February 2015 Bar Exam Forum

[ilovetypos]

For those of you taking Barbri, have you basically completed/outlined all of the essays in the essay testing book for each subject?

No, I've done a handful. I'm focusing on getting my law memorized/in my brain and the MBE, and as long as feel comfortable with the timing and structure I'm not doing many more.

Same. Who would have the time or energy to do them all? Ha

[1234567888]

Did the barbri simulated final the other day. Looks like I will be reviewing Civ Pro most of today since it destroyed me.

[brohaters1]

How many simulated MBE exams have you all done?

I ask because I can't decide if time would be well spent taking another one or just sticking to 50 (or 100) question sets.

I'm literally having the hardest time trying to allocate my time for this last week - so much yet so little time.

I did BarBri's midterm and I *might* do the simulated final tomorrow. I think it's more than fine to stick to 50 or 100 question sets if you're able to finish them in time. I think the full simulated tests are more tests of endurance.

Anyone know the goal on Barbri's Simulated Final Exam? I cannot find it anywhere

The one that includes the civ pro questions is 57.

Thanks. It was the Simulated Final Exam at the very back of the book that contained 100 questions and did include Civ Pro.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get the 57 number?

[ilovetypos]

I emailed to ask barbri for it.

[brohaters1]

I emailed to ask barbri for it.

Thanks. I'm way behind on studying and took it and got a 60/100 and was very worried. Granted, it was at the end of a long day of studying and I was exhausted, but I thought a 60 was bad. Good to know it wasn't as bad as I had thought.

[cooperlaserpup]

I really wish there was a book of essay answers that were all "good enough to pass" rather than perfect answers or above-average answers. Reading all these perfect answers day in and day out feels like it demoralizes me more than anything. Plus, why waste time memorizing the intricacy of rules when I could easier memorizes "just enough" ya know?

That is today's angsty bar thought from me.

[Tomego]

I really wish there was a book of essay answers that were all "good enough to pass" rather than perfect answers or above-average answers. Reading all these perfect answers day in and day out feels like it demoralizes me more than anything. Plus, why waste time memorizing the intricacy of rules when I could easier memorizes "just enough" ya know?

That is today's angsty bar thought from me.

I'm with you on the impact these perfect answers have on me. I don't know that I would use a 'good enough' book because I like being able to see what issues I missed or caught and then see the law applied. That said, I'd be surprised if even some of the teachers in these courses were able to write the answer essay in the time constraint.

[numbertwo88]

I really wish there was a book of essay answers that were all "good enough to pass" rather than perfect answers or above-average answers. Reading all these perfect answers day in and day out feels like it demoralizes me more than anything. Plus, why waste time memorizing the intricacy of rules when I could easier memorizes "just enough" ya know?

That is today's angsty bar thought from me.

I found a book on amazon full of past bar exam essays with their actual scores for MA - I think there's one for NY and some other states too. I think it's really helpful because they're literally nothing like the sample essays provided by prep courses. They're a lot shorter and more succinct (at least for MA) without drawing out the entire law like some kind of crazy robot.

& it also reassured me to see answers that differed in their conclusions from the sample answers.

[ilovetypos]

Oh I know. Some states post good enough answers (such as Ohio), but the state I'm taking next week does not. So I'm stuck feeling woefully inadequate.

[OklahomasOK]

Taking OK after having passed TX in July.

If it makes anyone feel better, I was scoring about 60% going into the real thing, felt decimated by the real thing, scored 145.

If you've done the work Barbri gives you, you'll be fine. Promise.

[redblueyellow]

Isn't a book with "good enough" essays basically baressays.com? You can sort by score, and anything in the 65 range is "good enough," right? If you rely on the model answers you're definitely screwed, though. I think those are the people with sponges for brains.

[cooperlaserpup]

Isn't a book with "good enough" essays basically baressays.com? You can sort by score, and anything in the 65 range is "good enough," right? If you rely on the model answers you're definitely screwed, though. I think those are the people with sponges for brains.

Hah, didn't know about this, thanks. For NY Themis says anything in the 50 range is probably good enough if you have a solid MBE. But I have no concept of what a 50 point essay looks like.

I think part of my issue is my Themis adviser this time around. I took Themis for MD in July and passed just fine. There we were given real student examples that showed people miss a rule but give a thorough analysis under a slightly different but related rule, or apply an appropriate rule but come to a different conclusion, and get great points. My adviser then would give me feedback on how to improve my essays but also gave more realistic points. The particular adviser I have now for NY will take these types of errors and tell me I will receive zero points. Every other source I've encountered says that just isn't true, and you can expect some points for "wrong" answers that are well written and demonstrate some knowledge. Oof, who knows. This adviser has been a lawyer for 1 year, and I wonder if maybe being right out of law school makes her a little harsher with the grading out of fear of going to easy.

Thanks for the tip!

[numbertwo88]

Isn't a book with "good enough" essays basically <a rel="nofollow" href="http://baressays.com" class="vglnk"><span>baressays</span><span>.</span><span>com</span></a>? You can sort by score, and anything in the 65 range is "good enough," right? If you rely on the model answers you're definitely screwed, though. I think those are the people with sponges for brains.

If you're testing for CA it's good.

idk how that got messed up. I didn't do anything ...

[redblueyellow]

If you're testing for CA it's good.

idk how that got messed up. I didn't do anything ...

