Texas Saloon- Feb. 2016 Texas Bar Forum

[jamescastle]

I'm glad you guys thought it was easy. I am not from Texas. You guys have family law, we have domestic relations. The live testimony distinction I knew, but drew a blank on the question. I need a pep talk. You really only need to get 202 out of 300, weighted 270 out 400 to be on the mark to pass. Is that hard? Are the essay graders generous? The lack of transparency in the Texas process isn't reassuring. From what I hear, if you fail, they tell you your essay percentile, but not your score. If you pass, they don't tell you the score. Do you guys know any people who missed an entire essay and passed? I attempted them all, but I don't know.

If you're out of state and you fail you can immediately get a formal review where I think they sit down and talk with you about each question, what you said, what they expected, all that.
I can speak to failing once (in state takers get an informal review the first failure and the formal review becomes available on the second failure). You get a sheet that has your percentile on everything and the scaled score. So you see your /200 for MPT, P&E, MBE, and overall essays. You see percentiles for MPT, crim P&E, civil P&E, MBE, and each individual essay.
I'm pretty sure you can completely whiff on at least one essay and still have a decent shot at passing.

[longhornlaw]

I spent the whole drive home to Houston wondering if I missed something because those essays seemed so easy and straightforward. I think I got some things wrong on the adoption essay and possibly the commercial paper essay but still...they couldn't have been that easy?

[jamescastle]

The thing is if we all think they're easy then the standard of "average" is raised. So even if they are easy the goal is to still be in a high enough percentile so that you maximize points. Frustrating but that's the way the curve works.

[texasbarexaminee15]

If anyone is out in Austin tonight going over some notes and wants to rehash the last three days of pure bliss, let me know!!!!

Jk. But, I am in Austin and thinking about heading out somewhere on this beautiful night. So, if anyone is interested, let me know.

[Soissons]

If anyone is out in Austin tonight going over some notes and wants to rehash the last three days of pure bliss, let me know!!!!

Jk. But, I am in Austin and thinking about heading out somewhere on this beautiful night. So, if anyone is interested, let me know.

I am incredibly relieved that is over! Try East 6th street (east of I-35) for anyone who is from out of town. Especially if you are staying downtown, since it is so close. I had two martinis and now am having champagne (although I am feeling tester's guilt, but was insisted on drinking it, so ok...!). Whislers is always solid.

It is a beautiful night, so please enjoy!

[washed out]

Made it back to Spring (N of Houston) at 7:15. Thank you, Grand Parkway 99 for cutting my trip short about 15 min.

Thought MPT wasn't bad. Crim Pro Essay wasn't bad. Civ Pro Essay wasn't bad but I whiffed on pre-trial conferences, which I haven't studied since 1L civ pro back in 2011.

MBE was MBE. It's a bitch. Always have been, always will be. This ain't my first rodeo.

All the essays were easy today, but I think I answered the first one wrong (the Debbie question). Something about pretermitted child statute and a divorce after a valid will execution.

Self-help repossession on secured transaction. Nice. I threw down everything I remembered from law school because I sure as hell didn't look at that during bar prep (Themis).

Looked at homestead and TX Insurance Code the night before out of sheer randomness. Got both questions today on the topics. Nice.

Sleep tight, crew.

[washed out]

Was there a UCC question? I don't remember it.

[jamescastle]

There was commercial paper and secured transactions for the "UCC pair" of essays.

[washed out]

There was commercial paper and secured transactions for the "UCC pair" of essays.

Oh right. I forgot Article 3 and Article 9 governed those. Thanks.

[bluesplitter]

Well. After some reflection...i think i executed my battle plan.

The plan was :

1. Get atleast half the available points on MPT.
2. Get and average of 3 points for each of the P & E.
3. Get 62-65% right on MBE
4. Get 15 pts on atleast 4 essays, and at least 10 points on 8 essays.


Overall i think i accomplished all the above.


Gave myself the best shot i think i could have...and nothing unexpected occured... glad it's done..

Now....going to the art museum (s), breweries, and try to rekindle friendships lol

[bluesplitter]

Well. After some reflection...i think i executed my battle plan.

The plan was :

1. Get atleast half the available points on MPT.
2. Get an average of 3 points for each of the P & E.
3. Get 62-65% right on MBE
4. Get 15 pts on atleast 4 essays, and at least 10 points on 8 essays.


Overall i think i accomplished all the above.


Gave myself the best shot i think i could have...and nothing unexpected occured... glad it's done..

