Texas Saloon- Feb. 2016 Texas Bar Forum

[left shark]

long time lurker, first time poster. just took the february exam as a first time taker (out of state) and used barbri. unfortunately, i did not pass. my mbe score was really low and my essays were okay, but could be better. mpt was terrible and p&e score was okay, not great. i just signed up for adaptibar and am going to get access to barbri again since it's free. anyone have any advice on how to study again or what would be my best course of action for re-taking? thanks for the help!

Sorry you got bad news. I know it stings. As for study advice, some of this might be something you did before, so forgive me if I'm just repeating old advice:

MBE- what worked for me was just doing a million questions. I think I managed just shy of 2000. I put the rules I kept missing onto post-it notes (color-coded by topic). I would read them first thing in the morning and then again as the last thing I did for the night. As I came across them again on the practice questions, I would take them down if I got the question right. Something psychologically reassuring to see the wall of post-its shrink. I also made my own spreadsheet for each topic/sub-topic for each practice exam so I could see what areas I kept fucking up on (I think Barbri had this built in, maybe?). My MBE score jumped 21.4 points. I used Themis, but I have friends who were successful with Barbri. I've heard Adaptibar is also really great.

P&E- hit this hard. They ask (virtually) the same questions every time, so there are some "easy" points to pick up there. Every exam has its curve balls, but generally speaking it's the same stuff over and over again. Do every practice exam that is posted (I did not find outlines or lectures to be helpful at all). Pull out the questions you missed and do them again and again. The P&E can be done with just brute force memorization. I have some mnemonics that you are welcome to use (not copyrighted material!), just PM me.

MPT- sorry, I got nothing. I am a terrible pressure writer- I am certain that none of my points came from the MPT. The first time around I think I was in the 3rd percentile? It's just a terrible, awful, hideous exercise that should be banished.

Essays- again, the posted practice exams. I read all of them with the posted answers (though remember that some of them contain bad law that is well argued), and rather than write out answers, I looked for the rule they wanted and just wrote it again and again until I could remember bullet points for each from memory. Some of those went on post-it notes also. As you read through the essays, look for the "popular" subjects. Wills/Estate Planning will almost always ask about intestacy. Family/marital will almost always ask about characterizing property at divorce.

Someone here or on reddit suggested writing essays in a way that made it easier for the grader to give you points, since they're more skimming than reading. Essays tend to freak me out a bit, so a friend of mine who passed in July reminded me throughout the study period that all I needed to do was "spot issue, spit rule, use 3 facts in application and get the hell out of there."


You can do this. You didn't get through the absolute hell of law school to be defeated by this stupid exam.

[murdock83]

I'm posting to say I passed with a below median MBE. But I brought my total score up over 60 points overall. I wasn't that far off last time. So I'm guessing it was all essays that saved me. I really was surprised I didn't do better on the MBE but goes to show it isn't a deal breaker. So there is hope if you suck at the MBE you can still pass based off the other portions. Just write as confidently as you possibly can, even if you don't know the correct rule and make sure to format the answers properly.

[BVest]

l

MPT- sorry, I got nothing.

Here are some of my posts on the topic:

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 3#p9098723

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 7#p9313547

[SYF25]

I passed with a 680. 133 on MBE. I'm barred in another state and have been practicing for 4 years. This shit was hard.

[nahumya]

I passed with a 680. 133 on MBE. I'm barred in another state and have been practicing for 4 years. This shit was hard.

That's a pretty close call there.. Congrats.

[Soissons]

OMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGG I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!

[ItsBobLoblawsLawBlog]

Passed with a 730 (repeater)! Advice: don't skimp on the P&E section - it's worth 10% of the total score, so essentially equivalent to three essays. It's easy points, I made flashcards out of the most common issues only, the Barbri lecture material for that was complete shit and not super helpful. Take the book with all of the old questions/answers from past exams, and turn them into flashcards (physical or online).

Lean sheets. Perfect for the last three weeks before the exam. Also, Adapitbar helped me increase my MBE score, along with actually finishing all the Barbri MBE materials this time around.

[mavshoosiers]

l

MPT- sorry, I got nothing.

Here are some of my posts on the topic:

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 3#p9098723

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 7#p9313547

Thank you BVest! I will definitely use this for MPT practice.

[tealeaf23]

Hi guys!! Now knowing that what I did actually helped me (especially essay wise) I just wanted to offer some help to the people who are better at essays than multiple choice (ie: myself. I ended up picking up more points on the essays the second time around than I did on the MBE)

I looked through old essays and made an excel spreadsheet that had the tested topic in one column and the exact rule statement on the other. I used the Barbri essay book so I was sure the information was correct but even the essays on the BLE site are helpful to see the formulation of rule statements that the BLE graders prefer. I then made flashcards of the rule statements and drilled them into my head. That way, when I saw that topic pop up again, I could regurgitate the applicable law. After that, it was just practice essay after practice essay. In the 2 weeks leading up to the Bar, i think I did 2 in each subject a day. It was a lot but I knew this was my best chance at picking up points.

