Reviews (3)

Read Planet Law School
This book is pure fluff.It gives nebulous advice than anyone who graduated from high school should know, "prepare for class, read your notes..."The book to read about law school is Planet Law School.
Where's the beef?
As an entering law student, I was looking for a substantive prep book ... and some advice on how to get through my first year.This book offered important but rather skeletal comments ("review your notes often" "read the assignments before class" "manage your stress levels and eat properly" etc).Also, the in-class note taking and case briefing concentrated on handwritten methods, despite the proliferation of laptops (and a 2001 copywright date).However this book did not take a "One L" approach of frightening the reader.After reading it I DO feel more prepared and confident than I previously did-- if nothing else than for the opportunity to develop my own case briefing style and to begin to familiarize myself with law school reading. With this book you could skip orientation!
I spent 5 days from 9 to 5 at my schools orientation, when in reality all I needed was this book.It covers everything, but without all the extra yapping. And it is an excellent source to refer to.At first I wasn't sureif I should buy it because it wasnt recommended by my school, but I'm gladI did.It really does cover EVERYTHING. . .how to brief a case (IRAC), howto take notes, practice tests, and to how to cope with stress and so muchmore. This book is especially good for that first year student who doesn'tknow what to expect. Don't spend your money on other books that aren't asgood, this book is all you'll need. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Graduate School Guides - Law    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Higher    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law students    8. Legal Education    9. Professional Education    10. Reference    11. Study and teaching    12. United States    13. Study Aids / Professional   

Reviews (6)

Small and Weak
Well it doesn't deserve "one star" but "two."There is enough information in here to make it worth reading...for $2, not full price.The actual material is only 157 pages, not including the glossary or the list of "selected law review references."The chapters jump around a lot and there are two chapters about briefs.The reader will be disappointed to know that these briefs are NOT case briefs but advice on how to write an appeals court brief.Most law students during their first year will not have to know that information.Every chapter is tiny and is sprinkled with good advice.Nothing is given the right amount of space.

Informative - but in a different way.
Let me begin this stellar review by noting: if you are looking for a book that gives you step-by-step advice and ideas on how to get through law school successfully, step-by-step then DO NOT buy this book.Go out and buy "Law School Confidential" - which will give you the low down on everything. Useful and Informative
This book was right on the money when it came to what I should expect frommy first year of law school.If you are disciplined and willing to makethe effort to succeed, then the tips that the book gives will prove veryuseful.If you are not willing to make the efort, then do not buy the bookbecause you will need more than a simple book to do well in school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Graduate School Guides - General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law schools    8. Law students    9. Study Aids    10. Study Guides    11. Study and teaching    12. Test Prep    13. United States    14. Study Aids / Graduate School Guides   

Reviews (4)

Partly Responsible for Ruining My Life
Hear ye!Hear ye!Be forewarned!Read my tale of woe and do not make the same stupid mistakes I did!
Law School Bible
This is a great book.I recommend it to anyone who wants quick facts about their law schools of interest.

useful info but misleading title
This book has short chapters about the law school experience and pertinent application issues, but the main reason to consider this book is the section featuring 117 schools profiled in depth.Especially valuable is the feedback, summarized or quoted, provided by students who have attended or are attending those schools.The editor chose not to include students' comments if only a few students responded to the Princeton Review survey, so I accept that the comments supplied reflect a general consensus.At times when opinions differ, balanced views are quoted and provided as well.
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Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Law (General)    5. Law schools    6. Legal Education    7. Professional - General    8. Professional Education    9. Study & Teaching    10. Study Aids    11. Study Guides    12. Test Prep    13. United States    14. Law / Study & Teaching   

Reviews (4)

