A FRESHMAN LAW STUDENT STARTER PACK

I assume all the results of the Law Entrance Exams are in and various Law Schools would open its gates to accommodate the upcoming freshman law students.

The aim of this post is to help these aspiring lawyers prepare for the grueling task at hand and that is to conquer Law School.

These are some of the essentials

CODALS

These are hardbound notebooks which has titles such as

• The 1987 Constitution
• The Revised Penal Code
• The Civil Code
• Commercial Law Vol. I, II, III
• Labor Code 
• Rules of Court
• National Internal Revenue Code

For upcoming freshman law students, they would only need the first 3 codals.

The 1987 Constitution is for Constitutional Law 1 and 2

The Revised Penal Code is for Criminal Law 1 and 2

The Civil Code is for Persons and Family Relations and Obligations and Contract

*** The Rules of Court Codal may also be added because it contains in its Annex the Canons of Professional Responsibility (for Legal Ethics)

The abovementioned codals are very essential because no matter who your law professor would be, the prescribed codals will always be the same unlike Annotated textbooks.

To give an example, for the subject of Obligations and Contracts, some professors, let's just say prefer Justice Jurado, while some professors prefer Justice Paras. While others even prescribe Tolentino, Pineda among others. The law books differ in annotation because the authors have different interpretations of the law. The same is true for law professors. Some of them are comfortable taking the view of Jurado while others are not (vice versa)

***For the pricelist of the codals check my post regarding REX bookstore pricelist

HIGHLIGHTERS/WRITING INSTRUMENTS

Get at least 3-4 different colors for highlighters. One of my professor offered me the reason for the number of colors. 

• Use one color for the General Rule;
• Use one color for the exemption to the General Rule; 
• Use one color for the title/heading; and
• Use one color for the exemption to the exemption

My law professor said, if you practice this, you would automatically know from the moment you open your book or codal that the highlighted text is the general rule or the exemption. 

To tell you honestly, I never get to do this because I was already in my 3rd year when I became a student under the said law professor.

I also included writing instruments because some friends of mine do not use highlighters but instead they use pencils. 

Ballpens are still essential in Law School. These are used for case digests, exams, quizzes among others. So if you have a preferred ballpen back in HS or College, use the brand that makes you feel comfortable.

NOTEBOOK AND YELLOW PAD PAPER

If you are the type who remembers or understands the lessons better if you write your own notes, then you should buy notebooks per subject matter. This will make you improve your handwriting because you get to practice your handwriting strokes regularly. 

The drawback with this kind of method is that it is time-consuming. Sometimes you get to swamped with case digest deadlines, tons and tons of cases to be read, not to mentions the chapters of the textbooks which are also required to be read, that writing your own notes is just not feasible. But if you have the time to do it, why not.

The yellow pad paper is for the quizzes or case digest which are about passed in case your professor decide not to attend class. Better be armed with your own yellow pad rather than ask around begging for it. I am not saying it is bad to beg for paper. What I am trying to say is that it is better to be independent and having that piece of mind that you are ready in case the need for the yellow paper arises

GADGETS

I am sorry that this might be burdensome to some but the fact is we cannot avoid technology.  I am not discriminating those students who cannot afford to buy gadgets.

Gadgets are really helpful in law school. Imagine, instead of carrying bulk of photocopy of Supreme Court Decisions, such cases are stored in that tablet, phablet, or iPad of yours.

The Gadgets can store apps such as Merriam-Webster Dictionary, LawJuan, Law Dictionary among others. This will not insure passing your subject in law school but if used the right way, it could be a really big help.

Gadgets include laptops. If you could afford to buy a lightweight, fast and efficient laptop. It could be a tremendous help in doing essays and pleadings in the future. You might also be inspired to do a blog like mine to help other fellow law students.


***PLEASE SHARE THIS POST IF YOU KNOW ANY INCOMING FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENT***