how to answer a law case study question

Law Case Study – How To Answer Case Studies in Law

One of the major challenges students have in business law and other law courses are answering questions under the case study. In this article, I will explain how to answer any law case study question following the same rule you are aware of and which is generally recommended. The IRAC or IDAC Principle.

Law Case Study Tips

IRAC Principle is an acronym which depicts,

“I” for Identification

“R” for Rule(s)

“A” for Analysis

“C” for Conclusion

While the IDAC Principle depicts the same but “D” stands for Definition.

Law Case Study – Question 1

Chuddy requested Kris to transport goods from Lagos to Darlington’s estate in Enugu state for the sum of N200,000.00. Kris replied that he was only prepared to transport the goods for N300,000.00.

Chuddy wrote back to Kris asking him to reconsider the initial price, but Kris did not reply to his letter. Two days later, Chuddy delivered the goods to the business premises of Kris, who transported them to Darlington’s Estate in Enugu State.

Chuddy has refused to pay the N300,000.00 demand by Kris, saying that there was no concluded contract. Advise the party using relevant authorities.

[Question 1, First Semester Exam 2014/2015. BAM – YABATECH]

ANSWER/SOLUTION

Let’s make use of the IRAC Principle to answer this question, but before this, let me quickly explain how it works.

“I” – Identification.

First of all, you need to identify under which law the case falls, if it is LAW OF CONTRACT then you consider the elements of the law of contract which are Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, Invitation to treat etc…

So, from the case above, after reading the question/case, you’ll find out that it is AN OFFER . An offer is a definite undertaking with the expectation that it will become binding when the person accepts but since there was no acceptance between Chuddy and Kris, it means that the offer was terminated.

“R” – Rules

From the above rule, we can say that the offer is a counter-offer because the terms [amount involved] were not accepted by both parties which also means that it was rejected.

So, what are the rules for termination of an offer?

An offer can be terminated through or by Revocation by rejection, the death of either party, the lapse of time and counter-offer [it varies the terms of an offer]

“A” – Analysis

By Analysis, you are expected to analyze the case study on some facts and principles that are similar in the area of law . [Always remember to lay emphasis on established facts and principles]

Since we have identified the rules applicable stating that it is a counter-offer and it was rejected then let’s see what it means.

Counter Offer: In a nutshell, counter offer varies the terms of an offer
By rejection: It means the offeree did not accept the terms of the offer.

“C” – Conclusion

Here, you are expected to conclude your judgment based on legal facts and principles you have identified. Your conclusion should also entail which party has the right to sue or succeed if the matter is taken to court for legal actions.

So, since a counteroffer cannot give rise to a binding agreement, it means that Kris should not take the issue to court because, by the means of a counteroffer, there was no agreement between both parties.

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4 thoughts on “Law Case Study – How To Answer Case Studies in Law”

Thanks bro…. Bless you too

Wonderful! Am excited that u are doing this bro. God bless u

Nice one bro, good breakdown

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Answering a legal problem - IRAC

Proper planning is vital to successfully answering a legal problem. Below are some hints and tools using a problem from Company Law. When answering a legal problem, it is useful to apply the IRAC structure so that you address all areas required.

IRAC structure

The IRAC method has four steps:

Identify the issue
Relevant law - Here you need to explain the law not just state it. This could be sections/s of the Corporations Act or case law
Application to the facts - the law is applied to the facts of the problem

Use the following IRAC structure as a guide to answer case study questions.

Issue: Define the legal relevant issue.
Relevant law: Identify legal principles from cases and statutes. Explain the law, don't just state it.
Apply to the facts: Develop legal arguments by applying the law to the facts.
Conclusion: Arrive at a considered conclusion.

Note: Students gain the most marks by explaining the relevant law and then applying it to the facts.

Example question and answer

Bingo Ltd is a manufacturer of electrical goods. It entered into a contract with Melvin Ltd, a large discount retailer. Under this contract, Bingo Ltd was to supply its goods exclusively to Melvin Ltd. The directors of Melvin Ltd subsequently discover that a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bingo Ltd is selling identical electrical goods to competitors at cheaper prices. It appears that the subsidiary was incorporated to enable Bingo Ltd to avoid the effects of the contract with Melvin Ltd. Advise the directors.