Nothing Particularly New or Exciting . . .
The reviewer from NY summed up this book pretty well.Overall, the book does not offer significant tips to the average law school applicant. I was going at this ALL ALONE...until I bought this book.
I began on my endeavor of applying to law school after having spent 2 years working in human services and social work.No one I had ever known before had ever gone to law school, my parents knew no one, and I had lost all of my acquaintances and advisors at my University after the time I had graduated.This gave me an inside look towards strategies in applying to schools.This also gave equal attention to recommendations, essays and personal statements as well as GPAs and LSAT scores (for those of you, like I, who would like to draw attention FROM the latter mentioned items!) If you want to understand...
If you want to understand exactly how the admissions decisions are made (in terms of committee, admissions deans, etc.) than this book is for you. I agree with the previous reviewer that for filling out specific parts ofthe application other books are better, but the author really shines whenit comes to how admissions works and what qualities will be sought out(intellectual muscle, moral character, diversity - whatever that means). Good book for insight, poor on specifics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. Education    3. General    4. Graduate Preparation - General    5. Graduate School Guides - General    6. Graduate School Guides - Law    7. LSAT (Law School Admission Test)    8. Law (General)    9. Law schools    10. Legal Education    11. Professional Education    12. Reference    13. Study Aids    14. Test Prep    15. United States    16. Advice on education    17. Higher & further education    18. Legal profession   

Reviews (5)

Was very useful at the time...
...but that time was two years ago.Buy the updated version.

Great Statistical Guide
This book doesn't tell you the whole story behind each law school, but it gives valuable statistics to help you figure out where to apply.The preliminary chapters and the appendices also have some useful information.

The Absolute Law School Bible
If you want objective reviews of law schools (but only the ABA-approved law schools), this book is the ultimate Bible to them.In my opinion, in your search for a law school, you need to have this book as a reference. It describes the specialties of different schools, and the grid comparingyour chances of admission against your LSAT and GPA is priceless.However,many top-ranked schools do not provide that information, so if you'rehoping to determine your chances at Harvard or Columbia, guess again. You'll just have to apply to find out!It's also useful in that itprovides e-mail addresses, snail mail addresses, phone numbers and websitesfor all of the schools.That is a handy way to request catalogs and otherinformation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. Educational    3. General    4. Graduate School Guides - Law    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law schools    8. Legal Education    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Education / Higher   

Reviews (2)

Don't try applying to Law School Without This Book
Anyone who decides where to apply to law school without using this book as their bible is missing the point entirely and losing out on the greatest likelihood of success. As the former director of admissions for two ABA law schools, and as the proprietor of www.Law-School-Admission-Expert.com and lawschoolexpert.com, I rely on this book in advising all of my law school admission consulting clients.
Law School Must Have
If you are applying to law school, you must have this book. The grids showing the GPA in comparison to the LSAT score, and your chances of getting in are enormously helpful in the application process. There are no opinion pieces here, just the straight facts directly from the law schools. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Graduate School Guides - Law    2. Law    3. Legal Education    4. Reference    5. Study Skills   

Reviews (1)

Offers more than just Advice
Stropus and Taylor's _Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success_ offers far more than just advice on test preparation, notetaking, and case briefing. Though the most popular -- and responsible -- advice to the incoming "1L" is not to worry about law school the summer preceding, it is a rare law student that does not. For those that insist on preparing in some way (as I did before I entered), it is far more appropriate to learn HOW to do well in law school than to try and "pre-learn" torts, civil procedure, or contracts. While there are quite a few books on the market that attempt this, Bridging the Gap provides step-by-step instructions *and* subsequent exercises -- a combination not found elsewhere.Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Higher    6. Law    7. Law students    8. Legal Education    9. Reference    10. Study and teaching    11. United States   

Reviews (3)

Trash
Buyer Beware! This book has nothing to do with reality let alone legal reasoning. As a partner at a major law firm, I would urge potentially interested readers to stay clear of this book.

Funny-and-useful!
This book is worth having simply so you can quote real opinions written in the style of Genesis or Mark Twain. It also points out amusing cases -- talking cats leap to mind -- that might otherwise be buried by their more serious brethren.The chapters on how the court systems work, what memoranda should look like, and what certain legal terms mean are easy to understand, and it's useful to have them all in one place. I didn't care for the many pages on why law school is run the way it is, but you might be interested.Overall, it's a practical handbook and a great reminder that law is not as serious a business as everyone seems to think.

