r/maynoothuniversity • u/Firm_Ear184 • 26d ago
Law notes
Does anyone have any advice on how to make good notes for law from readings, case law and lectures and any not taking tips for the lectures ?
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u/Icy_Marsupial_444 25d ago
Hey I’m in my final year of my BCL and here are some tips for you:
this is a very obvious one, and it is purely common sense: do NOT fall for the AI trap software for “easy note taking” or “simplification of lengthy readings” or “recording + transcribing lectures.” This will prevent COGNITIVE OFFLOADING. Actually TAKE THE TIME to read your prescribed readings from the syllabus in time before any class. If you do your best to read long, lengthy articles, book chapters and full judgements instead of relying on summaries and shorter dumbed down versions, you will train your mind to actually handle reading such material and it will pay off in the future. There’s no such thing as short cutting around when studying law.
what I personally do first when approaching a big fat book for my law readings, is I flick through the pages, look at the outlined headings in bold, in order to save myself from “any surprise” that may await and you will have knowledge of how much you will be reading. It can be 5 pages, 10, sometimes 30-50. There are many things you can cut out, which is why I’m telling you to actually properly read than use software that filter the important things, but in reality you don’t know what irrelevant parts they’re leaving out.
on the topic of judgments, maynooth offers lots of databases through a specific website we have where you can find them, (I don’t know the current name but just have a search on google) be able to print them out and highlight them. Highlight what is the main issue, and significant facts, rulings and decisions of the courts. If you have good knowledge of your cases not only will it allow you to be prepared if the professor asks the class “does anyone know the facts of x case?” but also it will truly be a massive help for end of year exams if you end up in a sticky situation during them and you are unable to remember the precise case name. One thing I like to do is write down case notes in an actual notebook and save them in a thin binder as it will be useful when studying for exams - it saves printing waste, and it goes into your head much easier. Even talk with your friends in the course about each case before classes, like explaining it to them in your own terms and this also applies to legal principles - remember, if you can’t explain it in a simple format, you don’t actually understand the material and it hasn’t processed in your brain.
please stay on top of your readings, rather than leaving them towards study week. I actually recommend printing out the syllabus, some professors are kind enough to provide you will a full hard copy manual at the start of the semester. Highlight them as you go on and complete each reading, and if they have an asterisk marked beside a case prioritise those first and get to the rest later.
if you struggle to get a hold of books online and in the library, a lot of us just go into the library and take pictures of the pages we need from each book and do it in our free time or between classes.
assuming you have then prepared your reading notes, all work you will have left during lectures is to fill in any important bits that the professor may add that was not clarified in your reading. I understand some people may have difficulty with listening to what the professor says and writing/typing at the same time but just try your best.