Law School Exams
Updated Dec. 27, 2007.
Originally prepared by Jean Dart, Reference Intern; updated by Cheryl
Nyberg.
University of Washington School of Law Exams
Many exams from current and former UW law professors are available on the Gallagher Law Library website.
By agreement with the faculty, access to these exams is restricted to UW students. You will need to logon with your UW NetID.
The exams are arranged by the name of the professor. So, how can you find an exam by subject? Select the first name that appears alphabetically and then use the browser's Edit > Find on Page feature to search by topic or class name. You may also use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl-f, and then type in the topic or class name.
The Law Library relies on professors to submit electronic copies of their exams for this collection. Please contact your professor to inquire about the availability of previous exams that are not posted in the archive.
Exams from Other Law Schools
Several law schools and libraries maintain freely available collections of their school’s exams. For lists of links see Findlaw, Law School Exams and Jurist, Law School Exams.
- University of Arkansas, Final Exams Archive. Arranged by professor.
- University of Dayton, Past Exams. Arranged by course.
- Harvard Law School, Exam Book Archives. Arranged by academic year then by professor or course.
- University of Kentucky, Exam List. Arranged by 1L,1st semester, 2d semester, 2L, and 3L. Some exams are password protected.
- University of Missouri-Columbia, Exams Online. Arranged by professor or course.
- Pepperdine University, Exam Archive. Arranged by professor or course.
- St. Thomas University, Sample Exams. Arranged by professor.
Books & Websites on Preparing for & Taking Exams
In addition to looking at old exams, a review of test-taking strategies can be helpful. There are several online articles about test-taking, including:
- Patrick Wiseman,"When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It," and Other Sage Advice for First-Time Law School Exam Takers. 22 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 653 (2006).
- Jerry J. Phillips, Thirteen Rules for Taking Law Exams. 72 Tenn. L. Rev. 797 (2005). Hein Online
- John H. Langbien, Writing Law Examinations
- Carol Nygren, Using Professors’ Old Exams To Prepare
- Carol Nygren, Confronting Your Final Exam - Torts
- William R. Andersen, Writing Better Law School Exams: The Importance of Structure. This is a CALI lesson. To obtain a password to register to use CALI, contact lawhelp@u, a computer lab attendant in Room 222, or the Reference Office (543-6794).
Another good review strategy is to look at a capsule summary or an outline of the legal subject before taking the final exam. Capsule summaries and outlines are linked from Findlaw, Outlines & Exams.
The Law Library has several books on taking law school exams, including the following titles, all located in the Reference Area:
- Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams, 1999. KF283.F57 1999
- How to Study Law and Take Law Exams in a Nutshell, 1996. KF283.B87 1996
- Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win, 2007. KF283.C35 2007
- Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success, 2d ed., 2002. KF287.S53 2002
- Mastering the Law School Exam: A Practical Blueprint for Preparing and Taking Law School Exams, 2007. KF283.D37 2007
- A Practical Guide to Writing Law School Essay Exams, 2001. KF283.D47 2001
- Strategies & Tactics for First Year Law: Maximize Your Grades, 1995. KF283.W35 1995
For additional titles, search the Law Library catalog by keywords: law examinations.
More advice is available at:
- Top Law Student blog, How to Prepare for Law School Exams
- Evan Schaeffer's Legal Underground, A Law Professor Shares The Top Arbitrary Number (Turns Out to be Six) of Things Not to Do on Law School Exams
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal
Instruction (CALI) podcasts
- Six professors provide advice on Exam Preparation
- Scott Burnham (U of Montana), Tips for Multiple Choice Exams in Law School
- Jennifer Martin (Western New England), Top Ten Tips for Successfully Writing a Law School Essay