Customer Reviews

Contracts (Law in a Flash)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a 1L studying contracts, I find the flashcards very helpful in clarifying my understanding of how the blackletter law can apply to a wide variety of fact patterns. The hypotheticals reinforce my general understanding and recall of the required elements. I find the flashcards to be really helpful right after my contracts professor addresses a particular topic, and also for studying for finals. Also, the flashcards reference a very popular treatise in contracts. If you want to read more indepth on an issue that you're unclear about, you know exactly where to go in the treatise.

Mostly a waste of money. The cards overemphasize minor technical points (tons of cards on the rules about minors contracting, e.g.), fail to give anything more than basic hypos on major concepts (promissory estoppel, consideration, etc.), and are chock full of ridiculous, useless and cumbersome mnemonic devices.

First - the flash cards were often too simplistic or just wrong.
Second - while many people may have done well with them they aren't an efficient study method (at least they weren't for me). The cards often have too much info on them or they are asking too obscure of a question to be useful when compared to an E+E or the Siegel's series.

I suggest that you save your money, these weren't cheap, and use an E+E and Siegels to learn how to answer questions and review. Law school exams are more about depth of analysis than simple memorization anyway.

These cards are a great quick way to reinforce the black letter law and provide simple hypotheticals to test your ability to apply the law.

The cards are not a substitute for reading and briefing your case book or taking practice essay or MBE questions.

Essay writing requires you to develop a strategy for analyzing a long, complex question and quickly coming up with an organizing principle for your answer. The cards help you to quickly get the rules on paper, but will not help with deciding when, where and if a given rule belongs in an essay answer.

Likewise, MBE questions require you to quickly read and understand the facts and the "call of the question". The rules will help you here but again, it is your ability to filter through the irrelevant parts of the question (put there on purpose to trick you)and find the best answer to the question that is being asked.

One final thought. The cards at times feel repetitious, with successive hypos testing the same rule by presenting very similar fact patterns. I found the repetition to be beneficial both in terms of reinforcing knowledge and as a confidence booster to let me know I really was grasping the material.

The cards really are a good study aid, just don't rely on them too much.

I'm a big fan of the Law in a Flash series. These cards make for a great supplemental study aid. The best feature, in my opinion, is the "scenario" questions. These are like mini-fact patterns designed to get you thinking about one particular issue. I've found these to help get my mind around particular topics in a format conducive to an essay style exam (which all of my instructors use). I do wish that the cards had some more "concept w/definition" cards (where one side gives a word, concept, or issue, and the answer side has a rote definition), but it's not a major issue. I also do think that there was a bit too much repetition at times, and the product could have been pared down a bit. But maybe that repetition helps some people, despite annoying people like me.

Extremely pleased with product. It was in exactly the condition described and sent very quickly, much appreciated.

If you are bored with your textbooks then try these flash cards. They focus in on consideration and promissory estoppel and allow you to work on those areas. These cards skip the fluff and tell you that consideration is 'bargained for exchange and legal value' et cetra. Easier to study than text books but not a substitute for them. Note : Contracts make up 1/3 of the California Baby Bar Exam

Love these cards! I use them to supplement my readings while on the bus or long commutes. Easy to carry, they include hypos and rules. A must!

I found these flash cards to be of great utility, and I received them in outstanding good condition, shipping was prompt as promised.