July 2015 NY Bar MEGATHREAD Forum

[2014]

It's a true honor to be the admiral of this sinking ship.

Since we don't graduate till mid June I'm not even going to start for a while, but here is an outlet for you on time gunners. Where's everyone trying to take it?

[orangecup]

I'm taking Kaplan, which starts next Tuesday.... I have NO idea how this is going to work. Should we follow their daily syllabus? Is it too much work? Not on point enough? Do we outline? Ugh!

Oh, and taking it in NYC.

[Domiii]

I'm taking Kaplan, which starts next Tuesday.... I have NO idea how this is going to work. Should we follow their daily syllabus? Is it too much work? Not on point enough? Do we outline? Ugh!

Oh, and taking it in NYC.

I did Kaplan for February as a first-timer, it worked out for me. I think that the syllabus was handy to a point, but didn't really work for me. I would always watch the videos and fill out the corresponding outline, but their general directive to "review X" or "read Y" in the evenings didn't really work for me. I didn't like their "one-sheets" either. Oftentimes it recommended further review of topics I knew really well, like torts and evidence, and I would just work on stuff I sucked at instead, like civ pro and con law. After the morning lectures, I pretty much reviewed what I felt I needed to and made sure to always do at least 33 MBE questions per day.

Also- it's a total pain in the ass to watch the Chris Fromm videos after taking the mid-way and final MBE tests. (It took 10+ hours for each.) It is, however, very well worth it. There were no shortage of MBE questions on actual test day that I only knew because some kind of Chris Fromm advice popped into my head to answer it.

[bmonroe]

I'm taking Barbri and this is day 2 of a horrible summer ahead. Tomorrow is day 3 of 3 for torts. Yippee!

Is anyone thinking about purchasing lean sheets?

[Ineedhelpplease]

Torts is brutallllll. I feel like an idiot taking notes, my mind isn't on this stuff anymore. I should mentioned Im taking Barbri.

[scaliaantics]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

[orangecup]

I'm taking Kaplan, which starts next Tuesday.... I have NO idea how this is going to work. Should we follow their daily syllabus? Is it too much work? Not on point enough? Do we outline? Ugh!

Oh, and taking it in NYC.

I did Kaplan for February as a first-timer, it worked out for me. I think that the syllabus was handy to a point, but didn't really work for me. I would always watch the videos and fill out the corresponding outline, but their general directive to "review X" or "read Y" in the evenings didn't really work for me. I didn't like their "one-sheets" either. Oftentimes it recommended further review of topics I knew really well, like torts and evidence, and I would just work on stuff I sucked at instead, like civ pro and con law. After the morning lectures, I pretty much reviewed what I felt I needed to and made sure to always do at least 33 MBE questions per day.

Also- it's a total pain in the ass to watch the Chris Fromm videos after taking the mid-way and final MBE tests. (It took 10+ hours for each.) It is, however, very well worth it. There were no shortage of MBE questions on actual test day that I only knew because some kind of Chris Fromm advice popped into my head to answer it.

Wow, thanks so much for the tips!

A couple more questions:
- Were you random in your MBE question selections? Or did you target them towards what you had recently learned?
- Did you create your own outlines (if so when did you start?)? Or, did you just do the filling out with videos thing (I'm guessing this was in lieu of taking notes?)?
- How much effort did you put into the essays?

[Ineedhelpplease]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I skimmed through the short outline for torts (cmr), am slowly going through the torts video. And breaking shit out of frustration.

[Domiii]

[

Wow, thanks so much for the tips!

A couple more questions:
- Were you random in your MBE question selections? Or did you target them towards what you had recently learned?
- Did you create your own outlines (if so when did you start?)? Or, did you just do the filling out with videos thing (I'm guessing this was in lieu of taking notes?)?
- How much effort did you put into the essays?

1. I usually did a set of 33 of whatever topics I had already covered. I figured it was kind of useless to do MBE questions for a topic I didn't practice for at all. Once I had covered all 7 MBE topics, I usually did a set of 33 random. Near the end, I tried to focus on the sub-sets of questions I did the worst on. Kaplan lets you break down each MBE topic into subtopics. For example, I was awful at mortgage questions (I was only getting ~35-40% correct, even in the last few weeks) so I drilled a ton of mortgage-specific MBE questions. It seemed to help a lot.

