I recently created my first multi-colored mind maps, of the definitions for various crimes - substantive law. What I do is this -
In class I have the book on my left, 5 X 7 notebook on my right, teacher and board are off to my right. (He's the DA from a nearby city). Then I take notes of what he says on only one side of each page, for me the right, while also making note of where he is in the book. I put them in outline form. I make a note of some of the book page numbers in my notes.
Then later I used my notes to make the first part of my map; the crime name in the middle, then 1st,2nd,3rd 4th degrees around it - 1+3 on the left because they relate to each other - 2+4 on the right. I then wagon wheel around it the components of each level from my notes. Then in another color I go to the book and skim through the "grey boxes" and add any more tidbits to the definitions that I have, in another color. When he went over in class this week the areas we are to know, I put colored arrows in my linear outline notes only, and then extra info on the back of the previous page with arrows pointing to which item in my notes on the right hand side it goes with. I'll pop these into my maps over the weekend, in yet another color. Talk about layering!! 
forgot to mention that I photoread these chapters at least a month ago. Haven't "read" them per se, and up until this week I was also listening to the 2 PL tapes, Genius in the AM and Memory at night. My memory has noticably improved, in many areas.
Of course, the real proof (my first time studying exactly this way) will come next Tuesday night when we have our first test. I am actually looking forward to it! 
*A* fellow traveler
