What Are Supplements & Study Aids?

If outlines and case briefs are the bread and butter of studying in law school, then supplements are the butter knife.

If you have ever felt a disconnect between your outline (which details the overall general and sub-rules) and your case briefs (which demonstrate the judicial application of rules to facts) when you begin studying for finals, come to the law library and check out our Study Aid section.

Supplements are made to provide an opportunity for practice and to fill in any gaps of information that were left out or vaguely described in textbooks about a specific rule or doctrine within an area of law.

How Can Supplements & Study Aids Help Me Succeed?

One of the most effective ways to study for exams in law school is by solving many subject-based multiple-choice or essay question hypotheticals. As law school exams take on a similar format.

After learning the law through reading cases and outlining the rules, one should consult a study aid or supplement to further their understanding on any specific rules or doctrines and gain practice for the exam.

Where Should I Start?

A few of the best study aids and supplements that we have available at the law library are: The Glannon Guide, Questions & Answers, Model Problems and Outstanding Answers, and The Short & Happy Guide. They are available in a variety of subject matters, from Property to Criminal Procedure.

Takeaway:

The object of the game is not to memorize the law or rules, but to apply the law to a set of hypothetical facts. Accordingly, the best way to do this is to obtain a lot of practice solving hypotheticals and analyzing the reasoning for the correct answers. Remember: supplements and study guides are studying saviors.

 -Shawna Harrison - Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2026