Guest: Professor Jennifer Martin, Western New England College School of Law

Topic:Exam Advice: A discussion of common errors that students make and can avoid when writing a law school essay exam.

Running Time: 11:20

Click here to download the mp3 file: Martin_commomessaymistakes.mp3

In this podcast, Prof. Jennifer Martin discusses the top ten mistakes law students make in law school examinations. These are poor issue spotting, poor issue spotting, poor knowledge and understanding of the law, poor application of the law to the facts, giving only conclusory answers, lack of organization, errors in the facts, failure to understand the role you are given in the examination, padding, fact inventing, and question begging. Included in this discussion is guidance on spotting the issues, avoiding being bottom line oriented, how to use the facts, how to approach a question, and using words efficiently. Prof. Martin also discusses the hallmarks of a good essay answer. These answers are lawyerlike, responsive to the question asked, logical, thought out, well organized, fact and issue centered, and use cogent reasoning and good rule application.

Prof. Martin is also the author of a number of CALI lessons and other podcasts.