2. I didn't make my own outlines for the MBE material at all, I just ended up doing a ton of MBE practice problems. After I finished each set, I wrote down a short sentence about each one I got wrong. For the NY stuff, I didn't create my own outline, but I did write out an entire set of flash cards for the NY-specific topics according to which Kaplan said appeared the most on the essays. I didn't take a lot of the NY specific topics in law school, so I was learning a lot of that stuff (Wills/Trusts, Corporations, Family Law) for the first time. I didn't feel as comfortable with it.

3. I think I only did about 10 Kaplan-graded essays, but all together, I looked over a ton of them and outlined them. I think this was handy, especially with the MPT. The first couple MPTs I did, I was overwhelmed with information until I worked out how to parse all the information calmly. As far as essays in general, I would definitely recommend submitting at least as many as 10 to be graded. It surprised me how much I didn't know about simple format preferences of the graders. Also, some things that were obvious to others were not obvious to me. For example, I was surprised to learn that you should always point out the common law/NY distinction if you know it. It felt awkward to write "Under common law, Arson was X. In NY, however, arson is Y, and it has 5 degrees...etc. etc." The first part of the sentence feels completely pointless in real life because your analysis will probably ignore it- but you get used to the special bar exam writing style over time and with practice.

[bmonroe]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I take a lunch break after the lecture is over. After my break I go over my notes and then do some MBE problems on the topic in the strategies and tactics workbook . After each question is the correct answer with a detailed explanation . It's a great way to review the law and look at old MBE questions . The questions in this book are actually licensed from NCBE.

Then I go home and think about stripping instead haha!

Right now I'm concerned with getting a daily routine down. What time do I want to cry myself to sleep? What days do I want to exercise ? The important stuff.

[Shmuffalo_]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I'm doing Torts now, and I'm just taking note during the lecture, then condensing notes/reviewing notes. Then memorizing the simple points from each lecture (I wouldn't say memorizing, but at least trying to familiarize myself with it).

I have to say, it's boring as hell, but I'm enjoying Schechter. He has some hilarious hypotheticals.

[Shmuffalo_]

[

Wow, thanks so much for the tips!

A couple more questions:
- Were you random in your MBE question selections? Or did you target them towards what you had recently learned?
- Did you create your own outlines (if so when did you start?)? Or, did you just do the filling out with videos thing (I'm guessing this was in lieu of taking notes?)?
- How much effort did you put into the essays?

2. I didn't make my own outlines for the MBE material at all, I just ended up doing a ton of MBE practice problems. After I finished each set, I wrote down a short sentence about each one I got wrong. For the NY stuff, I didn't create my own outline, but I did write out an entire set of flash cards for the NY-specific topics according to which Kaplan said appeared the most on the essays. I didn't take a lot of the NY specific topics in law school, so I was learning a lot of that stuff (Wills/Trusts, Corporations, Family Law) for the first time. I didn't feel as comfortable with it.

I like this advice, thanks!

[Ineedhelpplease]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I'm doing Torts now, and I'm just taking note during the lecture, then condensing notes/reviewing notes. Then memorizing the simple points from each lecture (I wouldn't say memorizing, but at least trying to familiarize myself with it).

I have to say, it's boring as hell, but I'm enjoying Schechter. He has some hilarious hypotheticals.

Hey, just out of curiosity how are u taking down notes for him. I ask because I get a little lost (i agree he can be funny)

[orangecup]

1. I usually did a set of 33 of whatever topics I had already covered. I figured it was kind of useless to do MBE questions for a topic I didn't practice for at all. Once I had covered all 7 MBE topics, I usually did a set of 33 random. Near the end, I tried to focus on the sub-sets of questions I did the worst on. Kaplan lets you break down each MBE topic into subtopics. For example, I was awful at mortgage questions (I was only getting ~35-40% correct, even in the last few weeks) so I drilled a ton of mortgage-specific MBE questions. It seemed to help a lot.

2. I didn't make my own outlines for the MBE material at all, I just ended up doing a ton of MBE practice problems. After I finished each set, I wrote down a short sentence about each one I got wrong. For the NY stuff, I didn't create my own outline, but I did write out an entire set of flash cards for the NY-specific topics according to which Kaplan said appeared the most on the essays. I didn't take a lot of the NY specific topics in law school, so I was learning a lot of that stuff (Wills/Trusts, Corporations, Family Law) for the first time. I didn't feel as comfortable with it.

