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I have been getting slammed on the MEE. Using the Barbri self-scoring sheets I almost always get below passing if not well below passing, even when doing the essays open book. I am not trying to toot my own horn by saying this, but I did get above a 3.7 at a t14 and essays have always been my strong point, so I am pretty surprised. The problems have run the gamut too - from not identifying the right issue (or even the right body of law in one case - it was one of those essays with two subjects and I was under the assumption each essay only tested one topic) to misapplying the law (just did a Civ Pro essay with perfect rule statements but had the complete opposite analysis from the example answer). I really don't know what's up.....is this normal? Am I not studying right? I am just working through my Barbri personal study plan but to be honest it has been slow going and I have not seen much improvement yet.

Get your IRAC almost down to a mathematical formula. For example, I recommend that students write the issue and all of the law that they'll need to address that issue in one paragraph. Then skip a line. Write a transition word ("here, "as per the facts," etc.) and then analyze. Skip a line, then write another transition word ("thus," "therefore," etc.), and then conclude.

Very boring! But once you get that down, the test really becomes a matter of spotting the issues and knowing the relevant law. The writing will be so mechanical that you won't have to think about it much on the exam.

Sean (Silverman Bar Exam Tutoring)