Commercial Outlines vs Your Own Outlines
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Commercial Outlines and Your Own Outlines for law students.
Overview
Commercial outlines -- published by companies like Emanuel, Examples & Explanations, Gilbert, and Quimbee -- are professionally written, comprehensive summaries of standard law school subjects. They cover every major topic, include helpful examples, and are written by experts. Many law students rely on them as a supplement or even a substitute for their own outlines.
Creating your own outline is the traditional approach endorsed by most law professors and academic success offices. The process involves reviewing your notes, casebook, and class discussion, then synthesizing everything into a structured document that reflects what your specific professor emphasized. The act of creating the outline is itself a powerful learning exercise that forces you to engage deeply with the material.
The tension between these approaches is one of the most debated topics in law school study strategy. Commercial outlines offer convenience and comprehensiveness, but they may not align with your professor's specific coverage or emphasis. Your own outlines are tailored to your course but may contain gaps or misunderstandings that a commercial outline would not.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | Commercial Outlines | Your Own Outlines |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy & Completeness | Expert-written and comprehensive; covers standard doctrines thoroughly | Quality depends on your understanding; may contain errors or gaps |
| Professor-Specific Alignment | Generic; may cover topics your professor skipped or miss topics they emphasized | Tailored to your exact course, professor's perspective, and class discussions |
| Learning Value of Creation | No learning from creation; you are a passive consumer of someone else's synthesis | Enormous learning value; the process of synthesizing material deepens understanding |
| Time Investment | Minimal; purchase and read, freeing time for other study activities | Significant; 20-40 hours per subject to create a thorough outline |
| Exam Performance Correlation | Weak correlation; students who rely solely on commercial outlines often underperform | Strong correlation; the synthesis process builds the understanding exams test |
| Usefulness as Reference | Excellent reference for looking up specific rules or filling knowledge gaps | Good reference but may be incomplete if you did not cover everything |
The Verdict
Creating your own outline should always be your primary approach. The learning happens in the synthesis process, not in the finished document. When you struggle to explain a concept in your outline, that struggle is where the deepest learning occurs. Students who skip this process and rely solely on commercial outlines consistently underperform on exams because they lack the deep understanding that the synthesis process builds.
That said, commercial outlines are a valuable supplement when used correctly. They are excellent for filling gaps in your understanding, checking your own outline for accuracy, and getting a clear explanation of concepts you found confusing in class. The ideal workflow is to create your own outline first, then use a commercial outline to verify and supplement your work.
Who Is Each Method Best For?
Commercial outlines are best used as a supplement by students who have already created their own outlines and want to check for gaps or get clearer explanations of confusing topics. They can also be helpful early in the semester as a roadmap for understanding where the course is headed. Your own outlines are the best primary study tool for every law student -- the synthesis process is irreplaceable, and the resulting document is perfectly tailored to your course.