Study Aids: Types of Study Aids

LaValley Law Library has many different types of study aids to assist you in studying, outlining, and understanding your law school classes. This page lists the various types of study aids available for check-out and what can be expected from each set. 

Early Semester

• Hornbooks
• Understanding Series
• Examples and Explanations
• Concise Hornhook Series

Mid Semester

• Nutshells
• Mastering the Law
• Short and Happy Guides 

Late Semester

• Acing Series
• Exam Pro Series

• Acing Series
  • Flowchart-style checklists to show students how to analyze law exam questions. Flowcharts provides students with a clear roadmap for answering exam questions. 
• Examples and Explanations
  • Outlines the law and summarizes cases. Includes a case book correlation chart, capsule summary and sample essay questions and answers.
• Exam Pro
  • Sample exams provide detailed fact patterns and questions, simulating real exams. You can check your answer against the key that explains not only the best answer choice, but why the other answers are not the best choice.
• Glannon Guides
  • Straightforward explanations of tough concepts with a humorous style. Both correct and incorrect options are explained, helping you learn why a solution does or does not work. 
• Law in a Flash
  • Written in a witty and comical tone to help review legal topics.
  • Each card has a question on one side and a concise answer on the reverse side. 
• Mastering Series
  • Easy to read and highlights and explains key terms. Each chapter has a beginning road map and ending checkpoints for review.
• Nutshells
  • Explains the law in a condensed narrative format.
• Questions and Answers 
  • Multiple choice and short answer questions with detailed explanations of the answers.
• Understanding Series
  • Gives the reader an understanding of the area of law. Contains discussion of many of the cases found in major casebooks.
• Short & Happy Guide
  •  This efficient and concise Guide explains complex law concepts in accessible language without sacrificing the nuance that distinguishes a superior exam performance from an average one. The Guide’s treatment of each major topic concludes with “The Takeaway”: a set of bullet points that succinctly summarizes the main issues that topic addresses. In turn, each topic is broken down into chapters, each of which concluding with “The Short Version”: a very short statement of the basic lessons that chapter teaches.

Here are some resources providing tips on using study aid supplements. 

How to Use Study Aids in Law School (ABA For Law Students)

Law School Study Aids and Resources (Law School Toolbox)

Creating Study Aids (CALI)

• High Court Cases Summaries
• Gilbert Law Summaries
• Sum and Substance Audio Series
• Exam Pro Series
• Black Letter Law Outlines
• Nutshell Series
• Short & Happy Guide Series
• Quick Review of Torts
• Law School Legends Audio
• Acing Series

• Casenote Legal Briefs
  • It is not recommended that this resource is used to avoid reading for class. 
• Glannon Guides
• Inside Series
• Emanuel Law Outlines
• Emanuel CrunchTime 
• Friedman's Practice Series

• Understanding Series
• Questions & Answers Series
• Mastering Series