Comments on: 100th post! and lingering questions http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/ fine-tuning ninja survival skills as a 1L Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:57:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1732 John Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:44:36 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1732 Contracts is an overwhelming topic if you don't cut it up into the pieces. UCC is a good start for now. When you get to the real world, you'll probably crap your pants, but don't sweat it now. Don't get wrapped around the axels over rules of estoppel. Know what it is and how it works. I've been a contracting officer for the dod, nasa, dcma and the daf as well as those GD folks and a few others that aren't on the books. Contract Law is a degree all by itself and when and if you go to the place where it's practiced, you'll find the pros who can teach it or you'll go to the classes that are taught by the real contract writers. If you ever want to see what a real contract looks like, start googling OTA agreements involving Lockheed Martin and the Atlas V program. Wait till after your exams though. Just keep things simple and track the principles of what's really going on. (the spirit of the thing). If you get in the weeds, you'll get lost. Good Luck. John Contracts is an overwhelming topic if you don’t cut it up into the pieces. UCC is a good start for now. When you get to the real world, you’ll probably crap your pants, but don’t sweat it now. Don’t get wrapped around the axels over rules of estoppel. Know what it is and how it works.
I’ve been a contracting officer for the dod, nasa, dcma and the daf as well as those GD folks and a few others that aren’t on the books. Contract Law is a degree all by itself and when and if you go to the place where it’s practiced, you’ll find the pros who can teach it or you’ll go to the classes that are taught by the real contract writers. If you ever want to see what a real contract looks like, start googling OTA agreements involving Lockheed Martin and the Atlas V program. Wait till after your exams though. Just keep things simple and track the principles of what’s really going on. (the spirit of the thing). If you get in the weeds, you’ll get lost. Good Luck.

John

]]> By: Quotes from other student blaWgs that make me feel less alone… « quasi-blaWg http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1723 Quotes from other student blaWgs that make me feel less alone… « quasi-blaWg Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:36:59 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1723 [...]   Is it normal that I’m still completely lost in Contracts? . . . . Will I have a eureka moment for this class . . . . ? Surely I will, right? –law school ninja [...] [...]   Is it normal that I’m still completely lost in Contracts? . . . . Will I have a eureka moment for this class . . . . ? Surely I will, right? –law school ninja [...]

]]> By: WW http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1610 WW Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:05:40 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1610 yes it's definitely understandable to be lost in contracts. My blog post today was all about how I am just understanding contracts now due to a VERY helpful 2L at my school who knows contracts like the back of her hand. Def. read the Chirelstein. That's what I'm doing right now ... well apart from blogging :-) yes it’s definitely understandable to be lost in contracts. My blog post today was all about how I am just understanding contracts now due to a VERY helpful 2L at my school who knows contracts like the back of her hand. Def. read the Chirelstein. That’s what I’m doing right now … well apart from blogging :-)

]]> By: Huma http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1599 Huma Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:45:38 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1599 1. Eliza hit it on the head. We never had to do dicta/reasoning, but it came up in one class and we were all like WTF and the prof was like, yeah, whatever, no one really cares. 2. Mark up your FRCP maybe by jotting keywords next to each rule so that you don't have to read all the subparts in detail to know the gist of the rule AND the numerous exceptions. As for UCC, I didn't mark up a thing. I barely used the UCC. The pertinent passages were given to us. 3. I dunno, dude. :-P 1. Eliza hit it on the head. We never had to do dicta/reasoning, but it came up in one class and we were all like WTF and the prof was like, yeah, whatever, no one really cares.

2. Mark up your FRCP maybe by jotting keywords next to each rule so that you don’t have to read all the subparts in detail to know the gist of the rule AND the numerous exceptions. As for UCC, I didn’t mark up a thing. I barely used the UCC. The pertinent passages were given to us.