For the MBE, I kept handwritten notes of the explanations for each question I missed and I would review them before bed. I read through all rule explanations but I didn't want to spend too much time reviewing things I already knew. I think I did about 1350 practice questions with Barbri and Adaptibar which for me, was a life saver.

FInally, I did a practice crim P&E and civ P&E first thing every morning the month leading up to the Bar. Again, it seems like it'd be super time consuming and at the beginning, it is. But you start seeing repeats after some time and they start going by much more quickly.

I know these methods aren't for everyone but they're what helped me! Good luck and I know you got this next time

[barzamlimbo]

passed on first try. even though Martin shkreli was my good luck charm I didn't see his name on the list. best of luck next time buddy

[hihello123]

Hey everyone!

I also was a repeater and passed the second time around. First time around I missed it by 19 points and second time around I did fairly well. The first time around I screwed up on the MBE and felt like i knew absolutely NOTHING. the whole entire mbe was like a foreign language to me.

For those who did not pass.. FIRST AND FOREMOST, DO NOT LOSE HOPE. If you really dedicate your time and can be disciplined in your study habits, YOU WILL PASS. but its all about putting in the time and dedication. I also highly suggest not having a job while studying. or atleast having minimal hours. It's really important to strictly study for atleast 2 months so you can done with this diabolical test FOREVER and dotn have to take it again.

Change in my study habits for February 2016 exam:
1. First and foremost I started studying EARLY. I know most people don't like to start studying early BUT THIS IS YOUR ADVANTAGE AS A repeater! Most students are still trying to get thru finals and graduate. You on the other hand have the upper hand in being able to get a head start on first time takers. Use that to your advantage.

2. If your weakness is the MBE, start with that first. Go thru the extensive (kaplan, barbri or themis) outline that they have in the books. Read EACH AND EVERY LAST word. Make notes. DRILL DRILL DRILL that information in your head. You don't have a choice but to study this information. It's only 7 topics so it shouldnt be that bad. Take 3-4 days to study each topic. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A PRACTICE QUIZ EVERY SINGLE DAY. I took a 33 question quiz every single day until the day of the exam. Everytime you get a question wrong, WRITE the rule down. The mbe is hands down the hardest section on the bar. It also usually comes down to the mbe because you either know it or you dont.

3. Essays- My essay score was average last tiem around but i wanted to raise it up this time. The holy grail of essays is going over EVERY SINGLE OLD ESSAY until 2009. I printed every single essay and answer out dating back to 2009 and put them in a huge file. I went over them on a daily basis and started noticing patterns on most of them. The same questions and similar fact patterns are tested year in and year out. Also, i also purchased the texas bar flash book which is about $60-$70 and it's a compilation of texas topic outlines. This was a GREAT TOOL which I used 2 weeks leading up to the exam. Second tiem around, i didnt waste time writing full essays. i just outlined them to make sure i knew the rule.

4. P&E- I went over the old p&e questions dating back to 2009. Every single day, I did a civil and criminal P&E. To the point where I basically memorized all the old quetsions and answers. This is gimme points that you HAVE to make sure you take advantage of on the bar. Don't listen to people when they say "its only worth 10%." This can be the make or break for someone who barely fails or passes.

5. MPT- Once again, don't take this section lightly just because it's worth 10%. The best advice I can give you for this section is to MAKE SURE you get the timing down, practice about 4-5 thruout bar prep and practice writing COMPLETE essays. The bar examiners look for completeness on the exam. Even if you dont have much time left, make sure you atleast write a conclusion so you can make it seem like you wrote a full essay. It's also really important to practice getting your timing down. 45 minutes to read the whole file and library and 45 minutes to write. Also make sure you practice a brief, opinion letter, demand letter AND memo. On july 2015, examiners threw a curve ball and made us write an opinion letter.

Please email me if yall have any quetions. Once again don't lose hope!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!! It realy comes down to your method and how serious you are about bar prep and if you're willign to put in the time and effort.

[dbb117]

I have followed this thread and others like it for 3 years! I took the Texas bar exam 3 times previously - first time I had a newborn, second my firm didn't give me time off to study, third a family tragedy hit two weeks before the bar - all resulted in failed attempts. I am happy to announce that on my fourth attempt this past February I PASSED!!!!!

With only one attempt left after this one I was getting nervous. The biggest difference this year was having the appropriate amount of time and support to study for the bar. I completed Themis 100%. I did all MBE and practice essays. I did about 1,000 Adaptibar questions and I reviewed the past P&E and Texas essays heavily. Most of my success in those sections was due to applying skills and knowledge gathered from Themis and past bar essays.

The road was long and hard but you can all do it! I never thought I would see my name on the list but it finally happened. For all you that are in disbelief and got bad news, I want to encourage you. You can make it and you WILL make it! And now, having finally passed, I don't feel like I took the bar 4 times. I just feel like an attorney - same as everyone else. BTW, failing does not mean incompetence.....it means something was going on that made studying difficult or impractical. I got a 735 overall and 147 on the MBE. I wasn't incompetent, I just hadn't gone through a prep session with sufficient time and lack of distractions. YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL DO IT!!!!!

