 2008-12-15 - Not particularly useful
This book breaks down issues you'll find on exams categorically. Then you can study each category and learn to spot similar issues on exams (the idea is that you can develop strategies to handle each issue). This is all great. The unfortunate thing is that these categories overlap and are... somewhat arbitrary. I follow the "forks in the facts" vs "forks in the law" distinction, factual issues vs legal issues. But then the categorization gets taken to excess with divisions and subdivisions of categories. "Twin forks". Etc. I suppose my biggest concern is that anyone who did well enough on the LSAT likely can see the legal issues themselves. People think differently. Restricting yourself to this formalization that the authors constructed might actually detract you from seeing the obvious. It will certainly take up valuable study time to memorize these categories and how to spot them, with very limited utility. On the up side, there are sample problems at the end of the book, and some sample questions throughout. Although some of them seem to require specific legal knowledge, which isn't particularly useful to you if you're a first year student just starting out.
 2008-12-03 - "Overstating Their Case...Maybe"
"Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams" by Richard Fischl and Jeremy Paul, Carolina Academic Press 1999, ISBN 0-89089-760-3, SC 328 pgs. 15 Chapters and 3 pgs Sources. 8 ½" x 5 ½". No inveiglements.
The book's mission, to teach law students how to write meritorious exams and look forward to Law Review, was co-authored by two Harvardian law school graduates who took bold issue with using IRAC methodology, i.e. issue, rule, application & conclusion, that they found, interestingly, lacked merit and to be counterproductive. Instead, in some 15 chapters, they gave weighty contemplations toward (1) finding the reason for an exam question, (2) its intent to contain one or more issues that (3) had forks either in applicable law or within stated facts and (4) dealing deftly with these in masterful manner by discussing both applicable rules and counter-rules while applying argumentation of both sides - and, importantly, allocating adequate time to provide clear legal reasoning or arguments, particularly so if it was that which the teacher had presented in class. Clearly, they state, mere regurgitation of case law and self-evident facts is getting poor mileage, and citing peripheral material or BS is going a field and misses the target. You must demonstrate reasoning ability.
There is discussion of Black-Letter Law, legal reasoning, case law statutes, and restatements plus discussion of plain meaning vs intention, majority vs. minority, traditional vs. modern, contributory vs. comparative, riparian vs. reasonableness, and other competing interpretations including: Wicked `Whiches', policy and shaping aspects and theories of law plus teaching by Socratic method, appointing Czars of the Universe, preparing and writing (or typing) the exam and finally several sample questions (only four!). The bottom line seems to be a determination if you are able to effortlessly communicate to the teacher that you can argue/reason the issues you've extracted and answer his premise. The book is effusive (extravagant), garrulous (wordy) and vociferous (shouting) but otherwise a good read.
finis
 2008-08-04 - Must read for law students
Reading this book took a huge weight off my shoulders before law school. This book is a crash course not only in how to succeed in law school, but also how to think about the law as a whole. The lessons learned here are designed to frame your legal education, and helps you learn a surefire, if not complex, method to taking all law exams and tacking legal problems.
2008-06-22 - Useful and worthwhile
I found this book very helpful in understanding features of law school that are important there but not necessarily taught there. It also is done in an interesting way, so that it's not just a completely practical guide to exams. It *is* practical, but it's got some intellectual content, too. Worthwhile for the law student.
2008-05-05 - Good for a 1L
I had Fischl for Contracts at UM a few years ago and highly recommend it if you find yourself in a similar position. The examples are pretty close to the type of questions he and other law school professors ask on exams. Think of this book as a Princeton Review type lesson on how to master the test not the material. It does a good job breaking down the different types of issue spotters etc and is helpful for those with no exam experience. I recommend it to my 1L friends (the ones I couldn't talk out of going to law school. 4 stars only because even knowing what to expect didn't help my grade in his class!
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