Writing out the answers to practice questions is a proven way to improve performance on exams. Applying legal rules to a new set of facts will help you learn those rules, even if you have not yet had time to review them. This exercise also helps to identify complexities and nuances that you might not catch when passively reading through your notes or outline. And, finally, writing out answers to practice questions forces you to practice the other skill that is being tested: legal analysis.
Remember that practice questions do not need to be from your current professor! Any exam question in the same format will work. Be cautious, however, with sample answers. If the answer explains the law in a way that differs from how your professor explained it, always defer to your professor. Write out answers to hypos and practice exam questions early and often–even if you have not yet finished (or started!) reviewing and outlining. If you need help getting started, check out this short guide: Practice Exams – Why, When, and How.
Law Library Exam Database
The Law Library maintains a database of past exams for you to use for practice.
Commercial Study Aids
Short hypos on discrete topics:
Use short hypos on discrete topics earlier in the semester when reviewing/learning a specific topic. The Examples & Explanations study aid series has short hypos with answers/explanations. It is available online through the Law Library. Search for Examples & Explanations (there’s one for each first-year subject). The Acing series also has short hypos with sample answers. This series is also available online through the Law Library. Search for Acing (there’s one for each first-year subject). If the answer explains the law in a way that differs from how your professor explained it, think about how you would rewrite the answer to conform to your professor’s framework.
Full-length exam questions:
Use full-length exam questions later in the semester to practice issue-spotting and time management as well as legal analysis. In addition to the Law Library’s exam database, you also can use the Siegel’s and the Emanuel study aids. Siegel’s has sample exam questions (issue-spotter and multiple-choice) along with sample answers, but is not available through the Law Library. Emanuel CrunchTime and Emanuel’s First Year Questions and Answers similarly have sample essay questions and answers. They are both available to Berkeley Law students through the Library’s subscriptions. Search for Emanuel (there’s one for each first-year subject).
Other study aid sources, including CALI (Computed Assisted Legal Instruction), are also available to Berkeley Law students via library subscriptions, but require registration. The Law Library’s Study Aid Research Guide has detailed information about how to register. If you have trouble registering, please contact the Law Library. CALI offers sample exam questions and answers. As always, if the sample answer explains the law in a different way than your professor, it is a helpful exercise to think about how you would rewrite the answer using the framework you learned in class.
Multiple-choice questions
Emanuel CrunchTime, CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction), and Siegel’s offer practice multiple-choice questions and answers. Emanuel CrunchTime is available online through the Law Library with your CalNet ID. Search for Emanuel (there’s one for each first-year subject). CALI offers a tutorial in addition to practice multiple-choice questions. It is available through the Law Library, but requires registration. Siegel’s is not available through the Law Library. As always, if a sample answer explains the law in a different way than your professor, defer to your professor.