(This a five-mark question)

	The issue in this case is whether the corporate veil can be lifted.
	The legal principle to apply, established in Saloman's case is that a company is a separate legal identity from its directors and members. However, there are exceptions when the corporate veil can be lifted. In the case of Gilford Motor Co Ltd v Horne it was decided that the veil of incorporation can be lifted if a wholly owned subsidiary was set up by a company to avoid a legal obligation under contract.
	In this case, it appears that Bingo Ltd set up the subsidiary company to avoid its contractual obligations to supply its goods exclusively to Melvin Ltd.
	Therefore, the directors can ask the court to lift the veil of the wholly owned subsidiary of Bingo and sue Bingo for breach of contract.

Please note: This is a simple low mark answer (5 marks) to illustrate the use of IRAC only. Many Company Law problems will involve multiple issues. In these scenarios each issue would need to be addressed. For example: The first issue is... The second issue is whether...

1. Read the following question.

2. Now read the following text and try to identify the IRAC structure. Check your understanding by clicking on the buttons to reveal the IRAC structure.

Read the following question, then identify which part of the IRAC structure best fits each text excerpt by selecting from the drop down menu.

Text	IRAC structure
The issue is whether the member is bound by a change to the constitution which requires an increase in the contribution of capital.
Therefore, this member has no liability to pay the $1,500.
The legal principle in the scenario is firstly that members are bound by changes in the statutory contract. However, in this case section s140(2) applies as it states that a member is not bound by any changes in the constitution unless he/she agrees in writing.
Clearly, this member has not agreed in writing.

Writing case notes
Writing a legal memo

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How to Deal with Cases During Exam Prep

September 10, 2018 By John Passmore 2 Comments

It Depends on the Course

Like all questions in the law, the answer to how much effort you should put into studying cases is that it depends. You should determine how much attention to give cases in your exam prep (and your exam answers) on a course-by-course basis. Here are two primary factors in that calculus —

One factor to consider is that subjects differ. Some subjects are more case-law driven and naturally rely more on cases. Criminal procedure comes to mind. When U.S. Supreme Court cases are essential to understanding Fourth Amendment concepts, you will be hard pressed to make it through an exam without having a working knowledge of the particular cases. On the other hand, in a commercial transactions class, understanding concepts and the interplay of statutory provisions could mean cases are largely irrelevant to exam success.

A second key factor is the professor. It’s always important to know your audience (and who wrote the exam). If your professor loves deep dives into cases and warns you that she likes to see concepts bolstered by case examples and arguments rooted in case law, listen. If your professor wants you to think like a lawyer and focuses on hypotheticals, that may be an indication of what will be important on the exam.

Don’t Overdo it (but you can’t ignore them)

It can be tempting, especially if you aced undergrad by sheer determination and memorization to think that memorizing case facts and holdings will be your road to law school success. Knowing the cases you read and discussed in class may be necessary, but it is far from sufficient. Law school exams are not about memorization. The key is to understand concepts, not memorize history. Flashcard makers beware —you can miss the boat if you try to make and master a flashcard for every note case you see all semester.

But on the flip side remember that cases aren’t just examples . Much of the law develops through jurisdiction-based case precedent. In law school, cases are used at times with no regard for jurisdiction, but the idea is to learn how to apply case law. Professors want you to understand that arguments must be grounded in the law—be it a statute or a judicial opinion. Because cases underlie many of the more academic concepts you learn in law school, acknowledging cases makes sense and may naturally come up during your exam.

How Do You Absorb the Law?

Do cases help jog your memory? In study group, when a hypo is read, is your natural response, “oh, this is like that one case we read…” For some (myself included), having an on-point case in mind was always tremendously helpful. Linking concepts to cases can be a way to use those good facts, e.g., the famous hairy hand , to recall the concepts, elements, or rules. If you find that investing time in learning a case name to mentally hang a concept or exception on helps you, embrace that. Too many people are scared away from using cases to their advantage if the professor says you won’t get any extra points for citing case names on the exam. Factor that grading information into how you study, but don’t be afraid to use case names to help you digest, retain, and apply the law.

