• The first year law student will need to refine his study skills for success.scales image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  The first year legal studies student has to prepare for the rigors of law school and develop strategies for success. When study skills are formed early, the law student develops positive study habits and has a greater chance to make a smooth transition into the new field of study.
  
  

Join a Study Group

• Find a study group to join. Fellow law students can add another perspective to information learned in class. The study group should be no more than three to four members to minimize debate and getting off topic. You will spend many hours with your study group. It is important to find a group of people with personalities that match yours, or ones you can get along with.
  
  

Outline Coursework

• Make outlines for each class. An outline is a small summary of the class. Do not accept an outline from another student, since it may be more difficult to understand if not written in your own words. Commercial outlines summarize basic information for the course and are sold in bookstores. These outlines can be expensive, but very useful for study.
  
  

Memorize the Material

• Many law classes are fact-based and require constant memorization of cases, rules, review and law elements. Memorizing information is a necessity for successfully completing law exams. You will definitely want to develop your own system for memorizing a large amount of material in a short period of time.
  
  

Review Material Immediately

• It is important to review the material presented during your law classes within one hour following class. This technique will help the lecture material to become a part of your long-term memory. You may read over notes silently or aloud to yourself. As you read, write any questions that you have or elaborations that you want to make to the material. This information will develop into a useful study guide for the course.
  
  

Take Study Breaks

• When you first arrive at law school, it is very tempting to want to spend all of your time studying. It is wise to develop a schedule for class time and study time. Include some breaks in your schedule to "recharge" your brain. This is an ideal time to go for a short walk around the town or campus and enjoy being a student.