It’s that time of the year when students start paying more attention to outlining. Are there any tips for creating a more effective outline? One tip is to use mnemonics to synthesize the material. Mnemonics help the long-term memory by linking and organizing the information in a compact and efficient way. They work even better if they are fun or bizarre. To boost the effect, create a vivid image to go with the word. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, well, maybe not a thousand, but 1.5 words at least, according to Cognitive Daily.
Here is an example from Property, Rights of Founders Against the Owners of Land. Let's say you need to remember the following rule.
The claim of the owner of the land on which the property was found can generally prevail over the claim of a finder of the lost property:
- if the property is classified as "mislaid";
- if the finder was a trespasser on the land when finding the property;
- if the finder was an invitee and the land was not generally open to the public;
- if the finder is an employee and an agent of the landowner.
To remember this, use 
THE LAW OF MISLAID TIE
LA = Landowner
W = Wins
Mislaid = Mislaid property
T = Trespasser
I = Invitee (and the land is generally not open to the public)
E = Employee
Here is a hypo:
Bob is taking a walk in the Botanical Gardens when he finds a box of lollipops. Under common law, can Bob’s claim to the lollipops prevail against the claim of the owner of the Botanical Gardens?
Answer: Yes. The finder’s claim to the found property can prevail against the owner of the land where the property was found if the land was open to the public.
To remember this, use 
LOLLIPOP
LO = Landowner
L = Loses
I = If
POP = Place Open to the Public
Check back for more mnemonics from Lawsagna!
Here is a good reason to look forward to a big holiday meal. It turns out that eating mashed potatoes can boost your memory. However, don’t go crazy on the diet drinks: “the artificial sweetener aspartame may actually go to your head,” according to Psychology Today.
BBC Radio 4 broadcast programs on memory last summer, to listen to them or read tips and articles go to their Memory Home page.
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