BarBri Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[myrtlewinston]

Has anyone done Barbri's state-specific MCQs? If so, are they less frustrating than the MBE ones?

Essentially, I paid Barbri for videos, handouts and the Conviser.

[Kage3212]

Thinking about picking up some MBE questions to practice with in addition to BarBri's. Does Emanuel's MBE book suffice? It says it has 550, or should I go with Adaptibar (seems like overkill with like 1700)?

I bought both. Great thing about Adaptibar are the analytics that come with it I think. It will tell you what areas you are doing well in within certain areas, and what areas you need to improve upon. However, there is def some overlap in questions between those two resources. But, for extra MBE practice generally, you really cant go wrong with either one.

[941law]

There are 8 substantive lectures left for me, spread out until July 2nd. I'm going to knock them out over the next few days and just move on to self-study.

[mushybrain]

Yeah, I think I have six left ending on the 6th, and I'm tempted to reorganize and get those out of the way. Or maybe just knock out my last MBE topic lecture today and use the next few days for review before my simulated MBE.

[mr.hands]

Wow I got torched on Torts Set 4. 40% - the worst % yet

Anyone else struggling with later sets? I swear the lecture didn't cover this (and I don't think the mini review did either)

[charlesxavier]

Wow I got torched on Torts Set 4. 40% - the worst % yet

Anyone else struggling with later sets? I swear the lecture didn't cover this (and I don't think the mini review did either)

I think I got an 8/18 on that. If I remember correctly at least a few of the questions were on areas that weren't even mentioned in the lecture. I just see it as a learning experience to pick up those few rules. Still a little discouraging.

[BVest]

Wow I got torched on Torts Set 4. 40% - the worst % yet

Anyone else struggling with later sets? I swear the lecture didn't cover this (and I don't think the mini review did either)

After riding along at about 40% on previous torts sets, I got 13/18 right on set 3 ("I'm fucking getting it finally!"), and then got 5/18 on set 4 ("Fuck me!")

[charlesxavier]

Wow I got torched on Torts Set 4. 40% - the worst % yet

Anyone else struggling with later sets? I swear the lecture didn't cover this (and I don't think the mini review did either)

After riding along at about 40% on previous torts sets, I got 13/18 right on set 3 ("I'm fucking getting it finally!"), and then got 5/18 on set 4 ("Fuck me!")

I felt the torts lecture (Schechter) was simplified and easy to understand but when I got to the questions I realized how much material was either glossed over or completely omitted.

[Loud Kiddington]

Is Barbri's whole thing to tank your confidence to make you study harder?

I wrote a pretty decent essay for grading and it came back as a 55. It was fairly similar to the model one too since it was open book.

Ditto with the MBE sets - I score well on one just to get like 6/18 on the next.

[charlesxavier]

Is Barbri's whole thing to tank your confidence to make you study harder?

I wrote a pretty decent essay for grading and it came back as a 55. It was fairly similar to the model one too since it was open book.

Ditto with the MBE sets - I score well on one just to get like 6/18 on the next.

From what I've heard, that's part of their strategy. I've done significantly better on the real MBE questions I've practiced in the Emanuel book. Plus, in one of my state lectures the lecturer (who is all about bar prep) discussed a few sample essay answers and they weren't very good at all compared to the Barbri standard but they were passing or very close to passing. The one that barely failed had the wrong rule and minimal analysis.

[kykiske]

According to Barbri, if you score 127/190 (67%), you are considered "average." And you need not score "that high" on the Barbri questions to "be doing well" and potentially pass the MBE.

Dividing 127/7, that means on average you should be getting around 18-19 questions correct per subject. Obviously, that varies based on how many actual graded questions per subject are asked.

In my mind, if I aim for a C- on every MBE subject during prep, I should be prepared by test day.

[kmp127]

I'm assigned Counseller as lecturer for Civ Pro next week - should I skip him and do Freer instead? Anyone had this with him yet?

I liked Freer's lecture. He made Civ Pro understandable.

Agreed. Freer was solid, though part of what's good is his handout. Not sure if you can access Freer's handout if you've been assigned another lecturer...

Even if they could access it, it wouldn't do any good because it's mostly questions that get answered by the stuff you write in as he talks.

We have access to Freer it via Early Start Review of the MBE topics. I have a third day of Civ Pro assigned for Texas only - I suppose I have to take my assigned lecturer for that, but am going to let Freer teach me the FRCP basics.

[jas31]

What the hell was with those property question sets? (3 and 4?)

[3|ink]

What the hell was with those property question sets? (3 and 4?)

Ugh. They get harder?

I got 55 and 50% on the first two (respectively).

[Lacepiece23]

What the hell was with those property question sets? (3 and 4?)

Ugh. They get harder?

I got 55 and 50% on the first two (respectively).

Am I the only one that feels that property is by far the hardest bar subject? I am doing adaptibar, and while the questions are way easier for the other subject, the property questions on adaptibar as just as difficult as barbri.

