July 2015 Illinois Bar Exam Forum

[sdphill]

Hello all of my fellow bar examiners,

I decided to make this in order to motivate each other while studying for the IL Bar and to talk about difficult concepts.

Who's excited? My Bar Prep (Themis) course begins their prep schedule on Monday. I'm not ready.

[DportIA]

I am excited. Somewhat. The Final Step.
*Edit: Barbri (thx Obama/my law firm)

[Bigdoggetit]

I just took and passed the ill feb. Bar. I think it's nice that Themis starts so early but I would recommend that you don't start studying till June 1st. Starting in May is going to lead to burnout real fast. Take some time with graduation and summer before you blow it all up for the bar.

[gk101]

Finally signed up for the July bar. Have to somehow find time to study for it while working full time

[usc1212]

also signed up for IL july 2015 while working full-time. i passed july 2012 CA after graduating may 2012...i'm loath to take another bar but it is what it is!

hoping we can keep this thread going for motivation. since IL is 50% MBE, planning on studying/reviewing the 6 MBE subjects through may then start MBE practice questions 6/1.

[mouse89]

Finally signed up for the July bar. Have to somehow find time to study for it while working full time

UGHHH I am trying to schedule it on my calendar right now (loose scheduling) and it is going to be hell on earth working and studying...

[JG7773]

Checking in. I am using BarBri and the lecture schedule starts on Tuesday.

[gk101]

Finally signed up for the July bar. Have to somehow find time to study for it while working full time

UGHHH I am trying to schedule it on my calendar right now (loose scheduling) and it is going to be hell on earth working and studying...

how are you studying for it. I am hoping to finish the lectures early in the morning (6-9:30 AM) before I get busy with work. Then try to review the stuff at night or more likely over the weekend

[CattyPake]

Checking in!

Here's a stupid question - where will the exam be held? I can't find this info on the IL Board of Admissions site and I'll be coming in from out of state so hoping to get a hotel room as close as possible to where we'll be taking the test.

[Johann]

Finally signed up for the July bar. Have to somehow find time to study for it while working full time

UGHHH I am trying to schedule it on my calendar right now (loose scheduling) and it is going to be hell on earth working and studying...

how are you studying for it. I am hoping to finish the lectures early in the morning (6-9:30 AM) before I get busy with work. Then try to review the stuff at night or more likely over the weekend

I worked while studying the first/only time around. Lectures were a major waste of time imo. I had podcasts that I listened to in the gym just because but If iI had time or energy t odevote to studying I reviewed the premade outlines over and over and answered MBE multiple choice questions. Losing 3.5 hours to go over something when you can read that same outline 10 times in that amount of time seems like a terrible allocation of time imo and based on my learning tendencies.

[sdphill]

Checking in!

Here's a stupid question - where will the exam be held? I can't find this info on the IL Board of Admissions site and I'll be coming in from out of state so hoping to get a hotel room as close as possible to where we'll be taking the test.

This is what I see in one of my messages:

Reduced rate hotel rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro for July 2015 bar applicants. The deadline to make reservations is Friday, July 10, 2015. The link and phone number for hotel reservations are available on our website.

[bg9903]

I think multiple choice is the key. It will give you an idea of the stuff you not only dont know on the multiple choice but that subject in general. If you go and look at the topics that the bar exam used on the essays in the past, there are various MBE subjects on there. Your essentially killing two birds with one stone. Plus MBE is worth 50% of the test, cant beat nailing 50% of the exam with the answer right in front of you

[sabrinaesq]

Hi everyone. I am an attorney in CA taking the IL bar exam this July I am in desperate need of some answers

1. Can someone tell me if commercial paper is completely off the books for this exam or if it is still testable as one of the IL essays?

2. Does ANYBODY have a frequency chart they want to pass along?

Would greatly appreciate it

[sdphill]

Hi everyone. I am an attorney in CA taking the IL bar exam this July I am in desperate need of some answers

1. Can someone tell me if commercial paper is completely off the books for this exam or if it is still testable as one of the IL essays?

