8 of the Best Note-Taking Strategies for Law Students [Ace Your Exams With Ease]

John has always wanted to be a lawyer. Ever since he was a boy, he pictured himself standing in a courtroom, eloquently stating his case and confidently preparing the jury to make an informed decision. It comes naturally to him — speaking, that is.

The classroom side of things, not so much.

When it comes to navigating textbooks and lecture material, John quickly found that his natural charisma and ability to talk his way out of anything fell short of what was required.

In class, he could easily discuss elements of a case with the lecturer or fellow students, confidently wading into the material and walking out with his desired result.

But when it came to exams, John felt like his grasp of the content vanished and all he was left with was a blank page. And since so much of law school comes down to exams, culminating, of course, in the infamous bar exam, John knew he was in trouble.

In order to save his academic career and his dream, John set out to find a solution to his textbook woes. He talked to fellow students, his professors, and even alumni who found success as lawyers. They all told him the same thing:

Develop better note-taking skills.

Across the board, that answer was the single-handed solution for law students far and wide. And, they told him, don’t take just any notes; instead, a successful law student has to take law school notes.

When John asked for more details on what this meant, he got a number of note-taking tips that were designed specifically to help law students navigate the special struggles posed by law school: the highly technical and detail-filled case studies, the jargon, the rigorous exams, and the high pressures of competition.

Luckily for John, he was already used to hard work and discipline. So, he buckled down and practiced the art of taking notes in law school, meticulously focusing on improving his information recall in every lecture he sat in on and every case study he reviewed.

The more he practiced, the more he began to understand which methods worked for him and which didn’t. Each student learns differently, and he had never been attuned to his own style. But as he waded through the challenges of taking his own notes, he began to see their positive influence on his academics.

His grades started to improve. Details from his textbook stayed in his brain longer. And he no longer quailed at the sight of an intimidating exam question. Instead, he took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, and picked up his pen.

John cracked the code to taking good law notes, and it made all the difference in his ability to succeed. With a little practice, you too can follow his example and improve your capacity to navigate highly technical and complex legal information. Before you know it, you’ll be explaining law codes like a pro! Let’s dive into how he did it.

Make Class Notes Succinct

Many note-takers make the mistake of trying to copy verbatim every word the professor says, down to each comma and exclamation mark.

While this effort is commendable, it’s not actually a very effective way to take notes. Instead, research shows that students who take more succinct notes actually test better on exams.

How could this be?, you might ask. How does it make sense that less information would make a better set of notes?

Think about it this way: if you copy everything the speaker says, you walk out of class with essentially a transcript of the class session. And while this might be interesting to read through at a future date when you remember absolutely nothing of the material covered, it’s not useful for studying.

You would have to read through the entire thing and redo the work of identifying the speaker’s main points and formulating a conception of the themes being covered.

That’s not what you want to be doing right before an exam. Instead, you want a set of notes that have already done that work for you. The key points should be clear and emphasized, the relevant supporting information summarized, and all the extra fluff removed.

When you think about a class period, how much of what is said is really, truly important? A lot of it is ultimately irrelevant to your core understanding of the topic. It’s extra noise.

Remove all that noise, and what you have is a set of notes that you can quickly glance at and be reminded of all the important information and how it fits together.

You don’t even have to write in complete sentences, just complete thoughts.

Taking this kind of note will not only make them more useful for studying, but it will also help you understand the material on a deeper level.

As you listen to the lecturer, you must actively listen to the content in order to identify the key ideas and write them down in your own words. In order to summarize something in your own words, you first have to truly understand it.

Here are some tricks to make your notes more succinct:

Capture the Key Words

At many law schools, you can request a copy of the lecture slides before attending the lecture. This makes it doubly unimportant to try writing down all the content, because you already have a copy of it in your digital files.

Instead, you want to write down all of the key words and concepts that are presented by the speaker. This way, you’ll have both a copy of the lecture slides and a set of notes that have identified all the most critical pieces of information.

Bulk information can be condensed into its essence. Important quotes can be paraphrased. Any key words should be written down and underlined or bolded to make them stand out.

When trying to determine if a piece of information is important or not, ask yourself whether it’s likely to be on the exam. Quite often, a lecturer will point out the things that you will be tested on by saying, “You might want to write this down,” and similar phrases.

Use Abbreviations

Devise ways to cut down on the time you spend writing notes. Every moment you’re focused on writing, you risk missing something important that the speaker says.

