Book Title: Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams
Book Authors: Professor Michael Fischl & Associate Dean Jeremy Paul
Law Preview Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewer: Pierre Schlagg, Byron White Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School
Most law professors don't spend a great deal of time explaining what law school exams are all about. They don't explain very well what they are testing, why it matters, or how to prepare. Instead, law professors will tell students things like, "Commercial outlines can help, but they won't get you a top grade." "Certainly, the exam requires issue-spotting, but you have to move beyond that." "The black letter law is not enough." Of course, the law student will immediately realize that these bits of advice are themselves "not enough." If you want to get to the next town, the advice to avoid dead ends is surely unimpeachable, but it won't get you there.
This is where Getting To Maybe comes in. This book reveals the complex world of law school exams - how they are organized, what they test for, and how to plan for them. It tells you how to think and what to do when the black letter law runs out; it reveals in simple clear (and often amusing) language the otherwise obscure activity known as "legal analysis." And most important, it gives you an intelligent strategy for finding your way through the dense forests of law school hypotheticals.
If you can't spot a "fork in the law" or a "fork in the facts" in an exam hypothetical, get this book. If you don't know how to play "Czar of the Universe" on law school exams (or why) get this book. And if you do want to learn how to think like a lawyer - a good one - get this book. It's, quite simply, stone cold brilliant.
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