February 2015 Bar Exam Forum

[minnbills]

As long as its not conflict of laws I'll be happy. Would LOVE a sec trans question. Hopefully no wills/trusts either but that is probably asking too much.

[ditch digger]

Civil procedure has been tested each of the past ten MEE administrations so I wouldn't totally rule is out.

Here is a link forecasting the predictions for the July 2014 MEE. It charts the subjects actually tested on the MEE since February 2010. I'm pretty sure that the subjects that appeared on the July 2014 MEE were contracts, criminal procedure, evidence, family law, and corporations.

http://whlawoffices.com/july-2014-mee-subjects/

[underthirty]

.

[ilovetypos]

You guys. I hate everything.

[ditch digger]

As long as its not conflict of laws I'll be happy. Would LOVE a sec trans question. Hopefully no wills/trusts either but that is probably asking too much.

I feel you on conflict of laws. If it pops up on the exam, I'm just going to say "fuck it" and apply the vested rights approach.

[minnbills]

As long as its not conflict of laws I'll be happy. Would LOVE a sec trans question. Hopefully no wills/trusts either but that is probably asking too much.

I feel you on conflict of laws. If it pops up on the exam, I'm just going to say "fuck it" and apply the vested rights approach.

Yeah I can't even differentiate the three approaches really. I'll just say vested rights too.

I could crush an agency/partnership/corps question because I just took the class. So hopefully no family law or conflict of laws.

[doubltall]

At this point, with how much I've prepared for Civil Procedure (relative to other subjects), I'm really hoping they keep up the trend of having one of those like they have since the inception of the UBE lol.

[cooperlaserpup]

Can I bitch about my themis adviser for a second?? Just got my final graded essay back, she gave me a 52 (which should be enoguh for me to pass the bar exam, but not with flying colors.) Anyhow I had answers that contained LITERALLY THE EXACT SAME RULES AND ANALYSIS AS THE MODEL ANSWER and she said that I missed all the key law and deducted 60 pts from my legal knowledge. Also she said I didn't write an issue statement when I very much did.

It would be nice if the people paid to help us actually read our answers or knew what they were talking about.

/rant.

eta: I just went through the section where she took the most points point-by-point. I hit on literally everything EXCEPT I did not mention that you can revoke an irrevocable trust with the consent of all beneficiaries. In this case the beneficiary is a minor and couldn't consent so it had no outcome on the final conclusion.....based on all the graded NY essays I have read leaving out that one aspect of the law CANNOT amount to a loss of more than one point when I correctly identified how to make a valid trust, the presumption that it is irrevocable, and valid analysis and conclusion. I'm not saying my answer was 100% but it also wasn't atrocious, and it was better than 50% correct. gah.

[cooperlaserpup]

Can someone please explain to me how the MBE is scaled?

In July when I passed MD my MBE scaled score was 148. Lets say for the sake of my example that this means I answered 135 questions correctly.

My understanding is that in february, even if I answer exactly 135 questions correctly again, that the way it is scaled will give me a LOWER scaled score (assuming the trend of february test takers getting lower MBEs is true.)

Is this really how it works?? I can't wrap my mind around how this is fair?

Here's my understanding, I could be wrong but I believe that basically the higher up the curve of raw scores you fall, the less bonus/curve points you get. The July administration typically has higher raw scores, so you end up falling closer to the middle of the curve which means you get more bonus/curve points. The Feb administration typically has lower raw scores, so you end up closer to the top of the curve, which means you get fewer bonus/curve points.

I haven't been able to really find much logic in how that puts the various administrations test takers on equal footing.

I think you are right, that was my understanding too, and it makes absolutely zero sense to me. If we are taking the exam with a weaker candidate pool, then are relative strength should be rewarded. the only reason for this I can think of is they want to deter people from strategically taking february in the hopes of higher likelihood of passing.

[Holly Golightly]

Ugh I still feel like I know nothing. And I really do know nothing about essay topics.

[minnbills]

How are you all preparing for the MPT?

[Holly Golightly]

How are you all preparing for the MPT?

Is that a thing people prepare for?

[ilovetypos]

How are you all preparing for the MPT?

Is that a thing people prepare for?

Minnbills, I think it would be beneficial to read through a couple and give yourself half the time (45 minutes) to see if you can read through the materials and outline an answer. Then you'd have 45 more minutes to write.

LOL @ Holly -- you crack me up!

[ditch digger]

Ugh I still feel like I know nothing. And I really do know nothing about essay topics.

Nobody feels like they are totally prepared for exam day. If it makes you feel any better, I totally guessed on two of the essay questions on the July 2014 UBE and I still passed. You got this.

[ilovetypos]

Has anyone done BarBri's evidence set 6? The explanation for question 5 makes zero sense to me. It says: A statement based on mere suspicion rather than actual knowledge does not constitute a statement concerning the cause or circumstances of an "impending death" for purposes of the dying declarations exception.

In the question, the guy said "I don't think I'm going to make it. [the suspect] must have cut my brakes to get back at me."

"Actual knowledge" is required for dying declarations? Really?

