Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades

by Alex Schimel

Law School A Guide to Better Grades is the complete handbook for students seeking to improve their performance in law school. This book offers a concise and practical strategy that can be applied to almost any law school exam, regardless of topic or level. The new edition offers unique insights by reducing the exam format to a series of repeatable steps. It also teaches students how to "prepare for exams, instead of preparing for class," with proven time-management and outlining techniques.

The main focus of the book is on law school exam success, but it also includes comprehensive guidance on reading, note-taking, use of supplements, and common mistakes made by law students.

The latest edition adds guidance for in-person and online testing, and three new practice exams with model answers (on the topics of Torts, Property, and Contracts).

Law School A Guide to Better Grades is an impactful resource for students who are beyond the first semester and struggling to improve their grades, as well as for brand new students who want to start strong in law school.

Alex Schimel is a longtime professor, university administrator, and a leading subject-matter expert on learning support and academic success.

Genres: Law

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Mollybeth]

Tbh I’m really embarrassed to have read this book 6 months before I even need to think about actually taking a law school exam, but I’m just an anxious 0L who found a free copy on the internet archive, so let me have my fun 😤

I guess I have no idea if this is useful information, but it did ease some of my anxiety about what to maybe expect next year. I’m not gonna give it a star rating yet; I’ll check back in January 2026 and give it as many stars as As on my transcript, so stay tuned 🤓

[Allison]

(I simply did not want to put this in my Goodreads but it's the only non-casebook item that I completed this month and I couldn't break my book a month streak.)

[Anders Furze · Rating 5 out of 5]

It does what it needs to do, clearly and concisely.

[Camila Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This great book written from a law student's perspective explains issue spotting on law school exams. It spells out for you how to write an A law school exam by taking the IRAC method o the next level.

[Pengyu Jiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a short book focusing exclusively on Issue Spotting Exams. I like it that it starts with the exam, and then goes on to explain how to prepare the exam over the semester. Before reading it, I have already taken 2 classes and read 3 books on law school, so basically I don't get anything new from this book, but it does confirm some ideas I had on how to do my 1L, and that is helpful as well. If this is the first book you read, keep on reading books and forums, because some professors have testing formats other than Issue Spotting Exams, and you need to know how to prepare for those.

[Oli · Rating 4 out of 5]

in general, a very helpful book.
giving it 4 instead of 5 bc no sir I refuse to spend my entire spring break studying 10-13 hrs/day crammed in an apartment room feeding on hummus and other snacks only, even if it will make me rank #1 in my entire class, just to get 6 weeks ahead on readings. Nah uh no.

[Brett Wooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is to the point, and helps to provide both a guide to effective studying to exams and an introduction to the way in which they should be written.

[Winona · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s showtime baybee

[Yusuf Hacking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, useful, and incisive. Will be reading again this fall.

[Maddie Blaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torts professor said we had to read it. I felt like it was helpful in my exams though the anxiety of testing definitely makes some of the things difficult to remember in the moment!

[D]

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