Abbreviations provide a simple means of doing this. You can use all of the common abbreviations (gov’t, w/o, idk, ASAP, etc.) as well as common legal abbreviations, such as the following:

• P: plaintiff
• D: defendent
• TC: trial court
• AC: appellate court
• DC: district court
• JDX: jurisdiction
• JA: appellate judge
• JD: Juris doctor
• 1A: First Amendment
• AC: appeal case
• Aff’d: affirmed
• BR: bankruptcy
• C-C: counterclaim
• CL: common law

And more. There are hundreds of legal abbreviations that, once you master them, will dramatically cut down on the time it takes to take notes on legal material.

You can also use symbols to a similar effect, such as &, $, #, @, (c), and more.

Text Expanders

You can also use text expanders and similar technologies to help you cut down on writing time. Text expanders are automation tools that turn snippets of content into a full explanation. They autofill a text block, whether it’s an email, pitch, customer response, or code.

You can use a text expander as a shortcut to replace phrases or sentences that you use often. If you find yourself often repeating the same phrases or concepts in your notes, a text expander can input them with a couple of keystrokes so that you can stay focused on the lecture.

Keep Notes Clear and Organized

The second important tip for law students taking good notes is to keep your notes clear and organized.

This will make it easier to review them, of course, since you will be able to look at them and immediately identify the key elements. Reading through them will be a breeze because key themes and patterns will be clearly seen.

Organized notes have a structure to them that is very obvious and easy to navigate. A number of things contribute to this structure, such as the following:

• Color code: use colors to pull key words and phrases out of your notes. Whether applied through highlighters or colored pens, any color on the page immediately draws your eye. You can dedicate a different color to each function or category, such as legal terms and case study examples. When used strategically, color is a great way to organize the information on your page.
• Bold: bolding words also makes them leap from the page out of the sea of normal text. It’s the most noticeable of text customizations and, as such, is best used for key words and terms. That way, you can scan your notes and immediately see all of the important terms. This provides structure by adding a hierarchy of “most important information.”
• Underline: underlining words typically indicates that they are worth referring back to. They might be the most important part of a sentence or something that stands out to you in the moment. If you systematize your underlining by making it indicate something specific, then it will add to the organization of your notes.
• Italics: italicizing words serves a similar function to bolding and underlining in that it makes words stand out from the crowd. However, it’s more subtle than the other two options, making it ideal for indicating key supporting information.
• Spaces: the organization of a page isn’t solely about what’s added; it’s also affected by what’s left blank. Spaces add organization by making lines easier to read. You can isolate lines that are really important and make sections very clear.
• Charts and tables: these are a great way to input lots of information in a structured way without having to write it all out longhand. They also look nice on a page when done neatly, making them a great time and space saver.

All of these will help make your notes nice and tidy and enjoyable to read. But if you really want to take your notes’ organization to the next level, you should consider implementing an established note-taking method or template.

There are dozens and dozens of them, but we’ll just take a look at a few of the most common.

Cornell Method

This note-taking style was developed in the 1940s by a professor at Cornell University. Since then, it’s been one of the most popular styles thanks to its versatility and ease of use. Students of all ages and levels can use the Cornell method to great effect with very little training. Here’s how it works:

Divide your page into three sections. Draw a narrow column on the left for key words, a larger column to the right for the bulk of your notes, and a section along the bottom of the page for a summary.

That’s it; that’s the gist of it. It’s an effective method because you pull the keywords out of the text, and you also take the time at the end of the lesson to summarize the main takeaways and any thoughts you have.

This makes it particularly ideal for reviewing the information. It’s also useful because it can be used for virtually any subject material, though it is less compatible with fast-paced lectures because it can take longer to organize.

Mind Maps

Over half of the population is made up of visual learners, which makes visual note-taking styles like mind maps particularly powerful. By representing the information visually, you can easily see how it all connects. Associations and relationships between data are emphasized to a startling degree. Here’s how it works:

Start by putting the main topic at the center of your page. From there, draw lines branching outward to subtopics and from subtopics to supporting details. You can include as many or as few as you choose, or as many as fit on your page.

This method is great for mapping out data. However, it is limited in how much information it can convey, making it ideal for big-picture surveys of data rather than detailed information.

