LibGuides: Law School Success: Getting Started

Introduction

This guide provides a selective overview of academic support resources available through the George W. Hopper Law Library and the University of Wyoming College of Law. You will find leads to information on exam taking, studying, time management, and technology.

UW Academic Support

Academic Achievement Program
UW College of Law's Academic support encompasses a wide range of techniques and tools designed to ease the transition of first-year law students from undergraduate study to law school study. To this end, the Program among other things provides students with individualized consultation throughout the first year of study and presents a series of academic support workshops during the first semester of study. Academic support is also broadly available to students during their second and third years of study.
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For additional information on the Academic Achievement Program please contact Matthew Klein at mklein6@uwyo.edu.
Writing Support
Each semester there is a dedicated writing specialist available to assist law students with all stages of the writing process. Information on the specialist's office hours and availability will be provided by email.

Textbook Support

The law library makes available for checkout 2 copies of each required UW College of Law course textbook and one copy of each elective textbook. Textbooks may be checked out for 3 hours from the law library circulation desk.

In addition, some required and optional textbooks may be available through database subscriptions provided by the law library as ebooks. Search our law library catalog to check for specific titles.

Websites about Succeeding in Law School

Law School Success
Susan Landrum, the Director of the Office of Academic Achievement at Savannah Law School, created this blog directed at law students. Professor Landrum addresses topics like exams, legal writing, and study tips.
Law School Academic Support Blog
Topics addressed in the Law School Academic Support Blog include study tips and learning styles. While the main audience for this blog is professors, student readers can glean lots of helpful advice.

Attribution

Many thanks to the Moritz Law Library at The Ohio State University for approved adoption of their LibGuide template.

Search QuickSearch Scopes

UW Libraries QuickSearch: includes the collections of the University Libraries, UW Law Library, and the American Heritage Center. Searches almost everything.

Use this QuickSearch link to search Books, E-Books & Media.

Lastly, use this QuickSearch link to search Course Reserves.

Interlibrary Loan: UW students, faculty and staff can request books, journal volumes, journal articles and other materials, regardless of whether it is available in the UW Libraries, online or in libraries around the world. A free service! Interlibrary Loan link.

Library Search/Retrieval Options

UW Libraries QuickSearch: includes the collections of the University Libraries, UW Law Library, and the American Heritage Center.

Prospector: a unified catalog of twenty-three academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. UW students, faculty and staff can borrow materials from Prospector.

Law School Success Lessons by CALI

Law School Academic Success Project

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI), a non-profit consortium of mostly US law schools, has brought together members of the academic success community to create interactive lessons on succeeding in law school. The lessons intend to develop students’ critical-thinking skills and prepare them to handle the unique demands of law school.

To determine which CALI lessons are best for your needs, click on A Good Place To Start ... Depends On Where You Are Beginning! In this short lesson you will answer a series of questions to be matched with lessons within these categories.

Foundation - What Everyone Assumes I Know
Class Prep - Before, During, After
Exams - Preparing and Attacking
Reflection - Maintain or Improve on Prior Performance
Bar Prep

CALI also provides Lawbooks to support your law school success, such as A First Generation's Guide to Law School, a source for first-gen students who are entering or are currently attending law school. It introduces students to law school vocabulary and available resources, gives guidance about how to prepare for the unique challenges of law school, and provides a roadmap for things like participating in class, studying for and taking exams, joining extracurriculars, taking care of your mental health, and networking. The guide includes interactive exercises that test the student's knowledge of concepts, encourages the student to reflect on their own interests and experiences, and explore resources in their law school and elsewhere.