Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Blog

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. In this episode, we'll talk a bit about one of the most popular study guide series available: the Understanding series from LexisNexis. Understanding has a lot more in common with your casebooks than a lot of secondary sources on the market.

The Library Minute is a video series describing study aids and other secondary sources available for students in the WMU-Cooley Law School libraries. In this episode, we establish some baseline context by talking a bit about a type of source you’re probably already familiar with: the casebook.

Law school isn’t like any other college experience you may have experienced. The unique demands on you in law school are much greater and more challenging than anything you may have encountered in your life. From day one, each law student begins a process that shapes and molds them into the kind of lawyer he or she will become. Only after that first critical year, will a student really understand expectations and move forward confidently. Here are what several second-year students would like to share about their experiences during their first year at WMU-Cooley Law School.

The decision-making process for attending law school is a difficult one. First, you need to decide if you really want to go to law school, or not. Then you need to decide what law school is a good fit for you. Never a small factor, you need to figure out how to make law school affordable or balance law school into your already busy schedule. It's not for everyone. Law school and a legal career are only for those individuals who really want it, have the ability, and are truly willing to put in the effort. 

Giving comes from the heart and is a very personal decision. You support causes that have meaning to you and make a real difference in the world. Let us tell you about five programs at WMU-Cooley that we are very proud of and that we ask you to support. 

Writing is a necessary evil to some and a welcome respite to others. But whether you love it or hate it, lawyers spend much of their time writing, and writing well is important to success as a lawyer. WMU-Cooley understood these two facts from the start, which is why WMU-Cooley now has a nationally recognized research and writing program. Designed to teach students plain-language writing and techniques that will serve them throughout their careers, the program has raised the legal-writing bar nationwide.

WMU-Cooley had the opportunity to sit down with Ashley Heidemann of JD Advising as she shared secrets to conquering the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Heidemann has been working with current and prospective law students for several years, helping them find success in their law school journeys.

WMU-Cooley sat down with Jeff Thomas, executive director, Pre-Law Programs for Kaplan Test Prep to talk about how to prepare for the LSAT and the bar.

Higher education at every level is expensive and law school is no exception. But that shouldn’t hold you back from achieving your dream. The key to managing the financial side of law school is understanding your budget, including things that you can do to minimize expenses and locate funding that fits your needs and eligibility.

Starting law school is a major life event ... and sooner or later most first-year students seek advice from a legal mentor, many times a professor, about how to make it through with flying colors. The advice they receive from these seasoned legal professionals is often remembered for the rest of their lives because it helps them meet and overcome challenges time and again. To share some of that valuable wisdom, we asked a few of our professors what advice they usually give first term law students …