First-Year Student Resources

The resources linked on this page supplement, and in some cases duplicate, the ones you’ll find on our regular Student Resources page. Please note that the links in the “General Study Aid Resources” and the “Advice on How to Succeed in Law School” sections of this page are to resources created by people at other law schools and organizations. Much of the information you find at those sites will be helpful, but you will also find that some of it is not applicable to our law school or its curriculum.

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Study Aids Provided by CUNY School of Law

You are strongly encouraged to familiarize yourself early in the semester with available study guides that can help you do well in your courses. They can be great as review sources for quizzes, midterms, and final exams. They can also be useful to refer to at any time during a course for help in understanding legal areas or concepts you may be struggling with. Before you buy any commercial outlines, be sure to see if you already have access to them at no cost through the Aspen Learning Library, linked below.

CALI Lessons

Lessons on individual topics developed by the Computer Assisted Learning Institute (CALI), which all or nearly all law schools subscribe to. The lessons include practice questions on a wide variety of legal subjects to reinforce what you’ve learned. You need to create an account to access this site using a registration code that is unique to our law school. The code is provided to all 1L students early in the fall semester. Available only to current CUNY School of Law students and faculty.

Quimbee

This resource includes class outlines, practice exams, case briefs, flash cards, and much more! To get access, contact Electronic Resources Coordinator Jonathan Saxon using your CUNY Law email address. Available only to current CUNY School of Law students and faculty.

Aspen Learning Library

This extensive collection includes study aids for a wide range law school courses, Included are Emanuel Law Outlines, the Emanuel Crunchtime series, Casenote Legal Briefs, Examples & Explanations, Friedman’s Practice Series, Glannon Guides, Inside Series, and Jumpstart. Available only to current CUNY School of Law students and faculty.

Helpful Resources Available at Other Sites

Findlaw for Law Students

The ‘Lectric Law Library’s “Study of Law Study” Page

Once you get past the goofy stuff at the top of this page there is a collection of interesting links, particularly in the legal education section.

Advice on How to Succeed in Law School and What to Expect

First Day of Law School Tutorial

Provided by Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law. This tutorial attempts to show how the “socratic method” of teaching works in various 1L law subjects.

The Incoming One-L FAQ

Provided through the Internet Legal Research Group. This article by Charles Glasser was originally published in 1994, but the information and advice remains relevant.

Is 1L a One Hell? Survival Tips from a Law Professor

Letter to a Young Law Student

By Prof. Corinne Cooper, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Originally published in 35 Tulsa L.J. 275 (2000).

Podcast – Advice to a 1L from a Law Professor

Interview with Douglas McFarland, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Teaching & Scholarship at Hamline University School of Law.

Westlaw’s “Law School Life”

Articles offer advice to students on how to do well in law school. Includes a “First Year Survival Guide.” Westlaw password required to access some sections.

New York State & City Information Resources

A few starting points for people who are new to the area.