July 2015 California Bar Exam Forum

[Tiago Splitter]

I wrote like 1600 so hopefully I can take a 60 and move on. Didn't think it was bad but you don't know what you don't know.

[florentine]

I'm a little concerned on the 3 essays because I thought they were unusually easy. For every subject, they tested on all the popular issues of each subject so I was kind of caught off guard that no obscure issues were present. I finished with about 20 minutes to spare. I don't really have a reference point to judge my performance level but my self-graded essays were ranging in 60-70s consistently and scored only one at 55 at the beginning of bar prep. I think I hit most of the major issues.

I feel so... ambivalent about my performance wtf. I am scared that despite how I felt after the exam, I might have completely fkd up, especially the PT.

We are one person. I feel the EXACT same way.

The essay questions were rather specific so there was no room to get all creative in trying to catch all the bonus/sub-issues. Do you feel the same way?

Yup. Exactly. There was no room for creativity or even much back and forth. Thought it was pretty clear cut.

[florentine]

I hope and pray my Softest was calculating word count and not character count. Because there's no way mind said anything close to 11,000 for the MPT. I think it was closer to 3000

That sounds about right. 2500-3500 ish would be average

2500-3000 words is average? Nice. Hit around 2500 words and was feeling really insecure about it.

[petsoundspop]

Hey guys long time lurker following this thread. I took and passed NY in 2011 but moving to CA so had to sit for this beast again.

I thought the PT was pretty insane. I hope I'm not alone. Essays weren't too bad but I really feel they were almost too straightforward like I missed a lot. I always ran out of time prepping for this thing but not today. Yikes, let's see what tomorrow brings. This sucks. Hate this feeling.

[brotherdarkness]

I wrote like 1600 so hopefully I can take a 60 and move on. Didn't think it was bad but you don't know what you don't know.

Yeah, I felt like I hit all of the issues in the essays and structured the PT right (explain the rule, explain the exception, explain why the evidence sucked), but feeling OK worries me. Whatever. We're all gonna make it.

[notcool]

I just now realized a huge issue I forgot to address in one of the essays. K so this really sucks. How badly does screwing up one essay affect your score?

I really don't want to go through this a second time.

[Underoath]

So does this mean CA Civ Pro is off the table for Thursday?

I wouldn't say 100%, but probably, ya. Guessing PR, CP, and either ConLaw or Evidence for Thursday.

(also, be careful NOT to discuss anything more than the topic tested)

ohhhhh I would BE SOOO THRILLED IF EVIDENCE POPPED UP...then I will have passed no doubt!!!!

why do you think CP as opposed to wills or even business ugh I need to study CP

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

[Underoath]

I just now realized a huge issue I forgot to address in one of the essays. K so this really sucks. How badly does screwing up one essay affect your score?

I really don't want to go through this a second time.

I screwed up property, (but not to the point of no return) but I am still feeling confident. This is coming from a girl who was crying her eyes out days before the exam thinking I was going to fail.

[atticus89]

I think the consensus so far seems to be that it was relatively straight forward....or was it? Haha, I think the reality is we all did fine. I don't know if you guys did Barbri, but in a lot of the essay videos they hinted that the essay questions were becoming shorter and shorter, and you really had to massage the facts to get substance out of it. I think this was definitely the case today. There were so few facts (in my opinion) that pertained to each sub-question for the essays. The PT I think people felt similar given the low word counts I'm seeing. I don't think I saw a Barbri PT with a file and library combo that small through all of my studying.

Not really sure how to feel. I think most of us probably did fine on the essays because the issues were straight forward. Another thing we have to keep in mind is a large majority of us have not done entire essay exams from a particular year. We have done bar prep classes which tend to provide the most difficult essays as examples. For thAt least in Barbri (though this is a long forgotten fact for most of us probably) they told us that in general you'll see 3 relatively easy essays, 1 medium, and 2 harder. Not sure which category these fell into. However, for those of us who were expecting a shit show, this didn't seem that bad.

[Underoath]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

They told us doors open at 8:15am, but they are so DAMN SLOW!!!! But he said they will start at 8:45 I think,,,either way I'm not getting there until 8:30am listening to those instructions is nauseating.

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

They told us doors open at 8:15am, but they are so DAMN SLOW!!!! But he said they will start at 8:45 I think,,,either way I'm not getting there until 8:30am listening to those instructions is nauseating.

Thanks. Hey were you the one that was also taking it in Ontario? I don't know how things are at your hotel, but the Holiday Inn is completely shitting the bed on everything. I can tell they're really overwhelmed, but they're stressing out quite a few bar takers lol

[BrokenMouse]

lol

[redblueyellow]

My Kaplan audio lecture thing for FRE says that a Defendant can be first to introduce CE of reputation, opinion, AND specific acts for (I think) himself?

