Make or break: My freshman law story

To say that my first year in law school was the hardest thing I ever had to accomplish would be
an understatement
The business of a law school is not sufficiently described when you merely say that it is to teach
law, or to make lawyers. It is to teach law in the grand manner, and to make great lawyers. Oliver Wendell Holmes

I celebrated on the day that I found out I passed the University of the Philippines ' Law Aptitude Exam (LAE),
but I had no idea what exactly I was celebrating for.
Amidst warnings from those (un)fortunate enough to have already spent time in the hallowed halls of Malcolm,
I welcomed the adventure I thought law school was going to be. I just passed the LAE and nothing could rain on
my parade certainly, admittance to the prestigious UP College of Law was a feat in itself.
Then, law school started. You soon learn that there is nothing more grueling, more disastrous than the life of law
students struggling with their first year.
Not for me
I honestly did not think Id ever end up in law school, nor did the scores of people who were so unabashedly
surprised when they found out I was in UP Law. At a young age, I had decided against it, much to the chagrin of
my lawyer father who loves what he does for a living and lives for what he loves doing. And sure, Suits made it
seem fun and sexy but law always appeared to me to be such a strict, rigid, and unforgiving profession.
But then, I one day found myself - a lost twenty-something graduating from college with no plans nor any
inkling of what to do with my (now very imminent) future. When my father suggested that I take law entrance
exams, I did so not because I wanted to be a lawyer.
Today, that is not true. A year in, hundreds of cases read, and a dream job replaced with dreams of a legal
profession later, I daresay: I may want to be a lawyer after all.
Hardest part
To say that my first year in law school was the hardest thing I ever had to accomplish would be an
understatement. There is little to no time for anything else in your life and most days you find yourself racking
your brain, wondering why in the world youre staying. Nothing really prepares you for the grand manner.
The reality of it isnt so grand.
The normal load for freshman student is 18 units. A unit would mean an hour per week; so a 4-unit subject
would translate to 4 hours of meeting per week, or 2-hour sessions twice a week. Eighteen (18) hours of class a
week do not seem like much considering that, on a "light school day, you would have only a 2-hour class and,
on a heavy day, you need only to attend 3 classes. But to prepare for a 2-hour class means having to read at
least 20 assigned Supreme Court decisions, on top of legal provisions, annotations and commentaries. One case
can take from 7 to 30 pages. But you have 18 hours of classes per week, did I not say that already? Easily,

youre just reading from the time you leave your last class to the time you head to your next class the next day.
All this doesnt even factor in classes where the good professor allows only hand-written notes to be brought to
class, or weekly quizzes on how well you have memorized law provisions, word for word, which, to hurdle,
youve got to garner at least 90%.
Law school subscribes to the Socratic method. There are no lectures or explanations, just recitations. Nothing is
ever explained to you in class, you are expected to come in, know your material, and recite on it flawlessly.
Basically, the professor picks a random class card and the person called is made to stand and answer a barrage
of questions to test how well he understood the material if you forget the answer, you get a 5 (which means
you failed for that day); if youre asked about the one topic you didnt read about, thats also a 5; if you cut class
because you didnt finish reading and you get called, thats also a 5. Yes, it rains 5s in Malcolm and when it
rains, it pours. This is especially troubling given that to stay in the college, you need to maintain a certain grade,
one that gradually goes higher the longer you stay in the college.
This year, out of the 200 something freshmen students enrolled in UP Law, there were more or less 60 students
who have been dropped from the rolls. This is not counting those who failed the first semester and those who
left the college voluntarily.
No sleep
The first month in, I slept an average of 4 hours a night (6 if Im lucky!) and I was downing around 4 cups of
coffee per day. It was on the third day of non-stop reading that I started really doubting what I was doing and
the tears finally came. It was 6 a.m. on a beautiful morning after a long night of studying and I was having my
first cup of coffee. I was dreading the day to come there was a pile of readings due that afternoon that I
havent gotten to. I was tired, stressed, and sleepy. I felt burned out, run into the ground and it wasnt even a
week in. I wanted to cry. Just when that first tear was about to drop, I thought to myself: crying would take 5
minutes, I could finish reading a page in the same amount of time and so, I finished that page instead.
Later on that night, there were no pages, just tears.
Sacrifice to learn
Thats pretty much what law school is: a sacrifice to learn. Through all of this, you also learn to persevere. That
glimmer of hope, that small slither of light which shines through the darkest of days, can get you through so
much. Og Mandino did say, Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough,
and this has never been so true.
In between piles and piles of readings, arduous recitations, countless sleepless nights, and so many tears, I
learned about the law and I learned so much about myself. Mans resilience and propensity to carry on has
always amazed, but never would I have ever imagined that I would find this in myself.
I have since believed that never in my life have I gone through anything more gut-wrenching and fulfilling but
at the same time I am thankful for it every single day.
I celebrated on the day that I found out I passed the Law Aptitude Exam, like how I celebrated when I found out
I made it through this school year, like how I now celebrate after every exam, quiz, and recitation and now I

know why I do this. Law school makes or breaks you.. and if youre still swimming, there is much to be
thankful for.
The challenges of a Filipino law student