Got it from the library and now I have to have it
Straight shooting, down to earth account of what to expect at law school and some handy tips to simplify life and keep it all in perspective. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Graduate School Guides - Law    2. LSAT (Law School Admission Test)    3. Study Aids    4. Study Guides    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Law    7. Legal composition    8. Legal research    9. Methodology    10. Reference    11. Study and teaching    12. United States   

Reviews (11)

Good Information
I have read a number of "pre-law" primers and this one really stands out.It's strength is it's unique approach: the author paints the "reality" picture and attempts to dissuade potential law students from taking the leap unless they are extraordinarily committed.This reality-check approach makes this book stand out from nearly all books of the genre. An excellent resource
This book is a fantastic resource to those of us who are interested in a career in law.It explains the many facets of law that you can delve into and removes many misconceptions and illusions that most people have about law school.Much of it appears to be geared towards scaring you out of law school, but the advice is sound and does a good job at making sure that this is a decision you truly want to make.I would recommend this to anyone who is even remotely interested in law school.

Please read this book
This is a thoughtful book that every potential law school applicant should read. As a law student, I was stunned by how few (and I mean FEW) people had put any thought at all into their decision to attend. I left my law practice to retain my sanity. For what it's worth, I urge anyone thinking of going to law school to read this book very carefully. There are very good reasons for becoming a lawyer, though making a lot of money is not one of them. Law school isn't that hard (try medical school . . .), but being a lawyer is very demanding indeed. It takes the right kind of person, and the right kind of motivation, to make it worthwhile. This book is an excellent start to deciding if you're one of those people. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. Educational    3. General    4. Graduate School Guides - Law    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law schools    8. Legal Education    9. Professional Occupations    10. Reference    11. United States    12. Vocational guidance    13. Reference / General   

Reviews (1)

A big help
My only regret is not having bought and read this book sooner. I helped me through every step of the application process, which is more than I can say for my university's law school advisor. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. Education    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. LSAT (Law School Admission Test)    5. Law (General)    6. Law schools    7. Reference    8. Research    9. Study Aids    10. United States    11. Jurisprudence & General Issues    12. Study & learning skills   

Reviews (10)

Waste of Money
I am in law school now and this book is a waste of money.

Helpful, but outdated
This is a very useful tool in the Law School application process.The 2-4 page descriptions of each school give you some added insight into schools you might be interested in that you can't get anywhere else. Inside the Law Schools: A Guide by Students for Students
The information is obviously outdated and in some cases it seems to be incorrect.For instance, in the chapter on the University of Chicago, the book says this school relies on interviews with applicants.To my knowledge, this is not true.Northwestern (also located near Chicago) relies on applicant interviews--not the University of Chicago.I found the chapter on the University of Minnesota amazingly inaccurate. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. Education    3. Evaluation    4. Graduate School Guides - Law    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law schools    8. Legal Education    9. Study Guides    10. United States    11. Industrial or vocational training    12. Jurisprudence & General Issues    13. Law / Legal Education    14. Legal skills & practice   

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Law (General)    5. Law schools    6. Professional Education    7. Reference    8. Study Guides    9. United States    10. Reference / General   

Reviews (3)

Varied essays; Some good, some dull and PC
Some chapters are better than others.Several are good but many are written like the required reading for one of those required "diversity" courses in college.Those essays (about half the book) don't get into any practical information about law school, but instead focus on things like feminism, race, sexual orientation and how that relates to law, learning, or the typical student experience.Other chapters have interesting information and have good insight about subjects taught (Torts, Civil Procedure, etc.).

A big-picture view of law school
In preparing for law school, any student should try to get a little extra information to help him or her make the transition to law school and succeed.Many books offer tips and tricks for taking notes, making outlines, and networking.This book, however, offers a bit more background on the course of study. A great resource!
As a future law student, this book was an invaluable resource.I feelmuch more prepared for entering law school, and know what to expect from myclasses.Also, it has great info on financing and issues facing women,minorities, etc.The authors of the chapters seem to be very knowlegeableand qualified.I recommend it to everyone planning to go to law school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Law    5. Law (General)    6. Law schools    7. Law students    8. Legal Education    9. Reference    10. Study and teaching    11. United States   

Subjects:  1. Graduate School Guides - Law    2. Law    3. Legal Education    4. Reference   

Reviews (3)