2. Does ANYBODY have a frequency chart they want to pass along?

Would greatly appreciate it

Commercial paper is neither an IEE nor a MEE subject anymore.

[kyle010723]

Have a frequency chart... Send me a message with your email address and I can forward it to you.

Furthermore, commercial paper is neither an IEE nor a MEE subject anymore.

Are you sure commercial paper is not a testable subject anymore? Barbri still teaches it, albeit rarely tested (mostly in conjunction with secured transaction).

704(d) still has commercial paper listed.

[sabrinaesq]

I am taking Illinois without a bar prep because this is my second Bar prep from CA. I have no friggin clue what to do with Admin law, Fed Income Tax, and Suretyship. Admin and Fed are foreign to me and I can't even get the big picture.

Any advice this late in the game is welcome

[lawstudent002]

I am taking Illinois without a bar prep because this is my second Bar prep from CA. I have no friggin clue what to do with Admin law, Fed Income Tax, and Suretyship. Admin and Fed are foreign to me and I can't even get the big picture.

Any advice this late in the game is welcome

My plan was for February 2015 for those subjects was: review the outlines very briefly, and hope that, as in years past, they are not tested. They weren't.

More specifically: for admin, focus on the procedure for judicial review/exhausting administrative process; for suretyship, focus on the big picture, I can't imagine this would be on its own if it is tested, so just be able to identify it if it comes up and be able to state a few lines of law; federal tax...I have no advice other than try and get a general understanding of basis. if you don't know tax at this point (I still don't), then I don't think your time is best used reviewing it that much. Basis is big in tax questions from what I know, and you can get a general understanding of that in a few hours.

Good luck. And remember, if you blank on the rule, make one up and apply it to the facts - you'll get partial credit.

[sabrinaesq]

I am taking Illinois without a bar prep because this is my second Bar prep from CA. I have no friggin clue what to do with Admin law, Fed Income Tax, and Suretyship. Admin and Fed are foreign to me and I can't even get the big picture.

Any advice this late in the game is welcome

My plan was for February 2015 for those subjects was: review the outlines very briefly, and hope that, as in years past, they are not tested. They weren't.

More specifically: for admin, focus on the procedure for judicial review/exhausting administrative process; for suretyship, focus on the big picture, I can't imagine this would be on its own if it is tested, so just be able to identify it if it comes up and be able to state a few lines of law; federal tax...I have no advice other than try and get a general understanding of basis. if you don't know tax at this point (I still don't), then I don't think your time is best used reviewing it that much. Basis is big in tax questions from what I know, and you can get a general understanding of that in a few hours.

Good luck. And remember, if you blank on the rule, make one up and apply it to the facts - you'll get partial credit.

Thank you so much! I hope they are no ton there. Since i am not taking a bar prep, I don't have any past essays to work off of. Does anybody have any they can spare just on these subjects? I have everything else.

[petersond]

Hi all, first post ever, hoping you can answer a question.

I'm already a licensed attorney in one state, and now I am preparing to take the Illinois bar. The bar exam I took in 2012 didn't have MEE or MPT (or IEE, obviously.) I read somewhere that the MEEs can be graded as to Illinois law, or as to common law, and it's up to the jurisdiction to decide which. I have not been able to figure out whether Illinois uses common law or Illinois-specific state law.

Also, my strategy this time was to focus on the MBE, as I did exceptionally well on that last time, and I know that if I score well enough on the MBE again, I'll have a lot of leeway on my essays. In this final home stretch, how would you suggest I allocate my remaining time? I am also working full time, but my job isn't SO demanding, as far as hours. (I have my old materials from my current state's 2012 bar, as well as a bunch of Illinois BarBri materials from 2012 that I was gifted. I also have compiled some resources on civ pro, since that wasn't tested when I took the bar the first time.)

Any guidance would be appreciated! Taking the exam in a state I didn't go to school in, don't know any lawyers in, and is so different from my own state's....it's interesting. Thanks!

[kyle010723]

Hi all, first post ever, hoping you can answer a question.

