I’m going to let you in on a little secret that your law school professors don’t want you to know about. The easiest and most effective way to study, learn, and ace your final exam in criminal law is to use a supplement. In fact, if all you do is attend lectures, brief cases, and join a study group you’re all but guaranteed to end up at the median of your law school class. So if you want to ace your crim law exam and finish at the top of your class, now is the time to get a copy of the best criminal law supplements.
1. Understanding Criminal Law
This supplement is a masterpiece. In fact, it’s the law school supplement that all others are judged by. If you ask any 2L who aced their crim law exam what supplement they used, do you know what you’ll hear? “Dressler.”
Written by criminal law guru Professor Dressler, Understanding Criminal Law is the essential resource you’ll need to ace your 1L criminal law exam.
Here are three reasons why it’s the best crim law supplement around.
First, it breaks down extremely difficult criminal law concepts (like all of the various types of “theft”) into easy to digest, bite-size pieces. This is crucial for acing any issue-spotter or multiple choice criminal law exam, trust me.
Second, Understanding Criminal Law outlines the similarities and differences between the MPC and common law approaches to law and policy, which almost all criminal law professors expect you to know like the back of your hand.
Finally, it’s so clear, concise, and effective that you can practically forego reading your casebook.
Hi, I’m JD. I graduated with Latin honors from a T14 law school, and I’m a current BigLaw attorney. So I know exactly what it takes to succeed in law school and thrive as a new associate. If you want to do the same, then I can help. Check out my coaching page for more info.
2. CrunchTime (Criminal Law)
CrunchTime (Criminal Law) is a fantastic supplement for navigating your 1L criminal law class. Written by attorney and Harvard Law graduate Steven Emanuel, Crunchtime (Criminal Law) will be your constant companion during crim law exam prep.
Here’s what you’ll love about the CrunchTime (Criminal Law) supplement.
The capsule summary will help you quickly absorb key concepts. Think of it as the criminal law outline you wish you would have made throughout the semester.
In addition, the exam tips are on-point and definitely worth the price of admission. Want to know the answers your crim law professor is looking for on the final exam? This is the place to find them.
Finally, the short answer and essays questions are great for helping you prepare for your crim law final. It’s nearly impossible to ace your crim law exam without practicing hypos. So be sure to answer all of the practice questions the CrunchTime (Criminal Law) supplement has to offer.
Related: Best 1L Outlines (Ace Your 1L Exams)
3. Questions & Answers (Criminal Law)
Questions & Answers (Criminal Law) is one of the most underrated criminal law supplements around.
Because of its Q&A format, it’s the type of supplement that can push your crim law exam prep to the next level.
Questions & Answers (Criminal Law) features 150 multiple-choice and short-answer questions, as well as a 16-question “practice exam.” That’s the kind of practice you’ll need to ace your criminal law exam.
Not only will each question test your substantive knowledge throughout the semester, each answer will help crystallize why you chose the right (or wrong) answer.
With this much focused practice, you’ll be way ahead of your peers come test day. In short, this supplement will help you dominate your 1L criminal law exam.
How To Use The Best Crim Law Supplements
As a current Biglaw attorney and someone who graduated with honors from a T14 law school, here are my top three tips for how to use these criminal law supplements to do your best in crim law.
First, find a criminal law outline from one of your peers who took the class with your professor and aced the exam. Treat this outline like gold. It will serve as the roadmap for your crim law class.
Second, read the relevant section of the Understanding Criminal Law supplement before class and summarize the applicable law and policy in your outline. Be sure to include in your outline any nuances of law or policy your professor raises in class. As the semester progresses, use the CrunchTime or Q&A supplement to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.
Third, take several timed practice exams. This will help you develop the skills and confidence you need to do your best on test day. If your professor provides copies of his or her old exams, these should be your first choice. If not, use recent crim law exams from other professors. Here are some sample exams to get you started.
Related: 3 Best Constitutional Law Supplements For Law School
Final Thoughts
Law school isn’t easy but there’s no reason to make it any harder then it has to be. The guaranteed best way to save time and give yourself the opportunity to ace your final exams is to use law school supplements. I used them, and every top student I know used them as well.
So if you want to do your absolute best in criminal law, then be sure to pick up some of these 3 best criminal law supplements today.
All the best,
JD
P.S. My best-selling 1L outlines are now available for instant download as a printable PDF e-book for only $14.99. This means you’ll get all 5 of my 1L outlines (civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts) in one convenient package. That’s more than 75 pages of the best outlines you can get your hands on. In fact, they’re the very same outlines I used to ace my 1L exams. Be sure to download your copy today because my 1L outlines are available for a limited time only.