Crunchtime Savior
The set saved my life. I just took my first-semester finals and I think I did well--thanks to the tapes. I am the kind of person who doze off in front of books, but tapes keep me awake. More importantly, instead of miring you down in nitty-gritty points, the tapes focus on the important stuff, the most frequently tested areas and they warn you of traps in such a way that the warnings jump out in your brain during exams! For example, Prof. Freer, who was in the Civil Pro set, warns you of traps by saying, "Here is the magic yellow marker moment!"And a few of the traps he warned of did appear on my final! Also you can finish listening to each title within a day, or even half a day if you are diligent. That's exactly what you want during crunchtime--something quick, simply, focused and memorable. I use the tapes as the major framework for organizing profs' lecture notes. But when I take the exams, I am literally following the tapes' outline step-by-step. Some titles are taped in actual lecture halls but some are not--Civil Pro, for example. Personally, I find background laughes quite energizing. And indeed, the profs are very very funny.

Cap'n Crunch
This tape series was helpful, but I liked the Sum & Substance series better. The Gilbert series is taped from lectures given in a class room setting. This makes them a little more dynamic than someone simply reading from a transcript, but the tape quality suffers for it. It is frustrating to pay 200 dollars for a tape and hear people coughing in the background.

Must Have for 1st Year Law Students
Excellent secondary source for first year law students.In law school, time is a valuable resource.This program allows you to make more productive use your time by listening to an overview of each first yearcourse in your car, or excercising, or whatever!The summaries provide anexcellent "big picture" for each course and build logicalreasoning and issue spotting skills.GREAT PROGRAM! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Other    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Legal Education    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction   

Reviews (3)

Advice from a NILE veteran...and sympathetic young attorney
I have read this book and know the authors. I know them because I attended the NILE program for several years before attending law school.Whether you buy this book and use it like a bible in law school or only buy it as a perusal of "what's to come" in law school, you should unquestionably get your hands on a NILE application and invest the money to go sometime before you begin law school. The authors of this book are dedicated to educating America's aspiring attorneys, and those who are "just looking" at the profession.As a successful law school graduate and second year associate at a great firm I can tell anyone considering law school that NILE is the single best preparatory experience you can find before actually going to law school. By the way, outlines are important for studying for exams.So if you're tempted to write off the book because of its concentration on course outlines...you'll be grateful for the guide when you're sitting in your apartment two weeks before exams and everyone is talking about their "study outlines."At that point, feeling lost and alone, open this book and thank the authors for a road map to your first outline. And remember, no book can make law school easy...if it could, we attorneys wouldn't grin in knowing sympathy when you, the law student, tell us how tough it is, and how confused you felt during those first few months. You don't need a book, you need a simple roadmap...and this is a roadmap.What you fill in along the way will be your "law school experience."

This is not "The Ultimate Guide to Excelling in Law School."
Did anyone proof this book? It's full of grammar, punctuation and typing errors. "This deference to prior decisions is the principal precedental effect, also called state decisis." Don't forget to ask your law professors about state decisis on your first day of class. "They not being provided for their accuracy." Thanks for the disclaimer, Grog. Apparently a cave man or woman edited this book. The examples go on and on. The fact that no one cares enough to correct these errors is sad; it makes itdifficult to take the authors seriously. This, however, would all be a minor inconvenience if not for the fact that the information provided in Law School Companion is marginal at best. You can't help but feel as you turn the pages that The Princeton Review threw this together to make some extra money. Almost 40% of the book is devoted to sample course outlines. Sure, they call itAppendix I, but it's still part of the book. If you're looking for a book on law school preparation, this is not the one for you. The authors recommend that you read "one or two" books over the summer. That's great advice if you want to struggle to receive poor grades during your first year. The only real prep advice they give is to attend the NILE Law School Prep Program. In fact, the only phone number they give you is that of NILE. Turns out, two of the authors are NILE directors and the other is a NILE instructor! I expected more from The Princeton Review. If you're looking for a book on prep, try Planet Law School. I bought eight books on prep and found PLS gave me the most for my money. Many of the publications that the book recommends are difficult to obtain, but hunt is worth it.

