"Excuse me but what is outlining and why does everyone keep talking about it?" - Anonymous 1L

What?

Outlines are study-aids that provide concise rules of law and occasionally, short summaries of landmark cases discussing the rules of law.

Although many law students are tempted to purchase commercial outlines or rely on the outlines of students who did well in a class the year before, most law professors will urge you to make your own outlines.

Why?
Students who create their own outlines generally do better on exams because the process of outlining requires you to restate and organize the rules of law in a way the makes sense to YOU, not someone else.

Many 1Ls make the mistake of thinking that outlines are no longer necessary now that class notes are taken electronically. However, typing notes on a laptop involves dictation, not synthesis! Most students won’t remember much of what they typed during a week, let alone a semester.

Although outlining can be time-consuming, it’s an essential part of the 1L routine, just like case-briefing. Both outlining and case-briefing get you into the habit of thinking like a lawyer, which isn’t something that comes naturally. However, if you do decide to use an outline that isn’t your own, make sure that the rules of law are correct for the jurisdiction you’re being tested on and that the outline you borrow references the material covered in your class.