Outline Method

Perhaps the most commonly used template, the outline method is ideal for most subject material because it organizes information in a very linear, logical manner. Generally, this is also how professors prefer to present material, which makes it intuitive to use in lectures. Here’s how it works:

Use a heading to indicate your first main topic. On the next line, indent to the right and label your first subheading. On the line under that, indent to the right again, add a bullet point, and write your first supporting fact. Continue adding as many bullet points as necessary under that subheading. When you want to add another subheading or heading, indent to the left and add it accordingly.

This is a very streamlined method with a clear hierarchical structure; each point directly follows from the previous. There’s a clear relationship between each line. Its logical structure makes it particularly ideal for law school.

Focus on Legal Rules

There’s a big difference between taking notes in law school versus a normal university or graduate program. In other programs, you can rest assured that if you just master what is discussed in class, you’ll ace the exam.

Not so in law school. In fact, memorizing everything the speaker says in class might even be counterproductive because you’re not going to be asked to regurgitate what they say on an exam.

Instead, law school is all about learning to understand the rules of the law and being able to apply those rules to new scenarios and hypotheticals.

Because of this, it can be more beneficial for law students to organize their notes around specific legal rules and principles rather than individual cases.

Record Hypotheticals

With that in mind, it’s in the law student’s interest to pay special attention to any hypotheticals that are discussed in class. Write these down, recording what your professor found important and how they navigated the scenario.

Also, note what you thought of their approach. Did it make sense to you? Did you see any potential problems with it? Can you think of a better way to navigate the hypothetical?

Again, it’s less about the specific case study and more about how to apply legal rules and principles. Pull those out of the hypotheticals, but also note how your professor applied them. It may very well come in handy in the future.

IRAC: Keep Case Briefs, Brief

You might be tempted to record every detail of every case brief, but this will only bog you down. Don’t write down every fact in every case. Instead, become familiar with IRAC, the suggested structure for law school notes and answers.

IRAC stands for Issue, Rule of Law, Analysis, and Conclusion.

This is the ideal structure for any essay answer you’ll be asked to give on an exam, so it’s a great idea to start building that habit as you take notes.

Instead of writing out the entire brief for each case, you can use color-coding to highlight each part: green for facts, yellow for rule of law, blue for conclusion, etc.

Over time, you’ll eventually be able to seamlessly weave between each category without sacrificing any substance of thought or losing your reader. But until then, IRAC will help keep you focused. It includes all of the necessary steps to developing a good legal essay, and, as such, it’s a good structure to keep in mind for your notes as well.

Step 1: State the Issue

Identifying the issue is where it all starts; it’s the most important step. And it’s harder than it may sound at first because you have to know enough law to find the issue in the first place.

To help identify the issue, ask yourself, “What is the controversy in these facts?”

Once you do, articulate it by formulating the legal question presented by the facts. Use language such as “whether,” “when,” “did,” or “can” to write your issue statement. For example, “The issue is whether the defendant committed battery.” Then, add the relevant facts.

Step 2: State the Rule of Law

Next, you must articulate the rule of law. Write enough about it to provide the context for your next step, the analysis of the facts. These two steps are closely linked; you need to be thorough enough in articulating the rule of law that your analysis of the facts will make sense.

Consider the elements and definitions of the rule of law in your description. Also note any exceptions to the general rule or limitations to the rule. Finally, include any defenses that can be made against this rule of law.

Also identify the consequences of applying the rule. What will happen in the situation of this case study?

Step 3: Analyze the Facts

Examine the implications raised by the rule of law when applied to the facts in this case brief. Match each element you identified in the rule of law to the facts of the case, connecting them in your analysis.

“Because” is the most important word to use in this step. Connect the rule of law with each fact with words like “because,” “as,” and “since.”

In both your notes and your essays, doing this will create a clear connection between the rule of law and the facts of your case brief.

Step 4: Conclusion

Here, write down anything that isn’t clear to you. If the court’s reasoning seems off for some reason, question it and explore it. State your conclusion to each issue, following directly from your logical analysis of the facts and the rule of law.

Take Reading Notes

As with any school, law school comes with both lectures and out-of-class reading materials.

Whether or not you even read all the extra reading materials is up to you (don’t worry, I won’t ask!), and not all students take reading notes.

However, the reading supplements the lectures by providing the bulk of the extra information. It introduces ideas, provides context, and prepares you to enter the lecture already with a working understanding of the basics that will be discussed.

Taking reading notes is a great practice to get into. By doing so, you’ll more than double the number of relevant notes that you’ll have to refer back to in the future. And even better, taking reading notes can improve your in-class notes.

