The First Year of Law School

The first year of law school is both exciting and frightening. Law school is a unique environment.
It is unlike anything most first-year law students have ever experienced. The library staff at
Washington & Lee wants you not just to survive but to thrive in this environment. To that end
we have produced this brief guide to books in our collection. This guide highlights only a
selected few of the resources available in the collection. Annie (our online catalog) will assist
you in locating other titles on a variety of topics. In order to provide the reader with publication
information, the citations included do not conform to the rules of citation stated in The
Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Columbia Law Review Assn et al. eds., 18th ed. 2005).

The Law School Experience

Jeff Deaver, The Complete Law School Companion, 2nd Rev. Ed. (Wiley & Sons 1992)
[KF283 .D4 1992] open reserve collection
Covers everything from surviving in the classroom and outlining, to the emotional aspects of
being a law student.
Atticus Falcon, Esq., Planet Law School II, Rev. Ed. (Themis Inst. 2003)
[KF283 .F34 2003] open reserve collection
Answers the questions you didnt know to ask and no one else will tell you to ask.
Robert H. Miller, Law School Confidential, Rev. Ed. (St. Martin Press (2004)
[KF283 .M55 2004] open reserve collection
Discusses everything from surviving the first year to seeking employment; includes
suggestions from recent law school graduates
Herbert N. Ramy, Succeeding in Law School (Carolina Academic Press 2006)
[KF283 .R36 2006] open reserve collection
Emphasizes a healthy mental approach, good note taking, study aids and study groups.
Justin Spitzman, The Insiders Guide to Your First Year of Law School (Adams Media 2007)
[KF283 .S65 2007] open reserve collection
This volume provides tips to survive the first year and get ahead.
Dennis J. Tonsing, 1000 Days to the Bar: But the Practice of Law Begins Now (Hein & Co. 2003)
[KF272 .T66 2003] open reserve collection

Suggests a good practice centered approach to legal studies, including time management
and the effective use of study groups.
Christopher J. Yianilos, The Law School Breakthrough (Career Press 2005)
[KF283 .Y53 2005] open reserve collection
Provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to thriving in law school both in and out
of the classroom.

The Academic Experience

John C. Dernbach, Writing Essay Exams to Succeed (Aspen 2007)
[KF283 .D47 2007] open reserve collection
Demystifies the legal essay exam and the legal writing and analysis process
Richard Michael Fischl and Jeremy Paul, Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams
(Carolina Academic Press 1999)
[KF283 .F47 1999] open reserve collection
Walks students through the process of legal analysis in a concise and
understandable way
Kenney Hegland, Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in a Nutshell, 5th Ed. (Thompson
West 2008)
[KF273 H4 2008] law reserve
Tips on legal analysis, study skills, the litigation process and beyond the first year chapter
titles include The Second Case in the World and Zen and the Art of Exams.
L.H. LaRue, Guide to the Study of Law: An Introduction, 2nd Ed. (LexisNexis 2001)
[KF283 .L36 2001] open reserve collection
Covers case reading and legal writing specifically for first year law students.
Patrick M. McFadden, A Students Guide to Legal Analysis: Thinking Like a Lawyer
(Aspen Law & Business 2001)
[KF283 .M396 2001] open reserve collection
Introduces the premise of basic legal questions and the dynamics of legal argument
Ruth Ann McKinney, Reading Like a Lawyer (Carolina Academic Press 2005)
[KF283 .M398 2005] open reserve collection
Tips on the approach to legal reading and basic briefing

Gary A. Munneke, How to Succeed in Law School, 3rd Ed. (Barrons 2001)
[KF283 .M86 2001] open reserve collection
Discusses topics such as taking good notes, study habits, exam performance and
preparation
Michael Hunter Schwartz, Expert Learning for Law Students, 2nd Ed (Carolina Academic Press
2008)
[KF283 .S39 2008] open reserve collection
Introduces law students to the self-regulated learning cycle and applies it to the study of
law.
Charles H. Whitebread, The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School, 2nd Ed.
(Thomson West 2008)
[KF283 .W452 2008] open reserve collection
Teaches eight basic exam techniques and includes sample exam questions.
Understanding Law School (LexisNexis 2004) [KF283 .U53 2004] open reserve collection
A part of the LexisNexis Understanding series, this title covers many first year subjects.