MD February 2016 Exam Forum

[Em_Banc]

I took the July exam and didn't pass. I had a hunch I hadn't passed because my character investigation status said it was still under review -- even after my interviewer told me everything was fine. I was 100% sure I didn't pass the night before results were released because I was able to submit a retake application that evening. Before the Feb bar I saw that my status still says my investigation is in committee so I contacted my interviewer and she said they told her I didn't pass the July exam so she concentrated on getting out the reports for the people that had passed before the results were out. As of today, my status still says it's under review. Does anyone else have this issue? I'm wondering if this is an indication that I failed again....

This is so frustrating. And to make matters worse, MD results come out 2 days after the DC deadline for the July exam. There is NO WAY I'm taking the MD exams again if I fail this time.

Wait, so your interviewer actually told you she was concentrating on getting reports out for people that had passed the Feb bar? I'm just confused because you said you saw your status and contacted her "before the Feb bar." I'm wondering if you contacted her after taking the bar or beforehand--i.e., whether she could have possibly known an applicant's pass/fail status.

My status is still in character committee. My interviewer assured me she has no idea who passed or failed, that her goal is to get everyone completed by the results date, and that a lot of it is out of her hands.

One thing to think about with DC is that they just adopted the UBE. I'm in the same pickle with application deadlines for another bar. It might be worth it to just put down the money and possibly sit for the UBE...at least you'll have UBE flexibility if you take it and pass.

[MDGirl]

I'm sorry. I didn't clearly explain before;

I failed July 2015's bar. I contacted the interviewer in early Feb 2016 when I noticed my investigation was still pending, and she told me the reason she had not sent my report in was because she was told I didn't pass so she concentrated on the other reports. I don't know if she meant that she found out before or after the July results were released. BUT... from what your interviewer told you, it sounds like reports are due at the same time results come out. Someone (you?) also posted that their interviewer told them the reports were due Apr 1 this time around.

Here's what she wrote: "Actually your application is complete unless you have any updated information to provide since the time that you originally submitted the application. I did not mail your application in as I was notified that you did not pass the exam (sorry to hear that) and I focused on getting the application in for those that passed so that they could be timely sworn in."

[Em_Banc]

I'm sorry. I didn't clearly explain before;

I failed July 2015's bar. I contacted the interviewer in early Feb 2016 when I noticed my investigation was still pending, and she told me the reason she had not sent my report in was because she was told I didn't pass so she concentrated on the other reports. I don't know if she meant that she found out before or after the July results were released. BUT... from what your interviewer told you, it sounds like reports are due at the same time results come out. Someone (you?) also posted that their interviewer told them the reports were due Apr 1 this time around.

Here's what she wrote: "Actually your application is complete unless you have any updated information to provide since the time that you originally submitted the application. I did not mail your application in as I was notified that you did not pass the exam (sorry to hear that) and I focused on getting the application in for those that passed so that they could be timely sworn in."

Ok, got it. I didn't post about that April 1 deadline--someone else was told that by their interviewer. My interviewer DID tell me just last week that she was recommending me and sending her report to the higher-ups, and she did say that later on she receives a list of who passed and who didn't.

[MDGirl]

MPT was long. essays seemed straight forward to me. Does anyone know if the "grandma in the nursing home" question was testing agency or something else?

The first prompt (what would you advise granddaughter about grandma) was so open-ended. The checks tripped me up for a min and made me think I was supposed to talk negotiable instruments...hope not.

BTW: I didn't include this in my answer, but I got a bad feeling after the exam that there was some sort of conflict of interest/ethics issue going on there. Such that the attorney could not advise the daughter about the elderly mother. He could only represent the daughter and not both. But I could be completely off. For my answer, I just wrote that the scribbling could be used against the mother as ratifying the contract and that even if it wasn't, the daughter was an implied agent so the contract is enforceable against the estate (did she die? I can't remember anymore...).

[MDGirl]

Ok, got it. I didn't post about that April 1 deadline--someone else was told that by their interviewer. My interviewer DID tell me just last week that she was recommending me and sending her report to the higher-ups, and she did say that later on she receives a list of who passed and who didn't.

