Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[anon sequitur]

Did you all get a Final Review Outline for Con Law or Civ Pro? They didn't come with my pack, which seems weird, I really like the rest of them so was hoping to switch to just FRO's the rest of the way.

[UnamSanctam]

Did you all get a Final Review Outline for Con Law or Civ Pro? They didn't come with my pack, which seems weird, I really like the rest of them so was hoping to switch to just FRO's the rest of the way.

Honestly, the MBE stuff is bad enough, but it's the state specific essays that are going to get me. There's no FRO for that material and I know virtually none of it.

[111aaa]

For those of you taking the New York bar,

Has anyone actually gotten around to committing to memory classes like secured, agency,partnerships, or administrative law? If so, what are your tips in deciphering what's important and trying to remember these materials with the other subjects that are said to be more important? Any feedback is welcomed.

[Lekal]

Did you all get a Final Review Outline for Con Law or Civ Pro? They didn't come with my pack, which seems weird, I really like the rest of them so was hoping to switch to just FRO's the rest of the way.

I have both (they call the Civ Pro outline "Fed Jur Pro" in my materials tho, if that helps locate it). I'm not sure how to send a PM with attachments on TLS, but if you let me know how you want them sent along I'm happy to.

[anon sequitur]

I have both (they call the Civ Pro outline "Fed Jur Pro" in my materials tho, if that helps locate it). I'm not sure how to send a PM with attachments on TLS, but if you let me know how you want them sent along I'm happy to.

Thanks, PM'd. The other FRO's are so good definitely want them all.

[Nelson]

The draconian requirements for what you can bring into this test are absurd. We can't bring mechanical pencils or a snack? But we are allowed to have a "lumbar support or seat cushion" and a "clear water bottle with the label removed" (LOL). Aren't we supposed to be joining a "learned profession" that self-polices its ethics?

[Ahyis]

The draconian requirements for what you can bring into this test are absurd. We can't bring mechanical pencils or a snack? But we are allowed to have a "lumbar support or seat cushion" and a "clear water bottle with the label removed" (LOL). Aren't we supposed to be joining a "learned profession" that self-polices its ethics?

Did they send an email? Or is this off the BOLE website?

[Sefolifau]

Colorado checking in here. What are people's completion rates so far? Does anyone know what percent completion we should be at by now? Thank you !

79.9%. I'm behind though so when I start taking the MBE 100s, I'll also be having like 6 more assignments to complete for the day and that seems like a nightmare.

However, I chose to take yesterday off even though I was already behind because I was feeling super burned out. Totally worth it. I was super productive today (2.5%), hit most points on the essay questions and got a 72 on an MBE 50. I don't mind being behind if I'm not burned out.

Wow 79.9% in Colorado, I'm nowhere near that. Well looks like you'll be passing the bar and I'll be failing it for the 6th time.

[Nelson]

The draconian requirements for what you can bring into this test are absurd. We can't bring mechanical pencils or a snack? But we are allowed to have a "lumbar support or seat cushion" and a "clear water bottle with the label removed" (LOL). Aren't we supposed to be joining a "learned profession" that self-polices its ethics?

Did they send an email? Or is this off the BOLE website?

It varies by state, these are from the instructions we received in my state.

[anon sequitur]

just be happy you don't have to wear a suit

[Velours]

The draconian requirements for what you can bring into this test are absurd. We can't bring mechanical pencils or a snack? But we are allowed to have a "lumbar support or seat cushion" and a "clear water bottle with the label removed" (LOL). Aren't we supposed to be joining a "learned profession" that self-polices its ethics?

In Texas, we can bring mechanical pencils but not water. But we also don't have a dress code so that's a win.

[sp1kedrat]

how important is it to state tangentially relevant rules? for example, if the call of the question is the implied easement for necessity, is it necessary to state stuff about prescription, implication and estoppel? my essay grader keeps taking off points for stuff like that even though it's not relevant to the question and won't be applied to the facts.

[Nelson]

just be happy you don't have to wear a suit

LOLVirginia

[smalogna]

For those of you taking the New York bar,

Has anyone actually gotten around to committing to memory classes like secured, agency,partnerships, or administrative law? If so, what are your tips in deciphering what's important and trying to remember these materials with the other subjects that are said to be more important? Any feedback is welcomed.

You've chosen subjects that based on statistics from past exams are likely not to appear on essays (largest chance is secured transactions 32% out of 19 exams. (Obviously Admin is the exception and I'm fairly certain we are going to get the first NY admin essay as they didn't do it in February) I'm personally playing the numbers game. Studying the subjects with over 50% chance of appearing pretty hard and then for the rest of the subjects just getting some general knowledge so that if I'm unlucky and get one I can get by. At this late stage I think trying to memorize any substantive partnership rules will detract from places much more likely to kill me.

[Robert Paulson]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

[Confused7]

I might be wrong, but here's what I think the rule is:

I thought the rule was that they had to be specifically mentioned in the biological parent's will to get stuff.

This rule applies when the adopted out child is inheriting directly from the biological parent that gave them up for adoption. That parent would have to specifically mention the child by name in the will in order for the child to inherit. If the parent says something like "to my heirs or issue" the child won't inherit. [EDIT: exception to this if "i) The will (or lifetime testamentary instrument) is executed after August 31, 1986; ii) The will includes a class gift (e.g., “next of kin”, “children”, “issue”); iii) The person who adopted the child is (a) married to the child’s natural parent, (b) the child’s natural grandparent, or (c) a descendent of the child’s natural grandparent; iv) The testator is the child’s natural grandparent or a descendent of the natural grandparent; and v) The will does not express a contrary intention."] Same goes if the parent dies intestate.

