Rating: 
Summary: Excellent - 3Ls should see Common Sense Rules of Advocacy
Review: Deaver's book is excellent. But if you want to learn how a persuasive lawyer thinks, you should also read Keith Evan's "Common Sense Rules of Advocacy for Lawyers."Mr. Evans tried hundreds of jury trials as a trial lawyer in California for many years, after a decade as a barrister in England. He also taught as an adjunct law professor and gave many presentations to American Inns of Court. More information about Evans' book is available on its web site: RulesOfAdvocacy.com or search Amazon for ISBN 1587330059 If you want to know what law school is about, buy "The Complete Law School Companion". When you are a 3L, or after law school, get "Common Sense Rules of Advocacy for Lawyers."
Rating:
Summary: In depth study guide...No details left out
Review: First, I have not yet been to law school so i cannot judge how well the techniqes described in this book would help. That being said, if these techniqes do work then I have my study guide for the next three years. Deaver does not hesitate to describe in detail the requirements for law school. He offers his advice and gives VERY in depth techniqes to outline courses, take notes, brief cases, and take exams. He even provides sample exam questions and answers which I found very helpful in allowing me to understand what i will be facing next year. He does not skimp on the details and offers step by step methods to brief cases. His descriptions are much more in depth than other books I have read. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to find someone else's proven techniqes for succeeding in law school outlined in a step by step fashion.
Rating:
Summary: Clear and Powerful, Like a Fine Deodorant
Review: Granted, I haven't had the opportunity yet to implement Jeff Deaver's LCM (Legal Concept Management) system, but I am very impressed by its rigor and comprehensiveness, and am confident that it will be an indispensable asset in my quest for success in the study of law. In short, I strongly recommend this book for any one considering going to law school.
Rating: 
Summary: WHEW - It's THOROUGH!
Review: Great plan - but putting it into action will take tremendous self-discipline! Suggest buying it and seeing which tips and tricks work best for you rather than thinking you have to implement Deaver's plan in its entirety in order to have it "work"... EXCELLENT if you've got "law school nerves"!
Rating:
Summary: Avoid Commercial Outlines and Study Groups
Review: Having graduated with high honors from one of the top five law schools, I relied on this book and several others to identify the appropriate approach to taking law school exams. I applied the approach as follows: (1) read only those assignments provided by the professor (ignore commercial outlines, etc.); (2) take extensive notes of everything the professor says in class (and do not write down any student comments or student answers to Socratic questions); (3) organize your notes of the professor's lectures into your own outline; (4) read the professor's prior exam files, including any student answers selected by the professor as "model answers"; and (5) practice taking the professor's old exams in the few days leading up to exam day. The rationale is that your professor will be looking for you to spot those issues that he or she views as important. The more of these issues you spot, the higher your exam grade will be. Ditch those commercial outlines and study group meetings. In addition to the Companion, you should also prepare for law school by conditioning yourself to what its competition will feel like. Two excellent books that accomplish this goal are Scott Turow's One L (Harvard in the 1970s) and Scott Gaille's The Law Review (2002 book about competition at The University of Chicago Law School).
Rating:
Summary: Avoid Commercial Outlines and Study Groups
Review: Having graduated with high honors from one of the top five law schools, I relied on this book and several others to identify the appropriate approach to taking law school exams. I applied the approach as follows: (1) read only those assignments provided by the professor (ignore commercial outlines, etc.); (2) take extensive notes of everything the professor says in class (and do not write down any student comments or student answers to Socratic questions); (3) organize your notes of the professor's lectures into your own outline; (4) read the professor's prior exam files, including any student answers selected by the professor as "model answers"; and (5) practice taking the professor's old exams in the few days leading up to exam day. The rationale is that your professor will be looking for you to spot those issues that he or she views as important. The more of these issues you spot, the higher your exam grade will be. Ditch those commercial outlines and study group meetings. In addition to the Companion, you should also prepare for law school by conditioning yourself to what its competition will feel like. Two excellent books that accomplish this goal are Scott Turow's One L (Harvard in the 1970s) and Scott Gaille's The Law Review (2002 book about competition at The University of Chicago Law School).
Rating:
Summary: This book helped me survive and succeed.
Review: I bought this book before starting Harvard Law School in 1995 and followed the author's recommended system (more or less) throughout my three years there. Suffice it to say, I graduated cum laude (and just a few tenths of a point below magna -- darn!). The system Deaver specifies in this book (which is fairly ambitious) is excellent for anyone who is detail-oriented and has the discipline to stick with it. After your first semester, you may find that you can ease up on the regimen somewhat, but Deaver's way is the right way to start. My only qualification is that the book doesn't have much on the use of computers, which can make law-school life a whole lot easier (especially a lap-top). But I found Deaver's system easily adaptable. His single best piece of advice: when studying for exams, don't skim your outlines or memorize your outlines, but *read* them again and again to absorb their substance. It works (even for the bar exam)!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but can't replace school tours or human sources
Review: I bought this book on a whim when I got accepted at my first law school. I was desperate for any and all information I could get, since none of my friends or anyone in my immediate social circle had gone to law school. I devoured this book, particularly the portion that describes different areas of law and the expected rate of advancement, reasonable starting salary expectations, etc. However, this book is no substitute for touring a law school, talking to students and faculty, and doing some more creative research. I think this book is best suited for people debating whether or not to attempt law school, not people who have already committed to it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I bought this book prior to starting law school. I thought the book gave sound advice, and I planned to use the system described in the book. When I arrived at orientation, the faculty outlined the methods they had observed highly sucessful students using over the years. The advice nearly matched the system in the book word for word. Of course, everyone in my class got this information, but the program my school has instituted is quite rare among law schools. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an edge in law school.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Preparation Book on the Market
Review: I bought this book, and four others like it, prior attending law school. Of the five books, this was by far the best one. I have since passed it on to a friend who is using it to prepare for school, and I am about to order another copy for my brother who is also about to go to law school. What this book has that the others did not is a plan. All of the books described well what to expect in law school. What they did not do, and what this book did an excellent job doing, was provide a plan and system so that you are prepared walking in the door for that proverbial Scott Turow first day as a One L. This is the only preparation book you need to read before school starts.
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