Welcome to LearnLawBetter. In this episode, I will provide you with a proven note taking
technique. This approach to note taking was created over 50 years ago at Cornell University
and is used by millions around the world.
Hi, this is Beau Baez, and today I want to talk to you about how to take class notes
using the Cornell Method. While it is possible to use this method on a computer, the preferred
method for taking class notes is by hand. Make sure to listen to my previous episode
called “Handwrite or Type Notes” as to why handwriting will result in better results.
The first step is to have the right paper. While you can search for Cornell paper
and purchase it online already pre-formatted, you can easily format any paper, whether its lined or blank, with
a ruler and pen. Assuming you are formatting it yourself, go two inches from the left side
and draw a line from the top to bottom, dividing the paper into two columns. You will take
your notes in the much larger right column, and leave the left column alone during class.
At the bottom, draw a horizontal line two inches from the bottom, which you will also
leave blank during class. During class you will place all of your notes
in the right column. Do not try to outline your notes during class. Instead, focus on
the content of the discussion. Now, if there is material that is sequential in nature,
then, yes, number it. But don’t try to place the material into a larger
organizational system during class. For example, suppose that you are creating an outline for
your Torts class, and you have Negligence under Roman numeral II. That's fine, but
don’t worry about that during class time. So if your professor says there are 5 elements
to Negligence, then by all means write down 1 through 5, along with the elements.
Next, don’t take verbatim notes. Instead, capture the most important ideas. Since these
are your notes, write telegraphically. You have likely seen movies where somebody in the movie received
a telegram. Because people paid by the individual letter in those days, telegrams sounded choppy,
yet they are completely understandable. You can employ the same technique and avoid words
like a, an, the, for. Also, use abbreviations. In law school, many students use a capital
K for contract, a capital P for plaintiff, a Greek Δ , or Delta, for defendant. They’re your notes, so create
abbreviations that work for you. Now shortly after class, you will use the left
side column, which is called the cue column. C-U-E, because those are your cues for helping
you understand what is in your notes. You should write down key words in the cue column
that correlate to your notes in the right column. For example, suppose your class discussion
was about mutual assent for a contract. In the cue column you might write down “offer”
in one spot and then further down the page you might write down “acceptance.” One
advantage of using key words is that you can then find those key words on any of the pages where
they appear in your notes, allowing you to tie concepts together, even though they might have been
discussed at different points during the class discussion, or even over several classes.
Finally, the blank section at the bottom of the page is a summary section. After you complete
the cue section, summarize your notes in the summary section. That is critically important, because
each time you engage with the material you learn it at a deeper level. Much more so than
will occur if you only reread your notes. Make sure to come back for my next episode,
where I cover the content you should be capturing in your notes. Please leave a comment below
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We have many other episodes, so feel free to explore. Also, at LearnLawBetter.com you
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and exam bank. Thank you for watching.