Now....going to the art museum (s), breweries, and try to rekindle friendships lol

[barzamlimbo]

did y'all hear about the girl who stashed outlines in the diaper changing station in the bathroom on essay day?

[DueProcessDoWheelies]

did y'all hear about the girl who stashed outlines in the diaper changing station in the bathroom on essay day?

No I didn't. I love a good scandal. Did she get caught?

Did anyone ever get kicked out of the exam? I saw a fair number of people getting up during forbidden times, and even kept going after the lady told them to sit the fuck down.

Also in my section near me there was a guy who was consistently late. On day 3 he sat down AFTER WE STARTED WRITING THE ESSAYS. Can't believe they allowed that.

[BVest]

did y'all hear about the girl who stashed outlines in the diaper changing station in the bathroom on essay day?

Wow. So she must have done this prior to the bar exam starting... like on Monday or earlier?

Also in my section near me there was a guy who was consistently late. On day 3 he sat down AFTER WE STARTED WRITING THE ESSAYS. Can't believe they allowed that.

It's in the rules.

No additional time will be granted to anyone arriving late. No exceptions will be made under any circumstances.

[barzamlimbo]

Wow. So she must have done this prior to the bar exam starting... like on Monday or earlier?

nope. Thursday. we came back from lunch and there were a bunch of us trying to hurry up and use the bathroom bc sit time was in 2 minutes. my bathroom was the one they let us use in the hallway. we all saw her drop her shit in the diaper changing station right before we walked in. shocking. don't know if they caught her but I know that they know about it

[longhornlaw]

Wow. So she must have done this prior to the bar exam starting... like on Monday or earlier?

nope. Thursday. we came back from lunch and there were a bunch of us trying to hurry up and use the bathroom bc sit time was in 2 minutes. my bathroom was the one they let us use in the hallway. we all saw her drop her shit in the diaper changing station right before we walked in. shocking. don't know if they caught her but I know that they know about it

That's ballsy. Seriously though, what was she thinking?

[washed out]

That sounds like a stunt some of us might have pulled on a spelling quiz in 3rd grade. We had spelling quizzes in 3rd grade, right? Hell, I've forgotten what I was tested on yesterday.

[BVest]

Seriously though, what was she thinking?

Hopefully she was thinking "I don't wanna be a lawyer," because she won't be.

[ihatethetexasbar]

I saw a guy in section 4 get escorted out by the cop during the AM session. Idk what happened though.

I was like

[washed out]

I also noticed the two LEOs patrolling the exam site during the exam and wondered what the hell were they doing in there. Nothing like having roided out cops with an axe to grind against lawyers in general breathing down your neck on part of the three most stressful days of the year.

[jamescastle]

For the curious: I estimate* there were about 1700 people taking the exam.

*26 sections each of 64 people with the exception of 2 of those sections that had four extra rows of people where each row was 8; so:
26*64+2*4*8 = 1728 (and then minus empty seats which probably brings it between 1650-1700)

[BVest]

For the curious: I estimate* there were about 1700 people taking the exam.

*26 sections each of 64 people with the exception of 2 of those sections that had four extra rows of people where each row was 8; so:
26*64+2*4*8 = 1728 (and then minus empty seats which probably brings it between 1650-1700)

That's a surprisingly high number, considering only 1333 took it in Feb 2015. Then again, there were about 170 more no-pass in July 2015 than in July 2014, so there could have theoretically been that many more retakers (but there's about a 25-30% drop off from the number of no-pass scores from a July exam to the number of retakers in the following Feb exam). I wonder if there's some additional impetus driving folks to Texas.

ETA: 26 sections? We had 8 in July. But I think they were bigger (10 rows of 8 ).

[jamescastle]

For the curious: I estimate* there were about 1700 people taking the exam.

*26 sections each of 64 people with the exception of 2 of those sections that had four extra rows of people where each row was 8; so:
26*64+2*4*8 = 1728 (and then minus empty seats which probably brings it between 1650-1700)

That's a surprisingly high number, considering only 1333 took it in Feb 2015. Then again, there were about 170 more no-pass in July 2015 than in July 2014, so there could have theoretically been that many more retakers (but there's about a 25-30% drop off from the number of no-pass scores from a July exam to the number of retakers in the following Feb exam). I wonder if there's some additional impetus driving folks to Texas.

ETA: 26 sections? We had 8 in July. But I think they were bigger (10 rows of 8 ).

Yeah at my July session everyone wore sunglasses as well. We were chill af taking that test. lmao.
This post only makes sense if you have smilies on.

[jamescastle]

Dammit you changed it!

[BVest]