Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[kjartan]

I am more and more skeptical that we should be modeling our essays after Themis's model answers which are clunky and inefficient. Also, someone who knows Con Law explain pls

[+] Spoiler

According to Themis:
Here, Regulation C requires that states implement adequate measures to ensure bus seatbelts are actually used.  It conditions 10% of previously allocated federal funds on compliance with this regulation.  There is nothing unconstitutional in this requirement, and thus Regulation C will be constitutional.

My reaction:
Isn't this an impoundment of funds? Like, Themis's answer would be all well and good if Cg had passed Reg C directly, but it was an agency (part of the Executive branch) regulation which put a condition on previously-appropriated funds. Tbh, I really don't understand impoundment at all and it was a really short part of the lecture

[team ramrob]

are we supposed to do the graded essays closed book? the torts graded essay pops up as the second one. Not sure if I should attack it closed book, or open and see how I do just on format, issues and arguments.

[always_raining]

are we supposed to do the graded essays closed book? the torts graded essay pops up as the second one. Not sure if I should attack it closed book, or open and see how I do just on format, issues and arguments.

You're supposed to do them all closed book. I failed the Torts one miserably because I ran out of time. After the third one I did closed book, I did one open book to see if the grader was messing with me. Seems like they grade horrible no matter what. The last one I did I finally got a good grade, but I don't think I actually did any better. I think the grader had some mercy on me.

[team ramrob]

are we supposed to do the graded essays closed book? the torts graded essay pops up as the second one. Not sure if I should attack it closed book, or open and see how I do just on format, issues and arguments.

You're supposed to do them all closed book. I failed the Torts one miserably because I ran out of time. After the third one I did closed book, I did one open book to see if the grader was messing with me. Seems like they grade horrible no matter what. The last one I did I finally got a good grade, but I don't think I actually did any better. I think the grader had some mercy on me.

thanks, ill keep attacking them closed book. Might as well see the worst of the worst.

[BearLaw]

I am more and more skeptical that we should be modeling our essays after Themis's model answers which are clunky and inefficient. Also, someone who knows Con Law explain pls

[+] Spoiler

According to Themis:
Here, Regulation C requires that states implement adequate measures to ensure bus seatbelts are actually used.  It conditions 10% of previously allocated federal funds on compliance with this regulation.  There is nothing unconstitutional in this requirement, and thus Regulation C will be constitutional.

My reaction:
Isn't this an impoundment of funds? Like, Themis's answer would be all well and good if Cg had passed Reg C directly, but it was an agency (part of the Executive branch) regulation which put a condition on previously-appropriated funds. Tbh, I really don't understand impoundment at all and it was a really short part of the lecture

Impoundment only deals with funds given to the executive branch to spend at its discretion. Congress can condition federal funding (assuming for highways, but I havent seen the question) on states meeting certain conditions as long as the amount is not so great as to constitute essentially compelling the state to act to implement a federal program/law.

[sd5289]

I am more and more skeptical that we should be modeling our essays after Themis's model answers which are clunky and inefficient. Also, someone who knows Con Law explain pls

[+] Spoiler

According to Themis:
Here, Regulation C requires that states implement adequate measures to ensure bus seatbelts are actually used.  It conditions 10% of previously allocated federal funds on compliance with this regulation.  There is nothing unconstitutional in this requirement, and thus Regulation C will be constitutional.

My reaction:
Isn't this an impoundment of funds? Like, Themis's answer would be all well and good if Cg had passed Reg C directly, but it was an agency (part of the Executive branch) regulation which put a condition on previously-appropriated funds. Tbh, I really don't understand impoundment at all and it was a really short part of the lecture

Impoundment only deals with funds given to the executive branch to spend at its discretion. Congress can condition federal funding (assuming for highways, but I havent seen the question) on states meeting certain conditions as long as the amount is not so great as to constitute essentially compelling the state to act to implement a federal program/law.

Hard to tell without the question, but agreed that this seems like a spending power question. My understanding is that it's a pretty broad power that basically allows Congress to "bribe" states into doing what Congress wants them to do so long as it doesn't turn into outright forcing them to do it, meaning the states could technically refuse and simply lose the financial aid Congress would be willing to spend on them. Yes, it applies to highways (the case that illustrates this point), but it could apply to just about anything.

[rockyracoon1]

I'm a little behind and about halfway through the Crim Law lectures with Karlan. I am getting irrationally angry every time I see an editor's note pop up in her handout...why is she making so many mistakes?? and why did Themis publish the videos without doing a re-do??

[oblig.lawl.ref]

are we supposed to do the graded essays closed book? the torts graded essay pops up as the second one. Not sure if I should attack it closed book, or open and see how I do just on format, issues and arguments.

You're supposed to do them all closed book. I failed the Torts one miserably because I ran out of time. After the third one I did closed book, I did one open book to see if the grader was messing with me. Seems like they grade horrible no matter what. The last one I did I finally got a good grade, but I don't think I actually did any better. I think the grader had some mercy on me.

lol I did the same thing and got my worst score open book. Grader said everything was a really good rule statement though. Total BS.

[kateebee]

I need to be able to mark things off as completed that are in future days... I have been kind of jumping around a little bit and I feel worthless because I can't mark a bunch of stuff as complete until it comes up on my task list. Frustrating.

Also, I am getting really upset with the lack of feedback on essays. I do a lot better on some of my other practice essays, but if I get a graded essay that I'm confused about, it's a completely worthless exercise. If I could get some feedback on some of my better practice essays, I feel like I'd be getting more valuable feedback on how to write an essay itself. It's a total crapshoot.