Last Wednesday at Cagayan de Oro, at a General Assembly (GA) with the law faculty and students of Liceo
University, as the College dean I was tasked to give a message that embodied the policies and directions that I
believed our law school should take. So in front of nearly 200 students, faculty and staff, I had to tell them the
grim reality of the life of a Filipino law student: out of 10 law school graduates who take the Bar Exams, nearly
eight of them will fail. Of course, that number doesnt even account for the thousands of students who dont
even get to graduate. Last year, out of 4,847 Bar examinees, only 982 made the grade. Underlying this grim
statistic was my simple message: if you want to become a lawyer and not merely earn a law degree or have
some legal knowledge then our law school community would have to get down to serious, difficult, even
painful work.
So I wasnt Mr. Happy at the GA but I thought that I would be doing the stakeholders of the law school a great
disservice by painting an overly rosy picture of law school life. Anyway, the law was never meant to be all
roses, bunnies, and butterflies; the law deals with life in all its glory and all its ugliness. Since the ultimate aim
of becoming a lawyer is the administration of justice, a matter that is inherently grave and serious, consequently
the path to learning the law should be similarly serious and grave. Perhaps I may have dissuaded a few students
by clearly demonstrating how difficult it was to become a lawyer in the Philippines but I nevertheless felt what I
did was right. The aphorism is that the law is a jealous mistress; what this means is that the study of the law is
inherently and intrinsically difficult and better that our students knew this from the beginning.
I could tell from the reaction of a few of the students at the assembly that it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Unfortunately, some law students utterly detest hard work. They want to be spoon-fed and possess the erroneous
belief that if they sit through their classes preferably lecture-type classes without recitation and the rigors of
the socratic method that is the hallmark of western-style legal education then that will be sufficient for them
to take the most difficult examination in the country. For a few, the handful of students who are exceptionally
bright, they can breeze through law school, hardly study, and pass the Bar nonetheless. But these are the rarest
of exceptions and the far bigger majority must struggle through the grind of hours of daily study, review of
cases and attendance in class just to survive law school.
On a more positive note, I told the Liceo law students that the legal education that they had access to currently
was vastly different from what I experienced in the 90s, specifically in the sense that the playing field has
become increasingly level and fair. The point about the leveling of the educational playing field was regarding
the comparison between the provincial and Metro Manila-based law schools. Unlike in the 90s, if you were a
student in Mindanao it might be difficult for you to get the latest decisions of the Supreme Court or have
difficulty obtaining the most recent statutes or rules of procedure.
However, since the Internet has become so accessible, whether through dedicated lines, DSL, or even via
mobile Internet, and with the Supreme Court going online and some law firms making their database of cases
and statutes available to the public, province-based law students have been placed on equal footing, in regard at
least access to information, with their Manila-based counterparts. Very simply, whether you are an Ateneo, UP
or Liceo student, you have access to the same jurisprudence, law and because Rex and Central bookstores
have branches or outlets in Mindanao and the Visayas law books. So there is no longer any basis to claim

that Manila students have an unfair educational advantage. In fact, as I told the attendees of the assembly,
provincial students have a distinct and powerful advantage over those studying in Metro Manila: time. Since the
pace of life is slower in the province less traffic and less distractions students in the province should have
more time to focus on their studies and thus, hopefully, perform better in the bar exams.
Part of the reason why I told my students that they have a distinct time advantage over Manila students was to
build the confidence of our students and to chip away at the inferiority complex that some provincial students
unfortunately have. The foundation of success in any endeavor is always belief and self-confidence and so a big
part of a deans job is to build up the confidence of his students and to help them believe that they can succeed.
But, of course, the confidence mustnt be based on hot air or delusion but rather on a foundation of skills and
knowledge built from a habit of hard work and study. No amount of pep talks and encouragement will
magically allow someone who hasnt studied properly for an examination to make the grade. So aside from
encouragement, an educational institution has to apply strictness and rigor, make the students strive and earn
their grades, and make the students deserve to pass. As has been shown through experience, self-belief and hard
work are a truly potent mix and the perfect formula for success in both the Bar exams and in life itself.
Finally, I emphasized, particularly to the freshmen, that if they entered law school in search of fortune, then they
went to the wrong place. A cursory look at the Forbes list of the richest Filipinos in 2011 will show that not one
of them is a lawyer by profession. On the point that a career in the law profession is not the most lucrative as
compared to other vocations, I often tell my friends about my elder brother who, after taking a year of law
school and deciding that it wasnt for him, became far more financially successful than me through his astute
investing and earning a good income from a chain of restaurants. If you want big bucks, then become an
entrepreneur instead of an advocate. It is another painful truth for law students and lawyers that there are plenty
of very poor attorneys and only those at the very top of the legal food chain can claim to be rich exclusively
from the practice of law. In fact, when I attend court hearings, I see them members of the Bar who after years
of practice are apparently financially unsuccessful, often relegated to ambulance-chaser status, and accepting all
manner of unmeritorious cases just to survive. However, since the ultimate goal of a bona fide lawyer is the
administration of justice, whether or not you become financially rich in the practice of law, being a lawyer has
the potential to become a truly noble, empowering and enriching calling. And that, for me, should be the real
goal of a law school not just to churn out legal technicians and mere scholars of the law but to graduate men
and women who have a true passion and commitment to administering justice, which, sadly, is the rarest and
most precious of commodities in the Philippines.
>Its been a year since I entered Law School. And here I am, still hanging with my classmates. If I remember it
right we started a class of 36 students and now were down to 8. frequently asked question for law students is
Is it really friggin hard? The answer would always be a yes but its fun. more exciting than you think. Maybe
you found this page because youre wondering what is it like to be in law school? what are the perfect study
habits to get through? and will everything be worth it?
I believe that you got here because of SERENDIPITY. Maybe youre an incoming first year, already preparing
to face eternal damnation or already a law student trying to climb and surpass mountains. If Im just on my way
to sophomore, maybe you wouldnt trust whatever I would write in this blog and look for advice of a those who
already got their licenses and are already practicing lawyers. But believe me, its either their too busy to answer
you or their experiences will no longer apply to our time. hmmmmnnn Do I sound like Im selling something?
Dont worry nothing is for sale. Im just trying to relax for my summer vacation and thought of writing before