3. I think I only did about 10 Kaplan-graded essays, but all together, I looked over a ton of them and outlined them. I think this was handy, especially with the MPT. The first couple MPTs I did, I was overwhelmed with information until I worked out how to parse all the information calmly. As far as essays in general, I would definitely recommend submitting at least as many as 10 to be graded. It surprised me how much I didn't know about simple format preferences of the graders. Also, some things that were obvious to others were not obvious to me. For example, I was surprised to learn that you should always point out the common law/NY distinction if you know it. It felt awkward to write "Under common law, Arson was X. In NY, however, arson is Y, and it has 5 degrees...etc. etc." The first part of the sentence feels completely pointless in real life because your analysis will probably ignore it- but you get used to the special bar exam writing style over time and with practice.

Thanks so much!

Is it possible to speed up the Kaplan videos (1.25x, for example)? If so, did you do that / would you recommend it?

[Andrews989]

During the NY Bar exam, there is somewhere to plug in your laptop, right? There's no way mine can last a whole day...

[Domiii]

Thanks so much!

Is it possible to speed up the Kaplan videos (1.25x, for example)? If so, did you do that / would you recommend it?

You can speed them up, yeah. I think the available speeds were 1.5x and 2x, but I can't remember for sure. Some of the lecture professors were so slow that 2x didn't seem too fast. I mostly used 1.5x. I tried my best to make sure the whole outline was done, though, so I rewound the video when either 1. I was missing a blank or 2. I didn't understand the material.

[HLBE689]

I know I saw this somewhere but I cannot find it - approximately what % correct on MBE questions is ideal to shoot for (obviously the more right the better, but I am talking the minimum we should be shooting for at the very least). Thanks!

[2014]

During the NY Bar exam, there is somewhere to plug in your laptop, right? There's no way mine can last a whole day...

Would also love to know the answer to this

[Danger Zone]

Lol at BarBri starting already. Fucking striver city out there.

[Shmuffalo_]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I'm doing Torts now, and I'm just taking note during the lecture, then condensing notes/reviewing notes. Then memorizing the simple points from each lecture (I wouldn't say memorizing, but at least trying to familiarize myself with it).

I have to say, it's boring as hell, but I'm enjoying Schechter. He has some hilarious hypotheticals.

Hey, just out of curiosity how are u taking down notes for him. I ask because I get a little lost (i agree he can be funny)

He tends to break everything down. Like, Intentional torts (7). Affirmative defenses to intentional torts (3). Or a tort like Defamation. He'll say there are 3 main elements.

Then I just make sub-elements and exceptions under each, and highlight the most important parts/New York distinctions.

[orangecup]

I found this website with a bunch of calculators: http://www.seperac.com/calc-bar-f15.php

But I have no idea how to use it. Like what does 40% on an essay mean? Etc, etc.

[musicfor18]

Has NYBOLE sent out test site selection info yet? Did I miss it?

[Danger Zone]

Has NYBOLE sent out test site selection info yet? Did I miss it?

Not that I've gotten. Out of state right?

[Ineedhelpplease]

How are the people doing Barbri studying other than simply watching the videos and filling out outlines (and these past two days taking notes)?

I'm doing Torts now, and I'm just taking note during the lecture, then condensing notes/reviewing notes. Then memorizing the simple points from each lecture (I wouldn't say memorizing, but at least trying to familiarize myself with it).

I have to say, it's boring as hell, but I'm enjoying Schechter. He has some hilarious hypotheticals.

Hey, just out of curiosity how are u taking down notes for him. I ask because I get a little lost (i agree he can be funny)

He tends to break everything down. Like, Intentional torts (7). Affirmative defenses to intentional torts (3). Or a tort like Defamation. He'll say there are 3 main elements.

Then I just make sub-elements and exceptions under each, and highlight the most important parts/New York distinctions.

Thanks. I guess the bar has me freaked out that I am basically transcribing every ex., every word he says.

[myrtlewinston]

Torts (Barbri)

Has anyone taken the Torts Diagnostic yet? The lecturer seems to have skimmed over certain topics. Eg. Assumption of Risk. Any advice on where to turn ib order to make an outline/flashcards? The Conviser isn't exactly mini. Thanks!