Confused on bar prep Forum

[lawhopeful10]

I'm only on my second day of the Kaplan course. After 3 days we will have covered all of contracts and then move on to the next topic. Am I supposed to have memorized all of contracts after 3 days and then start memorizing the next subject and so on throughout the summer. Do we get to bring in outlines on the actual bar? The multiple choice so far doesn't seem terrible but my MBE subject book has 130 pages just for the contracts section. Having every rule and exception memorized in 3 days and then doing that same thing all summer for every section so I could do essay questions seems crazy, or is that what I'm supposed to be doing? Any advice is appreciated.

[Pleasye]

I didn't take Kaplan, but I think all the bar prep companies work in essentially the same way..

You just finished all the lectures on contracts, but as you go through lectures for the other subjects, your bar prep schedule will tell you to do Ks essays/MBEs so that you continue to learn and retain the Ks information you reviewed in the beginning. In the final weeks, you'll devote a few days to review/rote memorization for each subject. In the end, you will know much more than you feel like you do (promise).

To answer your question more directly, no, you shouldn't have all of Ks memorized in 3 days, you'll memorize it throughout the summer as you come back to it/make a mini outline for it/do MBEs/write essays.

And no, you don't get to take outlines into the bar exam.

[lawhopeful10]

Alright makes sense thanks

[SilvermanBarPrep]

For the most part unfortunately it is the nature of this beast, yes. But it's less important to memorize all of the outline than it is to be able to apply the law from the outlines to practice questions and answer them correctly. In other words, you'll learn a ton of law just by going over the correct answers when you answer a question incorrectly, and for the most part that is a far better way to learn the law for a bar exam. The outlines provide the foundation but don't get too hung up on memorizing everything from every outline.

--Sean

[GunnerBingo]

I'm a little confused as well (CA Bar). I did well in law school, and I am now taking Barbri. I am just unsure about what I should be doing and how much work it takes to pass the bar. Is doing all the Barbri assignments throughout the course sufficient to pass the bar? I am confused as to whether I am supposed to create my own outlines or do a bunch of outside work in addition to the course.

Generally, if I just follow the assignment calendar on Barbri and work diligently will I be ok?

[BVest]

I'm a little confused as well (CA Bar). I did well in law school, and I am now taking Barbri. I am just unsure about what I should be doing and how much work it takes to pass the bar. Is doing all the Barbri assignments throughout the course sufficient to pass the bar? I am confused as to whether I am supposed to create my own outlines or do a bunch of outside work in addition to the course.

Generally, if I just follow the assignment calendar on Barbri and work diligently will I be ok?

If you did well in school and complete all of Barbri, you'll be fine. If you even do just 75% of Barbri, you'll be in very good shape.

[speed_the_loot]

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[BVest]

I'm in a similar situation as two posters above, though different state (also with a difficult bar). I finished today's assignments in 5 hrs., but Barbri and people at my firm make it sound like the 8-10 hr./day recommendation is the norm. Am I missing something? Do I need to be hitting MBE questions hard now?

Barbri ramps up. Completing all assignments will take longer. And once you start doing diagnostic tests, you'll get even more assignments.

[9xSound]

I'm only on my second day of the Kaplan course. After 3 days we will have covered all of contracts and then move on to the next topic. Am I supposed to have memorized all of contracts after 3 days and then start memorizing the next subject and so on throughout the summer. Do we get to bring in outlines on the actual bar? The multiple choice so far doesn't seem terrible but my MBE subject book has 130 pages just for the contracts section. Having every rule and exception memorized in 3 days and then doing that same thing all summer for every section so I could do essay questions seems crazy, or is that what I'm supposed to be doing? Any advice is appreciated.

It isn't even June yet - it's a mistake to focus on memorization at this point. Don't worry about memorizing the law until two or three weeks before the exam. Your prep should focus on understanding the application of the law: how and why the law works, and how different areas of the law work together and complement each other. You need to understand why defamation, for instance, is different from false light, and when the application of either is appropriate or inappropriate. In all areas of study, keep PR and fiduciary duties in mind, regardless of which subject you're studying. This is frequently the object of crossover questions. You're never going to memorize every rule and every exception. But if you fully understand the concepts, your instincts will be better prepared to carry you through when you don't remember the exact rule. Study to become comfortably conversant with all of the broad areas and major issues of the law, even though you don't have all of the elements completely memorized yet. Then in July, two or three weeks before the exam, you will switch gears and focus only on memorizing the elements and issue checklists. That said, never stop practicing and reviewing MBE problems.

[Neve]

Don't make your own outlines. If you are doing Barbri, use the CMR. Part of Barbri's method is learning through repetition - first the lecture, then the outline, maybe some questions or an assignment, switch topics, then go back to review the first topic. Rinse and repeat until you have the black letter law down. I memorized everything only 2-3 weeks before the exam.