Law Preview

Why do I blog? My main contention is that we part-time nighters (PTNers) have unique needs and hurdles to overcome in our pursuit of a legal education - and there is virtually no guidebook for us out there. I'm trying to help fill a void.

Look, the competition keeps ratcheting up every year. I know people who have already purchased casebooks - even though they don't know yet which ones they will need for class. The way I see it, since I will not have the luxury of time to a large extent once school starts, I need to take this pre-law school time to get myself prepared and oriented for what is to come. For me that means: reading as many books on the subject as I can manage, listening to audiobooks of law school lectures, downloading podcasts on law, and taking Law Preview.

Personally, I don't want to take any chances with my time, money, or education. A lot of people mock Law Preview as useless at best, an a rip-off at worst. Having almost completed their week-long course, I can say from experience that any part-time evening student who doesn't take this course is taking an unnecessary chance with their education.

I don't want this to come across as a pitch, because I promise you that I am in no way am getting any compensation from the Law Preview people. However, it basically boils down the first year core courses into a week, and does a great job of exposing you to the classroom experience. Also, you get to meet amazing professors, and possibly people who you will be attending school with in the fall! (I met a woman in my preview class that will be in my class with me - which is great because I hate not knowing anyone).

Bottom line - I have enjoyed it and gotten great use out of it, especially because it has helped me to put things that I have read about and heard in audio lectures into perspective. It has also given me practical experience in case briefing and exam writing. I can now spot an issue from a mile away - and that it one less thing that I will have to worry about come exam time. PTNers - please consider Law Preview a good bet and a small investment compared with what you will be paying for law school. We don't have the luxury of time, as I said, so any little edge should be seen as a great thing.

Update: I would skip out on the optional "Legal Research and Writing" class. The professor was great, but nothing was covered in depth that isn't already common sense. THis was the only part that I was disappointed by.