
To Kill A Mockingbird (Pakula-Mulligan, Brentwood Productions, 1962). Based on Harper Lee’s novel of the same name, this drama stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Finch is a lawyer in a small Alabama town in the 1930s. He is appointed by a judge to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The townspeople are dismayed by Finch’s robust defense. Another plot surrounds the friendship of Finch’s children with Boo, a mentally challenged neighbor. Boo rescues the children from a villain, and when he kills the villain and saves the children, Boo puts the principled Finch into a legal and moral dilemma. Issues of race and justice pervade this film.
Twelve Angry Men (Orion-Nova Productions, 1957). A jury room drama in which what started as an open and shut case of patricide becomes a muddle as the prejudices of each juror color his perceptions of the evidence. An all-star cast headed by Henry Fonda.
The Verdict (20th Century Fox, 1982) Frank Galvin, a drunken ambulance chaser of a lawyer, is handling a medical malpractice case in which all parties are amenable to settlement. In time, however, Frank realizes that there is merit in this case on the side of his client who is in a permanent comatose state. Galvin fights serious pressure to settle with the defendant Catholic hospital and takes the case to court to do what is right for his client. Paul Newman was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Galvin.
Law and
Order (NBC) 1990-
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) 2001-
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) 2001-
Law and
Order: SVU (NBC)
1999-
Legal Damages with Glenn
Close (Fox)
2007-
Shark with James
Wood (CBS), 2006
Don’t forget about COURT TV for real life legal dramas. See http://www.courttv.com
Featured Novel:
The Color of Law: A Novel, by Mark Gimenez. New York,
Doubleday, 2006.
A legal thriller starring Scott
Fenney, a handsome and wealthy young partner in a Texas law firm. A judge
assigns him to provide a pro bono defense for a heroin-addicted prostitute
accused of killing the son of an influential Texas senator. During the
tense trial, Fenney takes custody of the daughter of the accused. Fenney
bucks the powers that be in his firm by taking the case and giving it full
effort. Ultimately he loses everything he once valued, and learns what is
truly valuable.
These days many lawyers are writing legal fiction thrillers. For difficult-to-put-down reading, see the works of these attorney authors:
Catherine Arnold
David Baldacci
William Bernhardt
Jay Brandon
William J. Coughlin
Linda Fairstein
Lisa Gardner
John Grisham
Phillip Margolin
Steve Martini
Brad Meltzer
Richard North Patterson
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
Lisa Scottoline
Griff Stockley
Scott Turow
INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST
SITES FOR PROSPECTIVE AND NEW LAW
STUDENTS
FINDLAW Student Resources http://www.findlaw.com
On the first page, scroll to STUDENT RESOURCES section which has links to a lot of information for students contemplating law school such as law school web sites, rankings of law schools, information about financing legal education, course outlines and study guides, and faculty web pages. The tips provided in the Legal Learning Study Skills Workshop by Carolyn Nygren at http://stu.findlaw.com/student/studyskills.html are especially useful.
Hieros Gamos Students Center http://www.hg.org/students.html
Internet Legal Resources Guide http://www.ilrg.com
See Academia section on home page for pre-law, law students and law school rankings sites.
Law School Admission Council –Official Site of the LSAT http://www.lsas.org/
The Law School Consortium http://www.lawschoolconsortium.net/
The Law School Consortium is an experiment to designed to extend the missions of law schools beyond graduation to provide training, mentoring, and other support to solo and small-firm lawyers, and ultimately to increase the availability of quality legal services for low and moderate-income individuals and communities. CUNY is a founding member of the consortium, and NYLS is a member. The site includes a guidebook.
Lawnerds.com http://www.lawnerds.com/
At this excellent site created by a recent Boalt Hall (University of California at Berkeley) law grad and attorney, learn the essentials for law school success: how to get the right frame of mind, how to understand legal reasoning, how the case method works, how to prepare an outline, how to use your class study time, and finally, how to pre-write your exams.
FINDLAW Student Resources http://www.findlaw.com
On the first page, scroll to STUDENT RESOURCES section which has links to a lot of information for students contemplating law school such as law school web sites, rankings of law schools, information about financing legal education, course outlines and study guides, and faculty web pages. The tips provided in the Legal Learning Study Skills Workshop by Carolyn Nygren at http://stu.findlaw.com/student/studyskills.html are especially useful.
Hieros Gamos Students Center http://www.hg.org/students.html
Internet Legal Resources Guide http://www.ilrg.com
See Academia section on home page for pre-law, law students and law school rankings sites.
Law School Admission Council –Official Site of the LSAT http://www.lsas.org/
The Law School Consortium http://www.lawschoolconsortium.net/
The Law School Consortium is an experiment to designed to extend the missions of law schools beyond graduation to provide training, mentoring, and other support to solo and small-firm lawyers, and ultimately to increase the availability of quality legal services for low and moderate-income individuals and communities. CUNY is a founding member of the consortium, and NYLS is a member. The site includes a guidebook.
