True “attendance” in class means so much more than simple presence in the classroom. Active engagement is essential. Note-taking promotes that engagement. 

Exam-targeted note taking is an art. She who keeps a discerning eye on the target during each day’s class will take notes with purpose—notes that will substantially enhance her ability to demonstrate her legal skills, knowledge, and fluency on the final examination.

A law student's primary goal in taking notes in class is precisely the same as the objective of the lawyer taking notes at a deposition or client interview: to create a personal record for later reference. In addition, law students and lawyers have other reasons for note-taking, including:

• Vigilance. Taking notes keeps you focused.
• Recall. During class you discover what you forgot to read, what you need to look up, and questions you need answered. Noting these items keeps them from evaporating into the atmosphere. Retention. Writing notes, then working with them soon thereafter, dramatically increases your retention of the material.
• Exam preparation. The richest source of fundamental information for course summary preparation (and thus, exam prep) will be your class notes.

Do these match your objectives? Learn how to take class notes ... it's a whole different process than it was when you were an undergrad. As soon as you exit from the classroom, you ought to move to the next level: breathe life into your notes by transforming your notes. You'll find more about that in the links and blog entries we'll be adding in the future. If you have questions now, send me a note (use the "contact" link at the bottom of the page).