3. I dunno, dude. :-P

]]> By: Eliza http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1515 Eliza Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:05:47 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1515 1. Dicta is a bitch. Basically, dicta is anything not directly on point of the issue. For instance, I read a case recently where Scalia was answering the question of whether something was testimonial evidence or not. During the discussion, he said that a state could not make a law around a point. However, that was dicta because the precedence is based on the actual rule of the case, not an ancillary point. Just be careful using any discussion that doesn't seem to DIRECTLY go to the holding. Like if they answer an analogous situation - the Q is about what is consideration, but they answer something about methods of conveying the consideration. If you have Q's on specific cases, ask your prof. 2. I did not put an outline in my FRCP or UCC book. Instead, any rule that had underlying problems, I would note the possible outcomes. For instance, FRCP 8 - I included a short discussion of what was considered for "short and plain statement." Anything you would like clarified in the book, put it in. 3. Contracts is simply a bitch. I never had an aha moment, but did fine. What got me through is knowing the basics (what's a contract, what are the types of damages, etc). Know the basic rules cold going in and you can use your time trying to find the nuances. Hope this helps. I know advice is highly individual, so don't take anything here to heart. And Good Luck! 1. Dicta is a bitch. Basically, dicta is anything not directly on point of the issue. For instance, I read a case recently where Scalia was answering the question of whether something was testimonial evidence or not. During the discussion, he said that a state could not make a law around a point. However, that was dicta because the precedence is based on the actual rule of the case, not an ancillary point. Just be careful using any discussion that doesn’t seem to DIRECTLY go to the holding. Like if they answer an analogous situation – the Q is about what is consideration, but they answer something about methods of conveying the consideration. If you have Q’s on specific cases, ask your prof.

2. I did not put an outline in my FRCP or UCC book. Instead, any rule that had underlying problems, I would note the possible outcomes. For instance, FRCP 8 – I included a short discussion of what was considered for “short and plain statement.” Anything you would like clarified in the book, put it in.

3. Contracts is simply a bitch. I never had an aha moment, but did fine. What got me through is knowing the basics (what’s a contract, what are the types of damages, etc). Know the basic rules cold going in and you can use your time trying to find the nuances.

Hope this helps. I know advice is highly individual, so don’t take anything here to heart. And Good Luck!

]]> By: Gary http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1504 Gary Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:35:09 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1504 Hey LSN: Go to the Ninja Outlining and the Exam Prep chapters in my book. There is plenty of time until exams, although I am seeing what you are feeling in my One Ls eyes. Gary Hey LSN:

Go to the Ninja Outlining and the Exam Prep chapters in my book. There is plenty of time until exams, although I am seeing what you are feeling in my One Ls eyes.

Gary

]]> By: master ninja http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1501 master ninja Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:38:43 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1501 Paragon: OMG how stupid am I? I already have the Chirelstein book but I keep forgetting to read it! Seriously, I probably deserve to flunk out if I can't get it together any better than that. Anyway, thanks for the book rec. I'll try to actually read it between now and finals. :) IDWSJ: That assumes that I'd know how to answer a K question. FAIL. :( Paragon: OMG how stupid am I? I already have the Chirelstein book but I keep forgetting to read it! Seriously, I probably deserve to flunk out if I can’t get it together any better than that. Anyway, thanks for the book rec. I’ll try to actually read it between now and finals. :)

IDWSJ: That assumes that I’d know how to answer a K question. FAIL. :(

]]> By: idwsj http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1500 idwsj Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:12:44 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1500 I think it helps to arrange your contracts outline in the way you would answer a question. At least that helped me see the course. I generally feel like I should refrain from any and all advice since this would just be the blind leading the blind. I think it helps to arrange your contracts outline in the way you would answer a question. At least that helped me see the course.

I generally feel like I should refrain from any and all advice since this would just be the blind leading the blind.

]]> By: Paragon2Pieces http://law-school-ninja.com/2009/11/01/100th-post-and-lingering-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-1499 Paragon2Pieces Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:59:05 +0000 http://law-school-ninja.com/?p=534#comment-1499 Yeah, I have had a lot of classmates hand write their outlines into the margins of their statutory supplements over the years. Ppl really do that. On contracts, I thought Chirelstein's Concepts and Case Analysis (http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-University-Textbook/dp/1587781972) was a succinct synthesis of the material. I read Chirelstein cover to cover in the couple of days before my Contracts final and it was a great help in getting me to the point where I could sum up the course (coherently). If you're feeling lost, this book might help. Yeah, I have had a lot of classmates hand write their outlines into the margins of their statutory supplements over the years. Ppl really do that.

On contracts, I thought Chirelstein’s Concepts and Case Analysis (http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Analysis-Contracts-University-Textbook/dp/1587781972) was a succinct synthesis of the material. I read Chirelstein cover to cover in the couple of days before my Contracts final and it was a great help in getting me to the point where I could sum up the course (coherently). If you’re feeling lost, this book might help.

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