my brain cells run dry. Im just trying to help and hope that good karma will find me and help me pass the bar
exams. :p

What is it like to be inside the class?

Youll be nervous thats for sure. Even the top students of the class sitting beside you, are already calling for the
saints name for guidance. Because once you are called to recite you are like a salami being sliced by your
professors asking you questions you either dont understand or he asks questions you never read or heard
before. tantananan tanan!!! Welcome to the class of Socrates.
The mode of teaching in law school is called the Socratic Method. the teachers asks you a series of questions
that help you understand the law more and get away with ambiguity. The law is ambiguous you have to accept
that. But dont worry professors understand what youre going through and they arent as heartless as you think.
In fact their humor will surprise you. the Philippines is full of humorous people. youll find them on every
corner of the country. Do not ever think that professors are like stones preparing to crush you. Of course they
want you to learn They want you to become lawyers as well. You might wanna curse them but someday youll
thank them for embarrassing you inside the class.
Before the classes starts there are certain preparations you should do in order to lessen the work load, stress and
anxiety. This is something I regret. If only I could turn back time, Ill turn it back to summer of 2009, where I
had all the time to prepare. So here are the things you should do while you have the time:
1. Learn to read with comprehension fast. 1 minute per page is slow. If you want to practice, practice reading
landmark cases. Reading your first case is like reading a foreign language, you understand some words but you
dont understand the rest.
The following are landmark cases which are from the Philippine Jurisprudence. These are cases from different
subjects youll encounter in your first year. Practice reading as soon as you can.

Tanada vs. Tuvera G.R. No. 63915

Chi ming tsoi vs. Court of appeals G.R. No. 119190
Francisco vs. house of representatives G.R. No. 160261
In re: Laureta and Maravilla G.R. No. 68635
Lorenzo vs. Posadas People vs. Ferrer 48 Scra 382, 395

2. Learn Spanish. This is a foreign language I always wanted to learn but never did because of lack of time.
This tip is not a must. Youll just encounter Spanish phrases in some cases (which are always ignored) because
our civil code is based on Spanish civil code. Of course you also want to understand everything in a case.
3.Learn to memorize faster. Law school is law school. Memorizing the law is a must. But youll have to
memorize mountains of codes, and your books and cases are waiting for you. You are always time constraint so
learn to do everything faster.
4.Start collecting references from people you know who are in students law not only from your school but also
those from other schools. Theyll be more useful than you think.
5. Surf the net. Other than this blog there are millions of sites that tells you what to do, how to be successful in
school, dos and donts and gives you a perfect idea of the life you are about to enter.
10 Things To Know Before Starting Law School

1. Law school is not graduate school.

Ever felt like taking a walk down memory-lane? Well, youre in luck because the law school experience has
more in common with middle school than it does with other graduate programs. On the first day, you enter the
building like you own the place. You naively think you already understand the true meaning of life. And then
very quickly you discover that youre actually just an awkward and lowly 6th grader all over again. Thank
goodness you can drink this time!
2. Be nice to everyone, and be careful with whom you trust.
Unfortunately, a large group of wannabe lawyers necessarily leads to some vicious drama (like I said, welcome
back to your middle school cafeteria). And since gossip spreads like wildfire, everyone in your class will know
whether you have a good or bad reputation by the end of the first semester.
3. There will be some reshuffling of friend groups several months into the semester.
Bonds made during orientation will weaken, and youll eventually figure out where you fit in. Dont feel bad
when you realize youre not going to be lifelong BFFs with the person you thought was your soul-twin. It
happens to most everyone considering how much time you will end up spending getting to know your
classmates.

