Failed the NY Bar, need advice Forum

[NewtoNYC]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

[anon188]

What bar review course did you use the first time? Did you complete most of it?

[Cscottrun]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

As someone who took Pieper's course, I would definitely recommend it if you are struggling with the essays. The regular course, however, may be difficult to keep up with if you plan on working full time through it. The amount of material was overwhelming for me and I did not work at all during bar prep.

Perhaps look into their concentrated weekend course: https://www.pieperbar.com/courses/concentratedweekends/

If you do decide to go with Pieper, I'd definetly recommend supplementing the MBE portion with Adaptibar (although I don't have personal experience with Adaptibar, I've heard good things) or Kaplan's MBE book(s), which I do have experience with and highly recommend.

[AReasonableMan]

I think with those credentials you could probably just write the essays like how you wrote your law school exams. My opinion is that the standardized Barbri IRAC approach is largely a consequence of most law students not being as smart as you. I wrote the essays exactly how I wrote my exams (stream of consciousness, jokes where applicable, etc.) and didn't study the essays, and it worked out fine. Several of my friends did the same.

[NY_Sea]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

What was your total score, if you don't mind people asking? 120 on the MBE, given the 10-15 point scale means you got around 55% right (out of 190 since 10 are experimental)... The essays are the concerning part, in my opinion. What's "doing well" to you? If you averaged a 40+ on the essays, I'd say you could just brush up on the NY distinctions while working on the MBE, since you'd be learning black letter law for the major topics by studying the MBE.

I know how you feel... I'm in the same boat as you. Luckily, my job isn't dependent on passing, but it still sucks to fail. I won't be able to get 6 weeks off... My workload won't allow it, but if you're getting that amount of time off, I think you could supplement the knowledge you already have from studying for July and pass in Feb.

[NewtoNYC]

What bar review course did you use the first time? Did you complete most of it?

I took BarBri but I didn't come close to completing all of it. I'm aware that I didn't put enough time in studying... My written average for my essays was a 46.41, with all of them in the low 40s and one essay at 59. My MPT was a laughable 39...

[NY_Sea]

What bar review course did you use the first time? Did you complete most of it?

I took BarBri but I didn't come close to completing all of it. I'm aware that I didn't put enough time in studying... My written average for my essays was a 46.41, with all of them in the low 40s and one essay at 59. My MPT was a laughable 39...

You can do this dude... You just need to work on MPTs. Maybe it was just a formatting thing... The examiners are really picky about formatting the MPT to what the partner/boss/client/etc. asks for in the instructions.

The way I see it... If you can get a 140 MBE (120ish right out of 190), you can get a 50 written avg and half of the NYMC right and pass. Surely you can do that. I know it's daunting and disappointing, but you can do it.

[zot1]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

What was your total score, if you don't mind people asking? 120 on the MBE, given the 10-15 point scale means you got around 55% right (out of 190 since 10 are experimental)... The essays are the concerning part, in my opinion. What's "doing well" to you? If you averaged a 40+ on the essays, I'd say you could just brush up on the NY distinctions while working on the MBE, since you'd be learning black letter law for the major topics by studying the MBE.

I know how you feel... I'm in the same boat as you. Luckily, my job isn't dependent on passing, but it still sucks to fail. I won't be able to get 6 weeks off... My workload won't allow it, but if you're getting that amount of time off, I think you could supplement the knowledge you already have from studying for July and pass in Feb.

That's incredibly lucky. Most employers only give two chances at most. Yours doesn't care at all?

[zot1]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

I agree with previous poster. If you did so well in law school, then stick to the way you wrote essays before. If you haven't changed that, then I would look at other things. Were you overly nervous during the exam? Do you take too long during MPT? Etc etc.

[NY_Sea]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

What was your total score, if you don't mind people asking? 120 on the MBE, given the 10-15 point scale means you got around 55% right (out of 190 since 10 are experimental)... The essays are the concerning part, in my opinion. What's "doing well" to you? If you averaged a 40+ on the essays, I'd say you could just brush up on the NY distinctions while working on the MBE, since you'd be learning black letter law for the major topics by studying the MBE.

I know how you feel... I'm in the same boat as you. Luckily, my job isn't dependent on passing, but it still sucks to fail. I won't be able to get 6 weeks off... My workload won't allow it, but if you're getting that amount of time off, I think you could supplement the knowledge you already have from studying for July and pass in Feb.

That's incredibly lucky. Most employers only give two chances at most. Yours doesn't care at all?

I wouldn't say doesn't care at all, but I don't need a state bar to do my job (patent law). To quote my boss when I told her "If you can't pass for 10 years, we might have an issue, but just get it done so you don't have to deal with it." My job is mainly just concerned with me studying not affecting my work product.

[starryski]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

pieper is great for essay not MBE. i did above avg on my essays but failed with a 124.5. i got adaptibar and i'm going to purchase either kaplan or emannuel for MBE practice. i did about 1200 questions before, trying to surpass 2k this time. obviously also going through the explanations. got 40 so far lol

[testpasser]

That sucks. FWIW, I'm in a similar position and just a second ago posted about spacedrepetition.com, which guarantees a pass for bar failers and uses an interesting tech. I'm doing the free trial, which might be up your alley. Here's the blog post that was sent to me where I learne dabout it. http://www.spacedrepetition.com/blog?post=18

[mvp99]

That sucks. FWIW, I'm in a similar position and just a second ago posted about spacedrepetition.com, which guarantees a pass for bar failers and uses an interesting tech. I'm doing the free trial, which might be up your alley. Here's the blog post that was sent to me where I learne dabout it. http://www.spacedrepetition.com/blog?post=18

Are you the owner?

[Barbro]

So I failed the July 2015 NY Bar and I'm just getting over the initial shock and depression of failing. I was in the top 20% of my law school class, engineering background and I have a job in biglaw. I frankly think I just didn't study in the right way for the exam. I got a 120 on the mbe, only did well on one of the essays really, and did surprisingly terrible on the MPT. I am considering taking Peiper but was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and what course they are taking?

I talked with my bosses, which was painfully awkward and depressing, but they were kind and are letting me take a full 6 weeks of unpaid leave before the exam to prepare. Of course, they told me that my job is contigent on passing the February exam, which I know is the typical way big firms deal with this situation in the city.

Does anyone have any advice for studying while working in biglaw? What is the best course to take for repeat test takers? My plan right now is to start coming in early and studying for an hour before the work day, and then studying all day on Saturdays and Sundays up until the 6 weeks I have before the exam.

This isn't to be harsh, just some tough love to kill the bar in February.

Unless you have serious problems with test anxiety or English is not your first language, you failed because you didn't put in the time. Start early, put in the hours, complete Barbri, maybe get a book of practice questions. Watch all the videos, if you're bored watch them on 2x speed. I started early and studied *maybe* 6 hours a day consistently, passed with a 163 MBE. There's no secret sauce, just do it.

[justonefish]

U just need more practice!

Foreign educated LL.M student here, Chinese. English is the second language, only taken contracts & sales, know nothing about Torts, Evidence, Property before this June...

Stay with Barbri during summer, completed over 85 percent courses, did more than 50 essays and over 2500 MBE & NY multiple choice questions.

Passed NYbar with 162.5 MBE score.

But still unemployed right now. Can U hire me.