If cases don’t seem to help you much, pay more attention to what the professor requires and don’t force the issue. Play to your strengths. The bulk of law school exams will not be determined by abstractly reciting case names or facts. Focus your preparation on what will help you personally.

Prioritize Your Precious Study Time

Striking the balance between not overdoing it and not ignoring cases can be tricky. In law school, time is always precious. Of course it would be great if you could master the black-letter law, master the case law you read over the semester, master hypothetical applications, and spend the last week before the exam reviewing your outline and getting a good night’s sleep. No law school exam prep ever went that way for me. Usually it is a caffeine fueled sprint to exam day while juggling exam prep for three other exams. You have to prioritize your time. Unless your professor is an outlier, case names should not be a top priority. It is great to drop a relevant case name to support your argument, but generally it won’t be make or break for you. So if you are running out of days and the decision is to make a stack of case flashcards or get through the substance of the course and work hypotheticals, you need to know the law rather than the case support.

Law school exams are demanding. They force you to apply law to facts, abstract concepts to concrete fact hypos. Knowing your cases won’t do the analysis for you, but cases can serve as guideposts and shorthand ways to express your knowledge. Be intentional about your exam prep when it comes to cases—consider their value, prioritize your studies, and get to studying!

Looking for some help to do your best in law school? Find out about our law school tutoring options.

About John Passmore

John Passmore is a family-violence nonprofit attorney in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Texas Office of the Attorney General - Child Support Division. He received his B.A. from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. John and his wife enjoy drinking coffee and chasing around their children and standard poodle named Sebastian.

Reader Interactions

This is great advice. I think a lot of first-year students get a little too obsessed with the details of case law, forgetting that the finals rarely require a detailed knowledge of cases. Practicing exam questions and memorizing black letter law is a much better use of time!

Glad you enjoyed the post!

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IRAC METHOD FAQs

HOW DO YOU ANSWER A LAW QUESTION USING IRAC?

Any law student worth their salt will tell you that IRAC is the gold standard for answering questions on exams. But what exactly is IRAC? The acronym stands for Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion. Answering a question using the IRAC method requires that you first identify the issue at hand. After isolating the problem, you must decide whether legal rule or laws do so.

Once you have identified the relevant rule or rules, you must analyze how those rules apply to the facts of the case. Finally, you must reach a conclusion as to whether the rule or rules support your position on the issue. The beauty of IRAC is that it provides a clear and concise framework for answering legal questions. When done properly, it can assist you in structuring your ideas and making a compelling case. So next time you're stuck on a law question, remember to reach for IRAC.

OUR CORE SERIES LAW BOOKS

Somebody who is not especially interested in law may find it difficult to get through law books since they may be so dull and dry. The Core Series legal books, on the other hand, use a different strategy, beginning with a fundamental premise before going on to more particular details. Someone unfamiliar with the topic will find them to be lot simpler to comprehend as a result.

The books for law students are also very arranged, making it simple to obtain the information you want. Since they provide succinct and understandable explanations of the law. Our Core Series are an excellent resource for novices. The fact that the Core Series volumes are created expressly for use by students taking legal courses, however, is what distinguishes them from other law textbooks. They are thus a crucial tool for everyone who intends to take a law course test.

The books for law students serve as thorough citations for the principles of cases. The facts of each case are then presented in the books. First of all, it's crucial for the student to get acquainted with the case. In this situation, the court has rendered its judgement. Your knowledge will be tested a second time using comparable information. The Ratio Decindi, which is the judgement that ultimately settled the matter, is then provided by the books. Law instructors and lecturers want to see more than simply the facts in your replies to legal questions. Finally, the books discuss how to apply the case and provide instructions on how to do so.

OUR Q&A LAW SERIES BOOKS

The Law Books Q&A Series complements the Core text series. After students have mastered the fundamental concepts and the law, our materials instruct them on how to organise their responses. It provides students with IRAC-based queries and answers by encouraging them to apply the ratio decidendi of each case and demonstrating how to apply each case.