4. Be cautious about who you sit next to during the first week of classes.
Most professors assign a seating chart based on the spot you choose. So think twice before grabbing the seat
next to the total babe you thought you hit it off with at the first bar review. No one wants a daily meeting with
an awkward situation.
5. On that note, if you hook up with a person in your section.well, dont.
Convinced they are the love of your life? Congratulations, and all the best. Youve officially been warned.
6. Force yourself to spend time outside of the law school environment.
When law students are together, the conversation rarely deviates from the underlying theme of how stressful

school is. If you would like to avoid a mental breakdown, find friends who arent in law school and commit to
not talking about school.
7. Lose the ego.
No one wants to know about your great scholarship or how high your LSAT score was. In fact, it is totally
uncool to talk about. Law school is graded on a curve and can be quite competitive. Dont voluntarily add fuel
to the fire. Aint nobody got time for that.
8. Dont be a gunner.
No one likes a know-it-all. However, if you cant help but mentally masturbate during a lecture, do us a favor
and keep it in the classroom. Your law school friends definitely dont want to talk about how much better you
could teach the material. Obviously you were smart enough to get into law school, so you should be smart
enough to answer that hypothetical on your own time.
9. Its okay to be shy.
If youre an introvert, dont let all the extroverts scare you into thinking you made the wrong choice in attending
law school. While, youll initially feel as if you want to crawl under a rock and die every day for the next three
years of your life, success in both law school and the legal profession requires a tremendous amount of alone
time. Also, how much someone talks during class does not predict how well they will do on the exam.
10. Try not to become an alcoholic.
Naturally, law students find fun and relaxation in social activities that mostly involve copious amounts of
alcohol. Alcoholism is far more prevalent in the legal profession than it is in the general population. And while I
think its totally cool that my school hosts a keg on campus every Thursday, addiction to alcohol is not totally
cool.
25 TIPS FOR STAYING SANE DURING LAW SCHOOL
Law school is stressful, and thats by design: the rigors of earning your law degree are similar to the rigors
youll endure as a budding legal professional, where only the strong survive. And although law school can be
difficult, that doesnt mean you have to become insane on the way to graduation. There are several ways to
cope, prevent stress, and stop the insanity before it starts. Weve outlined 25 tips that can help you stay sane and
happy, and even live like a normal person now and then.
1. Keep your goals achievable
Its great to set big dreams and work toward making them a reality, but be careful not to overdo it. Think about
how youre going to get there, and set achievable goals that you know you can reach along the way. Checking
off goals that are realistic for you to achieve can really build your self confidence, and give you momentum to
keep going for the big stuff.
2. Give your mind a break after lectures
After going through lectures and briefing, your mind needs a break. Although its tempting to go straight to the
books, spending a little time vegging out is important to your mental health and energy. For an hour after your
lectures are over, just take some time to do something else, like playing with your pets or watching TV.
Anything that can temporarily get your mind off of law school and let you be yourself for a while.
3. Practice time management
Its tempting to just jump in and do all you can without thinking about how its actually going to get done, but
by budgeting your time, you can accomplish more and have less anxiety about it all. Manage your time by

reviewing your weekly goals and tasks, then organize your time into daily task lists. You may not meet your
goals perfectly every week, but by managing your time, you will likely get closer to perfect and have less worry
about how its all going to get done.
4. Eat a balanced diet
Junk food is convenient and easy to mindlessly shove down your throat while youre trying to focus on
studying, but its terrible for your energy and health. Take the time to eat food thats actually good for you,
because junk food will catch up with you eventually. Healthy food including fruits and vegetables can be made
accessible, and they will help keep your mind going when you need it the most.
5. Spring clean your life
Before you begin law school, tame all of the issues that might pop up as a distraction to your studies. Visit the
dentist, organize your house, and take care of any nagging issues that can mess with your time management. Do
whatever you can to automate your life, including paying bills, so that you can focus on whats absolutely
necessary. If you didnt get a chance to do this before school started, be sure to take care of it during breaks.

6. Figure out your financial situation

Law school is scary on its own without the worry of financial ruin, but if you dont have a clear picture of how
youre going to handle the six-figure student loans that come along with your law degree, you just might lose
your mind while youre working to get your degree in the first place. Have a plan for the investment and how
youre going to take care of your living expenses while youre in school. Its also wise to work hard to find
scholarships so that you dont have to bear the full weight of law school on your own.
7. Use The Buzzer
If you just cant get anything done, avoid distractions, or focus, using The Buzzer method for law school can be
incredibly helpful. With this method, youll set a timer for 45 minutes, work straight through without any
interruptions, not even bathroom breaks, and then take a break and repeat. You may not get anything done, but
chances are that at some point in the 45 minutes, youll get bored and want to start doing some sort of
productive work. If this method works for you, it can help save your sanity and make you get things done so
you can move on and do things that dont revolve around law school.
8. Hug a puppy
Get some perspective and release endorphins by taking a minute to hug a puppy when youre at your most
stressed. At George Mason University School of Law, 15 homeless puppies were enlisted in the fight against
exam stress, and made students feel like they could get to be human again. The Yale Law Library has added a
therapy dog, Monty, as well, and theWashington Post reports that he helps to break the pressure on campus.

9. Think about the exam on the first day of class

The Girls Guide to Law School shares a secret: whats tested in law school isnt necessarily whats taught in
law school. It sounds weird, but its true. So that means youll need to consider what you really need to know
from the very beginning, and save your energy by simply working on that. Shoot for a flexible understanding of
the law, or, as The Girls Guide to Law Schoolsays, figure out whats set in stone, and whats malleable.
10.
Have an outlet
When law school is consuming your life, its easy to forget that youre a real person with interests other than
legal briefings. But you actually are a real person with needs, and an outlet is a great way to meet them. Do
something fun for yourself, like going to the gym on a regular basis, or taking the time to go to the movies on
occasion. Its essential that you indulge yourself from time to time so that you dont burn out.