Lawnerds.com http://www.lawnerds.com/
At this excellent site created by a recent Boalt Hall (University of California at Berkeley) law grad and attorney, learn the essentials for law school success: how to get the right frame of mind, how to understand legal reasoning, how the case method works, how to prepare an outline, how to use your class study time, and finally, how to pre-write your exams.
Official Guide to ABA-approved
Law Schools, http://officialguide.lsac.org/
Wacky Law Suits http://www.tala.com/lawsuit.html
Check this out for reflection, or perhaps comic relief.
SITES ABOUT LAW & LITERATURE, FILM OR TELEVISION
The Amistad case: 'Outright Plagiarism' or 'Who Owns History?' http://www.law.cornell.edu/background/amistad/
Court TV http://www.courttv.com/
Courtroom Talk Shows from about.com http://talkshows.about.com/cs/courttalkshows/index.htm?once=true&
The Green Bag: An Entertaining Journal of Law http://www.greenbag.org/
Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture (University of Albany) http://www.albany.edu/tree-tops/scj/jcjpc/
Law in Popular Culture, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas School of Law http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/lpop.htm
Picturing Justice: the Journal of Law and Popular Culture http://www.usfca.edu/pj/
Sisters in Law: Popular Culture Featuring Women Attorneys (Christine Corcos) http://faculty.law.lsu.edu/ccorcos/biblio/sisters.htm
TV’s View of the Lawyer (over the decades) http://e.findlaw.com/television/tv/
OTHER SITES OF INTEREST:
Anatomy of a Murder: A Trip Through Our Justice System http://library.thinkquest.org/2760/
Wacky Law Suits http://www.tala.com/lawsuit.html
Check this out for reflection, or perhaps comic relief.
SITES ABOUT LAW & LITERATURE, FILM OR TELEVISION
The Amistad case: 'Outright Plagiarism' or 'Who Owns History?' http://www.law.cornell.edu/background/amistad/
Court TV http://www.courttv.com/
Courtroom Talk Shows from about.com http://talkshows.about.com/cs/courttalkshows/index.htm?once=true&
The Green Bag: An Entertaining Journal of Law http://www.greenbag.org/
Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture (University of Albany) http://www.albany.edu/tree-tops/scj/jcjpc/
Law in Popular Culture, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas School of Law http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/lpop.htm
Picturing Justice: the Journal of Law and Popular Culture http://www.usfca.edu/pj/
Sisters in Law: Popular Culture Featuring Women Attorneys (Christine Corcos) http://faculty.law.lsu.edu/ccorcos/biblio/sisters.htm
TV’s View of the Lawyer (over the decades) http://e.findlaw.com/television/tv/
OTHER SITES OF INTEREST:
Anatomy of a Murder: A Trip Through Our Justice System http://library.thinkquest.org/2760/
Famous Trials by Doug Linder http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/ftrials.htm
Oyez Project Northwestern University http://www.oyez.org
A multimedia database on the U.S. Supreme Court that includes audio of oral arguments, summaries of cases, biographies of the justices & a "virtual tour" of the Supreme Court building.
MISCELLANEOUS
A
Lawyer Walks Into a Bar, by Eric Chaiken. DVD, 2008.
92 min.
This documentary explores the influence of the law and its practitioners on American culture, while following six characters as they do whatever it takes to become lawyers. This film features cameos by legal luminaries, politicians, well-known comedians, celebrity lawyers and other notables including CNN's Nancy Grace, Court TV's Catherine Crier, novelist attorney Scott Turow, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and many more.
Available in NYLS Library
This documentary explores the influence of the law and its practitioners on American culture, while following six characters as they do whatever it takes to become lawyers. This film features cameos by legal luminaries, politicians, well-known comedians, celebrity lawyers and other notables including CNN's Nancy Grace, Court TV's Catherine Crier, novelist attorney Scott Turow, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and many more.
Available in NYLS Library
The Trials of
Law School, by Porter Health Morgan. DVD. 2007 87 min.
This is a documentary about the first year law school. It follows eight law students through their first year at the University of Oklahoma School of Law; it includes commentary from 25 legal scholars, mostly law school professors, from around the country. The film captures the pressure of the first year, the stress over being called upon, and the amount of study required. Most importantly, the film carries a message. The message is that it is important to remember who you are and to maintain a life outside of law school. The film also highlights the importance of family and at least occasional fun in the life of a law student. Porter Health Morgan , the filmmaker, received a J.D. from The University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2004. He currently practices in Oklahoma, and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association .
This is a documentary about the first year law school. It follows eight law students through their first year at the University of Oklahoma School of Law; it includes commentary from 25 legal scholars, mostly law school professors, from around the country. The film captures the pressure of the first year, the stress over being called upon, and the amount of study required. Most importantly, the film carries a message. The message is that it is important to remember who you are and to maintain a life outside of law school. The film also highlights the importance of family and at least occasional fun in the life of a law student. Porter Health Morgan , the filmmaker, received a J.D. from The University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2004. He currently practices in Oklahoma, and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association .
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