Comments on: Outside info in outlines? http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/ Life, Love, Lunacy and the Law Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:36:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ hourly 1 By: luke http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2674 luke Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:02:06 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2674 re: anon #1, an ATTACK outline, I like it. Makes me feel like a soldier of the law... ready to do battle with my ... um, laptop and floppy drive... but seriously though, I think it's the way to go. re: anon #1, an ATTACK outline, I like it. Makes me feel like a soldier of the law… ready to do battle with my … um, laptop and floppy drive… but seriously though, I think it’s the way to go.

]]> By: anon http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2672 anon Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:39:37 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2672 oh, and source-wise - i tend to use outlines of people who actually had my professor (e.g. from the school outline bank) or commerical outlines by the casebook author (e.g. dukeminier wrote the gilbert's for property, and it's verbatim from the casebook - VERY helpful). oh, and source-wise – i tend to use outlines of people who actually had my professor (e.g. from the school outline bank) or commerical outlines by the casebook author (e.g. dukeminier wrote the gilbert’s for property, and it’s verbatim from the casebook – VERY helpful).

]]> By: anon http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2671 anon Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:38:08 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2671 I use a sort of copyright notion of fair use - if I 'substantially contributed" to the info (e.g. by reformatting, rewording, etc), then i consider it fine to include. sometimes having helpful graphics in there is nice. i do both a massive detailed outline w. everything and an attack outline along the lines of what LL is saying. to be able to do the attack outline, you really need to know your stuff (to distill it). it takes FOREVER but it has been worth it for me gradewise. I use a sort of copyright notion of fair use – if I ’substantially contributed” to the info (e.g. by reformatting, rewording, etc), then i consider it fine to include. sometimes having helpful graphics in there is nice.

i do both a massive detailed outline w. everything and an attack outline along the lines of what LL is saying. to be able to do the attack outline, you really need to know your stuff (to distill it). it takes FOREVER but it has been worth it for me gradewise.

]]> By: divine angst » Blog Archive » Law School Roundup #98 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2670 divine angst » Blog Archive » Law School Roundup #98 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:05:47 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2670 [...] PT-LawMom [...] [...] PT-LawMom [...]

]]> By: Kady http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2658 Kady Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:11:43 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2658 Yeah, my professors were very specific. They were either the bring anything at all camp, or else they were your work only outlines. I don't remember any in betweens. That being said, I always built my own outlines since it was that process that really helped me learn. Yeah, my professors were very specific. They were either the bring anything at all camp, or else they were your work only outlines. I don’t remember any in betweens. That being said, I always built my own outlines since it was that process that really helped me learn.

]]> By: luke http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2656 luke Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:21:46 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2656 whatever works, IMHO. Though I've learned through experience to write my outlines as full-bodied prose, in the same language I'll use on the exam rather than the lists of elements and explanations you'll find in most commercial outlines. If I've studied properly I won't have any trouble remembering the concepts. I use my outline to (1) make sure I don't leave anything out and (2) give me a succinct, pre-synthesized statement of law so I'm not sitting there for 10 minutes trying to figure out the right way to say something I already know. whatever works, IMHO. Though I’ve learned through experience to write my outlines as full-bodied prose, in the same language I’ll use on the exam rather than the lists of elements and explanations you’ll find in most commercial outlines. If I’ve studied properly I won’t have any trouble remembering the concepts. I use my outline to (1) make sure I don’t leave anything out and (2) give me a succinct, pre-synthesized statement of law so I’m not sitting there for 10 minutes trying to figure out the right way to say something I already know.

]]> By: new duck http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2650 new duck Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:27:35 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2650 Hey! This is the first time I'm reading your blog - great stuff! Everyone outlines differently, but what works best for me is to start with someone else's outline and edit it until it's my own. Our school has an outline bank where you can get other students' old outlines - do you have one too? I usually start with one of those as a template, then edit it, add my own stuff, and supplement it with info from the commercial outlines (Gilbert's, etc.). Hey! This is the first time I’m reading your blog – great stuff! Everyone outlines differently, but what works best for me is to start with someone else’s outline and edit it until it’s my own. Our school has an outline bank where you can get other students’ old outlines – do you have one too? I usually start with one of those as a template, then edit it, add my own stuff, and supplement it with info from the commercial outlines (Gilbert’s, etc.).

]]> By: LL http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2642 LL Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:06:32 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2642 I know people that add a lot of outside information to their outlines, but I wonder how helpful that really is. The point of an outline, for me, is to review all the course information and come up with the best way to organize it- that overall view is what helps me the most. And the process of culling through my book and class notes to fill in the outline in the most concise yet comprehensive way is what teaches me the class material- everything usually falls into place by the time I'm done. But I'm different from many people in that my goal is for the outline to be less than 10 pages. I want the major themes, cases, and holdings to help find the basic answer to an exam question and then I "ctrl + f" through my notes to get more details if needed. A massive outline just doesn't help me. I know people that add a lot of outside information to their outlines, but I wonder how helpful that really is. The point of an outline, for me, is to review all the course information and come up with the best way to organize it- that overall view is what helps me the most. And the process of culling through my book and class notes to fill in the outline in the most concise yet comprehensive way is what teaches me the class material- everything usually falls into place by the time I’m done.

But I’m different from many people in that my goal is for the outline to be less than 10 pages. I want the major themes, cases, and holdings to help find the basic answer to an exam question and then I “ctrl + f” through my notes to get more details if needed. A massive outline just doesn’t help me.

]]> By: butterflyfish http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2641 butterflyfish Sun, 02 Dec 2007 19:18:42 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2641 most professors find the "create it yourself" hard to police and enforce. so all my classes are either "bring in anything" (except something that breathes or connects to the web) or "totally closed book." outlines you create are superior because they include only that which isn't already in your brain most professors find the “create it yourself” hard to police and enforce. so all my classes are either “bring in anything” (except something that breathes or connects to the web) or “totally closed book.”

outlines you create are superior because they include only that which isn’t already in your brain

]]> By: stare decisis http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/outside-info-in-outlines/comment-page-1/#comment-2638 stare decisis Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:20:05 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/12/02/outside-info-in-outlines/#comment-2638 The only way my outlines worked for me was to make them all myself. I sometimes made my own charts, but rarely. Personally, I don't think there's much value in the outside sources, so I don't think they have an advantage: what matters is what is in your own brain, synthesizing the material. Most of our professors specified outlines you created or helped create (if any were allowed at all) so it depends on what the professor allows. The only way my outlines worked for me was to make them all myself. I sometimes made my own charts, but rarely. Personally, I don’t think there’s much value in the outside sources, so I don’t think they have an advantage: what matters is what is in your own brain, synthesizing the material. Most of our professors specified outlines you created or helped create (if any were allowed at all) so it depends on what the professor allows.

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