February 2016 California Bar Exam Forum

[Raiden]

I hope this resolves easily 6Time...bar exam tortures us enough.

When are we able to download the exams for softest?

[Zaizei]

I hope this resolves easily 6Time...bar exam tortures us enough.

When are we able to download the exams for softest?

Several weeks ago.

[LockBox]

I believe the deadline to do so is next friday, Feb 19, so you still have some time.

[RoseBuddy]

These are rather important, but they beat this horse to death (Nelson, stocks etc) in July somewhat, but the Lucas/Anti-Lucas you definitely should have at your fingertips on test day.

Yeah that's what I suspected thanks.

When is examsoft going to be released for download BTW? Anyone know?

As far as I know it has several weeks ago.

WOAH! i NEVER GOT ANY EMAIL!!

I just checked as well, I never received any email regarding exam soft either. I remember last time getting a few emails about it. I don't remember getting an email notifying me to print my exam ticket either, but I've already printed it so that seems to be ok.

[Raiden]

Ah okay, thanks! They actually downloaded automatically, I thought I was suppose to download them within softest. They are the ones that start with Cal bar 2-16.

[Raiden]

These are rather important, but they beat this horse to death (Nelson, stocks etc) in July somewhat, but the Lucas/Anti-Lucas you definitely should have at your fingertips on test day.

Yeah that's what I suspected thanks.

When is examsoft going to be released for download BTW? Anyone know?

As far as I know it has several weeks ago.

WOAH! i NEVER GOT ANY EMAIL!!

I just checked as well, I never received any email regarding exam soft either. I remember last time getting a few emails about it. I don't remember getting an email notifying me to print my exam ticket either, but I've already printed it so that seems to be ok.

So this is how they get a low pass rate for February. They don't even tell us to download softest. Sneaky bar.

[RoseBuddy]

These are rather important, but they beat this horse to death (Nelson, stocks etc) in July somewhat, but the Lucas/Anti-Lucas you definitely should have at your fingertips on test day.

Yeah that's what I suspected thanks.

When is examsoft going to be released for download BTW? Anyone know?

As far as I know it has several weeks ago.

WOAH! i NEVER GOT ANY EMAIL!!

I just checked as well, I never received any email regarding exam soft either. I remember last time getting a few emails about it. I don't remember getting an email notifying me to print my exam ticket either, but I've already printed it so that seems to be ok.

So this is how they get a low pass rate for February. They don't even tell us to download softest. Sneaky bar.

Haha, I'll use this as an excuse if I don't pass!

[Raiden]

Looking at July 2011, Professional Responsibility essay on bar essay, the 65 that is posted really seems on par with the 75 and 72.5 posted. I'd even say the 65 has better organization, while those 70's just have headers and no separate paragraphs between fact and law. That just seems odd. Anyone else agree?

I cannot tell right now whether my essays are passing or not. I am spotting most of the issues and analyzing the facts decently but when I compare to the published answer or the answer in barbri, i lose confidence.. They articulate themselves much better and their essays flow naturally.. Sometimes my essays flow logically but other times I feel like I am lost...

I have been thinking about baressay but I am so broke and have spent so much money already on various materials.... Is it worth it??? I feel like seeing some other 65-70 answers will put some things in perspective. Does anyone have some samples they can share??

Thanks and good luck to all

I think the premium Baressays membership is worth it. Not really for the essay feedback, but because of their essay templates and their own unique model answers. If you do sign up for Baressays.com, go for the premium. I know money can be hard though, and two weeks might not be enough time to start Baressays fresh.

As for the basic service, I really don't know if its worth it. You look at high scoring essays and feel relieved that they aren't all that perfect. But then you find it hard to find real differences between them and a 65. Albeit I only skim them and focus on the headings, but maybe I am just using baressays wrong.

[just_lila]

[/quote]

As for the basic service, I really don't know if its worth it. You look at high scoring essays and feel relieved that they aren't all that perfect. But then you find it hard to find real differences between them and a 65. Albeit I only skim them and focus on the headings, but maybe I am just using baressays wrong.[/quote]

This is how I use baressays. I skim their model answer, then look at reviewed answers, and then skim a highest-score answer focusing on the headings.
Most of the reviewers' comments seem useful. But there is one that I found really confusing, "Don't use arguing language." They are not happy with our law-school favorite approach, "P will argue... But D will argue..."
How do you deal with this?

[lakers3peat]

interesting viewpoint. I see what you are saying. I think I've decided to just tough it up and manage. My writing has gotten considerably better. I did well on the MBE but pretty crappy on the essays. Looking back on it, I did next to no practice for writing essays, when compared with like the thousands of mbe questions that I did....

Reading over my july essays was painful. they were all over the place. rules were wrong. there was no format.. and i still managed a few 65s... it might have been "luck" that i got 2 65s for what i look at now as rambling, incoherent responses, but then again, I didn't pass so i wasnt THAT lucky haha...

THank you all for the advice......


did anybody do the barbri full day exam today??? I am looking to dicuss OCHOA v. CMH performance test... See how you organized it. what your intial thoughts were etc.