Colleges routinely use the majority of the concerns addressed in these publications for assigning assignments, coursework, and assessment questions. Many university and college libraries stock our law textbooks, which are frequently cited and recommended by professors as excellent resources for answering examination questions. Our goal has always been to make quality content available at reasonable prices, and we hope that students around the world will find these books beneficial.

Our Q&A Series is a collection of instructional manuals designed to aid you in your study and test preparation. Each volume in the Q&A Series focuses on a specific law degree curriculum. Each volume in the Q&A Series is a high-quality compilation of written examination queries and their clear, concise answers. With elements such as case essays and responses to issue question prompts, we get to the point and demonstrate what you need to know.

We go even further by demonstrating how to apply what you have learned to detailed problem-solving and essay-writing Question and Answer Series. We offer question-and-answer books for each of the aforementioned fundamental law degree courses. See below for a listing of the specific topics addressed in each Q&A book. Alternately, examine the examples to determine how they operate.

Our Law Books emphasise simple explanations of the law, whereas our Q&A Book focuses on providing you with exam-style queries and detailed, explanatory answers. Our Question and Answer Series is designed to equip you with the skills necessary to confidently answer any exam question. Obtain a competitive advantage by adding our legal literature to your arsenal today.

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The Case Study Teaching Method

It is easy to get confused between the case study method and the case method , particularly as it applies to legal education. The case method in legal education was invented by Christopher Columbus Langdell, Dean of Harvard Law School from 1870 to 1895. Langdell conceived of a way to systematize and simplify legal education by focusing on previous case law that furthered principles or doctrines. To that end, Langdell wrote the first casebook, entitled A Selection of Cases on the Law of Contracts , a collection of settled cases that would illuminate the current state of contract law. Students read the cases and came prepared to analyze them during Socratic question-and-answer sessions in class.

The Harvard Business School case study approach grew out of the Langdellian method. But instead of using established case law, business professors chose real-life examples from the business world to highlight and analyze business principles. HBS-style case studies typically consist of a short narrative (less than 25 pages), told from the point of view of a manager or business leader embroiled in a dilemma. Case studies provide readers with an overview of the main issue; background on the institution, industry, and individuals involved; and the events that led to the problem or decision at hand. Cases are based on interviews or public sources; sometimes, case studies are disguised versions of actual events or composites based on the faculty authors’ experience and knowledge of the subject. Cases are used to illustrate a particular set of learning objectives; as in real life, rarely are there precise answers to the dilemma at hand.

Our suite of free materials offers a great introduction to the case study method. We also offer review copies of our products free of charge to educators and staff at degree-granting institutions.

For more information on the case study teaching method, see:

Martha Minow and Todd Rakoff: A Case for Another Case Method
HLS Case Studies Blog: Legal Education’s 9 Big Ideas
Teaching Units: Problem Solving , Advanced Problem Solving , Skills , Decision Making and Leadership , Professional Development for Law Firms , Professional Development for In-House Counsel
Educator Community: Tips for Teachers

Watch this informative video about the Problem-Solving Workshop:

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How do I answer law school exam questions? (an in-depth guide)

Here, we give you an in-depth guide on how to answer law school exam questions. This is a step-by-step process for approaching law school exams.

Law school exams are very different than exams you may have taken in undergrad . Because they are different from the exams you are used to, you need a novel strategy if you want to answer the law school exam questions successfully and receive high scores on your law school exams. Many students do not know how to best prepare for law school final exams (in part because law schools do not teach students this!). In this post, we break down the process of answering law school exam questions into a few simple steps.

How to answer law school exam questions

Preparation for answering law school exam questions.

Make your outlines!

Before you learn how to answer law school exam questions and attempt to answer law school exam questions, it is crucial that you have outlines (that you have made) and that you have familiarized yourself with your outlines well enough so that you feel like you know them. Here we have an in-depth guide to outlining . We also have tips on how to outline using diagrams , and places you can find outlines online if you want to review examples of outlines.

Learn your outlines!

If you have outlines, but are struggling to learn or memorize them, you are not alone. Many students struggle with this aspect of studying. Check out this post for seven fantastic tips on learning your law school outlines, which is outlined previously in this guide!

