It’s impossible to study legal forms and documents without learning about legal terminology, which makes it imperative that you understand legal terminology! You must have a working knowledge of legal jargon to be able to effectively take and understand legal literacy tests. Some students take pre-law courses in order to get a better understanding of legal forms and jargon. Others take pre-law courses in order to build their writing skills to write good legal documents. There are even law school programs that specifically address legal illiteracy.
What if you’ve already taken a course in legal form skills but still struggle with legal literacy? Don’t give up. You can purchase software to help review legal documents. This type of software takes the hard work out of studying legal forms and terminology, and forces you to analyze each word and phrase in the legal document. The result is that you’ll learn legal forms and words much faster, since you won’t be wasting time reading through legal documents word-for-word.
To review legal forms, the first step you need to take is to take the LSAT or Law Schools Admissions Test. LSAT will gauge your prior knowledge of legal documents, such as contracts, insurance forms, real estate papers, and the like. Once you have passed the LSAT, you should still take the time to review legal forms, but this time, force yourself to ignore extraneous details. Review only the legal documents that are absolutely necessary to your studies.
Take full advantage of your law school library. Many law schools have large libraries filled with hundreds of years’ worth of legal forms, newspapers, and magazine articles. Use this library for your studies, but don’t simply thumb through each issue looking for specific legal forms you need. Use the library’s index to find specific legal forms.
You may also want to use the law library’s digital library. This is similar to the index used in your law library, except that you can access hundreds of digital images for legal forms, newspapers, and magazines. You may want to search the digital images for specific legal forms. Once you’ve found a form, highlight it and take it to the computer. You may be able to view the legal document or file online for free. However, if the document or file is a matter of public record, such as a transcript for a court case, you will usually need to purchase a printed copy from the courthouse or legal records office.
If you’re looking for a specific legal document or a section of a legal form, search the internet for relevant legal forms. Many sites offer free access to a range of legal forms. However, some sites require a fee, such as for membership to their database. Using this method may save you money over purchasing printed copies of legal documents.
Law school can prepare you for all the challenges you will face once you enter the legal market. However, preparing for law school will begin to use legal forms correctly. The next step is to read every word carefully and understand each phrase. Then, practice reading the legal forms as many times as possible until you feel comfortable completing them. Finally, write your own short legal essay, using an example as a guide.
- Share:
