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Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams 1st Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 671 ratings

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Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams
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Professors Fischl and Paul explain law school exams in ways no one has before, all with an eye toward improving the reader's performance. The book begins by describing the difference between educational cultures that praise students for "right answers," and the law school culture that rewards nuanced analysis of ambiguous situations in which more than one approach may be correct. Enormous care is devoted to explaining precisely how and why legal analysis frequently produces such perplexing situations.

But the authors don't stop with mere description. Instead, Getting to Maybe teaches how to excel on law school exams by showing the reader how legal analysis can be brought to bear on examination problems. The book contains hints on studying and preparation that go well beyond conventional advice. The authors also illustrate how to argue both sides of a legal issue without appearing wishy-washy or indecisive. Above all, the book explains why exam questions may generate feelings of uncertainty or doubt about correct legal outcomes and how the student can turn these feelings to his or her advantage.

In sum, although the authors believe that no exam guide can substitute for a firm grasp of substantive material, readers who devote the necessary time to learning the law will find this book an invaluable guide to translating learning into better exam performance.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book should revolutionize the ordeal of studying for law school exams…Its clear, insightful, fun to read, and right on the money."
―Duncan Kennedy, Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence, Harvard Law School

"Finally a study aid that takes legal theory seriously…Students who master these lessons will surely write better exams. More importantly, they will also learn to be better lawyers."
―Steven L. Winter, Brooklyn Law School

"If you can't spot a 'fork in the law' or a 'fork in the facts' in an exam hypothetical, get this book. If you don't know how to play 'Czar of the Universe' on law school exams (or why), get this book. And if you do want to learn how to think like a lawyer―a good one―get this book. It's, quite simply, stone cold brilliant."
―Pierre Schlag, University of Colorado School of Law (Law Preview Book Review on The Princeton Review website)

"Reading this book will help you get in the mind-set of a law student, and have you start thinking like a lawyer…This is a "must read" for all incoming 1L students."
Emily Mermell, Barbri Law Preview

About the Author

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carolina Academic Press; 1st edition (May 26, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 348 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0890897603
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0890897607
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 671 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
671 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book helpful for navigating law school exams and providing a good guideline on how to think. They find it informative and fun to read, with good content and sturdiness. However, opinions differ on the writing style - some find it easy to understand and clear, while others feel it's too wordy or poorly produced.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

76 customers mention "Information quality"70 positive6 negative

Customers find the book informative and helpful for navigating law school exams. They say it provides a good guideline on how to think and approach classes while prioritizing strategy. The book is comprehensive and better prepares them for the overall experience.

"...taking of law school tests, the book actually also is a good guideline on how to think (not necessarily what to think) about many larger issues in..." Read more

"...The book helped. Also, I did not get it on my first read & deeply dissatisfied...." Read more

"...book does is give you something of a blueprint and a method of examining fact patterns and exploring the question(s) so that you can simply go into..." Read more

"...I hadn’t taken any classes just yet, it provided me with a decent roadmap for approaching my classes while prioritizing strategy for my finals...." Read more

51 customers mention "Readability"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and informative. They say it provides good content and is a useful resource for preparing for law school. Readers mention it's a quick and satisfying read.

"...I found this book to be excellent, informative, well written, and even at parts entertaining...." Read more

"This is a good book...." Read more

"...I am only going into my third week of 1L, but I can tell the book has given me a leg up...." Read more

"Was a great read up until I decided to not enroll in law school, at which point I cast it aside...." Read more

6 customers mention "Sturdiness"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book in good condition. It makes a case for moving away from the IRAC style.

"Excellent book and makes a good case for getting away from IRAC style writting. I hated how writing IRAC constricted the flow of persuasive writing...." Read more

"...The book arrived in great condition and even came wrapped in plastic (I wanted it to look nice, since it was a gift)...." Read more

"I bought the book new. It came in perfect condition." Read more

"Came on time and in great condition. A wonderful product with great insight into what to expect as an incoming 1L." Read more

26 customers mention "Writing style"18 positive8 negative

Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it easy to read and understand, teaching clear writing skills and avoiding constricted writing styles. Others feel it's overly wordy, poorly produced, and difficult to read through.

"...I found this book to be excellent, informative, well written, and even at parts entertaining...." Read more

"...I wish someone had told me about this book years ago. It explains cogently and distinctly why law school exams are different than those exams you..." Read more

"...The book helped. Also, I did not get it on my first read & deeply dissatisfied...." Read more

"...The book itself is an easy read with many hypotheticals...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2015
    To begin with, I am neither a lawyer, a law student, nor even a prospective law student. I am, however, someone who has always been interested in the law, primarily for two reasons. First, the law is the principal formal means a society uses to try to resolve conflict among the society's members. Second, and closely related to the first reason, the sum shape, both of content and procedure of the law, is an expression of exactly what a society's values are and the goals a society sets for itself or the standards by which it ideally wishes to be judged.

    I found this book to be excellent, informative, well written, and even at parts entertaining. Although meant as a guide for law students to use to prepare for the strenuous exams that are associated with each course they will take in law school, the book provides much, much more, and hence my belief that it can profitably be read by a far larger readership than its ostensible audience. One of the key elements stressed throughout, and exemplified by numerous enlightening examples, is that there usually is no one correct answer to any given legal question. Arguments can be made on at least two sides of any matter based upon, for example, a "plain reading" of the text of a relevant law and the reasonably understandable intent of those who made the law (e.g., a legislature). The authors bring out clearly such sources of legal precedent as laws, government regulations, individual case law decisions by judges, common law, government policy, and specific codes (e.g., the Uniform Commercial Code, or UCC) and show how differing results to a case can readily come about based upon arguments using the different sources to bolster respective cases.