Why do you need to outline and learn your outlines first? Because the essential tool that you need prior to answering exam questions is knowledge of the law! This is the key tool, or your secret weapon, that will help you work your way through exam questions. After all, exam questions will ask you to apply the law to a fact pattern . You cannot apply the law if you do not even know what the law is! No strategy, tool, or tip will be able to get you a high score on a law school final exam if you do not make an effort to truly know the law.

General format of a law school exam

Your law school exam will generally be a story (called a “fact pattern”). You will be expected to go through the story, sentence by sentence, and spot the issues. For example, you may have a fact pattern like this:

Anna is walking down the street, texting her friend. She is not looking where she is going. A driver, Bob, who is trying to get directions on his phone, does not see Anna and hits her. Anna falls to the ground and breaks her tailbone. Normally, the impact would not cause a broken tailbone but Anna has a brittle bone disease which causes her to get hurt very easily. Anna goes to the doctor later that afternoon. Anna fills out a form that clearly states she is allergic to various medicines. The doctor accidentally gives her medicine that she is allergic to—a medicine that Anna had listed on her form that she was allergic to. Anna has to stay in the hospital for five days to be treated for her allergic reaction. The visit for the broken tailbone cost Anna $20,000. The five-day stay in the hospital cost Anna $50,000. Discuss the issues.

Your job will be to use the IRAC method, discussed below, to identify the issues, state the rules of law, apply them, and then arrive at conclusions for each issue spotted. You can see that the call of the question is open-ended (“Discuss the issues”) and that you are not actually told which issues to discuss. Note that your professor may give you several short fact patterns (like the one above) or may give you longer fact patterns (sometimes one to five pages long).

Step one: learn to answer exam questions using the IRAC method

The IRAC method is a commonly used method for writing law school exam answers. The letters in IRAC stands for the following words:

A = analysis

C = conclusion.

The IRAC method is formulaic. To use IRAC one essentially fills in the blanks of the following formula for each issue that one spots: “The issue is ___________. The rule is ___________. A court would analyze it as follows: [apply the law to the facts]. In conclusion, ___________ will likely win.”

The IRAC method, in its most basic form, is not the best way to answer exam questions. It is a bit too simplistic and formulaic. However, it is a great start for learning how to answer law school exam questions. Further, as you practice it, (and as we show you below) you will find yourself improving the analysis section significantly in order to write a sophisticated exam answer.

It is important that you identify most, if not all, of the issues in your exam fact pattern. Write down the issue. Explicitly say, “The issue is whether . . . .” Note that many times, the fact pattern will not give you any hints as to what the issues are. It will just say “Discuss the issues” or “Discuss.” Thus, it will be up to you to spot all of the issues.

Issue-spotting is important because if you don’t spot the issue, you will not be able to apply the relevant law and analyze it (and this is what you get the most points for!). To become a good issue-spotter, practice answering exam questions and comparing them to model answers. This will help you get an idea of the most commonly tested issues and will help you spot these issues on your final exam.

As an example, in the example fact pattern above, some of the issues are negligence, contributory negligence, foreseeability of medical malpractice, eggshell-skull rule, and joint and several liability. All of these issues should be discussed separately.

For each issue that you identify, state the rule of law that governs the issue. Make sure that you state the relevant rules of law. Some students will write down all of the rules of law that they have learned to try to impress the professor. However, you don’t get points for these and you are wasting time writing them all down.

The analysis is the most important part of your exam answer. It is the section where you apply the law to the facts. The key to writing an average IRAC answer and an outstanding A+ answer is to develop the analysis by making lawyerly arguments on behalf of the plaintiff and on behalf of the defendant for each issue that you spot. When you get to the “A” in IRAC, ask yourself: “What would the plaintiff argue?” then ask yourself, “What would the defendant argue?” State who has the better argument. Make creative arguments, and make all of the reasonable arguments you can. This is the most important part of your essay.

