July 2016 California Bar Exam Forum

[SlowLearner]

Thanks for the reply!

Books I've read...

Perform Your Best on the Bar Exam Performance Test (MPT) Mary Campbell Gallagher
(Very good but all MPT - handy as MPT are half the time so good for quick practice)

The Goat's Guide, Klein, Jessica
(Some useful points on PT but not much.)

Took the weekend seminar
jbholtz@performancetest.net
(Very good - all about matrix and indexing - could never apply it in my practice)

I also took Themis on my last attempt and used their workbook - just sample questions really. (Very thin on PT instruction.)

Timing is "always" the issue - when I look at the model answers with the use of cases (comparing and contrasting rule applications, comparing facts so elegantly..!) I feel mine were written by a kindergarten student. At my best I do well To (barely) get a main rule and rule application for each main topic. (I.e. scraping in a few relevant facts for the main issues). When I do badly I either miss some element of structure or a main issue - or run out of time and have an issue identified with barely a paragraph below it.

My writing is slowly getting better with essay practice (i.e. Finally completing some essays on time which look close to some high scoring answers) but only in those subjects/topics I've prepared in advance for. This is feeding a little into PT writing structure but whereas in essays I already have the material in my head - helping me speed through, the PT take me forever to absorb material and structure, slowing me before I start rolling out the IRAC.

[rcharter1978]

Thanks for the reply!

Books I've read...

Perform Your Best on the Bar Exam Performance Test (MPT) Mary Campbell Gallagher
(Very good but all MPT - handy as MPT are half the time so good for quick practice)

The Goat's Guide, Klein, Jessica
(Some useful points on PT but not much.)

Took the weekend seminar
jbholtz@performancetest.net
(Very good - all about matrix and indexing - could never apply it in my practice)

I also took Themis on my last attempt and used their workbook - just sample questions really. (Very thin on PT instruction.)

Timing is "always" the issue - when I look at the model answers with the use of cases (comparing and contrasting rule applications, comparing facts so elegantly..!) I feel mine were written by a kindergarten student. At my best I do well To (barely) get a main rule and rule application for each main topic. (I.e. scraping in a few relevant facts for the main issues). When I do badly I either miss some element of structure or a main issue - or run out of time and have an issue identified with barely a paragraph below it.

My writing is slowly getting better with essay practice (i.e. Finally completing some essays on time which look close to some high scoring answers) but only in those subjects/topics I've prepared in advance for. This is feeding a little into PT writing structure but whereas in essays I already have the material in my head - helping me speed through, the PT take me forever to absorb material and structure, slowing me before I start rolling out the IRAC.

OK so I did the Gallegher book -- I thought it was good for the matrix, and just for basic structure of each type of PT. You said you couldn't apply it in your practice and you're having difficulty with the timing.

Do you think you may be having a hard time organizing the information?

I would also say that I wouldn't particularly fret with model answers....you need not write a model answer....I'm sure my PTs made about as much sense as a goat yodeling.

But from what I understand, the timing is very, very important. I think managing that time starts with the ability to organize the information and put it together in a way that makes sense.

Along the lines of organization, are you reading the file first or the library?

[SlowLearner]

I lean towards library first but not strict about it!

I find it hard to organize the information quickly.. I find it starts to clicks about the 1.5 hour mark but eats into my writing time

[a male human]

I lean towards library first but not strict about it!

I find it hard to organize the information quickly.. I find it starts to clicks about the 1.5 hour mark but eats into my writing time

Are you done outlining by the 1.5-hour mark, or is that when you actually start organizing?

Also, check out
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/28422214c ... t_1.3a.pdf

[rcharter1978]

I lean towards library first but not strict about it!

I find it hard to organize the information quickly.. I find it starts to clicks about the 1.5 hour mark but eats into my writing time

I think the library first works best too.....I think the matrix approach should help you to organize the information pretty quickly. I used a hybrid approach....partially some of it was the method suggested by the tutor, which was more of an issue sheet, and some of it was the matrix in Ghallegar's book.

