I am a 1L … The Skillman Method^TM courses have been very helpful. I was really lacking a systematic method for approaching law school and feel much more in control using Skillman techniques. Do you recommend using note taking and outlining software? I have looked at several programs and it appears that some may be helpful for organizing notes and cases; but I'm not sure they can do that much more than I can do now using Microsoft Word. Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated.

Although contrary to common practice today, I recommend that you handwrite class notes, your Short Outlines, and your long outlines.

I have noticed a big difference in the quality of student classroom participation with the advent of laptops. Frankly, I prefer that my students don't use their laptops in my classes.

Handwriting your work will force you to 1) think through your statements of the law before you write them down and 2) result in your being more precise and concise when stating the rules of law.

When taking class notes, remember to put the headings and sub-headings at the top of your note-taking paper so that you can take class notes by category. (See Class 1 of The Basic Exam Course for Law Students^TM.)

Typing your long outlines can be a very passive activity. Oftentimes, what I have observed is that when students type their outlines, they don't force themselves to state the law clearly or precisely. As an example, look on page sixteen of The Basic Exam Course for Law Students^TM book. The example on page sixteen presents an example of a student being passive and not forcing him/herself to state the law in his/her own words. As a result, the student will have great difficulty stating the law clearly and precisely on the professor's exam.

One of the keys to excelling in law school is being able to state the rules and relevant policies in your own words. I retype my handwritten outlines before an exam. I find that typing my outlines after I have handwritten them helps me to memorize the law.

One of the keys to excelling in law school is being able to state the rules of law and the relevant policies in your own words. When you take your mid-term and final exams, it will be essential to be able to state the relevant rules and policies in your own words if you want A's.

So, I am sorry 1L, I don't have a recommendation for a software program. My recommendation is that you handwrite the first generation of your class notes and long outlines because doing so will help you to better articulate the law.