I actually prefer closed book.
I'm not too bad at memorising cases. Statute is usually provided in any case.
Ergh, I wish I could get my timetable into two days. USYd sucks.
ugh i very much dislike closed book exams, and I have two this week
I think the thing that is difficult is that you get used to open book, and the fact that sometimes it just seems pointless. In the workforce you will research stuff/look it up. I can kind of understand it if the course assesses basics they think you should know, and that doesn't really change with time (eg. equity this afternoon). However, closed book for corporations law (exam on thursday) is just silly. There is so much is legislation, and there's hardly any point memorising it, since in all likelihood by the time I get to practice, the legislation will have changed anyway :S
At usyd, you can get two day a week timetable in 5th year and generally 4th year. However, as with anything, in 5th year it purely depends on which subjects you choose. ie. you can choose subjects you want to do, with the acknowledgement that since they only run one stream, you're stuck with whatever timetable that occurs. Or you can choose any subjects based on a timetable of 9-6 two days a week. You may not do the subjects you want, but you can get a two day a week timetable.