What is it that is "clicking" at the hour and a half mark? I wonder if you're maybe not reading the classes in almost too much detail. The PT, IMO always has some big flashing rules, and almost always a numbered list of some sort (a numbered list in a case is money). But the first time around, sometimes I would read the library too closely and I thought EVERYTHING was important.

[avtech23]

Selling a brand new Emanual Strategies & Tactics for the MBE, 6th Edition for $60. I live in the Los Angeles Area. DM to meet up. Thanks.

[Zaizei]

Can someone tell me if under CA law the excited utterance exception requires the declarant to make the statement while observing the startling event? Or is it like the FRE where there can be a lapse in time between the startling event and the utterance, but only if the time period did not allow for the declarant to relax and reflect upon the event?

TIA!

[a male human]

Can someone tell me if under CA law the excited utterance exception requires the declarant to make the statement while observing the startling event? Or is it like the FRE where there can be a lapse in time between the startling event and the utterance, but only if the time period did not allow for the declarant to relax and reflect upon the event?

TIA!

I believe it's like the FRE where the declarant only needs to be "under excitement of a startling event" and the standard is that he narrates, describes, or explains the event

Can someone confirm

[hogfan1991]

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I've spoken with past bar passers and they swear by them and used them extensively the last few weeks of Bar Prep. I hope everyone's prep is going well and best of luck! If you do use the code, if you could please send me "quote" this message or somehow let me know.

The code can be used by and shared with any friends anywhere, it is not specific to Arkansans. Thanks!

Website: http://www.criticalpass.com/
Discount Code: 20ARKANSAS

[Raiden]

Can someone tell me if under CA law the excited utterance exception requires the declarant to make the statement while observing the startling event? Or is it like the FRE where there can be a lapse in time between the startling event and the utterance, but only if the time period did not allow for the declarant to relax and reflect upon the event?

TIA!

I believe it's like the FRE where the declarant only needs to be "under excitement of a startling event" and the standard is that he narrates, describes, or explains the event

Can someone confirm

It is like FRE, there is no notable exception to distinguish CA and FRE excited utterance exception.

[alicen]

is anyone else's admission ticket still not ready for printing because eligibility is pending? i wonder if it's because they haven't processed my final transcript from my school yet...?

[rcharter1978]

is anyone else's admission ticket still not ready for printing because eligibility is pending? i wonder if it's because they haven't processed my final transcript from my school yet...?

That was an issue with my school, they just sent over a giant batch, but I think they sent it in a little late.

Do you know if your school sent it over? If not you should check with them to make sure its been done. The exam is only a month away (well, technically a month and a day) so it should have been done by now. Perhaps it got lost or misplaced somewhere along the line or it wasn't keyed in.

If your school confirms they sent it, check with the CA bar to see if they show they have it. If not just ask your school to re-send. Of all the things to be stressed out over in the weeks leading up to the exam....this has to be the last thing you want to deal with.

[alicen]

is anyone else's admission ticket still not ready for printing because eligibility is pending? i wonder if it's because they haven't processed my final transcript from my school yet...?

That was an issue with my school, they just sent over a giant batch, but I think they sent it in a little late.

Do you know if your school sent it over? If not you should check with them to make sure its been done. The exam is only a month away (well, technically a month and a day) so it should have been done by now. Perhaps it got lost or misplaced somewhere along the line or it wasn't keyed in.

If your school confirms they sent it, check with the CA bar to see if they show they have it. If not just ask your school to re-send. Of all the things to be stressed out over in the weeks leading up to the exam....this has to be the last thing you want to deal with.

thank you! looks like my documents were delivered last friday, so i'll keep checking the website to see if my ticket becomes available soon; otherwise i'll contact the bar.

[rcharter1978]

is anyone else's admission ticket still not ready for printing because eligibility is pending? i wonder if it's because they haven't processed my final transcript from my school yet...?

