Step 1: September.
Spend the first month developing your case briefing skills by briefing many cases. It is important that you learn how to take in a case's important information, and how to put that information back out to yourself in the form of case briefs.

The actual writing of the case brief is not important by itself. What makes it important is that it is a repetitive action that trains your mind to look at certain specific aspects of a case opinion, while ignoring or not spending too much time on other less important aspects of case.

This is what speed reading in law school is all about. Speed reading for law school is not about taking some speed reading course. Reading is about comprehension, and a person cannot speed read effectively if they do not understand what is important to comprehend and what can be ignored.

Step 2: October
After the first month, begin working on your outline. By this time you will have attended sufficient classes to have fully covered some of the topics in each course. Begin to draft an outline for those topics that have been fully addressed. For instance, if res ipsa loquitur has been fully addressed in Torts begin doing this part of your outline.

After drafting an outline for a topic, take that aspect of your outline to the academic success professor, or some upper classman that you trust, to determine what you did right and what can be improved. Redo the outline according to the suggestions you receive until you have acquired a good foundation for outlining.

Step 3: November
By the beginning of the third month begin putting together a complete outline for all your courses. Stay about one week behind what is being done in class. You goal is not to outline a topic until it has been fully covered in class. It is only then that you can realize what is important about the subject.

Step 4: December
By the time December arrives you should be about one week behind each course in your outline. This will make it very easy to finish your complete outline within a weekend, and allow you to spend the rest of your study period reviewing your outline and studying for finals.

Other related articles on this website include First Semester-Roadmap, Explained and First Semester-Roadmap, Goal. Below are two additional articles that discuss outlines.

http://www.law.ttu.edu/lawWeb/oasp/tips/BewareOfBadAdvicePartII.shtm
http://www.princetonreview.com/law/research/articles/success/outlines.asp

Good luck in law school!

Michael Santana
michael.santana@lawboost.com