Ok. Well, I think that makes perfect sense and less cause for alarm. It sounds like my interviewer was late on sending the reports in (trying to get them in before swearing in comment she made in the email). She probably got the results after they were released and that's when she put my report off. But how come it STILL says it's in committee? Would you please post or PM me once your status changes? (Since we know she sent your report in.)

[Em_Banc]

MPT was long. essays seemed straight forward to me. Does anyone know if the "grandma in the nursing home" question was testing agency or something else?

The first prompt (what would you advise granddaughter about grandma) was so open-ended. The checks tripped me up for a min and made me think I was supposed to talk negotiable instruments...hope not.

BTW: I didn't include this in my answer, but I got a bad feeling after the exam that there was some sort of conflict of interest/ethics issue going on there. Such that the attorney could not advise the daughter about the elderly mother. He could only represent the daughter and not both. But I could be completely off. For my answer, I just wrote that the scribbling could be used against the mother as ratifying the contract and that even if it wasn't, the daughter was an implied agent so the contract is enforceable against the estate (did she die? I can't remember anymore...).

Thank god this seems to have been a tough essay for people. I really think I deserved a 2 on this one. I think it was broken down into (1) what would you advise granddaughter? (nothing specific, just plain "what would you advise her" re this situation), and (2) either "was a contract formed between granddaughter and nursing home" or "is granddaughter liable to nursing home?" I can't remember the specifics. I didn't write anything about conflict of interests. I was so stuck on the mentions of no power of attorney doc and the use of checks that it took me a while to start writing.

And yes, I'll PM you if and when my status changes.

[BWill23]

As prep for the exam, I read every essay and both model answers for every bar exam going back the last 10 years. It was almost routine that when there was a potential that one attorney could represent two clients, that the model answers included a few sentences about how the attorney might be able to represent both parties, however since there is a chance that their interests in the case could be adversary, the prudent attorney should only represent one of the two potential clients. Thus, for, "A. What would you advise the daughter", I talked about that.

For the meaty part of the question, I talked about how the daughter is not liable because the hospital was informed that no POA had been completed, and thus, the daughters signature was unnecessary(and meaningless) because the contract was between the Mother and the Hospital. Mom and daughter had no other agency relationship outside of this signature. Simply paying for one of the 3 months of care was not sufficient evidence to show any sort of routine practice, or assumption of the costs. It could have simply been a gift. The Mother's signature, no matter how illegible it may have seemed, was still valid since there was no evidence of her mental incapacity to enter into a K.

I think this is a classic example of the MD bar exam allowing you to have different outcomes as long as you had some sound legal reasoning in arriving there.

[BWill23]

Also... where are you guys seeing your status for this stuff? When I look at the application I submitted, I don't see anything different than when I submitted it, (which was at the 11th hour). After my character interview gave me a positive recommendation, I got an email from the committee saying that I had been approved by the committee for admittance into the MD bar.

[Em_Banc]

Also... where are you guys seeing your status for this stuff? When I look at the application I submitted, I don't see anything different than when I submitted it, (which was at the 11th hour). After my character interview gave me a positive recommendation, I got an email from the committee saying that I had been approved by the committee for admittance into the MD bar.

Mine is on my bar application portal page. Last week my interviewer said she was giving me a positive rec, and also said the second round of committee ppl would now be making the final call. Do you have any idea how long it was between your interview and the email you received from the committee?

[BWill23]

Also... where are you guys seeing your status for this stuff? When I look at the application I submitted, I don't see anything different than when I submitted it, (which was at the 11th hour). After my character interview gave me a positive recommendation, I got an email from the committee saying that I had been approved by the committee for admittance into the MD bar.

Mine is on my bar application portal page. Last week my interviewer said she was giving me a positive rec, and also said the second round of committee ppl would now be making the final call. Do you have any idea how long it was between your interview and the email you received from the committee?