11.Recognize and minimize procrastination

If youre feeling stuck and lonely during long nights of studying, it might feel like a good idea to log on to
Facebook and spend a few hours connecting with your friends and family that you never seem to have time for
anymore. But the more time you spend putting off studying, the less time you have to actually participate in real
life. Buckle down when its time to do the work, and enjoy the fruits of your labor when its appropriate.
12.

Avoid coping through chemistry

Drugs, alcohol, and overloading on caffeine can make a small stress problem even bigger. Dont be a drunken
lawyer and give the Bar a reason to refuse your application. Learn to cope through healthy outlets, and use, but
dont abuse, alcohol as an occasional way to relieve stress.

13.

Dont be afraid to rely on the study skills you already know

Plenty of people will tell you that law must be studied in a way thats radically different from anything else, and
you have to do things completely different from the methods youre used to. But Ilya Somin of The Volokh
Conspiracy does not agree, remarking that if it works for you, you can certainly study the same way you got
through your work as an undergrad or graduate student. You may need to make minor modifications, but its
certainly possible to go with what you know and avoid the stressful process of learning a brand new way to
learn.
14.
Break large projects down into small tasks
Make humongous efforts feel like less work by taking them one small step at a time. Identify tasks within large
projects, breaking things into subtopics and assigning smaller time blocks so that you can focus on manageable
pieces. This will help you keep things organized, and give you motivation to keep going as you accomplish
small goals along the way.
15.

Dont be a perfectionist

Law school naturally attracts highly driven students who are bent on doing everything perfectly, but life is much
easier if you accept that some things dont have to be perfect. Many schools have a B- curve, and some
professors simply dont ever give As. Recognize that a good grade isnt always an A plus, and that you dont
have to be in the top 10% of your class to become a good lawyer.

16.

Dont get sick

Law school can make for close quarters and a perfect environment for picking up germs that can knock you
down and make studying even harder. Stay well and on the top of your game by putting up a good defense:
maintain a regular sleep schedule, a healthy diet, and practice good hygiene and hand-washing techniques.

17.

Focus on what you really need to know

As Listless Lawyer notes, 95% of what you want to achieve in law school will be based on your grades, which
come from your exams. And while youll spend lots of class time looking over the minutia of cases, chances
are, that same minutia isnt going to show up in the relatively short exam. Focus on the holding that
summarizes the rule that the case stands for, and anything else you may retain is gravy on top.
18.
Avoid taking on too much
MSU Law recommends that you simply focus on the stress of law school without adding to it unnecessarily.
Getting in over your head and overextending yourself with too many society and association groups can
seriously bog down an already busy workload. Consider which opportunities offer the most value to you, and
focus on doing well with them. And of course, know yourself and what you can reasonably handle.
19.

Put everything where it belongs

Emily Rushing, law librarian, recommends that law students keep their lives neatly filed. Keep emails, notes,
projects, and anything else you might collect in the right place. By putting information where it belongs, you
can easily retrieve it when necessary. As she points out, being smart is often more of a question of whether you
can find information, rather than how much you can absorb or retain.

20.

Take short breaks when youre feeling the pressure

Its natural to feel a little overwhelmed in law school, and its also understandable for students to want to push
through and work as hard as possible. Its important to be human, and take short breaks before your stress and
anxiety turns into full-blown panic and a situation in which you just cant get anything done. Take short breaks,
do mindful breathing, and allow information to sink in while you rest.

21.

Treat law school like a job

If you let law school become your life, you truly will go insane. Set limits much like you would with a job. Plan
to work on law school studies during certain hours, and then actually put in the time, but when its over, you
really do have to put the books down and stop studying. If possible, study away from home, and when you get
home, leave your books in the bag.

22.

Remember that its only temporary

If youre a first-year law student, its easy to feel the strain and feel that the reality youre in will continue for
years two and three as well. But UCLA law students Sylvie Levine and David Burke point out that things get
more relaxed as you go. The second year becomes a little more relaxed than the first, particularly with fewer
classes to attend. The third year is the most relaxed, as most students have already secured jobs, and with their
eyes on the prize, are just hoping to get things done without screwing up enough to lose their jobs. All of this is
to say that law school is a downhill battle, one that may be tough in the beginning, but gets easier as you go.

23.

Maintain relationships in law school

As law school wears on, its easy to crawl into your own hole and buckle down with work, but maintaining
relationships with your classmates and professors is important. Use the people you know in school for both
positive reinforcement and references. You should also continue to build your network, as youll certainly find
opportunities to call on them during your job search and career as a lawyer.

24.

Know your deadlines

Always know when your assignments are due. This is a simple task that will save you time and allow you to
better juggle your schedule. Whether they are papers, projects, or assignments as a summer associate, always
find out the date and time an assignment is due, and dont be afraid to ask for clarification if you need it.

25.

Have friends outside of law school

Although law school relationships are important, you should also make a point to maintain your friendships
outside of law school as well. While youre freaking out about exams, your law school friends cant really help
you: theyre dealing with the same issues. But people in the real world can bring you out of your dark hole
when your law school friends fail to do so.

Digesting Cases in My Brain

As a law student we are bound to read countless cases, some interesting, some crazy, and quite
some horrifying (criminal cases give me nightmares). That is an understatement my dears.
During my earlier years in law school I would dread those classes (and professors) who assign
20-30 cases per session. On a lucky semester, I get to multiply that number by 3 or 4, that's
almost 100 cases each day!

