Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success » (2nd Edition)

Ruta Stropus is the Director of Attorney Recruitment and Professional Development at the Illinois Attorney General's office. Charlotte Taylor is the Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs at DePaul University College of Law.

This popular book helps students make the transition from their undergraduate experience to law school learning. Unlike other "introduction to law school" texts, Bridging the Gap offers a different approach because it: Explains the "why" of law, providing students with the context necessary to understand why law school is taught in a certain manner. Explains the "how" of the law, setting out a step-by-step process that will help students adapt to the law school setting. Explains the "what" of the law, giving students the opportunity to practice the problem-solving process by providing numerous exercises in a variety of subject matter areas. Rather than giving only general advice, or black letter law and some practice problems for a specific subject, Bridging the Gap provides the context, the process, and the problems. Written by two former law school professors who used these techniques with thousands of students, Bridging the Gap is a guide to what really works in law school.

Ch. 1 The Law School Experience 3

Ch. 2 Learning to Read and Brief Law School Cases 17

Ch. 3 Effective Notetaking in Law School 37

Ch. 4 Putting It Together, Part One: Synthesis 47

Ch. 5 Putting It Together, Part Two: The Role of the Law School Outline 59

Ch. 6 Putting It Together, Part Three: Flowcharting 77

Ch. 7 Law School Examinations 95

Ch. 8 Tips on Exam Preparation 101

Ch. 9 Time Management 133

Ch. 10 Additional Strategies for Success 141

Ch. 11 Bridging the Gap as a 2L or 3L: What Else Can I Expect in Law School? 157

Ch. 12 The Importance of Gaining Legal Experience 163

Last Words of Advice 175

Dictionary of Common Legal Terms 177

Index 181