I'm already a licensed attorney in one state, and now I am preparing to take the Illinois bar. The bar exam I took in 2012 didn't have MEE or MPT (or IEE, obviously.) I read somewhere that the MEEs can be graded as to Illinois law, or as to common law, and it's up to the jurisdiction to decide which. I have not been able to figure out whether Illinois uses common law or Illinois-specific state law.

Also, my strategy this time was to focus on the MBE, as I did exceptionally well on that last time, and I know that if I score well enough on the MBE again, I'll have a lot of leeway on my essays. In this final home stretch, how would you suggest I allocate my remaining time? I am also working full time, but my job isn't SO demanding, as far as hours. (I have my old materials from my current state's 2012 bar, as well as a bunch of Illinois BarBri materials from 2012 that I was gifted. I also have compiled some resources on civ pro, since that wasn't tested when I took the bar the first time.)

Any guidance would be appreciated! Taking the exam in a state I didn't go to school in, don't know any lawyers in, and is so different from my own state's....it's interesting. Thanks!

Focus mainly on MPE and sprinkle in some time on essays is a sound idea in Illinois. Assuming you score around a scaled 150 MBE (around 60+ percentile) all you need is a 126 on essays, which is around 15 percentile. In other words, if you ace your MBE, you can essentially pass by turning in blank essays (though not recommended).

MPT is straight forward and is essential what you learned in legal writing. MEE, the "common law" is fine. If you know an IL distinction, sprinkle it in (or just put "In Illinois") even if you don't know. The consensus is that you should get at least a 2+ if you can write a concise essay, even if the rule is completely off base.

Hope that helps.

[petersond]

That DOES help, thank you! And thank you for making me feel better about my MBE-focused strategy. I was just thinking of reading through the Conviser Mini Reviews I have for the Illinois stuff, and then back to the MBE! Thanks so much, and good luck to you (if you're taking it).

[kyle010723]

That DOES help, thank you! And thank you for making me feel better about my MBE-focused strategy. I was just thinking of reading through the Conviser Mini Reviews I have for the Illinois stuff, and then back to the MBE! Thanks so much, and good luck to you (if you're taking it).

No problem. Good luck to you too. Let me know if you have any question. I procrastinate on TLS so I don't have to study...

[sabrinaesq]

Hi all, first post ever, hoping you can answer a question.

I'm already a licensed attorney in one state, and now I am preparing to take the Illinois bar. The bar exam I took in 2012 didn't have MEE or MPT (or IEE, obviously.) I read somewhere that the MEEs can be graded as to Illinois law, or as to common law, and it's up to the jurisdiction to decide which. I have not been able to figure out whether Illinois uses common law or Illinois-specific state law.

Also, my strategy this time was to focus on the MBE, as I did exceptionally well on that last time, and I know that if I score well enough on the MBE again, I'll have a lot of leeway on my essays. In this final home stretch, how would you suggest I allocate my remaining time? I am also working full time, but my job isn't SO demanding, as far as hours. (I have my old materials from my current state's 2012 bar, as well as a bunch of Illinois BarBri materials from 2012 that I was gifted. I also have compiled some resources on civ pro, since that wasn't tested when I took the bar the first time.)

Any guidance would be appreciated! Taking the exam in a state I didn't go to school in, don't know any lawyers in, and is so different from my own state's....it's interesting. Thanks!

This is just my opinion, but I would be careful with that strategy. It is well documented that the MBE has gotten significantly tougher over the last year and now the MBE includes Civil Procedure (you said you are using old materials).

I took CA last year and the pass rates across the nation were down because the MBE was tougher, and I thought they were in comparison to what the bar prep had prepped me for.

I have lots of IL stuff if you need it as well! My MBE scored transfer but otherwise I have essay stuff to pass on if you need it.

[kyle010723]

Notice of eligibility and exam location was just posted FYI

Here is the exam instructions for anyone looking for it

https://www.ilbaradmissions.org/two-day ... structions

[gk101]

someone who has done the math, please tell me my MBE or BUST strategy is not going to backfire on me...I am doing okay with MBE questions but fuck if I know a single IL topic well enough to write anything coherent