what is the average first year law student like?

what are the main skills taught in first year law school? example: finding the issue of a case, argument techniques?

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Answers:
Most schools teach the socratic method, where after you read a case in class, they will ask students for the facts of the case, the issue presented, the courts reasoning, the rule of the case, and how the rule evolves. Most schools have an introductory session before you start where they teach you the basics of briefing cases, etc. But a lot of it you just pick up in class as your professor guides the class to the correct answer through pointed questions with the socratic method. Basically, you learn to think 'like a lawyer.'

You also learn how to write like a lawyer and how to research case law.

The first year curriculum usually consists of civil procedure, torts, crim law, property, constitutional law, contracts, and a legal writing/research class. This is pretty much the same in every ABA school.

As far as argument techniques, you get used to seeing how a case is reasoned in class and discussed through hypotheticals, and you have to write a persuasive paper (which I am putting off doing this very moment! FreeLawAnswer.coms is bad for my procastination). All schools are a little different, but my legal writing class also involves oral arguments. You can join mock trial to get even more experience.

BarBri offers a law school prep course you can take in the summer before you start to get a jump on how to brief cases, find the black letter law, etc. I went through it and it helped a little, but it's pricy (about $1400). You can probably pick it all up once you start. Everyone is pretty much in the same boat the first year. You learn a lot, and you start to think differently.

Don't worry too much about building skills before you go to law school, except those needed to do well on the LSAT and get in. Then once you get there work hard and you'll do just fine!!

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