Eight Smart Hacks for Civil Procedure Outlines

The goal of civil procedural rules is to provide a fair and just means of resolving disputes while still creating an efficient method for processing cases. Because it doesn’t deal with substantive law, Civil Procedure concepts can be quite convoluted and difficult to grasp. To help you survive your semester of Civil Procedure, we’ve put together these outlining hacks.

Hack #1: Talk to your professor

This person will be your greatest asset throughout the semester, especially when preparing your Civil Procedure outline and other course outlines for final exams. While there is a level of uniformity among law schools across the country, each class is taught differently. You’ll want to pay close attention to your professor’s cues to learn how to take their specific exam.

For example, your professor might tell you that they want you to focus on the “Notes and Questions” sections in your casebook. Others may say that you should only pay attention to the material from those sections that they highlight in class. As you continue throughout your semester, you should consider how your professor structures hypotheticals, which can be inferred through in-class discussion.

Scheduling an office hours appointment is a great way to develop a relationship with your professor. Email is also an excellent alternative to asking questions you may not feel comfortable raising in class. Lastly, if it is not already stated on your syllabus, ask your professor if they recommend any other resources to help you throughout the semester. 

Hack #2: Ask upper-level students for supplements

Upper-level students are a great resource to gain general advice and receive old(er) outlines. Not only can older/upper-level students share helpful Civil Procedure outlines, but they can also be a great resource to discuss a time frame for outlining throughout the semester. And don’t rule them out for helping you navigate accessing outlines in the university’s outline bank — if your school has this resource. For Civil Procedure specifically, many of the topics are uniform across professors.

When looking at outlines from older students, make sure that you are still actively outlining. Pre-made outlines should only be used as supplements to cross-reference with your own.

Hack #3: Align your notes with class teachings

The more specific the outline is to your class, the better. If you can put your hands on a more recent outline from your same professor, that’s ideal. Professors often have a methodical technique for teaching, especially if they have been teaching the same course for many years.

Start by gathering multiple outlines from former students and scanning them to see which outline appears to mirror your lecture and in-class notes the closest. In the end, you’ll have a great asset to boost your studies.

Hack #4: Visit BARBRI.com, often

When you outline, it forces you to consider what information is essential, what information is extraneous, and what areas you need to review or ask clarifying questions about to your professor. The BARBRI website provides insights into how to best condense casebooks and in-class notes into a comprehensive outline.

BARBRI’s outlining tips also give you a comprehensive breakdown of what you should be putting into your outline: 

• Rules from the case you study
• Your summarized class notes
• Any other material that the professor has brought into discussions or lectures

It is critical to put your professor’s hypotheticals into your outline because they illuminate areas of interest your professor may have and more examples of important topics — and could potentially be a portion of the final exam.

With your Civil Procedure outline, it is essential to be diligent. For instance, if you do not understand personal jurisdiction, it will further complicate the rest of the semester. 

Hack #5: Use BARBRI 1L Mastery

BARBRI 1L Mastery contains video lectures for critical topics discussed in Civil Procedure to help you understand the competing Justices’ views of purposeful availment, personal jurisdiction and more. As an added bonus, Civil Procedure is taught by the amazing professor Rich Freer.

All the tools that 1L Mastery provides create a comprehensive resource for your Civil Procedure outlines.

Hack #6: Tap into school resources

If your law school offers LexisNexis as one of your research platforms, it is incredibly beneficial to use the database to compare your case briefs with the case briefs found there. It’s also worthwhile to talk to your Legal Writing professor about any resources they would recommend. Some textbooks even have a code inside the front cover that provides access to online resources. This can be a nice tool as you are developing your outlines.

Hack #7: Revisit BARBRI Law Preview

If you used BARBRI Law Preview before law school, it can help tremendously in getting you ready for the law school climate. Law Preview spends a lot of time breaking down the mystique of outlining. By outlining when you finish a topic, you begin to see and understand the direction of the course.  

Hack #8: Know you’re not alone

Outlining can appear quite daunting at first. Especially if you find completed outlines that are 60-100 pages. As with most things, there is no one right way to go about creating a law school outline. Just know that when you break the process down into manageable parts, you’re well on your way to having one cohesive review tool to help you be successful on final exam day.

For additional information, especially for that Civil Procedure outline, be sure to check out these tips on law school outlines.