Then I realize that I should not look at case reading as a terrible experience and forcefully
convinced myself that it should be a pain I ought to be looking forward to. Just enjoy it to the
fullest in the same way that I enjoy reading my Facebook timeline or as interesting as stalking
my party-mates on IG. From then on, I started viewing this activity as an opportunity to learn
about the 'chismis' of strangers' lives. You bet this change in perspective made my life a lot
easier!

Do the 'full monty' baby

As a rule, I would read the full text and no, I am not being barbaric to myself. There is
something so fulfilling when you know you are not missing out on some useless details in each
case. Digests would be helpful if I did them in the first place. I would only look at others digest
as a last resort, or in emergency cases. In fact, I seldom join digest groups because, I just find it
so limiting.

I think I wrote a post about how to easily find the important points of every case you read.
Despite this, I do not discount the power of other peoples digests when the full text is super
lengthy or when I have a hard time finding the issues.

How I Do Digests in my brain

Lately, due to other commitments (like partying and doing my hair and makeup on a daily
basis), I am unable to spend much time doing case digests. To resolve this, I discovered an
easier way to do it, doing brain digests! This is how I do it. Follow at your own risk!

a. Read the case, make a mental note of the important

points, facts, issues, rulings. Then I would go over it if
there are some points that I forget or clarify.
b. On the day itself, I would skim again and just focus on
the main points.
c. If I still have time, I guess by the third skimming, the
brain is quite familiar with the important points and that's
it. Digest in my brain, no sweat!
Whys
1) I don't have much time

The thing is, digesting or summarizing cases takes time when you have to read then do an
outline, and put it in writing or encode it. For the past year, I have done my case readings either
the day or night before a class. I do not get the hardcopy, I just make do with the online version
because you save on ink and paper by doing so.

2) I'm not rich enough to have a secretary or PA to gather my notes into an intelligible
and organized whole

For one, I am not really good at note taking. I get distracted when I take notes. I don't even have
a proper notebook or note taking system. Aside from the distraction, even if I get myself some
notepad, I would either forget or lose it so what's the point?

Come exam time, somehow my brain retains those bits of digest. In some weird twist I can recall
infos and issues. It works for me. Mind you, I am just an average student, I just find a way to
learn things differently by trial and error method. I guess you just have to find a way that will
make it easier for you to survive your case assignments. This is mine.

Nevertheless, one of these days, I might get down and gather all these cases in my head to add
to the case digest section of this blog for those emergency times, you know. If you find this post
enlightening or worth sharing don't be shy to share it in your social media or just click on the
'Follow' button on my Google+ located in the upper right side of this page, believe me, it would
be the best decision you have ever made in your entire day. ;P
5 Tips in Dealing with Case Assignments

Case list
We law students know the drill. Every waking hour while we are in law school we will always be
bombarded with tons of cases. These cases breathe life to all those laws that we read, they make
everything come to life in full color to help us appreciate and learn how the law is applied in real
life.
The case assignments come in all shapes and lengths. Like you, I dread those long cases. Who
could ever forget that plunder case against an ex-President which ran for hundreds of pages. Did
you read it? Even if seeing how thick it was almost gave me a minor heart attack, I attempted
to read it somehow! Finishing it is another story though.

Fact is, there is simply no substitute to reading the full text of a case. I know, I post digests of
some cases here but that's because I've read the full version. Here are a few strategies I use
when it comes to reading and tackling those gazillions of cases.
1. My first rule is to always read the full text of cases. At least make an attempt to do just that.
This is quite a struggle for most people (like me) but there are ways you can improve your
reading speed and still understand what the content is all about. I have written a post before on
speed reading please click here or on the link below.
2. If I have no time left, as it usually happens during those semesters that I work and study, I
would get to my class earlier and ask a friend (who's good at summarizing) to give me a brief
about a case. I would always ask first what's the issue, then the details will just follow. Knowing
the ISSUE will guide you on what to look for and what to ask.
3. I know you have had those cases that are just cray and hard to understand. I am talking
about those that contain multiple issues. If it is a long case and it is possible for me to get a
rough outline or digest about the issue, then that's when I would resort to a digest just to give
me an idea of what it's all about. But still I would, if I could TRY to read (somehow) the full text of
that case.
4. On digests, I use them sparingly and only as a last resort. I know some people live on
digests, some CAN survive on digests and I have nothing to say bad about them. Based on my
own experience, I always get this nagging voice in my head reminding me that if it is some big,
significant or landmark case, then I owe it to myself to at least put an effort to read its full text.
That is the only way for me to really understand how the case progressed and how it was
resolved.
5. Finally, you should be able to recognize which long cases you should read because there are
those cases you will encounter that run for pages but actually tackles a really simple issue.
Sometimes you get drowned in the details of the case that you actually get lost and lose time
reading it. Be aware of these kinds of cases.
There was a time when I wished I had a secretary or case reader who can simply digest all my
cases for me to save on time (haha, wishful thinking). After my first year in law school, I learned
better. Always strive to read your full texts my dears.
Studying Law via Audio Books and Lectures