To get the most out of your reading notes, see if you can incorporate your reading and lecture notes in the same place — even on the same page if possible. Fill out part of the page with your reading notes, then leave the rest blank for your lecture notes.

That way, when you’re sitting in on the lecture, you’ll be able to see exactly what was covered by your reading and how the lecture adds to it.

Everything from the same day is in the same place, making it all wonderfully organized and efficient.

Note Recurring Themes

In addition to writing down all the important concepts, rules of law, and lines of reasoning, law students should also take note of recurring themes in the lectures.

Does your professor mention public policy in every lecture? Does he repeatedly articulate the same statue or rule of law? Track these patterns and pay special attention to how your professor’s reasoning flows and develops throughout each mention.

Not only will this focus give you a better understanding of the themes and how to spot them, but it will also give you a heads-up about what kinds of questions the professor will include on the exam!

While you’re paying attention to your professor’s opinions, don’t make the mistake of placing too much importance on the opinions of your peers.

It’s true that the IQ of law students tends to be quite high on average. They’re smart, and they may even know what they’re talking about, but they also might not.

Unless your professor explicitly approves of a student’s opinion or statement, don’t contaminate your notes with it. You don’t want it to muffle your understanding of the content or turn your attention in inaccurate directions before the exam.

If a fellow student says something you find potentially valid or meaningful, by all means follow up with your professor after class. But don’t put it in your notes as an equal contribution to that of your professor’s!

Overview With Outlines

Not to be confused with the outline method, this is a practice that takes place not during class but after it. Towards the end of the semester, take all of your notes that you’ve accrued and create an outline overview of the entire semester’s material.

Pare it down to the most important information. Granted, you already did a stupendous job of only writing down the relevant information in the first place. But now you can review it with an eye on exams and what you really want to focus on memorizing.

Turn Questions into Active Recall

Good notes not only capture information well but also set it up in such a way that it’s easy to review and memorize. After all, you want access to the information not only in your notes but also in your own understanding. You’re not here to transcribe the law; you’re here to learn it.

The first step is gathering and condensing critical information, which we’ve discussed in the previous sections. After that, you want to level up your notes’ active recall component.

When you can actively recall something, it’s part of either your working memory or your long-term memory. Working memory includes the information you have access to at this moment, while long-term memory includes the information that you can hold onto for long periods of time.

It takes time to transition information from your short-term memory into your long-term memory. One of the best ways to do this is by transforming everything you learn into a question.

So, instead of reviewing a list of definitions, review a list of questions. Here are some examples:

• What is legal causation?
• What does “mens rea” mean?
• Which case is the leading authority on the definition of intention?

Reviewing questions instead of definitions will activate your memory on a deeper level, cementing each piece of information deeper into your brain.

Conclusion: The Secrets to Law School Note-Taking

It’s widely known that law school is hard. The law student has to memorize reams of technical terminology, analyze stacks of case studies, and intimately understand the rule of law and its application.

Being able to take good notes is one of the most important skills a law student has in their arsenal. With your notes organized, you’ll be able to develop a deeper understanding of the material, which will better prepare you to take the bar exam and enjoy a successful career.

Computer note-taking software can be helpful, though handwritten notes will serve you just as well, if not better. But however you decide to take them, it’s most important that you do take them and that you take them well.

Organization is crucial, and there are plenty of ways to add order and structure to your notes. Color-coding, underlining, and using a notetaking method are some examples.

Just as important is to include the right information. You don’t want to copy everything that’s said in class; instead, capture the relevant information so that, through review, you can turn that information into knowledge.

There are many advantages to taking notes in law school, not the least of which is that you can describe each legal process, keep all of your resources in one place, and record useful arguments.

Just like our friend John, you’ll build more confidence in your legal knowledge and your ability to apply the rule of law to complex scenarios. These note-taking tips will enhance your skills as a student and make you stand out from the crowd.

Your retention rates will improve, and you won’t even have to dedicate as much time to memorization! The way you structure your notebook can automatically aid your active recall.

So no matter how many classes you have or how difficult your courseload, note-taking can help you pierce through the overwhelm and stay on top of the material. It will help you reflect on the content, make you more personally engaged, improve your writing and organizing techniques, and help you stick the landing in every exam.

Law school is anything but simple, but note-taking simply helps. Try some of these tips today, knowing that before long you’ll be the one that law students go to for advice!