[BrokenMouse]

interesting viewpoint. I see what you are saying. I think I've decided to just tough it up and manage. My writing has gotten considerably better. I did well on the MBE but pretty crappy on the essays. Looking back on it, I did next to no practice for writing essays, when compared with like the thousands of mbe questions that I did....

Reading over my july essays was painful. they were all over the place. rules were wrong. there was no format.. and i still managed a few 65s... it might have been "luck" that i got 2 65s for what i look at now as rambling, incoherent responses, but then again, I didn't pass so i wasnt THAT lucky haha...

THank you all for the advice......


did anybody do the barbri full day exam today??? I am looking to dicuss OCHOA v. CMH performance test... See how you organized it. what your intial thoughts were etc.

I got a 50 on PT-A for July. 65 would have been pass despite poor MBE performance. I reread my PT answer and cringed. It was a memo of points and authority (court document). I wrote a research memo to the supervisor lawyer. Made 0 sense lol.

[Clark Griswold]

Hey everyone, it's been awhile since I've been on here, just want to wish you guys good luck with about a week left of studying. Stay positive, no matter what happens just stay positive.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

I finally got my examsoft issues worked out, whew what a relief. Thanks for the support my friends

[BrokenMouse]

Does anybody know the meaning of the Constitutional Provision, which states that a right to a jury trial is preserved for civil cases over $20? How does it relate to amount in controversy requirement in diversity cases and minimum amount required to have a day in court in CA state cases? Courts routinely impose more than $20 requirement to hear a case.

[Zaizei]

I finally got my examsoft issues worked out, whew what a relief. Thanks for the support my friends

Great news! I'm happy for you

[InTheWideLand I Walk]

anyone else suspect the bar committee will lighten up a little bit on the grading this year, seeing that July 2015 was the highest fail rate in 30 years, July 2014 was the highest fail rate in 10 years? I think they should be getting the point by now they have been screwing up.

[MrMustache]

anyone else suspect the bar committee will lighten up a little bit on the grading this year, seeing that July 2015 was the highest fail rate in 30 years, July 2014 was the highest fail rate in 10 years? I think they should be getting the point by now they have been screwing up.

I don't think they care. I think they finally figured out that they can get away with limiting the number of attorneys on the market by basically saying that the only reason the failure rate is so high is that the law graduates are dumber and "less able" than before. I'm expecting an even lower pass rate this time around.

[BrokenMouse]

anyone else suspect the bar committee will lighten up a little bit on the grading this year, seeing that July 2015 was the highest fail rate in 30 years, July 2014 was the highest fail rate in 10 years? I think they should be getting the point by now they have been screwing up.

I honestly think the opposite. I think they take pride in failing the most students in the state. I think they orgasm at the thought of being the hardest state to pass.

[BrokenMouse]

Hey guys, I know I asked this before, but can someone please clarify what the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury for claim amounts $20 or more? How does this relate to state laws that require much more to have a day in court and in federal court under diversity?


Also, Barbri's answer to PT - In Re Keefe seems to be missing a page. There's no Section II answer... although the instruction specifically instructs how to write Section II. No supplement on Barbri's website either.

[rcharter1978]

anyone else suspect the bar committee will lighten up a little bit on the grading this year, seeing that July 2015 was the highest fail rate in 30 years, July 2014 was the highest fail rate in 10 years? I think they should be getting the point by now they have been screwing up.

I was just thinking about that the other day, I'm crossing my fingers and praying that is how they are going to play it.

[rcharter1978]

Hey guys, I know I asked this before, but can someone please clarify what the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury for claim amounts $20 or more? How does this relate to state laws that require much more to have a day in court and in federal court under diversity?


Also, Barbri's answer to PT - In Re Keefe seems to be missing a page. There's no Section II answer... although the instruction specifically instructs how to write Section II. No supplement on Barbri's website either.

I don't believe that state courts have to follow constitutional guarantee of a trial by jury for civil matters over $20 because the 7th amendment (I believe) is not incorporated to the states. But that is right off the top of my head.

[fadedsunrise]

Possibly a dumb question, but do we have to uninstall the July 2015 Softtest before we download the one for Feb 2016, or can I just go ahead and follow the installation instructions from the beginning?

[Zaizei]

Possibly a dumb question, but do we have to uninstall the July 2015 Softtest before we download the one for Feb 2016, or can I just go ahead and follow the installation instructions from the beginning?

I uninstalled the July 2015 soft test program before I installed the February 2016 version. Hope that helps

[Raiden]

Possibly a dumb question, but do we have to uninstall the July 2015 Softtest before we download the one for Feb 2016, or can I just go ahead and follow the installation instructions from the beginning?

I think if the 2016 exams have been downloaded on your softest then you should be fine. Though I also uninstalled softest and redownloaded it, but that is because I was getting a notification that it was expired.

[Raiden]

Possibly a dumb question, but do we have to uninstall the July 2015 Softtest before we download the one for Feb 2016, or can I just go ahead and follow the installation instructions from the beginning?

I think if the 2016 exams have been downloaded on your softest then you should be fine. Though I also uninstalled softest and redownloaded it, but that is because I was getting a notification that it was expired.