My faithful study partner, a long-running Nokia Bluetooth headphone

I know, I know I am getting ahead of myself. My bar review days is still far but I couldn't help
but be excited and look forward to it. If there is anything that law students don't have is TIME.
Hence, as early as now, I am already finding ways to make use of my time efficiently and
effectively, like listening to audio law books and lectures.
These past days I have been addicted to listening to all kinds of audio lectures and law codal
which you may also easily find online. I am listening to these lectures almost 24/7. I have this
long-running Nokia bluetooth headphones that I got 4 years ago but still works on 8-10 battery
on a single charge. Listening to audio books with this gadget makes everything so easy.
Whenever I am doing my daily mundane activities like eating, cleaning, doing other household
chores, sometimes when bathing (I put on a shower cap to protect my headphones), and yes
even when sleeping so I don't have any downtime.
Torture that muscle called 'brain'
They say that the brain is a muscle and the more you use it, the more efficient that muscle
becomes. I am trying to make my brain process two tasks at the same time. That makes for a
crazy multi-tasking exercise for my brain. I am thinking of how to finish this blog while my ear
and some part of my brain is processing some other knowledge. This makes it more exciting and
challenging.
I know the key in being good in one thing is to FOCUS and keep going, but what if you can focus
on multiple things at one point in time? What if your brain can actually do this thus increasing
your productivity 2x or more. That is what I am trying to do, trying to discover the potential of
my grey matter and let's see how it turns out.
I really cannot vouch for the effectivity of this learning style and I am still figuring out for myself.
One thing is for sure, it allows me to use time in a more efficient manner since time otherwise
spent on mundane daily tasks can now be fully utilized. When I first listen to the audio codals,
it was hard to give my full attention to it. However, having these significant law concepts
playing over and over inside my head keeps my brain busy and useful on most times of the day.
It is fun to let your brain do some minimal work while you sleep.
So of course while I was writing this post, I was also listening to another audio specifically on
effectively increasing my time-management and productivity skill by my favorite speaker Mr. B
Tracy. Let's see how the post turns out but more importantly, I look forward to measuring how
this listening impacts my review.

10 Must-Haves for Law Students

A cool demeanor and carefree attitude may help you survive law school but this 10 must-haves
are the basic 'tools' of the trade to help you have some semblance of sanity and organization in
your day to day existence in law school:

1. Laptop or PC
In the age of the internet, a laptop or desktop PC is an indispensable tool to search and digest
cases, encode case summaries, and research relevant jurisprudence online.

2. Sturdy Bookstand
Considering the number of books law students read and the weight and volume of the SCRA and
law books, a tidy, sturdy and foldable book stand is a must!

3. A tablet
If you must, a tablet is an alternative to a heavy laptop, for those easy to browse version of the
case digests, this tablet can be real handy.

4. A Wifi Connection
As pointed somewhere else above, fast and reliable wifi connection is a must. I'm glad most law
schools are already wifi connected.
5. A sturdy Bag
Need we say more? Law books are a pain in the body and back and to carry so make sure to
have a great backpack that will last any law student 6 months and more. Some popular brands
may be had if it's within your budget. But really, I trashed a 10-day old bag Big name backpack
which costed me P3,500 about three years ago. So make sure to do a test run, Or I should be
making bags especially for law students. Pick a nice one with interesting colors (to help color
your dreary day). Choose according to function and perhaps a dash of fashion and you'll never go
wrong. But remember, brand name popularity doesn't always translate to that bag able to
withstand the rigors of a 5-kilo law book load.
6. Study Haven apart from a school library or home
Let's admit it studying can take up 80% (I try to achieve 50%) of a law student's waking hours, so
make sure you have some sort of study haven apart from the one in your room or your school
library. This is why cafes are such a big hit for law students, but of course not all of them are
conducive for studying due to the noise, big number of patrons, and limited space, and parking

issues.
7. Set of highlighters
Female law students grab highlighters and use them all the time to highlight everything (well,
almost all). Some love them in different hues and colors and they are available in your favorite
book stores and school supply stores. It gave me an idea to offer them in my future online store
catering to law students and medical students alike.
8. A Speed Reading Training Manual
Yes, it is handy to save up on a lot of time reading. There are some quite great ones out in the
market today. I'll dedicate another post on the subject soon.
9. Thick Notebooks (the paper ones)
If you are a doodler, then yes, but for the techie ones, you still need great note-taking notebooks
as a back up to you soft files. They can come handy during your review.
10. Study Scheduler/Planner
A great study planner can be had from your smart phones. It helps manage your limited time.
Quiet a list huh? I hope most, if not 90% of this list is already part of your arsenal. In case you
have some of these missing, head on to Lawsandfound Online Store, you might find some hidden
jewels and tricks there.
5 Legal Ways to Earn Money While Studying Law

