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Wed 14 Dec, 2005 01:35 pm
I'm in the throes of preparation for my Disability Law final (next week), and I thought of something that might help, please let me know what you think or if any of you have done something similar...
Since it's an open book final (including printed notes), I'm thinking of putting together a flowchart to put me in the right direction for when I read the hypos. Something like:
Plaintiff argues discrimination.
If this is about employment discrimnination, go to ->
If this is about housing discrimination, go to ->
Employment discrimination:
If the employee's disability affects "major life functions" go to ->, otherwise go to ->
etc....
Basically, something to address the major aspects of various discrimination claims. Has anyone done anything like this before? What do you think?
PS- I am studying for this regardless. I'm just looking for a bump up that will help me get over the "B" hump into "A" territory.
What's an "open book final"?
Seriously, I would suggest you create whatever tool will help you remember the rules come crunch time. But I would also suggest that you know the tool well enough that you don't have to resort to it during the final, except perhaps to reinforce what you already know.
Knowing the law is one thing, but you must also be able to analyze the facts in your hypos. It is the analysis where you will get all your points anyway.
Personally, I'm not sure I'd spend a whole lot of time creating a flowchart at this point. But I would create an outline of everything you've learned in class, divided into topics. Then know it really well as you go into your final.
"Whats an open book final"?
We are allowed to bring printed notes, any cases we worked on during class. Nothing electric (laptops, etc).
Or was that a rhetorical question?
I undestand the point of knowing it regardless, but I'm open to any other ideas that would put me on the right path sooner or if there are legal concepts about it that apply regardless, it would be good to have them linked appropriately in case I should overlook it during the final.
Yeah, rhetorical. I don't recall having any of those in law school. (Although Con Law I might have been open book ...)
Sounds like you have a good approach. But I would stress having it as a tool to use if needed, not relying on it.
My experience with open book exams has been that relying on any too/book/reference makes things more difficult. It seems like it should make things easier, but it's a really dangerous way of looking at it. You just have to know the stuff. No way around it.
Tab the heck out of everything. You don't want to be searching, you want to be able to find things quickly. And study.
So far:
I already made an Index of all the major words in case with their page number in the outline if I need to shoot to it immediately
I cross referenced all the major topics to relevant parts of the cases involved
I highlighted all the relevant points of law with on color ink, and facts differentiating them in another
I have a "dictionary" of all the relevant ideas and restrictions
I just figured a flowchart would help as well.
I'd say go for it if you think you could use it.
Sometimes the act of copying and synthesizing information helps to make it stick. Even if the flow chart does not help like you think it will, it could help with retention to just keep your eyes and hands on the material, over and over. I have gotten that kind of boost with copying notes or typing handwritten ones.
As far as I know, indexing, highlighting and cross-referencing for an open book exam will not help at all. If the professor is giving you an open book exam, he will ask questions where you will not be asked to provide answers from the book but will have to synthesize information and arrive at a conclusion. So you will already have to know the book. Instead of all that indexing and stuff, I suggest you read the book my dear
Took the final. Kicked ass. Figured you might want to know. Thanks for the input, fellas.
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