I'm a wreck. This sucks.

[sd5289]

Starting Conflict of Laws and NY Practice today. I have zero desire to do this.

[Pleasye]

I need to be able to mark things off as completed that are in future days... I have been kind of jumping around a little bit and I feel worthless because I can't mark a bunch of stuff as complete until it comes up on my task list. Frustrating.

Also, I am getting really upset with the lack of feedback on essays. I do a lot better on some of my other practice essays, but if I get a graded essay that I'm confused about, it's a completely worthless exercise. If I could get some feedback on some of my better practice essays, I feel like I'd be getting more valuable feedback on how to write an essay itself. It's a total crapshoot.

I'm a wreck. This sucks.

So supposedly Themis has "unlimited grading," I told my friend this and he emailed his adviser about it. She said they will only grade essays once you've finished all the lectures for the subject and gave him her email so that he could submit an essay. I think he's submitted one extra so far and she ripped it to shreds but it was still helpful.

Speaking of which, I should email my adviser about doing this for me too.

[habz]

Does anyone else have serious buffering problems with the lectures? I usually need to refresh the page multiple times to get it to go smoothly

[eloise16]

Wow I didn't think I could hate the bar any more, then I started doing MPTs.

[MrBriggs360]

Does anyone else have serious buffering problems with the lectures? I usually need to refresh the page multiple times to get it to go smoothly

Never had any trouble, even on my crummy 2MBPS connection

[Tripl3Espresso]

Does anyone else have serious buffering problems with the lectures? I usually need to refresh the page multiple times to get it to go smoothly

Download the app on your apple or android device then download the videos. You can transfer the files to your computer and play them through your media player. I have an android based phone, so if you decide to do that and don't know how, just pm me and I'll give you directions.

[Nelson]

I need to be able to mark things off as completed that are in future days... I have been kind of jumping around a little bit and I feel worthless because I can't mark a bunch of stuff as complete until it comes up on my task list. Frustrating.

Tasks you complete in Flex Study will be marked as complete for future days. If you want to mark an outline complete before it's on your daily sched, just open it in flex and mark it complete.

[kjartan]

I am more and more skeptical that we should be modeling our essays after Themis's model answers which are clunky and inefficient. Also, someone who knows Con Law explain pls

[+] Spoiler

According to Themis:
Here, Regulation C requires that states implement adequate measures to ensure bus seatbelts are actually used.  It conditions 10% of previously allocated federal funds on compliance with this regulation.  There is nothing unconstitutional in this requirement, and thus Regulation C will be constitutional.

My reaction:
Isn't this an impoundment of funds? Like, Themis's answer would be all well and good if Cg had passed Reg C directly, but it was an agency (part of the Executive branch) regulation which put a condition on previously-appropriated funds. Tbh, I really don't understand impoundment at all and it was a really short part of the lecture

Impoundment only deals with funds given to the executive branch to spend at its discretion. Congress can condition federal funding (assuming for highways, but I havent seen the question) on states meeting certain conditions as long as the amount is not so great as to constitute essentially compelling the state to act to implement a federal program/law.

Hard to tell without the question, but agreed that this seems like a spending power question. My understanding is that it's a pretty broad power that basically allows Congress to "bribe" states into doing what Congress wants them to do so long as it doesn't turn into outright forcing them to do it, meaning the states could technically refuse and simply lose the financial aid Congress would be willing to spend on them. Yes, it applies to highways (the case that illustrates this point), but it could apply to just about anything.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, the highway regulation looked like a classic exercise of the spending power to me, but I got thrown off because Reg C was issued by the Transportation Secretary (Executive) and I didn't think that Executive agencies could put conditions on appropriation of funds unless Congress expressly made appropriation discretionary.

[MrBriggs360]

Are all of these Civil Procedure lectures 22-23 minutes plus or is it just the first few?

[zot1]

Are all of these Civil Procedure lectures 22-23 minutes plus or is it just the first few?

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse. Even though he never quite goes past 28, I don't think, it feels like he's going for 50 mins...

[sd5289]

Any NY'ers doing Conflicts and NY Practice? I'm having a hard time following the Conflicts guy right now...

[kjartan]

Are all of these Civil Procedure lectures 22-23 minutes plus or is it just the first few?

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse. Even though he never quite goes past 28, I don't think, it feels like he's going for 50 mins...

I watched them pretty comfortably at 2x

[sd5289]

Are all of these Civil Procedure lectures 22-23 minutes plus or is it just the first few?

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse. Even though he never quite goes past 28, I don't think, it feels like he's going for 50 mins...

I watched them pretty comfortably at 2x

This is credited. I believe I watched them on 1.5x, and that was probably too slow.

[always_raining]

Are all of these Civil Procedure lectures 22-23 minutes plus or is it just the first few?

Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse. Even though he never quite goes past 28, I don't think, it feels like he's going for 50 mins...

I watched them pretty comfortably at 2x

I watch them at 2x speed as well. Now if I hear them at the normal speed, it sounds so weird and comical.

[collegewriter]

Does anyone else have serious buffering problems with the lectures? I usually need to refresh the page multiple times to get it to go smoothly

Download the app on your apple or android device then download the videos. You can transfer the files to your computer and play them through your media player. I have an android based phone, so if you decide to do that and don't know how, just pm me and I'll give you directions.

I had this problem watching on 1.5 speed for some. Tech support says clear cookies and cache. I also found that pausing video quickly and then starting again helped a lot. I would just hit space bar and then do it again immediately.

[2014]

Anyone know a way to speed the videos to 1.5 or 2x on the iPad? Have a flight coming up and would love to not have to listen at normal speed.