Is that right or did I misunderstand and the Defendant is allowed to bring in all three for some other reason?

(not impeachment)

[redblueyellow]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

They told us doors open at 8:15am, but they are so DAMN SLOW!!!! But he said they will start at 8:45 I think,,,either way I'm not getting there until 8:30am listening to those instructions is nauseating.

Thanks. Hey were you the one that was also taking it in Ontario? I don't know how things are at your hotel, but the Holiday Inn is completely shitting the bed on everything. I can tell they're really overwhelmed, but they're stressing out quite a few bar takers lol

They need to replace the person speaking on the mic with a machine.

[Underoath]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

They told us doors open at 8:15am, but they are so DAMN SLOW!!!! But he said they will start at 8:45 I think,,,either way I'm not getting there until 8:30am listening to those instructions is nauseating.

Thanks. Hey were you the one that was also taking it in Ontario? I don't know how things are at your hotel, but the Holiday Inn is completely shitting the bed on everything. I can tell they're really overwhelmed, but they're stressing out quite a few bar takers lol

Im at the Double Tree....haha pure relaxation over here. I'm in my room though. Not trying to mingle. People are jackasses. lol...maybe I should be panicking because to be honest I was crying maybe two days before the exam and as of now I don't feel like I failed even though Essay #2 I didn't do the best...actually I didn't do well, but I hit all the issues, but didn't have time for analysis. Spent way too much time on #3

[BrokenMouse]

lol

[redblueyellow]

Wut.. Just.... Happened....

No Shit. Nothing you and I went over. Jaysus. I hope I BS'd enough on 1 and 2. I feel ok with 3.

Florida v. Jardines

I just read that case. FFS.

[smokeylarue]

Wut.. Just.... Happened....

No Shit. Nothing you and I went over. Jaysus. I hope I BS'd enough on 1 and 2. I feel ok with 3.

Florida v. Jardines

I just read that case. FFS.

Would it be okay if we came out to an opposite conclusion as that case... as long as our analysis was okay....

[BrokenMouse]

lol

[redblueyellow]

Wut.. Just.... Happened....

No Shit. Nothing you and I went over. Jaysus. I hope I BS'd enough on 1 and 2. I feel ok with 3.

Florida v. Jardines

I just read that case. FFS.

Would it be okay if we came out to an opposite conclusion as that case... as long as our analysis was okay....

Here's my take. The question literally gave us the issue to analyze that specific issue, so it was more like "Ok so here's the issue. Do you know the rule? If you come out the other way, did you at least know the rule and cited the rule and argued the other way?"

I did--but you lose full points for not having the "right answer." So there goes the few points I thought I'd get on that essay to make up for my deficiencies elsewhere.

[brotherdarkness]

Wut.. Just.... Happened....

No Shit. Nothing you and I went over. Jaysus. I hope I BS'd enough on 1 and 2. I feel ok with 3.

Florida v. Jardines

I just read that case. FFS.

Would it be okay if we came out to an opposite conclusion as that case... as long as our analysis was okay....

Hopefully. I argued both sides on every issue. Came to the right conclusion on that one, but not sure if I did on the last issue in that essay. But I stated the relevant rules, applied the facts, hashed out what each side would argue, etc. I figure we'll miss a couple points for stating the wrong conclusion, but it won't sink us.

[soj]

.

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

Anyone know what time we're supposed to show up for the MBE? I'm too braindead to check.

They told us doors open at 8:15am, but they are so DAMN SLOW!!!! But he said they will start at 8:45 I think,,,either way I'm not getting there until 8:30am listening to those instructions is nauseating.

Thanks. Hey were you the one that was also taking it in Ontario? I don't know how things are at your hotel, but the Holiday Inn is completely shitting the bed on everything. I can tell they're really overwhelmed, but they're stressing out quite a few bar takers lol

Im at the Double Tree....haha pure relaxation over here. I'm in my room though. Not trying to mingle. People are jackasses. lol...maybe I should be panicking because to be honest I was crying maybe two days before the exam and as of now I don't feel like I failed even though Essay #2 I didn't do the best...actually I didn't do well, but I hit all the issues, but didn't have time for analysis. Spent way too much time on #3

I was forced to mingle a little bit because my keycard stopped working. They had to reset it three times and bring a repairman up to my room before I could get in. And some poor other bar examinee was arguing with the lady at the front desk because she couldn't get his reservation right. Aaand their wake up call woke me up an hour early at 5:30 this morning. Plus the wifi barely works. It's been quite a shitshow over here.

[BrokenMouse]

lol