    In reality, although by minimal definition a book designed, as said above, to prepare for the taking of law school tests, the book actually also is a good guideline on how to think (not necessarily what to think) about many larger issues in society, including politics and policy issues of all sorts.

    Finally, the first two thirds of the book discuss ways to think about the wide range of questions that can be posed to aspiring lawyers and introduces the reader to understanding such distinctions as "forks in the law" and "forks in the facts" (a quite useful distinction to keep in mind). The final part of the book provides solid test taking strategies that are applicable to a wide range of academic testing (e.g., answer the question the professor actually asked and avoid wasting time or effort on ancillary matters not really germane to helping to resolve the issue.) Although some of these may seem obvious once read, the tips are the type of thing that, under pressure of exams, many students often forget to apply.

    In sum, I highly recommend this book to those interested in life in the modern world.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
    I purchased it twice: the first time in the law school, but I had misplaced it in the school library & lost it. The second time: while preparing for a BAR exam, I have realized that I material, but I was still missing issues. The book helped. Also, I did not get it on my first read & deeply dissatisfied. But, upon reading the second time & reading it later, I have gotten the point completely. The book helps to formulate what the issues are & you have to understand how to "uncover" the issues prior to formulating the issues. The book helped again.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2016
    This is a good book. A lot of the trouble with law school exams is law professors are notoriously bad teachers, and these bad teachers write bad exams. Granted, this is a worst-case scenario, but if you've been to law school for more than one semester, there's a good chance that at least one of your professors has utterly bamboozled you into how he/she wants the final written. So what this book does is give you something of a blueprint and a method of examining fact patterns and exploring the question(s) so that you can simply go into the exam and take it without much fear.

    Where the book fails to be of help though, is with the IRAC method. I wholeheartedly agree that IRAC is a too-constrictive method of writing that tends to inhibit most students from really expressing what they know. Law professors largely want a mechanical recitation of rules followed by mechanical analysis, so law students spend hours and hours memorizing rules with the ultimate purpose of using them in an IRAC format. It's absurd, but that's the way it is. And this book simply dismisses the fact that lazy law professors love IRAC for the fact that it gives them a template from which they can read and score exams quickly.

    But still, you can construct an IRAC using this method, it just doesn't lend itself seamlessly to it, which is pathetic--not with respect to GTM, but to the teaching and testing methods used by professors. If you don't believe me, and if you haven't already done so, go look at model bar answers from your state and see if they employ a rigid IRAC formula. They don't. And so to me, that's what this book was good for--being able to write bar exam quality answers that leave room for a different writing styles and methods of analysis.

    If you're just starting law school, buy this book. If you're already in and still struggling, buy this book. If you're the king or queen of fastidious, multiple, anally retentive headers on your exams, read this book and go look at bar answers.
    27 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
    Any 1L or incoming law student needs to read this book! So, I took the BARBI Law Preview before law school began to get an overview of what law school was like and a heads up on how to do things. During this program I had read just two chapters of the book- and these two chapters alone put me in a crucial mind frame to understand the importance of what your professors are looking for. It is not just about distinguishing the right issues and facts, because there is truly no such thing, but distinguishing both sides of an issue, and of course you have to read the book to get more info, but I feel like it has helped me understand what success sounds like in exams. I am only going into my third week of 1L, but I can tell the book has given me a leg up. I recommend that you read this book before you start, or in the first two weeks (though you'll be burdened with a lot of reading then- so before is best) so you can get into the mindset, instead of doing it right before exams and feeling like you have to rewire your brain to everything you thought you understood.

    I guess I'll have to update you guys once I see my exams, but so far so good!
    25 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • EZ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bought this before law school, graduated valedictorian. Coincidence?
    Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2018
    This book accurately describes how law school exams work and is applicable to Canada. I recently finished Canadian law school and recommended this to anyone I know who was recently admitted.
  • Wayne Elmsly
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic law school book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2015
    A well-known book about law school exams but also about how lawyers argue cases.
  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but limited
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2017
    Would probably be better read a short way into 1L, rather than beforehand - many of the examples and suggestions assume a working background of some concepts and topics that very few 0Ls will have any idea of.

    Book itself is thorough, almost to the point of redundancy, with a breezy, conversational tone. My biggest gripe is the lack of examples. The book's subtitle is 'How to excel in law school exams', but the main focus is on how to do well. I was rather hoping for suggestions of 'a C answer would go like this, a B answer like this, which would differ from the excellent A answer which would do this'. By lacking a contrast (I believe there's a single, early example of a paragraph answer which would get a pass), the book gives you things to think about to do well, but doesn't really help you move from one level to another.
    One person found this helpful
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  • msnc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended
    Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2017
    This book helped me immeasurably in law school. Highly recommended! 1Ls - read this before you write your first set of exams!
  • Enrique
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book law book for students
    Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2015
    This is a great book for anybody entering or already in law school. A must have book for students wanting a head start to law school.