Preparing for 1L

[Patient0L]

16 hours ago, backtomac said:

 

Love this thread — is it really the end of the world if I read cases before 1L? I just find them interesting and I want to practice. Not interpreting cases legally, just reading them.

 

I don’t think it’s the end of the world to read cases for non-utilitarian purposes. Some of them are quite lol. Try this one: 

https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc3061/2014onsc3061.html

 

 

[Turtles]

The only cases you should be reading before law school are the ones in which your profs were parties. Every year some kid needs to be to find the embarrassing prof drama and circulate the gossip. It's an annual bonding exercise that, in rare cases, discovers actual bondage. 

[JohnsonWest]

10 hours ago, Turtles said:

The only cases you should be reading before law school are the ones in which your profs were parties. Every year some kid needs to be to find the embarrassing prof drama and circulate the gossip. It's an annual bonding exercise that, in rare cases, discovers actual bondage. 

i had no idea this was a thing. wow i really missed out. 

[backtomac]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:36 PM, LMP said:

Read whatever you want! I don't think anyone is saying you have to shield your eyes from case law and remain in some judicial-virgnal state. 

Rather, what I think most users are trying to get across is that when you read you'll inevitably develop an understanding of the matieral. Not a correct one, but your own personal understanding. And it'll likely be wrong in several significant ways. 

Which is fine! But the trouble is that many people struggle to replace solidified ideas with new ones. Which is what'll you be asked to do when you actually read that same case in school. 

Now it might be no problem for you to do that. You might be able to read case law more lightly. Or you might be easily able to change your perspective on stuff. 

But lots of people are bad at those things, which I think is why so much advice is given against pre-reading. 

That, and it is frankly a waste of time. If it's done for enjoyment that's one thing, but trying to do it to get a leg up is kind of a waste.

 

 

Thank you LMP! Always a delight to read your feedback.

I was wondering if it makes a difference if I am reading professors' interpretations of cases? For example, Is Eating People Wrong by Allan Hutchinson and other interpretations of cases. Is this better/worse than reading cases as primary sources?

[Scrivener]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:00 PM, DonPablo said:

Nonetheless, like one user have said, I'd consider working on your writing. Concise writing, without losing the substance of your argument, is a difficult skill to develop, but an important one nonetheless.

Legal writing is definitely something that was difficult for many people to get their heads around in 1L, especially if coming from a social science background. The Introduction to Legal Research class in 1L goes over it, but in my class, the majority of the actual instruction was to read "Legal Analysis: The Fundamental Skill". 

I generally agree with the other advice that as excited as one may be as a 0L to get a head start, the best thing to prepare is simply to get all of your other affairs in order and perhaps refine those job application materials. However, I don't think reading this text would cause any harm, and being aware of the CREAC model for writing may help in shaping how you start reading/writing legal materials. 

[betterlatethannever]

On 3/18/2023 at 11:13 PM, Patient0L said:

https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc3061/2014onsc3061.html

Oh my goodness! Thank you for making my Monday morning so much more enjoyable, @Patient0L!

[Wraith]

On 3/19/2023 at 2:13 AM, Patient0L said:

I don’t think it’s the end of the world to read cases for non-utilitarian purposes. Some of them are quite lol. Try this one: 

https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc3061/2014onsc3061.html

 

 

My sides. Actually really interesting. Thanks for sharing. Can I have more soup?