That was an issue with my school, they just sent over a giant batch, but I think they sent it in a little late.

Do you know if your school sent it over? If not you should check with them to make sure its been done. The exam is only a month away (well, technically a month and a day) so it should have been done by now. Perhaps it got lost or misplaced somewhere along the line or it wasn't keyed in.

If your school confirms they sent it, check with the CA bar to see if they show they have it. If not just ask your school to re-send. Of all the things to be stressed out over in the weeks leading up to the exam....this has to be the last thing you want to deal with.

thank you! looks like my documents were delivered last friday, so i'll keep checking the website to see if my ticket becomes available soon; otherwise i'll contact the bar.

That sounds like a good plan. I hope it works out. Just keep it on your radar, I know sometimes I let things slide, especially if I'm in the middle of something as all-encompassing as studying for the bar exam.

I'm sure everything is fine though.

[LockBox]

Anyone hitting a wall yet? Admittedly, i'm a repeater so take where i'm at with some salt. I'm at about 67% with 1,300 MBE's done and i've written out 52 essays so far (with my tutor giving me 75+ on the last three i've submitted to her). Things seem to be cruising, but since i've failed this thing already, I don't want to take any chances. Thoughts on how to regroup and keep improving?

[a male human]

Anyone hitting a wall yet? Admittedly, i'm a repeater so take where i'm at with some salt. I'm at about 67% with 1,300 MBE's done and i've written out 52 essays so far (with my tutor giving me 75+ on the last three i've submitted to her). Things seem to be cruising, but since i've failed this thing already, I don't want to take any chances. Thoughts on how to regroup and keep improving?

Are you not seeing any more improvement, or is your rate of improvement simply slowing down?

It's easier to go from 50% to 65% than it is to go from 65% to 70%.

Also, do you have a BarEssays account? I would suggest using actual scores to see if you're doing well on essays. Focus on what you got in this order: I > R > A > C

If you got all the rules right but only some of the issues, then strive to get all the issues right.
And so on

IRACs are your "units" of arguments and they only sprout from the seeds of issues

Since you probably have the basics down, you can try to improve your presentation: CLEAR headings, IRAC, formatting, spelling, no entire pages of text (use paragraphs people but don't take this post as an example)

[LockBox]

Noted. I'm also going through your PT book and will start applying some of your advice there as well.

As far as the MBE goes, I'll average 80% on my first 40 questions of the day, then fatigue/misreading or just plain tricky questions will come in and knock my score back down. I am on BarEssays and have been reading through some samples, though I first start with the bar released answers and go from there - i'm assuming the bar released essays are high passing, though not model, answers. Right? Thanks for the advice A Male Human.

Anyone hitting a wall yet? Admittedly, i'm a repeater so take where i'm at with some salt. I'm at about 67% with 1,300 MBE's done and i've written out 52 essays so far (with my tutor giving me 75+ on the last three i've submitted to her). Things seem to be cruising, but since i've failed this thing already, I don't want to take any chances. Thoughts on how to regroup and keep improving?

Are you not seeing any more improvement, or is your rate of improvement simply slowing down?

It's easier to go from 50% to 65% than it is to go from 65% to 70%.

Also, do you have a BarEssays account? I would suggest using actual scores to see if you're doing well on essays. Focus on what you got in this order: I > R > A > C

If you got all the rules right but only some of the issues, then strive to get all the issues right.
And so on

IRACs are your "units" of arguments and they only sprout from the seeds of issues

Since you probably have the basics down, you can try to improve your presentation: CLEAR headings, IRAC, formatting, spelling, no entire pages of text (use paragraphs people but don't take this post as an example)

[a male human]

Noted. I'm also going through your PT book and will start applying some of your advice there as well.