It was almost exactly a week. I do recall my interviewer saying that the second round of the committee only meets every so often (but I forget how regularly). He also said that it is rare for the overall committee to go against the recommendation of the interviewer, so you should be good to go. The waiting is the hardest part!

[MarylandDreams]

Could we talk about the Crim Pro question? Was it about the 5th Amendment or 6th Amendment right to counsel?

[MDGirl]

Could we talk about the Crim Pro question? Was it about the 5th Amendment or 6th Amendment right to counsel?

I seriously can't even remember the call of that question... I wouldn't worry about it too much though. The instructions even say, don't worry about getting the law exactly right. It's important that you spotted the issue and then I think it's important how you analyzed the facts against the law (whatever law you used). 5th Amendment is for anything before arrest and before charges. 6th Amendment is for after the person has been charged. Think "critical stages" for 6th Amendment to apply.

[Em_Banc]

I think you could've talked about both 5th and 6th Amendment issues. I think it was a relatively long fact pattern...post-indictment interrogation where the officer and arrestee went back and forth talking. I think the arrestee went from "do I need a lawyer" to "I want my lawyer now" through a series of interactions. Pretty sure there was a confession in there, and maybe some room to discuss coercion. I think the call of the question was the admissibility of statements/evidence. I remember the arrestee's statements led to the police physically discovering a weapon.

[winwin25]

I have a question. Can a candidate who holds only a LLM degree and is admitted to NY/CA bar sit for the MD bar exam please?

[waitingonresults]

Updating here - I received notification that the character committee recommended my admission. ONE MORE WEEK. anxiety is kicking in...

[Em_Banc]

MDGirl-- I just got an email saying "the Character Committee recommended your admission on April 28, 2016. The Character Committee's Report was returned to SBLE on April 28, 2016." My friends who took the July exam (and ended up passing, altho I don't think this email has any bearing on that) received the same email following their interviews. My status on my account has changed as well.

I know my interviewer sent all of my stuff in at the beginning of last week. Hope this helps.

[Em_Banc]

I have a question. Can a candidate who holds only a LLM degree and is admitted to NY/CA bar sit for the MD bar exam please?

I found this info on LLM/non-US students sitting for the MD bar: http://www.mdcourts.gov/ble/pdfs/waiver ... degree.pdf

I would read this over and call SBLE to talk to an actual human about your specific situation.

[Em_Banc]

Updating here - I received notification that the character committee recommended my admission. ONE MORE WEEK. anxiety is kicking in...

Same here. Anxiety some days, apathy some days, confidence some days...repeat.

[MDGirl]

Mine still says its with the committee. Considering that I had my interview in October, and my interviewer told me she was recommending me, I guess this means I didn't pass.

[Em_Banc]

Mine still says its with the committee. Considering that I had my interview in October, and my interviewer told me she was recommending me, I guess this means I didn't pass.

I know this must be making you stress but I would try not to read too much into it. The interviewers and committees are supposed to move forward with your app no matter what. I took another state's bar in July and was notified long before the exam results that I passed their character investigation, yet still ended up failing the exam. I would maybe call sble tomorrow--they really might be able to tell you what's going on with your app. It sounds like you have a forgetful interviewer.

[waitingonresults]

Mine still says its with the committee. Considering that I had my interview in October, and my interviewer told me she was recommending me, I guess this means I didn't pass.

I'm fairly sure that they are telling the truth when they say the two are totally unrelated. I know of a few people that passed the MD bar whose character investigation attorney did not turn in their recommendation until after hearing whether or not the person passed. I think it depends on who you get assigned to.

[MDGirl]

I hope you're right. I'm just worried because a previous poster said their interviewer told them they had a list of people whose reports had to be turned in by April 1. I just don't understand why she would delay sending my report in. She told me its completed but she didn't send it in. I mean 7 months is a very very long time to take to mail something... All I know is that I feel like my life is upside down because of all of this stress. I'm completely losing my mind.