Image original by At.morey.tota (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are a law student and yet you would want to work, it helps if you know some ways to earn
money without spending a lot of time within the confines of an office. If you hate going to a 7-4
or 8-5 office job (like me), there are still ways to earn that much needed moolah without leaving
home and without getting stuck in traffic.
Honestly, I hate going out in the Metro these days and I'd rather be productive doing some work
at home, if I have a choice. Here are some ways you can earn money either part time or full time:
1. Be an online freelancer.
If you have a background in web design (like me), graphics design (like me), photo editing (again,
like moi) there are many ways to find that extra income by heading to those sites offering online
work like Odesk.com and many many others. Just learn to build your stellar work reputation,
make a killer portfolio and you are on your way to supporting you law studies without spending a
day in the office. I know of one classmate in law school earning 6-figures per month simply by
doing video-editing for an online company.
2. Be a web content writer
Not everybody has the skills to write, but believe me, you will benefit a lot from writing, not only
for writing your exams or in taking the bar, but you can also make money by writing articles and
web content for others. It is best to work directly with an online publishing rather than get paid
with peanuts if you do work for some outsourcing outfits. Of course, you get paid and have
bartering leverage depending on your writing skills. I am still learning to write but have some
cool gigs that would help me finance my dream trip to Taj Mahal soon.
3. Be an offsite Legal Assistant or Legal Researcher
I used to work as one or do it on a per project basis. It is nice to brush up on what you learn while
studying law. There are a lot on online projects if you know where to look. You can also ask your
lawyer contacts or private lawyers if you can work as their private legal researcher. If your
employer is nice you can even enjoy a lot of freebies like being lent office equipment, laptops,
and even a car with free gas allowance!
4. Work as a Consultant
Studying law exposes you to many different fields and it's nice if you know which of them is your
real passion where you can learn and enhance your knowledge even off law school. I love tinkling
with websites so I took time to take classes and my own initiative to make websites. Some of my
former bosses made use of my services at some point. This is one way to offer your expertise as
a consultant and get paid for the expertise rather than on a per hour basis.
5. Go into retail of law student related things
Yes, with the eCommerce building an online is another possibility, if you know how to set up an
online store you may start retailing legal stuff like books, reviewers, etc. you can earn that extra
money on your free time. If you don't know how to set-up an online store, I can help you out as
well.
See there are many ways to support your law studies even if you do not work for an office. Just
be creative and open to learning new skills. You may even start something big which can be a
great business opportunity even after you earn that law degree.

My Life While Working and Studying Law

Original photo by Richard Lawrence Cohen in this Flicker link

Image use is in accordance with Creative Commons License 2.0

Law study needs full attention but for some of us, it is just not possible because there are other
commitments like work and family. While working and studying law is possible, it is a feat that
requires more effort and unwavering determination.
I experienced studying full time during my first 2 semesters in law school. During the first
semester there were a lot of adjustments to be made. For one, I came from a university where
uniforms are non-existent, so going to a law school requiring me to don one takes a lot of
adjustment. I have no problem with it impeding my budding fashion sense, but my issue has
more to do with having to think about preparing the outfit each day. I think I worry more about
making my uniform crease-free than going to class prepared.
School is about an hour's travel time away from my home but I never have to worry about the
commute and weaving through the metro's worst traffic because I used to lived an easier life
with someone driving for me. That must have been such a boring task for him, imagine having to
wait for me 3-4 hours in the school's parking lot with nothing else to do! So I breezed through
those first two semesters and managed to be on the Dean's List, yay! A feat which I never even
dreamed of accomplishing in law school.
It was in my second year when I decided to work. My boss was kind enough to allow me to leave
earlier than everybody so I can attend to my evening classes. All is good since the driver would
be waiting in the office and would whisk me off to school braving rush hour traffic, but still
manage to bring me to school in 30 minutes or so. I would be late sometimes and some law
professors would make a fuss about that fact, while others don't.
Working while studying is very challenging. Since I have to leave early, I would often go to the
office ahead of everyone, take a working lunch, forego my snack breaks so I can make time for
work and read for class. My boss had been very kind and didn't ask me to do that but I took it
upon myself to return the kindness.
My work-study schedule took a turn for the worst when the driver resigned (perhaps out of

boredom?). I didn't know how to drive that time so I had to endure riding cabs or taking public
mass transport (MRT) just so I won't be late for class! I remember getting smashed and squashed
having to fight for space in the train every time I had only about 45 minutes for travel time so
the mass rail transport (MRT) is the fastest way to go.
After my second year, I dropped down from the Dean's List though still managed to pass my
subjects. It didn't matter anymore because I just wanted to be able to shoot 2 birds with one
stone. I prodded on.
In my following year, study had to take a back seat. I often end up enrolling only one semester
per year. Then, tired of the MRT and cabs I learned how to drive by taking driving classes
somewhere in Bicutan. The funny thing is, I hired another driver to take me to my 20-hour driving
class which lasted for about 2 weeks. I never finished nor passed that class by the way. My
instructor failed me on my second to the last module after I almost wrecked the gate. :) I still
consider myself a safe defensive driver thank's to my drive instructor.
The commute time has taken it's toll on me. I would often get home at 10 or 11 in the evening
with no time left to do other things. Then I would have to wake up at 3 or 4am to do my readings
and outlines. That's when I decided to move to another law school near my work. From almost an
hour of commute, I managed to cut it down to 20 minutes. That decision saved me a lot of time
(and sanity) even if it meant having to leave my comfort zone and start again in a new school
environment.
Working and studying law is stressful and challenging but with determination, nothing will be
impossible. It means having to answer to a lot of people, namely your boss, family, self, work
schedule, rest time, etc. etc. In my final year, I plan to support myself fully that's why I took a
leave to prepare. I plan to study full time again by next year on my own terms with lesser stress.
For that, preparation is key.