When you make arguments (and when you respond) for each side, refer to specific facts in the fact pattern. Arguments can be made using the following strategies:

Sometimes you will argue that the facts should be interpreted one way or another.
Sometimes you will argue that the law should be interpreted one way or the other.
Sometimes you will cite policy reasons for why the case should turn out one way or another.
Sometimes you will argue that the traditional rule should be applied instead of the model rule (or vice versa) or that the common law rule should be applied instead of the statute (or vice versa), or that the majority rule should be applied instead of the minority rule (or vice versa).
Sometimes you will argue that the holding in one case should be followed rather than the holding in a different case.

Most of your arguments will be based on classroom discussion. That is, if your professor really emphasized contradicting rulings of two different cases, you would mention that in your argument section. If your professor focused instead on common law rulings vs. statutory law, you may make arguments based on that.

Even if the question says “you are counsel for the defense,” you still have to recognize (and state in your answer) arguments that the plaintiff would make. After all, the best defense lawyer will anticipate arguments by the plaintiff.

This takes your answer out of the simple IRAC format because you are not just applying the law to the facts, instead you are arguing and analyzing from both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s perspective in a lawyerly manner.

Last, state which party is more likely to win and explain your reasoning. The conclusion answers the question, “Who has the better legal argument?” The conclusion that you arrive at is not as important as the analysis that you provide.

Do not leave your conclusion too inconclusive (e.g., “It depends on what the court decides. Either could win.”). A conclusion that is inconclusive is not a conclusion at all! However, do not leave your conclusion too decisive either (e.g., “The plaintiff will definitely win” or “The defendant’s argument is baseless.”). It is best not to use extremely strong words or phrases unless they truly are appropriate (and this will happen very rarely for the big issues!). The keywords to use are “probably” or “most likely.” Say something like, “For all the reasons discussed above, the defendant is most likely to win on this issue.”

Step two: practice exam questions

It is not enough to have a good strategy for answering exam questions. You have to also practice that strategy . If you were trying to get good at painting, reading books about painting all day wouldn’t be enough—you would actually have to practice painting! It is the same with answering exam questions. It is not enough to have some skills or strategies. Instead, you have to practice those skills and strategies.

The three primary sources that you should use to practice applying what you know are:

(1) Exams that your professor has given students in the past (check with your professor) ***This is by far the best resource!*** Make sure to obtain model answers or sample answers if possible.
(2) Problems in supplements— such as Examples and Explanations or Glannon Guides . This is a great resource for practicing all throughout the semester because you can practice analyzing one issue at a time and hone in on your skills.
(3) Other resources that contain exams with model answers: The best thing to do is Google, for example, “Contracts exam model answer.” You will find updated Contracts exams with model or sample answers. We also have compiled a great resource of practice exams here if you want to save yourself some time Googling it!

After you write your exam answers, always spend a long time comparing your answer to the model answer and grading your answer. This is how you will improve on your exam-writing skills. You will be actively learning the law, giving yourself feedback, identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and find yourself improving over time! If you do this regularly, by the time you get to the final exam, you will know what to expect, and it honestly won’t seem like that difficult or daunting of a task because you will have already done it so many times! I graduated as the #1 law student and got A+’s in over half of my law school classes. Practicing exams ahead of time was a huge reason I was able to achieve that accomplishment.

If you are unsure how to compare your answer to the model answer, we recommend that you start by asking yourself these questions:

Questions to ask when comparing your answer to the model answer

Did I spot the same issues that the writer of the model answer spotted?
Did I miss important issues? Which ones? How will I avoid this in the future?
Did I include issues that the model answer did not include? If so, are these issues relevant?
Did I clearly lay out all the rules and elements of law for each issue?
Did I discuss laws that weren’t relevant? How can I avoid this in the future?
Did I make arguments on behalf of each party (where applicable)?
Did I analyze the problem as in-depth as the model answer did?
Did I spend too much time analyzing an issue that should obviously turn out in one party’s favor?
Did I know enough law to fully analyze the question or do I need to review my outline more?
Was my conclusion too vague? Was it too strongly worded?
Was my conclusion correct (or at least arguably correct)?
Did I spend too much time restating facts or conclusions?
Did I answer the exam in the appropriate amount of time?
What are my strengths?
How can I capitalize on my strengths and make them even better?
What do I need to practice more?

