Tuition may be expensive, but now is not the time to pinch pennies.
Successful completion of law subjects requires satisfactory performance in an exam and assignment or mini exam.
These do not test your ability merely to cram vast amounts of knowledge to be recalled from memory. Rather, the emphasis is on the presentation of problems which require students to:-
• identify the relevant legal issues
• apply the legal principles from cases or statute
• develop legal arguments from these principles
• arrive at a considered conclusion.
How best to be able to prepare to do this under exam conditions? Plan your exam preparation times well in advance.
Study hard- it’s a job. If your summaries don't look like these, don't worry, neither did mine but this is now the standard for which I aim.
Do practice exams - against the clock. I recommend doing answers in point form or flow-chart form in 20 minutes per question and attempting 3 past exams in a 4 hour period. Remember that in the exam hall you’re running against the clock. The aim of this is to develop the skill of applying legal principles in an argument that you develop under pressure.
The first step is to be able to build an argument from seemingly trivial points - really quickly. Legal points are trivial - you will scarcely remember any case you studied 20 years on, and given the rapidity that old cases like Stylk v Myrik get over-ruled or new doctrines like Hong Kong Fir are introduced, you won't need to, but being able to find relevant stuff fast and apply it logically, sequentially and even faster are skills that helped me write my best-stelling Construction Law textbook to a 60 day deadline - and I had a full time job at the time. You can learn these skills from my one-page guide and two-paged worked example in two hours. I charge $50 for the training pack, but if you send me your first four sets of sample answers I promise to send you your purchase price back.
If you can't find past exams or you are not confident about your notes, I have them available to purchase here.
If you can't find the set you want, ask!! I have more resource guides in more subjects than I remember!
For most people, a study group will help you debate or argue the principles you have to apply. Even if you aren't a "people person" (I'm not). Debate the ideas as you would have opposing counsel debating the law. Make notes and compare your summaries of lecture notes.
Know what areas you'll be tested on. You will probably be tested on almost all topics covered in the course - that’s why they taught them, because you need to know them.
Get your personal life in order.
Prepare outlines for each past lecture.
Compare your outline to free law school outlines to identify missing topics
Deal with stress appropriately
Buy a book to improve your legal writing and exam writing. If you can write like Justice Michael Kirby you'll do well and if you can think like him as well you'll top your year.