by Troy Mueller

As the thrill of a new school year wanes and emotional equilibrium begins to droop into exhaustion and anxiety, efficiency becomes a focus for any law student. Outlines, study groups,case briefs, practice exams, and review sessions are being employed alongside trips to the library, writing center, professors’ offices, career center, and other functions. To imagine the law student as I have, pick an animal that flourishes in a large group (like a herd animal). Analogize your individual situation to that animal’s community as a whole, then put that community near the river on a hot day and rattle off some common law before the lions show up.

There are a variety of methods employed in the art of time management. Some people use planners, others, the zodiac. Most use a combination of tricks and charts, but regardless of style, it’s hard to know what’s best until you’ve tried them all. Mnemonic devices are a fun way to quickly memorize material that you can recall for years and years, but why not expand on it? Here’s another way to study for classes that may not be as obvious.

MAKE PLAYLISTS.

As long as Southwestern is a commuter school, you’ll be losing time in LA traffic trying to get back to your books. Why not throw together a couple relevant tracks for that light at Vermont and Wilshire? There are lots of easy ways to acquire music and at least as many devices to listen to it. Spin ‘em (or pop in those ear buds, depending on your financial situation) and squeeze precious minutes into your study schedule where there were none before.

For example:

Civil Procedure.

California Long Arm Statute - Michelle Branch, “Everywhere”*

14th Amendment Due Process Clause - Talking Heads, “Don’t Worry About the Government”

Minimum Contacts - Brandy, “Sitting up in my Room”

Purposeful Availment - Gary Numan, “Cars”

Purposeful Availment with Intentional Torts - The Modern Lovers, “Pablo Picasso”

Purposeful Availment with the Internet - Shalamar, “Right in the Socket”

Purposeful Availment with Business Relations - Michael Jackson, “Off the Wall”

Purposeful Availment with Stream of Commerce - Pizzicato Five, “The Night is Still Young”

Citizenship - Luther Vandross, “A House is Not a Home”

*subject to limitation

If you don’t like popular syncretic music of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, apply whatever your tastes are. In fact, you could be even more categorical. Many present and future interests problems resemble math equations when written in shorthand. What’s more mathematical than the traditional music of the west? (Classical, not Rawhide) Here’s an example (in order of ascending snobbery).

Property

Acquisition by Capture - Claude Debussy, “Prelude a L’apres-midi d’un Faune”

Subject to Condition Subsequent - Wolfgang A. Mozart, “Don Giovanni”

Adverse Possession - Arnold Schoenberg, “Suite for Piano”

Rules Against Perpetuities - Ludwig Von Beethoven, (piano sonata in C) Opus 111

Vested Remainder Interests - Frederic Chopin …