In law school, you need E.Q. and creativity rather than I.Q.
Watch until the end of this video to find out why.
Good morning Pilipinas!  I am Bacon Palacio and welcome back to my channel.
If this is your first time to my channel.  I make videos about Philippine law, law school, and the legal profession.
1) Codal is King!
Codal is King!  What is Codal?
It is the letter of the law.
The codal provision of the Civil Code is the letter of the Civil Code itself.
What is the correct way of reading the codal provision?
Pay close attention to every punctuation that is written in the codal provision.
Pay close attention to the "or", "and", "and/or", "except", and "exemptions",
or anything similar to the words I just mentioned.
Here is another tip when you are reading codal:
If after three careful readings and you still cannot understand what the codal provision is trying to say,
Stop. Breathe. Stand up. Walk for five minutes. Then Read the commentary.
After reading the commentary, then start re-reading the codal provision
Then write notes on your codal about what you've read in the commentary.
So when you read your codal, you can see your notes.
It is now easier for you to recall and understand the codal provision.
Then visualize how the provision applies in real life,
in what situations does it apply to, and does not apply to.
The power of Codal!
From the experience of law school graduates,
a lot of them were able to answer their exams by only using codal provisions.
Truth be told, a lot of the bar exam questions can be answered by only using codal provisions.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask it in the comments.  I will reply to your comments.
The engagement really helps me a lot.
2) On case digest [/summary].
How to digest [Supreme Court] cases.
Once your professor gives a list of cases, gather them all and digest [/summarize] them immediately.
The entire class should help in digesting [/summarizing] the [Supreme Court] cases.
Before digesting a [Supreme Court] cases.
Do not [write] case digests if it is not required by your [law school] professor.
Summarizing a [Supreme Court] case.
Just put a bracket on the topics that will be discussed for that day or for the subject.
Focus on...
Go directly to the discussions of the Supreme Court.
In the discussion, you will find all the facts you need
to understand how to apply the law that you are [studying].
3) EQ trumps IQ
You need a lot of EQ in law school.
You do not need a lot of IQ
In law school, you need to have a thick skin.
The secret is...
If you want to ace [excel, and thrive] in law school, stress management is the key.
Because you will be distracted by your stress triggers.
That is why you need to manage your stress so it will be easier for you to study.
If you cannot manage your stress...
I'm sure that you will not graduate.  You will drop out from law school.
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4) Know thy professor!
Laugh at your professor's jokes.
Because if he is in a good mood, the chances that he will give your class higher grades in the recitation also goes up.
Do not piss off your professor!
If you piss him off, there is a risk that he will give your class a hard time because he is the one giving the grades.
Know your professor's habits.
Every professor [in law school] has a habit.
One of their habits: They will repeatedly ask about their favorite topics in a given subject.
So ask your upperclassmen about his favorite exam questions.
5) Come to class prepared!
You professors come to class prepared.
They feel insulted when your ENTIRE class is not prepared.
So, your ENTIRE class must be prepared for recitation for that day.
If the class is not prepared?
He will be pissed off at the entire class, not just at those who cannot answer his questions.
6) On exams
Your mid term exams is more important than your recitations.
The final exam is more important than your mid term exams AND recitations.
Your professor will only use your recitations only when your grades are at death's door.
Otherwise, he is more likely to use your final and midterm exams [as basis for your grades].
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7) Recit is YOUR weapon!
During recitations, your professor reveals his favorite topics.
Take note of his favorite questions.
Because it is highly likely that he will ask that in your exams
How can I be so sure?  Because that is my experience.  That is also the experience of students from other law schools.
How was I able to find out about the experience of students from other law school?
Because I was an active member of the Association of Law Students of the Philippines.
Because of my membership, I was able to talk to achiever [law] students from other law schools.
Those are our experience. If there are outliers or exceptions, they are rare.  But most will have the same experience in law school.
8) Back to basic!
Real talk: [Supreme Court] justices sometimes do not agree how to interpret the law.
Do you think that YOU can study, interpret, and apply it in such a way your professor will be satisfied?
Of course not! That is why it is important that you know the basics.
As I've earlier mentioned, your [law school] professors do not expect that you know everything.
But they expect that you know the basics of the subject you are studying.
Pro tip: When you take the bar [exam], the [bar] examiner does not expect that you know everything about the subject of the exam.
But the [bar] examiner expects that you know all the basics [of the subject].
9) Study Smart!
As a rule, codal is more important than the commentary.  The commentary is more important than [Supreme Court] cases.
Once you understand your codal provisions, and memorized the important ones,
that is already half of your preparation for the bar exams, and your [law school] recitation and exams.
Am I saying that you should only read your codal?
Of course not.  But you need to prioritize. Read your codal first, then the commentary,
then the [Supreme Court] cases, if you still have time [to spare].
But, they must be in digest [/summarized] form. It need not be written though.
Just put a bracket on the parts that you need to read for that day or for the subject.
How to take notes [in law school].
Use a notebook to write all your notes in.
If possible, write your notes on your codal.
Prepare for the bar [exam] today!
Try to answer bar exam questions. Then show it to lawyers for criticism and feedback.
Invest in your foundation.
If you have a good foundation [in law school], all you need is a quick review, and you can go toe to toe with fellow lawyers even on a short notice.
Another added benefit if you have a good foundation in law school,
it is easier for you to review for, and answer the, bar exams.
10) Moot Court Society
Here is a good tip: join your law school's the moot court society.
You will learn about issue spotting, and how to answer essay type questions in law school and the bar exam.
You will also learn about debating skills that you will use in your legal practice.
11) Spend wisely.
If you are on a tight budget, hold off on buying commentaries.
Borrow it from the library or from your upperclassmen.
Use the money that you saved from your first year to third year [in law school]
to buy reviewers that you will use in your fourth year, and for your review during the bar exams.
12) On handwriting...
You need to practice your handwriting on a daily basis.
Use the codal provisions that was asked in your recitation as exercises for your practice.
At first, make an effort to make your handwriting legible.
Then, make an effort to write legibly and quick.
Do note that you will WRITE your answers for the bar exam and your law school exams.
Another tip: Look for a ballpen, sign pen, or a fountain pen
that fits your style of writing.  Then use that although out law school and the bar exam.
13) English please!
Here is the legendary tip of the day:
You need good command of the English language.
You will use English in answering your recitations, law school exams, and the bar exam.
Thus, you really need good command of the English language.
Your professors and the bar examiners do not like it if you have poor English.
QOTD: Which of my tips you find most useful, or least useful?  Write it in the comments and let us discuss it.
And that is all the time I have for today.  If you like my content please leave a like.
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Again, I am Bacon Palacio and I will see YOU in the next video.  Bye! Bye!
