Acing Your First Year of Law School: The Ten Steps to Success You Won't Learn in Class (Paperback)

~ (Author), Henry S. Noyes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

First published in 1999, Acing has gone on to become one of the bestselling law school preparation books of all time. It has been recommended by the pre-law advisory office of numerous universities and by a variety of legal organizations, law school admissions consultant services and law school student organizations. It also has been favorably discussed many times on various law school discussion boards and blogs. Why? Because it has helped tens of thousands of law students ace their first year of law school!
Law schools throughout the country have caught on. Acing has been required reading for a number of 1L courses and suggested reading for incoming and 1L students at many law schools, including Akron, Appalachian, Arizona, BYU, California Western, Chapman, Charleston, Denver, Georgia, Georgia State, Hamline, Hastings, Hawaii, Hofstra, Houston, LSU, McGeorge, Mercer, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York Law School, Northeastern, Oklahoma City, Pace, Roger Williams, Samford, Seattle, St. Louis, Suffolk, Thomas Jefferson, Texas Southern, (Thurgood Marshall), Texas Tech, Tuoro, Washburn, University of Washington, Whittier, William & Mary and Wisconsin. --From the Publisher

WHY WE LOVE THIS BOOK: It focuses on the first year, providing many helpful tips for not only surviving, but also coming out on top. This book has a readable, conversational tone. It includes particularly valuable information about outlining, learning from Socratic class discussions, briefing cases and studying for exams. --National Jurist (September 2008) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Most first-year law students waste a tremendous amount of time learning piles of information they don't need to know, because they have no one to guide them. This text, in ten easy-to read chapters, is the guide for students entering or contemplating law school. After reading the ten chapters, set up as lessons, student will know how to study the law.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 129 pages
• Publisher: Fred B. Rothman & Company (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0837709121
• ISBN-13: 978-0837709123
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #391,259 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

184 of 187 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars direct, organized and helpful, but some extraneous stuff, December 18, 2002

By	_tiresias_ (texas) - See all my reviews

I am a recent law school graduate. This book is solid and easy to read. The info on outlining and study guides is generally excellent. I disagree with the authors that you should wait until the semester is half over to start outlining, however. That will lead to unnec. anxiety, too much work at once, and possible procrastination or non-completion of the outline--the worst possible thing a 1L can do. I started outlining right away and made outstanding grades (when I was finally smart enough to outline). At least start by end of the first month. Just look at the syllabus or the textbook's table of contents to see the big picture.
Also, this book excessivley discusses legal research and writing. You will get all you need on that subject from your LRW class. Just keep up, and knock out assignments ahead of time. Your LRW textbook ought to discuss strategies as to timely completion of assignments. That is the most important thing with LRW. Oh, and stop doing research and start writing sooner rather than later. Hand in complete, organized rough drafts, and your instructor will point you in the right direction. You aren't expected to know everyhting as a 1L. Believe in yourself throughout the entire law school experience, reflect daily on your goals and situation, seek to quickly master new challenges, and minimize outside noise and distractions, at home and at school.

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Really Very Simple, May 12, 2000

By	Dennis Conlon (Falls Church, Virginia) - See all my reviews

When one wonders at the brilliance of a virtuoso pianist, for example, it is very easy to forget that she got to that point by breaking complex pieces down into smaller and smaller pieces and then practicing them until she could perform them exceptionally well. It turns out that it's the same thing with acing the first year of law school, according to Shana and Henry Noyes.

In deceptively simple prose, the Noyeses break down the "first year" experience into its basics: how to read a case, how to brief a case, cite cases, do research, etc. Certainly as important as what they point out as important (which they do with exceptional clarity), is what they point out is a waste of time (the "dicta" at the back of each chapter). Things like recopying notes - a waste of time, they note, that could be put to better use by actually thinking about what went on in that class. (Thinking, they argue, is avoided at all costs by some "first years" who will find anything to keep them busy.)

Some of the strongest chapters are on legal writing - how to organize papers, the conventions of legal writing, what research is necessary and what isn't, and navigating the arcana of legal citations (don't worry about most of the rules until you make Law Review). And capping it off is a modestly offered example of how to write an Outline: their outline of criminal law is a model of elegant simplicity. (These two are good.)

This book came out too late to help most of the first year Class of 2000. Not too late for the son a friend, who purchased it a week before his final exams, and thought it a great investment. Just think how he could have performed if he had this book on the first day.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prelude to Success, January 10, 2001

By	Misha Rabinowitch (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

Shana and Henry Noyes capture the essence of the difficulties that face a first year law student. They've managed to boil down what can be an incredibly intimidating experience into ten easy to read chapters. Students beginning law school should not underestimate the value of being well prepared for their first day of class. High grades received in the first year can catapult a student to a prestigious judicial clerkship or a summer associate position at a well respected law firm. Students who read this book will have a tremendous advantage over others who are not so fortunate. This is a must read for all first years!