[Em_Banc]

I hope you're right. I'm just worried because a previous poster said their interviewer told them they had a list of people whose reports had to be turned in by April 1. I just don't understand why she would delay sending my report in. She told me its completed but she didn't send it in. I mean 7 months is a very very long time to take to mail something... All I know is that I feel like my life is upside down because of all of this stress. I'm completely losing my mind.

I think if I were you I would call SBLE and/or email the interviewer to check on the status of everything and whether your interviewer has sent her report in. I emailed my interviewer to confirm that she had received the last of my character references that she had been waiting on, and that's when she informed me that she sent everything in. Taking some kind of step towards getting more info on the status of your character app really might help you with the way you're feeling.

[MDGirl]

I think if I were you I would call SBLE and/or email the interviewer to check on the status of everything and whether your interviewer has sent her report in. I emailed my interviewer to confirm that she had received the last of my character references that she had been waiting on, and that's when she informed me that she sent everything in. Taking some kind of step towards getting more info on the status of your character app really might help you with the way you're feeling.

I had contacted SBLE before and they were not helpful at all. I tried again yesterday morning anyway, and of course it was the same. She asked me the last 4 digits of my ssn and basically repeated what ebar says, and when I asked her what does that mean, she said she didn't know and that it's still with the interviewer or the committee and there is nothing she knows or can do. She referred me to their website to find out what the procedures are. It was as if she was just reading from a handout. So pathetic.

I really didn't want to email my interviewer, given I already bugged her about this in January, but I sent her an email anyway, just in case she sent it in and it got lost in the mail or something.

I was debating weather or not to register for the July DC exam (deadline today), but I think that's really bad luck, besides it being a really a burdensome application. I'll definitely take DC if I fail MD though. The only the silver lining is that I would be forced to take the DC exam which is valid in many more states, and it's most definitely going to be easier since it's UBE and doesn't require memorizing a ridiculous number of anomalies. I'm so done with MD. I think they are going to be in for a big surprise next go around because with DC going UBE, finally allowing laptops, cheaper registration fee, more convenient test location for Wash Metro people, appeal rights, and reciprocity, it's going to be a whole new ballgame.

[Em_Banc]

I think if I were you I would call SBLE and/or email the interviewer to check on the status of everything and whether your interviewer has sent her report in. I emailed my interviewer to confirm that she had received the last of my character references that she had been waiting on, and that's when she informed me that she sent everything in. Taking some kind of step towards getting more info on the status of your character app really might help you with the way you're feeling.

I had contacted SBLE before and they were not helpful at all. I tried again yesterday morning anyway, and of course it was the same. She asked me the last 4 digits of my ssn and basically repeated what ebar says, and when I asked her what does that mean, she said she didn't know and that it's still with the interviewer or the committee and there is nothing she knows or can do. She referred me to their website to find out what the procedures are. It was as if she was just reading from a handout. So pathetic.

I really didn't want to email my interviewer, given I already bugged her about this in January, but I sent her an email anyway, just in case she sent it in and it got lost in the mail or something.

I was debating weather or not to register for the July DC exam (deadline today), but I think that's really bad luck, besides it being a really a burdensome application. I'll definitely take DC if I fail MD though. The only the silver lining is that I would be forced to take the DC exam which is valid in many more states, and it's most definitely going to be easier since it's UBE and doesn't require memorizing a ridiculous number of anomalies. I'm so done with MD. I think they are going to be in for a big surprise next go around because with DC going UBE, finally allowing laptops, cheaper registration fee, more convenient test location for Wash Metro people, appeal rights, and reciprocity, it's going to be a whole new ballgame.

I'm glad you reached out to them even if SBLE was essentially useless. Your interviewer should be able to tell you whether she sent your stuff in. Pass or fail--there's no reason she shouldn't have sent your stuff in after deciding to recommend you months ago. If it makes you feel better, I was searching through older forums on here for more info on all of this and more than one person said they or someone they knew had their interview after results posted. So much of that scheduling probably hinges on things we will never know. I hope your interviewer responds and can shed some light. Wishing you and everyone else here luck this week. And I'm in the same boat as you re DC -- I might end up trying for late filing because I just can't bring myself to register prior to MD results.