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How to Get the Most Out of Your Law Library

Welcome to the law library! Not just a physical space with desks, printers, and laptop chargers, we offer numerous services – in-person and remotely – to students and faculty. We are happy to help you in any way that we can. Research Help For research help, please stop by the library’s Research Help Desk and ask one of our reference librarians. There is no appointment necessary, and we have evening hours. If you can’t make it in person, you can call (215-204-7891) or email (tulawlib@temple.edu) your inquiry. Even if your question is not specifically about legal research or the law library, please feel free to ask. We also offer 1-on-1 research meetings for more detailed questions. Are you trying to find specialized legal or interdisciplinary sources for a research paper? Do you need to do a preemption check for your journal note, but don’t know where to start? Do you want a refresher or introduction to a database as you prepare for your summer position? One of our reference librarians will meet with you to …

How to Enjoy Thanksgiving and Finish the Semester Strong

Published by James A. Shellenberger

The Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner and the atmosphere at the law school is getting tense. Exams are approaching faster than we want or expected, and you have classes to prepare for, outlines to write, flowcharts to create, flash cards, LRW memos – anxiety is rising. At this point in the semester, you may be thinking to yourself, “When will I have the ahah moment?” “When will the light bulb go on for me?” “I haven’t started / done much work on outlines. So and so has this great 50-page outline already.” “I can’t even keep up with my class prep and get my memo done.” “How can I bring all this material together?” “I bombed my practice exam!” Etc, etc. Remember: Everyone who has ever been in law school (including myself and the rest of your faculty) felt the same way at this time of year, especially during their first year. I can still remember how I felt around this time of year. I was ready to quit, and felt like I could …

Life Happens: Succeeding in Law School In Times Of Adversity

Published by Nicole Falgoust (LAW '16)

I wish I could say I had an easy first year of law school. I didn’t. Tragedy came into my life with full force that year. Starting in June, my grandfather’s health started rapidly declining as he battled congestive heart failure. That August, my little sister returned from Tanzania. She spent six weeks dodging malaria while she studied abroad, and two days before she flew home, she contracted it. She spent a couple of weeks quarantined in Abington Memorial Hospital a few floors above my grandfather. That September, I started having attacks again. I can’t remember when I experienced my first attack. I do remember I was finishing up my junior year of college. The pain was so intense, I couldn’t sleep through the night. I called a close friend to bring me to the hospital, certain that I’d be diagnosed with appendicitis. I wasn’t. They couldn’t find anything wrong with me. So, they gave me some aspirin and sent me home. Yet two years later, during my first year, the attacks were back with …

Living Forward but Understanding Backward: The Importance of Self-Assessment and Reviewing Class Materials

Published by Meredith Galto

We are more than half way through the fall semester, and for many law students, late October is a time for looking ahead to what is in front of them. You have settled in to a routine, finals are on the horizon, and you may be asking yourself questions such as, how much more reading can there be? When am I going to outline? Will I travel for Thanksgiving? Looking ahead is critical because knowing what you have to do and when you have to do it keeps you focused and on task. And really, time marches on no matter what anyone does. The semester will end and finals (like winter) are coming. Just as important, however, is looking back at where you have been. Like a coach or player at halftime, now is the time to think about self-assessment and adjustment. Granted, you don’t have a score to use as a measurement of your performance, but you can think about your classes, how you have approached them so far, and whether that approach is …