Commonly-asked questions on how to answer law school exam questions

What is the most important resource i can consult if i have limited time.

The best resource at your disposal is your professor’s old exams. These show you what the professor likes to test and can help you get used to their format and their exam approach. Make sure that you obtain any model answer or sample answer that goes with the exam. Some professors do not make past exams available for review. Some only offer a couple of prior exams available for review, in which case it is a good idea to seek exams using the other resources mentioned above.

What if my professor includes multiple-choice or short answer questions?

It is becoming more common to include a multiple-choice question section and/or a short answer question section on law school exams. Below we tell you how to answer law school exam questions that contain multiple-choice, short answer, or other nontraditional questions.

Multiple-choice

If your professor includes multiple-choice questions on your exam, it makes sense to get as much practice answering multiple-choice questions as you can before your exam. Do a Google search for questions or, if you have time, order books online with multiple-choice questions. Note: we also have hundreds of law school multiple-choice questions in our JD Advising study aids (which you can sample for free!) Many bar exam review books will have multiple-choice questions that cover the material in first-year law school courses. It is amazing how much you can increase your score through practice!

Make sure that when you begin to practice answering multiple-choice questions that you go through the questions slowly and methodically. Dissect each question. After you read the question, ask yourself what legal issue is being tested and what legal rule you need to know to answer the question. If you do not know the legal rule, look it up in your outline. Lastly, go through the answer choices and explain why one is correct and why the other three are incorrect. If you complete all of the questions slowly and methodically when you practice, you will learn the legal rules better and you will also internalize the best way to approach questions on your exam. You will not fall for tricks!

Closer to your final exam, work on speed. Practice answering several questions each day and make sure you are able to answer them in the time allotted.

If you are looking for a lengthier article about how to improve your score on multiple-choice questions, see this post on how to answer multiple-choice questions : it is geared toward bar exam students but can be helpful to any students taking a multiple-choice exam!

Short answer

If your professor includes short answer questions on his or her exam, get your hands on as many short answer questions as possible. If your professor releases any past exams, focus on these first! Also, consult a supplement. Many supplements have plenty of short answer questions for you to answer. (Our law school study aids contain hundreds of short-answer questions written by top law professors!)

Combination

If your professor gives a combination of questions (some multiple-choice, some essay) spend your time answering both kinds of questions when you practice. Allocate your time based on how your final exam score is calculated. If, say, only 10% of the exam is based on your multiple-choice score, and 90% is based on your essay score, focus primarily on practicing essay questions. If it is the opposite, focus primarily on practicing multiple-choice questions!

Go to the next topic, Where can I find law school practice exams?

Seeking success in law school.

Benefit from personalized one-on-one tutoring by our seasoned law school tutors.
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Introduction
How to Succeed in Law School: Introduction and Table of Contents
An Overview of How to Succeed in Law School
Part 1: 1L Basics – What is 1L year?
Overview of 1L year: what classes will I take my first year of law school?
Why does the first year of law school matter so much?
What are the differences between the first year of law school and college?
What law school supplies do I need to succeed in law school?
Just for fun! Top 10 Latin words for law students
Part 2: How to Succeed on Law School Final Exams
Law school success: the theory
An overview of how to succeed on law school final exams
Step 1: Outline
How do I create a law school outline? (An in-depth guide)
When should I start my law school outlines?
How long should my law school outline be?
Where can I find law school outlines?
Step 2: Memorize your outlines
How do I memorize my law school outlines?
Step 3: Take practice exams
What are law school finals like?
How do I answer law school exam questions? (An in-depth guide)
Where can I find law school practice exams?
Step 4: Make an effective law school study schedule
What should my weekly law school study schedule look like?
What is an example of a daily law school study schedule checklist?
Part 3: Other Important Law School Skills
What are “cases” in law school?
How do I brief a case?
What is an example of a law school case brief template?
How do I speed-read cases in law school?
How to prepare for class in law school
Why is it so important to go to class in law school (and pay attention!)?
How do I prepare for class in law school (without wasting time)?
What are some law school note-taking tips and shortcuts?
Socratic Method
What is the Socratic Method in law school?
How do I survive the Socratic Method in law school?
Networking in law school
Is it important to network in law school?
Part 4: Law Student Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Other Resources
Law student FAQ
Is a law school tutor worth it?
What are some other JD Advising resources for 1Ls?
Download Guide

After working with [my law school tutor], Jonathan, I earned grades high enough to land a summer associate position at a big law firm as a 1L. Jonathan was great because not only was he well versed in my 1L courses, but he also is a successful lawyer and a graduate of my law school. It was great being able to talk to someone who not only understood the rigor of my 1L classes, but also had proven tips for success in and beyond law school.

