Starting Off Right in Law School

The 2018 printing of Starting Off Right in Law School, Second Edition, contains a new chapter, "Organizing Your Reading." To access the bonus chapter online, click here.

Law school is different. Incoming students, confronted with an entirely new vocabulary and unfamiliar with the discipline's unique and demanding educational methods, are often disoriented. This book is designed to give these students a head start, both by introducing them to the fundamentals of the legal process and by helping them acquire the study skills necessary for success.

Starting Off Right in Law School introduces new law students to the practice and study of law by following a lawsuit from its inception through the appeals process, illustrating what lawyers actually do, how they prepare, how they interact with clients and in courtrooms, how a lawsuit proceeds, and how students can effectively read and analyze cases, outline, and apply what they have learned on the exams.

Widely used in law schools, the first edition of Starting Off Right in Law School prepared new law students to excel in doctrinal courses. The second edition has been updated to prepare students both for the broader demands of doctrinal courses and for the more distinct reading and writing demands of legal writing courses. This book is the perfect tool for pre-law students to read on their own or for law school orientation required reading.