About this episode

Anthony Metivier explores the application of memory techniques in law school, drawing parallels with historical figures.

What happens when someone who has spent decades teaching memory techniques enrols in law school to find out if everything he teaches actually holds up? That’s exactly what I’m doing. Mind you, I’m not the first person to try a learning feat like this. Nor am I the first to document the journey of applying mnemonic methods to the law. In 1491, Peter of Ravenna published The Phoenix , a manual designed to teach his approach to the “Art of Memory.” It’s a short, but detailed memory improvement book that explains Ravenna’s techniques and how they enabled him to possess a massive amount of civil law code in his mind. His legal knowledge isn’t the only thing that made Ravenna legendary. As I explain in my previous writing about him, he could also recite mountains of scripture and speak multiple languages. Myself, I’ve memorized more than enough scripture to demonstrate the teaching I’ve offered in my own memory improvement manuals. Likewise, I’ve absorbed enough skills with enough languages to prove the concept. I hold a PhD in Humanities from York University and two MAs. But what I haven’t done is attend law…

People in this episode

Host: Anthony Metivier

Topics covered

• memory techniques
• law school
• mnemonic methods
• learning
• education

Keywords

• memory techniques
• law school
• mnemonics
• Peter of Ravenna
• The Phoenix
• education
• learning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: York University

Books & works: The Phoenix

More episodes of Anthony Metivier's Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

• The Forgetting Curve: How Memory Techniques Help You Beat It (Without Endless Reviews) · July 13, 2026 · 54 min
• 15 Ancient Memory Techniques to Supercharge Your Learning Life · July 2, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Protecting My Cognitive Function: What 15 Years Teaching Memory Has Taught Me · June 23, 2026 · 52 min
• The Unhackable Mind: Phil Chambers on AI, Truth, and Memory · June 21, 2026 · 58 min
• Open Book Exam Tips From a Professor Who Went Back to School · June 19, 2026 · 27 min
• Can You Memorize Books Page By Page Without Using Memory Techniques? · June 8, 2026 · 40 min

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