Top Law Schools

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=210339

I'm starting this thread in the hopes that it consoles some of those out there who are starting to freak out, and shamelessly, also to get some help from people who are more mathematically inclined.

For those who aren't too familiar with the linked thread, it's a former TLS member's (Desert Fox) theory that an attainable MBE score of a 150 scaled score is an autopass regardless of how horribly you do on the rest of the examination, as in, literally you could be in the bottom 1% on your essays and still pass with a not-too-impressive MBE score.

This is subject to a primarily 50% MBE jurisdiction although obviously it applies to a lesser extent the lower the percentage MBE is in your jurisdiction, and simply doesn't work in a place like Cali where the MBE only accounts for 35% I believe.

I'm taking Alaska, which actually requires a 280... surprisingly Idaho and Alaska, 2 states you barely even think about have the highest required passing scores in all of UBE. Here's the list of UBE jurisdiction passing scores: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Bar_Examination

So.. I dunno, discuss...

I'm hoping those of you more mathematically inclined may be able to shed some more light if possible.

I apologize for starting a thread without offering the expertise like Desert Fox has, but I'm hoping a good samaritan or two will pass by and offer some guidance.

Thanks

280 makes it fairly harder. IL only required 264.

To pass with a 1% written score, you'd need a 165 MBE. Thats top 10% MBE. Doable but risky.

I'd still focus on nailing the MBE but dont totally blow off the writing.

Oh yeah, I'm definitely not planning on blowing the MEE off. I just thought the strategy illustrated how low your essays could be in a UBE'ish type jurisdiction for those of us who are significantly less confident in our ability to perform in the essays. I'll at least read up on the MEE topics to straight up b.s. it.

And I said "former TLS member" because in the original thread, your name doesn't appear... thought that meant they "retired you" or somethin...

I'm not a math wiz, but I don't see how a 150 scaled MBE would result in an autopass in a 50% jurisdiction.

Here in Oregon, with a 284 passing score, you'd need a 134 on the written portion, which is exactly what I got on it when I failed. (Had a 140 scaled MBE.) Granted, the extra 10 points on the MBE would've made a difference for me, but I also wrote fairly decent essays.

amk110 wrote:I'm not a math wiz, but I don't see how a 150 scaled MBE would result in an autopass in a 50% jurisdiction.

Here in Oregon, with a 284 passing score, you'd need a 134 on the written portion, which is exactly what I got on it when I failed. (Had a 140 scaled MBE.) Granted, the extra 10 points on the MBE would've made a difference for me, but I also wrote fairly decent essays.

I know the thread said "AUTOPASS," but even the original thread (i know it's fairly lengthy) makes it clear that you can't just literally like write PENIS on the MEE and MPT and get away with it. Especially for high score requirements like Alaska, Oregon, etc... the theory's impact is certainly lessened, but I think the point remains that with a sufficiently high, but nowhere-near-impossible score on the MBE, unless you absolutely bomb the essay portions (we're talking bottom 10% probably here), you'll be fine.

But the strict interpretation of the auto-pass works more with jurisdictions that don't have such a high score requirement like yours or mine, which should be the vast majority of test-takers.

amk110 wrote:I'm not a math wiz, but I don't see how a 150 scaled MBE would result in an autopass in a 50% jurisdiction.

Here in Oregon, with a 284 passing score, you'd need a 134 on the written portion, which is exactly what I got on it when I failed. (Had a 140 scaled MBE.) Granted, the extra 10 points on the MBE would've made a difference for me, but I also wrote fairly decent essays.

The problem is the 284 is way higher than average states. When I made the post it was 264 in IL or 266 in NYE. That extra 20 points is hard to get on MBE.

I wasn't aware Oregon's passing score was so much higher than some others. I wonder why that is...

amk110 wrote:I wasn't aware Oregon's passing score was so much higher than some others. I wonder why that is...

You're telling me. Freak'n Alaska man. I only need bar licensure, and I made the decision in early January, and I found out how accommodating the Alaska bar is for people in foreign countries like myself (the entire process is almost completely online). I figured, UBE great, how bad could Alaska be, then find out it's a 280 when NY is 266... no idea what their logic is for setting the bar so high. I applied so late there were only a handful of states whose deadline remained, so here I am.

I'm also wondering about how the smaller group of test-takers (i think no more than 60-80 people take it in Alaska divided by 3 towns/cities, cause the state's so huge) affect their scoring.

My understanding is that for the UBE the MBE score is scaled nationwide, while the MPT and MEE is scaled to other test-takers in the state.

DF if you're reading this and if you'd be so generous with your time and advice, my Adapti-Bar's 72.2% total and having done 200 questions in the past 2 days in mixed-sets, that custom set is miraculously over a 75% (somehow went 9/11 in Crim. Pro wtf). Assuming I "raw" a 70% in the real deal, what should my expectations be with the rest of the exam. I think I'll probably get an avg. score for MPT; I've at least looked over 2 MPT sets/explanations. I haven't even opened Family Law, Secured Transactions, Conflict of Law, and Trusts yet, but I figured I have 11 days left to at least learn to b.s. it when the time comes, so I'm hoping for slightly below avg. scores....

I've been searching in vain for a chart that breaks down the minimum passing score required in each state. Does anyone know where to find such a thing?

Former TLSer Desert Fox, RIP

amk110 wrote:I've been searching in vain for a chart that breaks down the minimum passing score required in each state. Does anyone know where to find such a thing?

May be out of date. http://www.thefacultylounge.org/2013/04 ... culty.html

Maybe I'm just over exaggerating because I failed in Oregon with a 275... but I wish this was something I'd taken into account while applying to law schools. I didn't know states had such wide variations in their minimum score requirements.

amk110 wrote:Maybe I'm just over exaggerating because I failed in Oregon with a 275... but I wish this was something I'd taken into account while applying to law schools. I didn't know states had such wide variations in their minimum score requirements.

You would have gone to a different law school and aimed to live and work in a different state just because of a slightly more difficult bar? That's crazy.

Bildungsroman wrote:

amk110 wrote:Maybe I'm just over exaggerating because I failed in Oregon with a 275... but I wish this was something I'd taken into account while applying to law schools. I didn't know states had such wide variations in their minimum score requirements.

You would have gone to a different law school and aimed to live and work in a different state just because of a slightly more difficult bar? That's crazy.

As strange as this may sound, I can relate and totally would have done the same thing if I would have known the score differences and the difficulty of the exam.

hell, if I knew the bar would've caused me this much grief, I would've aimed for Wisconsin! (they dont have a bar exam requirement as far I'm aware, in-state law school diploma is all you need, plus ethics test perhaps I might assume.)

half joking of course..but hey, Madison is supposed to be nice :L