Ah, I didn't realize it wasn't for non-CA people.

[numbertwo88]

If you're testing for CA it's good.

idk how that got messed up. I didn't do anything ...

Ah, I didn't realize it wasn't for non-CA people.

I wish the other states did something similar It would be a huge help! ... that's probably why it doesn't exist

It's a good idea though. I think someone should get on it.

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

Quick torts question:
For the tort of disclosure of private facts, I understand that the confidential info won't be considered confidential if the confidential info is known to specific people. So for example, if you're gay and your friends know but your coworkers don't, publishing this fact wouldn't be disclosure because certain people acquainted with the plaintiff are aware of this fact.

But what if the only people that know plaintiff's secret aren't associated with the plaintiff in any way? For example, let's say plaintiff is a crossdresser and only a handful of strangers have seen him in a dress when he's out in public (i.e. they don't know him personally, but they recognized that it was a dude in a dress). If someone he knew ran into him on the street and spread that info, is that disclosure?

[jarofsoup]

Anyone's mbe scores going down. I am not doing we'll anymore any advice? Just burnout???

[you_were_driving]

Quick torts question:
For the tort of disclosure of private facts, I understand that the confidential info won't be considered confidential if the confidential info is known to specific people. So for example, if you're gay and your friends know but your coworkers don't, publishing this fact wouldn't be disclosure because certain people acquainted with the plaintiff are aware of this fact.

But what if the only people that know plaintiff's secret aren't associated with the plaintiff in any way? For example, let's say plaintiff is a crossdresser and only a handful of strangers have seen him in a dress when he's out in public (i.e. they don't know him personally, but they recognized that it was a dude in a dress). If someone he knew ran into him on the street and spread that info, is that disclosure?

I dont think there is a public disclosure of private fact in your example. The fact wouldnt be a private because it is publicly available knowledge elsewhere.

[redblueyellow]

Quick torts question:
For the tort of disclosure of private facts, I understand that the confidential info won't be considered confidential if the confidential info is known to specific people. So for example, if you're gay and your friends know but your coworkers don't, publishing this fact wouldn't be disclosure because certain people acquainted with the plaintiff are aware of this fact.

But what if the only people that know plaintiff's secret aren't associated with the plaintiff in any way? For example, let's say plaintiff is a crossdresser and only a handful of strangers have seen him in a dress when he's out in public (i.e. they don't know him personally, but they recognized that it was a dude in a dress). If someone he knew ran into him on the street and spread that info, is that disclosure?

Public Disclosure of Private Facts:

1) D unreasonably released P's private facts to the public
2) Publication of facts (widely disseminated to the public; disclosure to a couple people do not count)
3) A reasonable person would find the disclosure highly offensive (exception: if the activities occur in public, then it is not highly offensive or private)

Defense/Exception: Disclosure is acceptable if the facts are newsworthy (usually relate to a public figure/official/matter)

I'd say that as to the crossdressing example, since the public that sees the crossdresser don't actually know him personally, nor can they identify him, that it even though it occurs in public, it is not a public activity.

I'd even argue that publicizing the fact that someone is gay is violative of Disclosure because P would've only told a few certain trusted people vs telling the public. Plus, it'd meet the reasonable person/highly offensive element as well.

[minnbills]

Anyone's mbe scores going down. I am not doing we'll anymore any advice? Just burnout???

Mine go up and down constantly.

[numbertwo88]

Anyone's mbe scores going down. I am not doing we'll anymore any advice? Just burnout???

Take a break - like 12 to 24 hours away, work on something else, turn back to them refreshed. Don't get frustrated -- hope that helps! a little at least

[YibanRen]

Hard to tell. The MBE questions you are likely taking aren't representative of the actual MBE. This includes questions from all test prep companies and also from those that use "real" questions. Problem is that all of these groups try to throw Qs at you that will help you learn more law. When you actually sit for the MBE, like 50% of the stuff you see will be straightforward. So, you will probably jump a bit. Take NCBEX's actual tests to see where you are at.

Anyone's mbe scores going down. I am not doing we'll anymore any advice? Just burnout???

[ilovetypos]

This is my second bar exam. After I passed in a different state, I SWORE I would never do it again. Now I'm dead serious -- this is never happening again. So miserable.

[cooperlaserpup]

This is my second bar exam. After I passed in a different state, I SWORE I would never do it again. Now I'm dead serious -- this is never happening again. So miserable.

omg. I am right there with you. Except I found out about my new job in another state two weeks before the first one I took, so I knew this was coming. But now I am seriously never ever taking another one. Ever. I will go to extensive lengths to avoid it if necessary. UGH.

[lalala21]

This is my second bar exam. After I passed in a different state, I SWORE I would never do it again. Now I'm dead serious -- this is never happening again. So miserable.

omg. I am right there with you. Except I found out about my new job in another state two weeks before the first one I took, so I knew this was coming. But now I am seriously never ever taking another one. Ever. I will go to extensive lengths to avoid it if necessary. UGH.

Me too. Took it in July and passed, and now here I am again taking it in another state. It's a weird feeling this time around. In July I was terrified. It felt like so much more than just a test. I put everything I had into studying this summer because I was so nervous. I haven't had the nervous energy to keep me going as much this time, but I still feel pretty confident (for some unknown reason). I have also had to work full time this time. Not sure how this is going to go