Best Note-Taking Methods for Law School

Law school classes move fast. Your professor is asking Socratic questions, students are responding, and the discussion can pivot from rule statements to policy arguments to hypotheticals in seconds. If your note-taking method can't keep up, you'll leave class with an incomplete record of the day's learning. The right method captures what you need without pulling your attention away from the discussion.

Draw a vertical line down the page. Left column: Pre-class case brief (prepared before class). Right column: In-class additions — what the professor emphasizes, hypotheticals, policy points, and clarifications.

Best for: Students who brief cases before class (which should be everyone). This method connects your preparation to the class discussion, showing what the professor thinks matters most about each case.

Divide each page into three sections: a narrow left column (cues/questions), a wide right column (notes), and a bottom section (summary).

During class: Write notes in the right column.
After class: Add key terms and questions in the left column. Write a 2-3 sentence summary at the bottom.

Best for: Students who want a built-in review system. The after-class processing step reinforces learning.

Take notes directly in outline format, organized by topic and sub-topic. As the professor discusses consideration in Contracts, your notes go under “II. Consideration > A. Bargained-for Exchange.”

Best for: Students who want to reduce end-of-semester outlining work. Your class notes gradually become your outline. Requires more organizational thinking during class.

Laptop: Faster, more organized, searchable. But temptation to transcribe verbatim (which reduces learning) and internet distraction are real risks.

Handwriting: Slower, but research shows it forces you to process and summarize, which improves retention. Less organized and not searchable.

Recommendation: Laptop with an app that blocks distracting sites during class. Type selectively — capture the key points, not every word. If you find yourself transcribing, switch to handwriting.

Whatever method you use, review your notes within 24 hours. This is the single most impactful study habit you can develop. During review: fill in gaps, clarify confusing points, highlight key rules, and connect the day's material to your evolving outline. This 15-20 minute investment dramatically improves long-term retention compared to reviewing notes for the first time during exam prep.