WAG - Attention Comm. Law-ers
As promised, this is a post specifically intended to aid those taking the test today.
I apologize if you link here late, or if you were expecting a question-by-question break down. One is my fault and the fault of miscommunications.
Also for the record, I my test will be different than yours, so giving specifics won’t help. That’s why I’m working on these general suggestions.
I am simply here to give you some final tips - and maybe even the helpful sort.
Here we go...
For those of you who will have time before the test (either gaps between classes or low-maintenance classes where you could slack off for a day and not face major penalties) print off at least one practice test from Electronic Reserves - codeword Boris.
Do it WITHOUT consulting your notes. It will be a good warm up and once you are done you can go back and highlight the areas you still need to work on.
Keep a running list of areas you have trouble with, Latin terms that are tricky, or that third difference between Temporary Restraining Orders and Permanent Restraining Orders.
Time frame, ex parte, and... um... oh yeah... bond.
When taking the test, skim over the questions first. I stopped to answer quick, easy questions. I also made a tiny note of my summarized answers to certain list questions -
(Example:
King’s Court vs. Chancellor’s
Writ vs. No Writ
Jury vs. Judge
Money Reward vs. Money and/or Tailored Equity)
- but would wait to later to fill out the answers.
The test includes a multitude of answers or hints through cross-referencing topics or simple questions that ask for the same thing in two different ways.
Skimming the test helps you pace yourself, record information before it slips out, and can also help prompt more recollection.
WARNING! I’ve told some of you this already, but remember that you should know information backwards and forwards.
Don’t hope that they’ll give you the case and you’ll have to give the decision (example: “Dennis vs. U.S. was about?”) or that you’ll know the case and have to pick out the answer (example ____ case, decided in 1803, lead to the Supreme Court’s claiming power of judicial review).
I fell into that trap concerning the school laws section. All the practice questions asked it one way (Hazelwood was about __________. Tinker was about __________.) and the test was the other way. (_______ was about advocating freedom of speech during school time. ______ was about permitting freedom of speech during school time).
Know it backwards and forwards. Be able to fill in blanks, because if you’ve memorized it, you’ll be more than set when you get to the handful of multiple choice or true or false questions.
Don’t freak out. You know this stuff. You’ve been to the lectures – most of you. You’ve read the notes.
Most of it is common sense, except in areas noted otherwise. Example 1: The application of the Clear and Present Danger test in Dennis vs. U.S. [1951] AND NOT in Gitlow vs. New York [1925]. Example 2: “Laundry Lists” are okay in cases of “ethnic intimidation,” but not in cases of “fighting words.” These illogical distinctions – and others - were pointed out in class and in review and should simply be memorized.
The one question we were told in the study session has been on every test (Near vs. Minnesota [1931] and the 4 Exceptions for Prior Restraint) made another appearance.
Last, don’t fret about time. I hit a my stopwatch once I started and it took me about 50 minutes. I didn’t quite stop the watch at my finish time, but in 58 minutes of starting the test, I was walking out of Chipotle with my late lunch (of a chicken fajita burrito, if you were curious). I could have turned it in after 45, but I spent extra time trying to recall school names and add up my test.
I think I got at least a 90 percent. Out of 100 points, there were about 7 points of answers I thought were questionable or shaky and 3 I know I made up. With your extra time to study/cram/pray, you should top that.
I’ll be on my way to Kansas City, but you all enjoy yourself.
Take care, all.
I’ll see you in class on Monday.
'See_you_later_alligator'