experience over book knowledge
Please know that there are countless books which try to tell entering law school students about what to expect, how to deal with adversity, and reveal various strategies for success in law school. While this book isvery effective about revealing the basic facts of law school, every futurelaw school student must realize that there is no ONE set way to prepare forlaw school.If there were, there would be one book by one author and itwould be the final word.But law school is not that way, life is not thatway.Every person will have a unique experience in law school.If you arelooking for a book to calm your nerves and make you feel more secure aboutwhat the next three years have in store for you, this book is right foryou. But keep in mind that your experience will ultimately prevail overknowledge you gain from a book.I am entering my third year in law school,and the advice I recieved from other law students helped me more than any"help-book" did. My advice is for a prospective student to buya variety of books to see different takes on law school.Include thisbook, then find a book by a law school graduate and get a book by a currentlaw student. By seeing law school through different perspectives, you willbe better prepared to have YOUR EXPERIENCE, and that one is the mostimportant. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. College Life    2. General    3. Graduate School Guides - Law    4. Law    5. Law (General)    6. Legal Education    7. Reference    8. Study and teaching    9. United States    10. Vocational guidance    11. Reference / General   

Reviews (4)

Somewhat informative, but nothing amazing.
Weaver's book may give insight into the law school application process, but it lacks as to what pre-law students must do to adequately prepare themselves for the experience.For example, while he mentions that students should major in a challenging field, he does nothing to offer reasons that go beyond the common sense that applicants must try to distinguish themselves from others.Further, this guide is somewhat outdated.His stance against web sites loses out when we realize that updates have been made to the LSDAS.I would recommend that students would do better to spend their money on a LSAT preparation book than to get information from "Game Plan."

extremely helpful guide
I found this guide to be extremely helpful in certain areas. For choosing schools, Weaver classifies schools as "national," "regional," "subregional," or "local." These categories are very useful in analyzing one's job prospects coming out of each type of school. He warns against using absolute rankings beyond the top dozen schools in U.S. News, identifying these as "national" schools. In addition, Weaver relies on input from law students to determine whether this elite set of schools changes over time. Comprehensive and Useful
This is a thorough book explaining the law school application process in detail.Includes checklists and timetables, as well as suggestions as to how to minimize the damage of grade fluctuations in a college record and the effect of medicre LSAT scores.It also provides strategies to employ in applying to law school for those of us without stellar LSATs and high grades.A section on a Texas case that laid bare the mysterious methods of law school admission committees was especially helpful.It is a little clipped in places and sometimes too glib, but is a good source of information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. Education    3. General    4. Graduate School Guides - Law    5. Higher    6. Law    7. Law schools    8. Personal & Practical Guides    9. Professional Education    10. Reference    11. Study and teaching    12. United States    13. Vocational guidance    14. Higher & further education    15. USA   

Reviews (1)

Borrow This Book At the Library!
I went to the library and went through pretty much the whole book.There really isn't anything unique this book has to offer, as most of its tips are rather practical and known.Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. College applications    3. General    4. Graduate School Guides - Law    5. Law    6. Law (General)    7. Law schools    8. Legal Education    9. Professional Education    10. Reference    11. Study and teaching    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / Careers    14. Higher & further education   

Subjects:  1. Graduate School Guides - Law    2. Reference    3. Study & Teaching    4. Study Guides   

Reviews (5)

Common Sense Need Not Be Exclusive From Law School Education
I got this book the summer before law school, the same summer I read Law School Confidential, Princeton Review's pre-law book, and anything else that might give me some insight into the mystifying process that is law school. I think that for me, this book might have been among the best of the lot.
Helpful tidbits for people entering law school
This book isn't perfect, but it does have some great common sense advice.Definitely check this book out if you're entering law school.A lot of the info contained here, such as how to handle the stress, most people (such as myself) don't figure out until their third year.

Not worth it.
You'd get about the same information from talking to a couple 3L's for ten minutes...There were a few useful pointers, mostly about what to expect.It helped me not to freak out so much in the first days.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Graduate School Guides - Law    3. Law    4. Law (General)    5. Law students    6. Legal Education    7. Practical Guides    8. Reference    9. Study and teaching    10. United States    11. Law / Practical Guides