[kykiske]

The biggest "WTF" moment I had was when I read the explanation for Q13, Set 4, Real Property.

I don't remember learning that a third creditor could "reactivate" an earlier mortgage, and "step into the shoes" of the first creditor to have the third creditor's rights declared superior to the second creditor's rights.

[mushybrain]

The biggest "WTF" moment I had was when I read the explanation for Q13, Set 4, Real Property.

I don't remember learning that a third creditor could "reactivate" an earlier mortgage, and "step into the shoes" of the first creditor to have the third creditor's rights declared superior to the second creditor's rights.

lol, yes. WTF at that. That seems pretty important with how much time we've spent figuring out who has the junior interests and what happens to them and yet that was brand new information to me.

But to be fair I also never read anything but the lecture handouts.

[jamescastle]

I was doing really bad on pretty much every property question and then I just gave up studying the notes from my lecturer. I instead just made my own outline using the CMR and only using the lecturer's notes when she summarized something better than the CMR did. So far after this I've done significantly better (like think 3-5 questions more right per review set).
Maybe it's just me but I can definitely see making one's own outline for property to be really helpful whereas in other sections I feel using the lecturer's notes and supplementing with the CMR here and there to be more than adequate.

[BVest]

The biggest "WTF" moment I had was when I read the explanation for Q13, Set 4, Real Property.

I don't remember learning that a third creditor could "reactivate" an earlier mortgage, and "step into the shoes" of the first creditor to have the third creditor's rights declared superior to the second creditor's rights.

lol, yes. WTF at that. That seems pretty important with how much time we've spent figuring out who has the junior interests and what happens to them and yet that was brand new information to me.

Yeah that was a weird one and the wording of it made it even weirder. I think the underlying rule (subrogation [eta: See MBE Real Property long outline pp. 144-45]) is that a mortgage that is refinanced assumes the priority of the original mortgage that it is replacing.

In the problem, IIRC (I did it over a week ago), the landowner had a $100k Sr mortgage from bank 1 and a $50k Jr mortgage from bank 2, and he took out a $100k mortgage from bank 3 with which he paid off the Sr mortgage from bank 1. Thus it was essentially a refinance of bank 1's loan, and thus subrogation applied -- that is bank 3 stepped into the shoes of bank 1 and remains senior to Bank 2. Thus:

Orignal priority:
Bank 1: $100k
Bank 2: $50k

New Priority
Bank 3: $100k
Bank 2: $50k

FWIW, I also think subrogation is also subject to the modification rule. For example, landowner has $100k Sr mortgage from Bank 1 and $50k Jr mortgage from Bank 2. Now, though, he takes out $125k mortgage from Bank 3, pays off the $100k Sr mortgage and puts the other $25k in his bank account to cover expenses of his (really nice) upcoming bar trip. Subrogation still applies to the first $100k of the new mortgage, so that's still senior, but it does not apply to the extra cash he took out of his house. Thus:

Orignal priority:
Bank 1: $100k
Bank 2: $50k

New Priority
Bank 3: $100k
Bank 2: $50k
Bank 3: $25k

[myrtlewinston]

Wow I got torched on Torts Set 4. 40% - the worst % yet

Anyone else struggling with later sets? I swear the lecture didn't cover this (and I don't think the mini review did either)

After riding along at about 40% on previous torts sets, I got 13/18 right on set 3 ("I'm fucking getting it finally!"), and then got 5/18 on set 4 ("Fuck me!")

I felt the torts lecture (Schechter) was simplified and easy to understand but when I got to the questions I realized how much material was either glossed over or completely omitted.

He did the same thing with Domestic Relations. I asked Barbri if there was a video by someone else I could watch, and was told "read the Conviser instead." Schechter's videos should have a disclaimer: For Entertainment Purposes Only.

[bluewin888]

I am paying $99 for it now. WHo else will go live one at fordham?

Anyone else completely outraged at the fact that Barbri is trying to upsell us for a review session?

"BARBRI MINI REVIEW
The BARBRI Mini Review is a one-day, eight hour program that will be presented LIVE at Fordham Law School in New York City on July 14. It will be available online beginning July 17. This program highlights significant aspects of topics frequently tested on the bar exam and is designed for students who want a definitive “last minute final review.” Subjects covered: Administrative Law, Contracts, Corporations, Criminal Law, Federal Civil Procedure, New York Practice, Real Property, and Wills. Tuition for the Mini Review is $129 ($99 if enrolled by June 30). Enroll at BARBRI.com"

How can what we already paid not include that?

I don't know about outraged. They're a business, albeit one that charges very high prices. There will always be options to spend more money than you already have.

[3|ink]

Holy crap. He doesn't even provide a lecture handout. What the hell?!?

[rinkrat19]

Apparently I am glad I don't have Schechter for any lectures. We get Klein for Torts.

[941law]

Does the ABA, or whoever, write both test days?

[rinkrat19]

Does the ABA, or whoever, write both test days?

Well, the state bars write some questions, depending on your state's test.