Studying and Learning Law
As postgraduate students you will have a range of recent or perhaps distant learning experiences to draw on. Every student has their own learning styles, preferences and strategies.
Studying law and developing the academic and communication skills required to excel in your studies and in your professional life presents its own set of challenges. At the beginning, for instance, the challenge of reading law texts, journal articles, cases and statutes can seem overwhelming. And then there is the volume of reading…
The following resources offer sound strategies for:
- Developing a study plan
- Managing time and tasks, balancing work and study
- Reading law (eg., cases) efficiently and making effective notes
- Legal problem-solving
- Researching law
- Writing in law
- Writing for assessment
- Preparing and performing in exams
Resources on this page
- Study skills – law specific
- Study skills – general
- Critical thinking
Study skills – law specific
Richard Krever, Mastering law studies and law exam techniques (2006)
UniM Law reserve – KL 130 KREV, 2 hour loan / overnight loan *** Recommended law study skills and exam techniques – chapters on reading cases
Catriona Cook [et al.], Laying down the law (2005)
UniM Law – KL 155 K1 LAYI Overnight loan *** Recommended text with good chapters on legal problems, reading cases, legal research, legal writing, citation and exams
Simon Chesterman and Clare Rhoden, Studying law at university: everything you need to know (2005)
UniM Law reserve – KL 146 CHES 2 hour loan or overnight
Michael Brogan and David Spencer, Surviving law school (2004)
UniM Law reserve – KL 146 BROG 2 hour loan
UniM Law – KL 146 BROG
Fiona Boyle [et al.], A practical guide to lawyering skills (2003)
UniM Law – KL 146.35 A1 PRAC overnight loan
Glanville Williams, Learning the law (2002)
UniM Law – KL 131 WILL
Simon Lee, Marie Fox and Christine Bell, Learning legal skills (1999)
UniM Law – KL 131 LEE
AIRport (Academic Interactive Resources Portal): Resources on transition, study skills and academic writing for first year students:
https://airport.unimelb.edu.au/
Surviving Seminars:
http://www.courseworks.unimelb.edu.au/login.php
Learning Law – Professor Barbara Glesner Fines, Kansas City School of Law:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/profiles/glesnerfines/bgf-edu.htm#STUDENTS
Exams – Professor Barbara Glesner Fines, Kansas City School of Law
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/profiles/glesnerfines/bgf-ed5.htm
Study skills – general
Ann G. Dillon, Making connections: study skills, reading, and writing (2007)
UniM ERC – 378.170281 DILL
Lorraine Marshall, A learning companion: your guide to practising independent learning (2006)
UniM ERC – 378.170281 MARS
Catherine Dawson, Learning how to study again: a practical guide to study skills for mature students returning to education or distance learning (2004)
UniM ERC – 378.17 DAWS
Mike Metcalfe, Reading critically at university (2006)
UniM ERC – 378.170281 METC
Study skills – Monash University Language and Learning online:
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/study/index.xml
Speaking – Monash University Language and Learning online:
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/speaking/index.xml
Listening – Monash University Language and Learning online:
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/listening/index.xml
Reading – Monash University Language and Learning online:
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/reading/index.xml
Note making – English Companion.com
http://www.englishcompanion.com/Tools/notemaking.html
Critical thinking
Tracy Bowell and Gary Kemp, Critical thinking: a concise guide (2005)
UniM Baill / ERC – 160 BOWE
Michael Head and Scott Mann, Law in perspective: ethics, society and critical thinking (2005)
UniM Law – KA 60 HEAD