abn

I know we have learned the whole IRAC for law school. I was wondering if someone can share a successful method for outlining bar exam essays.

atifii

Spot, note, and write:

I started by spotting all of the issues I could, and writing each issue as an outline heading (I, II, III, etc.). I next quickly jotted down the rule (and sub-rule if applicable) for each issue -- not the entire rule perfectly stated, but enough to jog my memory when writing my answer. I then wrote down the key facts I wanted to discuss under each issue, matching them to a particular element of the rule and circling them in the question as I used them. If I saw a sentence with facts I hadn't used yet, I went back over that sentence trying to figure out what issue it was supposed to bring up for me. I then transferred all of the outline headings (the issues) to my computer so I wouldn't forget to discuss any of them (again, having learned from experience), plugged in the rules for each, and started applying the facts to the first issue.

BTW, I have studied with people who believed outlining consisted of writing out the entire rule but including no facts, as well as those who believed outlining consisted of rewriting the fact pattern but omitting any rules. Both approaches seem to be time-wasters to me, as you are left with an outline that requires you to keep constantly referring back to the question and really provides no helpful structure.

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