As far as the MBE goes, I'll average 80% on my first 40 questions of the day, then fatigue/misreading or just plain tricky questions will come in and knock my score back down. I am on BarEssays and have been reading through some samples, though I first start with the bar released answers and go from there - i'm assuming the bar released essays are high passing, though not model, answers. Right? Thanks for the advice A Male Human.

You're welcome!

Yes, the state bar says they are passing answers, and I also assume they are high scorers. I don't think they are "perfect" answers because answers A and B differ. I found them useful as a treatise because whatever nerd wrote them has pretty good rule statements and analysis (I saw one civ pro one where s/he almost started talking about the history and policy of a 12b6 rule). Of course, all of the main issues and most sub-issues are there -- important. The answer are not necessarily the best organized. Actual exam answers have their limits.

I actually found Barbri's impossible model answers to be best for studying exemplars. Those model answers will go through all the issues in an organized fashion, which is what you want ideally. If your outline looks like Barbri's answer (without all the paragraphs), then you're in good shape IMO.

Then you have BarEssays where high scorers discuss all the issues and the nuances but do not necessarily have excellent rule statements or analysis. You want to look like the 70-75+ people.

[avtech23]

I have a brand new Emanuels Strategies and Tactics 6th Edition for sale for $60. PM if you are interested in buying. Thanks.

[Barebones]

I'm getting more confident with my ability to answer straightforward essay questions but sometimes on the harder prompts I get stuck halfway into my essay when I realize what I was planning to write probably isn't the right answer and then I'm just sitting there wracking my brain for issues but nothing comes up or I'm seeing issues that don't relate to the call of the question. It's like I either "get" the essay and everything's good or I'm just sitting there wondering what the hell a decent answer looks like. Anyone relate?

[LockBox]

I'm getting more confident with my ability to answer straightforward essay questions but sometimes on the harder prompts I get stuck halfway into my essay when I realize what I was planning to write probably isn't the right answer and then I'm just sitting there wracking my brain for issues but nothing comes up or I'm seeing issues that don't relate to the call of the question. It's like I either "get" the essay and everything's good or I'm just sitting there wondering what the hell a decent answer looks like. Anyone relate?

Absolutely. What i've been trying to do this time around is really focus during those first 10-15 minutes. For me, I was always about jumping in and starting to write in order to get what's in my head on paper. Now i'm more confident in my recall so i'll take an extra 5 minutes to really debate the direction/law/issues that I see on the prompt in order to know that once I start writing I can just go.

However, in the last few essays i've written, I have seen that I don't always see sub-issues right away so I am flexible during the middle of an essay to stop, think about whether there are additional, colorable, issues to write about so I can address them.

[Stupiddreams]

Does anyone know if keyboard is permitted? Since I am a slow typist, I am thinking using keyboard may help me a bit.

If so, does anyone have any recommendations? I am using Macbook Air.

Thanks!!

[a male human]

Does anyone know if keyboard is permitted? Since I am a slow typist, I am thinking using keyboard may help me a bit.

If so, does anyone have any recommendations? I am using Macbook Air.

Thanks!!

Like an external keyboard? I'm not sure I understand the premise of this question because if you're a slow typist, would it make a difference if you used a keyboard (as opposed to a keyboard on a laptop)?

This says you can: http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals ... 0616_R.pdf

Still, curious what you meant.

[Stupiddreams]

Does anyone know if keyboard is permitted? Since I am a slow typist, I am thinking using keyboard may help me a bit.

If so, does anyone have any recommendations? I am using Macbook Air.

Thanks!!

Like an external keyboard? I'm not sure I understand the premise of this question because if you're a slow typist, would it make a difference if you used a keyboard (as opposed to a keyboard on a laptop)?

This says you can: http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals ... 0616_R.pdf

Still, curious what you meant.

Yes, I am saying the external keyboard. I feel more comfortable typing on keyboards.

[naenae2745]

Just to clarify, we should be shooting to get roughly 125/190 or roughly 65% correct for the MBE? This means we should be getting close to 70% of all the mbe practice questions we do?