For anyone brushing up on evidence essays:
1. Practice both civil and criminal fact patterns
Make sure you’re seeing a mix, and keep track as you go.
2. Know the major civil vs. criminal distinctions
Keep a running list that you can always go back and reference.
3. Practice timed and closed note
Evidence essays move so fast. Absolutely the #1 mistake people make is not doing this.
4. Mostly you’re just matching facts to rules.
There’s less ambiguity and fewer counterarguments. But you’ve gotta get through more issues.
5. Expect a high issue count
CA essays average ~20 issues; typical essays cover ~10 issues; UBE essays usually include ~3–5 issues.
Check out the Free Resources tab for more tips and info.