But there's also that test with the factors (if decedent died after 8/31/1987, if decedent was the adopted child's grandparent or descendent of a grandparent, and if the adopted parent is married to the child's biological parent). When do we apply each? I asked Themis but they weren't very clear.

This rule applies when the adopted child stands to inherit through the biological parent who gave them up for adoption. For example, assume that the biological dad gave kid up for adoption. Biological dad dies. Biological dad's brother dies intestate. Here the decedent is a descendant of the child's biological grandfather. The child would inherit from the biological uncle so long as the uncle died after 8/31/1987 and the child's adopted parent is married to the child's biological mother. If the child was given up for adoption by both parents and adopted by two strangers, then the child would not inherit from his biological uncle.

Thank you so much, InternationalShoe! I didn't even realize there was a separate 1986 rule for when an adopted child inherits directly FROM the biological parent. I'm going to need to look at that more closely. So basically the difference is that the first rule statement (above) goes to when an adopted out child inherits from the parent directly, and the second one has to do with inheriting through some person other than the biological parent? Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[zot1]

Colorado checking in here. What are people's completion rates so far? Does anyone know what percent completion we should be at by now? Thank you !

79.9%. I'm behind though so when I start taking the MBE 100s, I'll also be having like 6 more assignments to complete for the day and that seems like a nightmare.

However, I chose to take yesterday off even though I was already behind because I was feeling super burned out. Totally worth it. I was super productive today (2.5%), hit most points on the essay questions and got a 72 on an MBE 50. I don't mind being behind if I'm not burned out.

Wow 79.9% in Colorado, I'm nowhere near that. Well looks like you'll be passing the bar and I'll be failing it for the 6th time.

Not in CO, but UBE state. I'm not sure that completion rate determines whether you'll pass. I'm a strong believer of quality over quantity.

Anyhow, here are my inconsistent MBE scores:

71, 79, 62, 58 , 70, 72, 68, 66, 72, 64, 71.

[Pleasye]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

Yup! My suggested pace is up to 2.5% lol

[Confused7]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

Yup! My suggested pace is up to 2.5% lol

Same. I think I'd go crazy if I were to follow the directed study for the last week. I'm just reviewing 2 subjects via outlines per day and doing 1 mixed MBE set. I should be done with all of that by next weekend, at which point I'll look over the remaining practice essays.

[sd5289]

Does anyone have any clever methods of distinguishing the types of notice statutes? Our professor in law school never covered these, since he favored ancient and medieval property rights, and as a result, I'm just guessing, here.

These are tricky for me too, but I know if I see the words "first recorded," it's either a race or race-notice statute. I literally zero in on the word "first" if I see it. If I see "good faith" or the more obvious "without notice" I know it's notice or race-notice. Those are the words I focus on, and if you see both sets, you've got a race-notice statute.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall Themis saying that notice and race-notice are the most heavily MBE tested recording acts.

[sd5289]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

Yup! My suggested pace is up to 2.5% lol

Mine shot up to 2.6% after 2 days of reviewing outlines and making flash cards. I'm simply using the Themis flex mode to continue practicing essays and MBE questions without any notes or outlines. I'm also writing out the essays to get used to trying to write something out of nothing if I'm blanking on the rule.

As for the most heavily tested NY essay subjects, both Themis' handout and the Smart Bar Prep outline (thank you to whoever posted about it earlier...this thing has been amazing) give you the breakdown of what will most likely be tested (Wills, Torts, Family Law, K's, Corporations, Crim/Crim Law, & Property), which you should probably treat as "for sure" going to show up. I agree that Admin is likely to show up this time since they didn't see it in February. If the more obscure stuff like Secured Transactions, Partnerships, etc. come up, it'll likely be a sub-Q to the main topic. All the practice essays I've done have had, say, a Torts fact pattern and mainly Torts questions with a Professional Responsibility issue popping up due to the lawyer's conduct.

That's a long way of saying focus on the big picture.

[zot1]

For what is worth my advisor told me to abandon the directed scheduled and focus on certain things, so it's certainly okay to do so.

[sopranorleone]

just be happy you don't have to wear a suit

LOLVirginia

I thought this was a joke, but then I googled it...

[annapach]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

Yup! My suggested pace is up to 2.5% lol

Same. I think I'd go crazy if I were to follow the directed study for the last week. I'm just reviewing 2 subjects via outlines per day and doing 1 mixed MBE set. I should be done with all of that by next weekend, at which point I'll look over the remaining practice essays.

That's exactly what I'm doing!

[Confused7]

Anyone else abandon the schedule and focusing on short outlines and memorization? My state weights essays heavily, so I am just focusing on the BLL for now.

Yup! My suggested pace is up to 2.5% lol

Same. I think I'd go crazy if I were to follow the directed study for the last week. I'm just reviewing 2 subjects via outlines per day and doing 1 mixed MBE set. I should be done with all of that by next weekend, at which point I'll look over the remaining practice essays.

That's exactly what I'm doing!

Yay study twins! I'm a huge believer that too much stress at this point in the game will do no good. I'm just going to take it easy with my study schedule and stagger it. It's definitely not 10-12 hours a day, but at the pace I'm going now I'll prolly still reach 100%.