|
1858-2008
University of London External Programme
150th Birthday Events
Editor
Barrister Desk
MSG Past Articles
Book Reviews
Contact MSG
Home
Earn Your
University of London LL.B Degree Online with ICLS
| |
Web Site
Up Date
by George Pappas,
Editor
May 21, 1999
Thank you to those who registered with The Malet
Street Gazette. Our membership list is growing, and we will
continue to provide regular dispatches aimed at helping your
studies and your legal career.
Web Site Up Date
Our web site continues to evolve as
technology changes and as needs change. As of May 21, 1999, many
of the graphic backgrounds have been removed to speed up
downloading of the site. We have decided in favor of quicker
download time while scarifying graphical GIF files. Though the
latter does make the web site appear more creative, the cost in
terms of long download times in not acceptable. If you have any
comments on this issue, please let us know.
Netscape Browsers
After our recent mailing, we learned that Netscape browsers could
not open our web site. This has been fixed, all frames have been
removed, and Netscape can read The Malet Street Gazette. We
apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced by this unintended
problem.
Final Examination Tips
As final examinations loom, a word
or two about examination technique seems in order. If you do
anything in the examination, do not start to write your essay or
answer without jotting down an outline or plan. If you fail to do
this, your performance will suffer as sure as the sun will rise
in the morning. Here are a few tips to help you do your best.
First, revise and learn your cases with respect to those areas of
the syllabus you will focus on for your given subject. Remember,
you pick up marks when you argue from "named' cases. Second,
spot the issues, apply the rule of law, identify the leading case
(s) to the rule, and apply to the facts of the question. You can
write your conclusion once you've reached this stage; however,
save your overall conclusion for the end of the essay.
Second, apply IRAC- Issues, Rule of Law, Apply
to the fact, and write your Conclusion. Before you start
writing your answer, spend about five to ten minutes planning
your answer outline. You will have plenty of time to write a
great answer if you plan. Remember, if you can't remember a case
name, at least identify it with the phrase "decided
case," you will still earn some marks. Case names help, but
the connection of the ratio of the case to the relevant rule of
law and to the facts is essential.
Finally, you must practice writing mock essays. You can read,
read, and take notes ad infinitum, and still perform poorly on
the examination. Unless you apply what you've learned to the
facts, you will not be able to transpose legal principles to new
facts. The art of legal argumentation is transposing rules of law
and decided cases to new sets of facts; therefore, before you
take your final examination, practice writing either mock exams
under timed conditions or at least write mock essay outlines to
past examination questions. Do this, and you will do well.
Good luck!
| |
|