[washed out]

Will the mailed score reveal a breakdown of our scores per section (MPT, P&E, MBE topics, Texas essays)? Even though I passed and swore never to think about my TX bar score, I am at least curious to know which portions saved the day.

[CYP]

Congratulations! You did it! You never gave up! That's encouraging. I just failed and when I initially heard the news I was shocked and didn't care. As the days go by I keep feeling more and more terrible. The worst part has been seeing many of my friends posting on Facebook that they passed. I'm happy for them but it's still hard to watch. Congratulations again on passing the bar and thank you for posting your story.

I have followed this thread and others like it for 3 years! I took the Texas bar exam 3 times previously - first time I had a newborn, second my firm didn't give me time off to study, third a family tragedy hit two weeks before the bar - all resulted in failed attempts. I am happy to announce that on my fourth attempt this past February I PASSED!!!!!

With only one attempt left after this one I was getting nervous. The biggest difference this year was having the appropriate amount of time and support to study for the bar. I completed Themis 100%. I did all MBE and practice essays. I did about 1,000 Adaptibar questions and I reviewed the past P&E and Texas essays heavily. Most of my success in those sections was due to applying skills and knowledge gathered from Themis and past bar essays.

The road was long and hard but you can all do it! I never thought I would see my name on the list but it finally happened. For all you that are in disbelief and got bad news, I want to encourage you. You can make it and you WILL make it! And now, having finally passed, I don't feel like I took the bar 4 times. I just feel like an attorney - same as everyone else. BTW, failing does not mean incompetence.....it means something was going on that made studying difficult or impractical. I got a 735 overall and 147 on the MBE. I wasn't incompetent, I just hadn't gone through a prep session with sufficient time and lack of distractions. YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL DO IT!!!!!

[BVest]

Will the mailed score reveal a breakdown of our scores per section (MPT, P&E, MBE topics, Texas essays)? Even though I passed and swore never to think about my TX bar score, I am at least curious to know which portions saved the day.

No. The letter you see on your efast account is the letter that's being mailed to you. You get total score and scaled MBE and that's it.

[austinmom]

I have followed this thread and others like it for 3 years! I took the Texas bar exam 3 times previously - first time I had a newborn, second my firm didn't give me time off to study, third a family tragedy hit two weeks before the bar - all resulted in failed attempts. I am happy to announce that on my fourth attempt this past February I PASSED!!!!!

With only one attempt left after this one I was getting nervous. The biggest difference this year was having the appropriate amount of time and support to study for the bar. I completed Themis 100%. I did all MBE and practice essays. I did about 1,000 Adaptibar questions and I reviewed the past P&E and Texas essays heavily. Most of my success in those sections was due to applying skills and knowledge gathered from Themis and past bar essays.

The road was long and hard but you can all do it! I never thought I would see my name on the list but it finally happened. For all you that are in disbelief and got bad news, I want to encourage you. You can make it and you WILL make it! And now, having finally passed, I don't feel like I took the bar 4 times. I just feel like an attorney - same as everyone else. BTW, failing does not mean incompetence.....it means something was going on that made studying difficult or impractical. I got a 735 overall and 147 on the MBE. I wasn't incompetent, I just hadn't gone through a prep session with sufficient time and lack of distractions. YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL DO IT!!!!!

WOW!!!! I don't even know you but I am proud of your accomplishments. I passed as a first time taker (I'm barred in NY and MS) after 5 years away from the law (kids) and I can say that this is a feat for you. Way to go!

[BVest]

Castle, due process, and other successful retakers:

Justice Don Willett ‏@JusticeWillett 18h18 hours ago
ATTN Texas bar exam RETAKERS who passed in Febr.

@AmysIceCreams on me!
Mon., 5/23
4 pm
east plaza of #SCOTX

RSVP to my office.

And here are some call-ins to alert folks:

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[rcharter1978]

Castle, due process, and other successful retakers:

Justice Don Willett ‏@JusticeWillett 18h18 hours ago
ATTN Texas bar exam RETAKERS who passed in Febr.

@AmysIceCreams on me!
Mon., 5/23
4 pm
east plaza of #SCOTX

RSVP to my office.

Wow, in California you don't get any ice cream!

[murdock83]

Ahh that's cool! Wish I was gonna make it, but ended up having the opportunity to start working this week so I just took care of things locally. Justice Willett is the best.

[gadfish333]

Has anyone who paid their dues online received their license/bar card in the mail yet?

[texasbar]

Has anyone who paid their dues online received their license/bar card in the mail yet?

Yes I received both within a week of paying.

[DueProcessDoWheelies]

Has anyone who paid their dues online received their license/bar card in the mail yet?

No, but I havent been sworn in yet bc i'm gonna go to the ceremony in Austin

[KTnKT]

I've gotten my license, but no bar card.

[murdock83]

Has anyone who paid their dues online received their license/bar card in the mail yet?

I received everything in about a week. Got the bar card first, license a few days later.

[apple44]

Hi,

Does anyone know how the Texas Bar calculate the dues? I was asked to pay:
Dues: $319
Legal Service Fee: $65
Processing Fee: $5.

I understand the $65 and $5, but I have no idea how they calculated the $319. Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks!