Law School Technology Tips

RyanD
December 2, 2013

As expected, attending law school in pursuit of my JD was one of the most difficult times of my life. Between hours spent scouring legal texts, to discussions in class that tested the limits of my knowledge, I found myself often struggling to continue.

But while the process of becoming a lawyer may have been strenuous, the six semesters I spent in school were greatly simplified by the use of a few simple apps. If you are grappling with the challenges of law school, try these simple applications to get on your way to acing your finals and passing the bar.

Civ Pro Rules

As a law student, you can expect to be extremely familiar with all of the deepest details of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. But unless you mark all of your textbooks with sticky notes or reminders, you may find yourself flipping back through thousands of pages to find a simple concept or idea.

Civ Pro Rules lets you skip that hassle though. This piece of software is one of the most comprehensive apps available on the subject, and lets you search through by title, rule, and even individual phrase, saving you time that could be spent elsewhere.

Black’s Law Dictionary

Although direct black-letter law may not be as pertinent towards the later years of school, 1L students will be inundated with information regarding all of these detailed rules. Black’s Law Dictionary, a useful app for students of all three years, makes the searching and memorization processes that much easier by putting all of the information in the palm of your hand, saving you time and space when you need to cram for finals.

iProRecorder

As a lawyer, and even during the three years of law school, I have found myself using a mobile dictation device for a variety of different activities, from providing notes to myself, to creating voice memos for other attorneys or clients, or even for recording seminars and lectures for later review. This simple recording device allows you to record all of the information you need, and will even pause itself if a call comes, allowing you to start wherever you left off.

Paper Chase: Contracts

When I was in my first year of law school, I remember shuddering every time I though of the dreaded subject of contract law. While the concepts interested me, I found it extremely difficult, and struggled finding a good studying technique that solidified the information in my mind.

Once I started using Paper Chase: Contracts though, everything changed. This simple yet useful app for the iPhone is designed for preparing students for contracts exams, and works in a question-and-answer format, similar to the Socratic method employed by a majority of professors in law school. The app also provides basic feedback on your answers given, acting as an invaluable tool for any aspiring lawyer.

Get Through Law School with the Help of Technology

While technology is often used for entertainment purposes, when used correctly it can be a fundamental tool in the realm of education. If you are having a hard time in your three years of law school, try using these apps to make things easier as you pursue a new career.

Byline: John Whitworth is a recent Law graduate, who used kensington.com to purchase a great deal of the technology that he used throughout school.