How do you take good notes in law?

Asked by: Kenya Schamberger  |  Last update: January 4, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (21 votes)

Make Notes Brief Here are some tips that will help you keep your notes brief and concise: Use abbreviations and symbols. You can design your own system or take inspiration from those commonly used in legal documents. Jot down unfamiliar words or concepts you don't understand; you can look them up later.

What do lawyers use to take notes?

Tech for Note-Taking
  • Digital note-taking apps: Use digital note-taking apps like Evernote or OneNote to capture and organize your notes. ...
  • Audio recording: Use audio recording software to record meetings and conversations and then transcribe the recordings into written notes.

How do you take notes in a law case?

Law school note-taking tips and shortcuts
  1. Try taking notes by hand. ...
  2. Use helpful abbreviations! ...
  3. Color-code your outlines. ...
  4. Use text expander! ...
  5. Write down hypos from class. ...
  6. Don't write down every fact of every case. ...
  7. Try perusing an outline from a past student before or during class.

How to take good court notes?

Effective Court Note-Taking: A Strategic Legal Skill
  1. Understanding the Context: More Than Just Words. ...
  2. Active Listening: The Foundation of Note-Taking. ...
  3. Organizational Skills: Structuring Your Notes. ...
  4. Accuracy and Brevity: Balancing Detail with Conciseness. ...
  5. Review and Revision: Refining Your Notes.

What are the 7 rules of note taking?

Here are seven note-taking tips.
  • Do take notes. Students who take notes during a lesson achieve more than those who listen to the lesson without note taking. ...
  • Take complete notes. ...
  • Take detailed notes. ...
  • Look for note-taking cues. ...
  • Revise your notes. ...
  • Replay lectures. ...
  • Take handwritten notes.

How I Take Notes (at Law School) - The SOAR Framework

41 related questions found

What are the 5 R's of good note-taking?

This format provides the perfect opportunity for following through with the 5 R's of note-taking:
  • Record. During the lecture, record in the main column as many meaningful facts and ideas as you can. ...
  • Reduce. As soon after as possible, summarize these facts and ideas concisely in the Cue Column. ...
  • Recite. ...
  • Reflect. ...
  • Review.

What are the 6 most common mistakes in note-taking?

In this article, we'll go over some common note-taking mistakes and how you can make sure to avoid them.
  • Mistake #1: Taking Too Long Notes. ...
  • Mistake #2: Not Organizing Your Notes. ...
  • Mistake #3: Not Reviewing Your Notes. ...
  • Mistake #4: Copying Information Verbatim. ...
  • Mistake #5: Not Personalizing Your Note-Taking Method.

What not to say to a judge in court?

Don't lie about anything, not even white [small] lies. If you are discovered to be lying, the judge may find it hard to believe you when you are telling the truth. Don't argue with the questioner. Don't ask questions back: “What would you do if…”

How to take notes like a detective?

Notes should be made as contemporaneously as possible. This means that an officer must record their notes as soon as it is safe or practicable to do so. The notes will reflect what the investigator thought, what they did and what they observed.

How do you impress a judge in court?

Dress professionally and appropriately. It is not necessary to dress like a lawyer, but conservative and “business casual” is a good rule. Do wear tidy clothing and groom yourself neatly. You want to be taken seriously by the judge.

What is the best note taking method for law?

Choosing the Method: Handwritten vs. Typed. Many law students type up notes, but studies have shown that sticking to old-school pen and paper can seriously improve your retention of the material discussed.

Do lawyers take notes in court?

An attorney will make notes during opening argument to record certain promises that the opposing lawyer has made to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will show you that the doctor violated the basic standard of medical care. We will show you that we are more likely right than wrong that this doctor was careless.

Why is it called black letter law?

Blackletter law is free from doubt and generally well-known. It also means well-established case law and refers to the basic key components of a subject in the law. Essentially, it refers to legal concepts that are ancient, important, and indisputable.

How do you take legal case notes?

Case notes should include the following sections:
  1. Introduction: Introduce the area of the law you will talk about and very basic facts about the case (1 Paragraph)
  2. The Facts: Provide a rundown of the facts of the case. ...
  3. Legal Background: Explain how the case made it to the Supreme Court. ...
  4. Holding: ...
  5. Legal Analysis:

What text do lawyers use?

While there's no one “official” font style for preparing legal documents, there are a few court-approved fonts that are considered most easily readable: Arial. Century (and Century-related fonts like Century Schoolbook) Verdana.

What is the best legal note-taking app?

There are many great note-taking app options for lawyers to consider, including Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, Google Keep and AI-powered options. However, there is no single “best” application.

How do you take really good notes?

Add your main points as bullet points, and elaborate on them underneath. For any piece of supporting information, create a nested bullet point below it. Remember to keep your points brief, preferably around one sentence per point. The finished note should look similar to an outline.

What is the key to taking notes at a crime scene?

Notes should detail every step and process of the crime scene investigation. Notes should be in chronological order and taken as events during the investigation occur. Notes should have accurate measurements to specify direction of evidence found (i.e., 7 inches south of east corner of table).

What tricks do detectives use?

Police Investigation Tactics
  • Pre Text Phone Calls. ...
  • The Use Of Polygraphs. ...
  • The Use of Misdirection and other Interrogation Techniques by the Investigating Officer. ...
  • Bad Move. ...
  • Confrontation. ...
  • Theme development. ...
  • Stopping denials. ...
  • Overcoming objections.

What's the best color to wear to court?

It's best to avoid bright colors. Whether you're a plaintiff or a defendant, dark or neutral colors like white, navy blue, and gray are the best colors to wear to court. Your attorney can offer guidance if you're unsure about what you're wearing.

What words not to use in court?

The Bad Word List, also known as the anti-reptile word list, includes: always, never, must, required, every, any, safety, priority, prevent, and violate, among others. Each word eliminates judgment and circumstances and can trap witnesses.

How to make a judge feel sorry for you?

You should not attempt to elicit sympathy from the judge. The judge will not feel sorry for you for committing the crime, he or she will feel sympathy for the victim (in the case that there was one). Playing the pity card will simply come across as a ploy to get off easy. If you can help yourself, don't cry.

What should one avoid while taking notes?

Write notes in your own words instead of copying down information from the book. Avoid over-highlighting. Highlighting doesn't do much to actively engage the brain, so it's not the most useful strategy. Also, highlighting too much can keep you from focusing on the main ideas.

What is the best note-taking method?

The Cornell method

Divide your page into two columns (make the right column wider than the left). The right column is for taking notes, while the left column is for jotting down key phrases associated with those notes. Then add a small section at the bottom of your page to write a summary of the main ideas.

Why is note-taking difficult?

Working memory. One of the most challenging aspects of note taking is the toll it takes on working memory. Working memory's capacity is limited, and information held in working memory slips away in real time.