smalogna wrote:I've found the MPT to be the one big area of this exam that you need to be cognizant of your personal style of analysis. I tried the first two practices following the Themis method and did horribly and had no time to write my response. It's trial and error. I now read the memo, read the statutes, read the file, read the cases, and then come up with my topic titles and subtopic titles and attack each one step by step. I have abandoned the whole outline before you write process because it just doesn't work for me I try to make my outline too perfect. I've done three since I've changed my process and it's drastically improved. You just need to play around with different approaches and eventually you will find the one that works for you.collegewriter wrote:I found the MPT videos really confusing as well but a friend who was farther along told me to stick with it and use the method. I distilled his method into own document:lost in translation wrote:Hi folks
Lurking for a while. Foreign student here trying desperately to catch up to your curve;) Feeling alone (hence posting on a Sunday instead of studying). While I am really excited and feel privileged to be able to go to the US to sit this test (never been before!), I also feel I'm on the brink of madness.
Anyway I wanted to share this amazing hearsay lecture on you tube. I know you all have so much at stake and the lectures weren't terribly helpful (to me anyway). It's a well spent hour (if you don't get hearsay). Don't let the guitar at the beginning put you off. This guy should have taught the whole MBE. I think I love him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNeFsjTfs2s
May I ask you guys for any advice:
1. re NY materials - I'm watching/reading family, wills, NY prac, Corps, and just going to read the rest. Did you find it worthwhile watchig all the lectures? It's been a bit hit and miss so far.
2. PRACTICAL tactics for handwriting an MPT (or just practical tactics for outlining an answer effectively, full stop?) I watched the lectures - seems like a clever guy - but freaked out because by the time I would have finished crafting his structure (and I just got confused honestly by the handout) I would run out of time to write the thing - would seem to be very difficult even with a computer. Anyway, now I have a big ole case of MPT analysis - paralysis and I panic when I try to start one.
ps - I am finding a lot of comfort in this board, so thanks to all
Cheers peeps
How to Write a MPT Answer:
1. Read Task Memo
a. What is the POV? Objective OR Persuasive
b. Who is the audience? Legal OR Laypeople
c. What type of assignment is it?
2. Read the Library (UNLESS the question is a problem-solving question)
a. Read the oldest cases first
b. Read shorter factual things first (like police statements)
c. Note jurisdiction and chronology as you read—controlling or not?
d. Pay attention to footnotes and quotes
e. Pay attention to relationship between cases
f. Note policy concerns
g. Note which cases are good and bad—note whether you want to be similar or different.
h. Note whether a policy will apply to you.
i. Note where it is important to differentiate your situation from controlling law.
3. Make Rules and Tests (Note: have found this step not always necessary--sometimes it means re-writing a test from materials you receive)
a. Focus on grey areas of law
b. Read cases with an eye to determining why the case is included
c. Craft a test that addresses those grey areas and the materials
d. Add the elements of the test under a heading
4. Read the File
a. Focus on finding relevant facts that prove or disprove the elements in your working outline
b. Characterize relationships and insert into your outline
c. Some facts will be irrelevant
d. Add facts into your working outline under the headings
e. Create an ATTACK outline that determines the order of arguments
5. Write
a. IRAC for objective writing
b. CRAC for persuasive writing
Sorry formatting is weird.
Keep this list by you on practice MPTs and religiously follow it. By the time you get to 5, you should be able to do it in about 20-30 minutes if you type reasonably fast. Good luck!
THANKS VERY MUCH - I'm just going to have to plunge in now - feeling a bit better about it though - cheers