Study Strategies
Study Method Comparisons
Not sure which study method works best? Compare 11 popular law school study strategies side by side with detailed breakdowns, evidence-based verdicts, and recommendations based on your learning style. From IRAC vs CREAC to Barbri vs Themis, find the approach that fits you.
IRAC vs CREAC
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) and CREAC (Conclusion, Rule, Explanation, Application, Conclusion) are two of the most widely taught legal...
Active Recall vs Rereading
Active recall is the practice of testing yourself on material without looking at your notes, forcing your brain to retrieve information from memory. T...
Outlining vs Flashcards
Outlining is the quintessential law school study method. Students distill an entire semester's worth of cases, rules, and class discussion into a stru...
Study Groups vs Solo Study
The study group is a time-honored law school tradition. Small groups of 3-5 students meet regularly to discuss cases, work through hypotheticals, quiz...
Commercial Outlines vs Your Own Outlines
Commercial outlines -- published by companies like Emanuel, Examples & Explanations, Gilbert, and Quimbee -- are professionally written, comprehensive...
Full Case Briefing vs Book Briefing
Full case briefing is the practice of writing a structured summary of each assigned case, typically including the facts, procedural history, issue, ho...
Practice Exams vs More Reading
As exam season approaches, law students face a critical allocation decision: should they spend their remaining study time taking practice exams or rev...
Morning Study vs Night Study
The question of when to study is one of the most personal decisions in law school. Some students swear by early morning sessions, waking before dawn t...
Handwriting Notes vs Typing Notes
The laptop versus pen-and-paper debate has intensified in law schools, with many professors now banning laptops from their classrooms. The Mueller and...
Barbri vs Themis
Barbri and Themis are the two dominant bar exam preparation courses in the United States, and choosing between them is one of the most consequential d...
Long Outline vs Attack Outline
Law students typically create two different types of outlines during exam preparation, and understanding when to use each is critical to exam success....