My [law school] tutor Melissa was very flexible to my needs and interests. She helped me achieve Honors grades in three of my four doctrinal courses of my 1L Fall semester. Very grateful for this opportunity.

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Undergraduate Laws Blog

Stories, news and updates from our team and our students

How to learn case law for your exams

This post has been contributed by Charlotte Crilly, Teaching Fellow for the Undergraduate Laws Programme.

So you’ve got a case list as part of the module you’re studying. And now you’re wondering what to do with it! How should you memorise these cases for the exam? And how much of each case should you learn anyway – the facts, the summary, or as much of the judgment as you can? This blog post gives you tips and ideas about learning case law for the exam. Try some out and let us know how you get on, by leaving a comment.

Making case cards

Try making yourself some case cards as an aid to memorisation. This is what to do:

Choose a case that you want to learn for the exam.
On one side of an index card or small piece of paper, write the name of the case.
One the other side, write the key facts and key point of law for the case.
Make similar cards for all the cases you want to learn.
Take the cards with you wherever you go, and test yourself often. You can look at the name of the case and try to recall (without looking!) the key facts and points of law. Or you can look at the facts and points of law, and try to remember the name of the case.
Get together with friends and test each other on cases. You can ask other students or just with friends and family.
You can use these homemade case cards in lots of other ways too. Choose a past exam question from the past papers on the VLE. Think about the question, and choose case cards which would help you to answer the question. This will help you to really think about the cases and how you can use them in the exam.

Other types of case notes

You could make brief case notes on larger pieces of paper, and stick these up on the walls where you live, work or spend time. You can read the case notes as you go about your daily life, and test yourself in spare moments.
Perhaps you are a visual learner? Try making a mind map or spider diagram about the main points in the case and see if that helps you to remember them. Or you could even draw pictures to remind you of cases!
As an alternative to making your own case cards, you could use an online tool for testing yourself with flashcards. You could use a program like Anki or Quizlet or there are many other online programs available.

What information do I need to learn?

First of all, most law modules will contain a considerable amount of case law, and you can’t hope to learn every detail of every case. So you need to be selective. Remember too that you’re not learning cases in isolation, but to answer essay questions about specific legal topics or to answer legal problem questions. Your understanding of the legal principles of the cases and how they can be applied to questions is crucial – it is not enough just to be able to recite the facts of a case.

Keep your notes relatively brief. Write in bullet points or short phrases. Use abbreviations. These should then jog your memory when you are in the exam. If you write long sentences or copious information about the case, you are unlikely to remember if all in the exam.

Make sure you include these things in your case notes:

Which court the case was heard in, and in which year.
The material facts. These should just be brief – exclude anything that is not relevant to the reason for the court’s decision.
The key legal principles – you will probably need several bullet points for this. Think carefully about what the ratio of the case is.
Key details about any dissenting judgments.
The case’s relationship to any other important cases – has it been affirmed, considered, distinguished in any other cases?

Example from Legal System and Method

D obtained access to prohibited place within meaning of the Official Secrets Act 1920 – air base.
D was within its boundaries when obstructed a member of forces engaged in security duty.
Charged with having obstructed in the vicinity of a prohibited place.
Argued: not in vicinity of a prohibited place since he was actually in a prohibited place.

Decision (Lord Parker CJ) :

Court applied golden rule.
Extended literal wording of the statute to cover the action committed by D.
Had the literal rule been applied, it would have produced an absurdity.

Once you find a method of learning case law that works for you, you can apply the same method to statutes, summaries of module guides, and more!