[Holly Golightly]

Ugh I still feel like I know nothing. And I really do know nothing about essay topics.

Nobody feels like they are totally prepared for exam day. If it makes you feel any better, I totally guessed on two of the essay questions on the July 2014 UBE and I still passed. You got this.

Oh I made up a lot of law on the July 2013 exam and passed, but in a state that won't tell you your score so I have no idea how much I passed by. Grrr

[Holly Golightly]

How are you all preparing for the MPT?

Is that a thing people prepare for?

Minnbills, I think it would be beneficial to read through a couple and give yourself half the time (45 minutes) to see if you can read through the materials and outline an answer. Then you'd have 45 more minutes to write.

LOL @ Holly -- you crack me up!

Last time I got to write a MSJ about a haunted house, it was actually kinda fun.

Note to haunted house owners: don't have the designated nurse running around with a chainsaw and freaking people out.

[YibanRen]

I'm gonna make this point again (probably to convince myself). Studying for the MEE-only essay topics from a BSing level (50 score) to a good level (80 score) can only help you about add 12-18 points to your exam. That is about the same as 10-17 MBE questions (or 5+ percent on the MBE). So, studying for each extra MEE topic is worth around 2 MBE questions.

[cooperlaserpup]

Has anyone done BarBri's evidence set 6? The explanation for question 5 makes zero sense to me. It says: A statement based on mere suspicion rather than actual knowledge does not constitute a statement concerning the cause or circumstances of an "impending death" for purposes of the dying declarations exception.

In the question, the guy said "I don't think I'm going to make it. [the suspect] must have cut my brakes to get back at me."

"Actual knowledge" is required for dying declarations? Really?

The issue is reliability weighted against confrontation clause concerns. Think of it this we- when two people are alone and one shoots the other, we want that guys dying declaration because he is the only person who can say who shot him. Now say he is shot in the back and saw nothing. Do we really want to admit "I think he did it?" Now you have a major confrontation clause issue because you cannot cross that person on their uncertainty and the fact that they couldn't actually say who did it.

I totally agree that their explanation is inartful, but that is the logic behind the rule, if that helps you to think about it that way.

[crit_racer]

Don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty positive that in Texas, the real property questions are the hardest essay questions. Not even oil and gas, just regular real property questions. Feeling REALLY FUCKED right now.

[OfThriceandTen]

Has anyone done BarBri's evidence set 6? The explanation for question 5 makes zero sense to me. It says: A statement based on mere suspicion rather than actual knowledge does not constitute a statement concerning the cause or circumstances of an "impending death" for purposes of the dying declarations exception.

In the question, the guy said "I don't think I'm going to make it. [the suspect] must have cut my brakes to get back at me."

"Actual knowledge" is required for dying declarations? Really?

The issue is reliability weighted against confrontation clause concerns. Think of it this we- when two people are alone and one shoots the other, we want that guys dying declaration because he is the only person who can say who shot him. Now say he is shot in the back and saw nothing. Do we really want to admit "I think he did it?" Now you have a major confrontation clause issue because you cannot cross that person on their uncertainty and the fact that they couldn't actually say who did it.

I totally agree that their explanation is inartful, but that is the logic behind the rule, if that helps you to think about it that way.

Yea. I did these last night and was already having a really stressful/bad day so I was super angry at this question as well. But Cooper is right, and I remember vaguely discussing that in Evidence. The only way I got to that answer is because the two answers allowing it had two absolutely necessary components of the admission (one was that this was a civil case, and one was that it was given in anticipation of death if I remember correctly). Whenever I am driving myself crazy because the two "right" answers are two elements of whatever it is, I look really hard at the other two answers again because for some reason that I don't instinctively remember right away, one of them is almost assuredly right. I don't know if that's a helpful tip for anyone else but it has worked for me. Also I gamble on a lot of questions that if there are three going one way and one going the other, they like to have the one going in the opposite direction as the others as the right answer.

[46-and-2]

Lurker checking in. Taking Missouri. Averaging around 65-75% on mixed Themis sets, but feeling dread re: essays. Also, I got destroyed on July 2014 MPT.

[ilovetypos]

I just completely bombed con law set 6. UGH

[BeachedBrit]

Don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty positive that in Texas, the real property questions are the hardest essay questions. Not even oil and gas, just regular real property questions. Feeling REALLY FUCKED right now.

Yep, but it will help soothe your brain to take a look at the "high-scoring" answers for those questions. For instance, one of the 3 answers provided by the BLE for the property question on the Feb 2014 administration was pretty damn clear that they were just taking educated guesses and didn't really even have a clue about the law.

Actually, take a look at most of the answers they provide for all topics. While most seem to show some hard knowledge of the topic and terms, they aren't even close to the quality I would expect for a B+/median grade on a real law school exam.

[logdog]

Don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty positive that in Texas, the real property questions are the hardest essay questions. Not even oil and gas, just regular real property questions. Feeling REALLY FUCKED right now.

I felt the same way. There was an essay in July 2014 regarding foreclosure/mortgage stuff that I just kinda made up as I went along. I passed. Just make sure you IRAC like a sumbitch and act like you know what you're talking about.