More Last Minute Advice

So, you have exactly a week before the MBE. What now?

First, be sure to treat this as a marathon. This means no doing 100 MBE the night before. Relax this upcoming weekend, make sure you are refreshed going into a marathon of an exam on Wed.

So, what CAN you do?

1) memorize con law. Yep, all of it. The scrutinies, the burdens, what is a suspected class.....once you have all of this memorized, con law MBE questions become a matching game. In addition, know the difference between equal protecion and due process, remmber, above all else, equal protection is treating groups of people differently. Sounds easy enough, but if you do NOT have two distinct classes of people in the fact pattern, it is NOT equal protection. In addition, "for the general welfare" is NEVER the right answer unless attached to tax and spend. Also, remember forany con law qeustions, crim pro included, you absolutely NED government action. The above will get you at least half of the con law questions, if not more.

2) KNOW HOMICIDE. seriously. know it like the back of your hand. Know the difference between murder, manslaughter and teh different defenses. Know when a defense or mistake has to be reasonable or just honest. Know that for attempt you need INTENT. Always. You can NOT accidentally attempt something.

3) Know negligence. Know it cold. Don't skip steps, even on an MBE question. Is there a duty, was there a breach, and did that breach cause the injury? Do not skip a single element, you can not assume anything.

4) Know what hearsay is and all of it's exceptions. Also, as for evidence, start by making sure that the evidence that is being admitted is relevant, then check for hearsay issues, impeachment issues, competency issues, and 403 issues. But, above all else, memorize hearsay exceptions.

5) For property, get used to outlining. All you can do. Make little outlines, letting you know who conveyed what to who.

6) Last but not least, for contracts remember to go in order - don't skip straight to damages, start with what law applies, then whether a contract was formed, is it enforceable, what are the terms, is there an excuse and FINALLY breach and remedies. And remember, for remedies, when stumped think about where the person WOULD have been had the contract been formed and where they are now. The damages they are entitled to is the difference between the two.

Make flashcards for the above and memorize, memorize, memorize this week. However - one caveat. Don't spend hours memorizing, do it in 5-10 minute spurts, since you memorize more effectively that way.

Good Luck!

New Bar Review Program, It's about time!

So I have discovered, and became a part of, a great new bar review program. Sure, I am a little biased since I am a part of it, but I have to say, it really is a great program. And, not only is it a great program, but it is completely unlike any other bar review program out there. Steven Emanuel, which you know because of all of his hornbooks, has decided to start a bar review, and man, is it awesome. Emanuel Bar Review.

How so, you might ask. Well, for starters, it is a two part program. The May session focuses on an intensive review of the subject matter you need for the MBE. Sure, plenty of review programs go through substantive material, but EBR does it in a way that focuses on what you REALLY need for the MBE. The materials are phenomenal, written by Steven Emanuel himself, with a real focus on how the MBE tests that material. These substantive reviews are followed by tutorials, with qualified tutors (such as myself and Tania!) who will go over anything you happened to miss in the earlier lectures, along with tips on how to tackle questions and how to spend your study time.

Then, in July you take a simulated exam, followed by two days of review of that exam. However, this differs because the reviews are conducted by topic and subtopic, not in the order of the exam. This way, you can compare and contrast the rules of law and the fact patterns.

We’ve gotten some feedback from students that took the May review:
“I think the tutoring aspect was really great and so novel! Also, the fact that the lectures weren't based around specific questions, but rather around topics frequently seen in bar exams was important too. Also, having the handouts to follow were great and allowed students to either listen without taking notes or taking notes while still being able to listen intently to the professor. So often when taking notes, the listening becomes more about trying to get all the words down and not about listening to the substance of the lecture, but with the handouts that was a non-issue!”
“It was excellent and I feel very prepared to go on throughout the summer to study and pass the bar. Each lecture was informative and the tutors made the course even better by further explaining and offering to stay in touch throughout the summer to answer other questions. The books are also well-written and I love my bag. I highly recommend this course and am grateful for it.”
“It’s a fast and efficient way to kick-start your studying for the MBE – I feel like I have a solid grasp of where I need to focus my studying over the next two months.”
not surface for air til after the bar. I think it freaked people out, and I also think it might be bad advice.”

So, it’s not too late as July sessions are still going on in CA and NY, and I’m telling you, these are going to pick up and you’ll soon see them in every state. I'm just very excited to be a part of it, and there are some really amazing people that are on board and committed to making EBR the best bar review program out there!

A little humor never hurt

Especially to relieve stress during bar review. Check out the facebook page Bar Exam lolcats

You ARE allowed to take study breaks, especially if they help relieve stress. Below are a few of my favorites, and hey, they might help you learn a rule of law or two!

What to do with 3 weeks left?

Well, you are about 2 1/2 weeks away from the bar – so how do you use our time effectively? That’s the question of the century. First of all, the key is to not freak out – remain calm and realize that you CAN do this. Seriously, confidence is key – confidence to not second guess your gut, confidence to know that after 3 or more years of legal education you CAN do this, confidence to know that if you do not at first succeed, you are in good company, and you will just try again.

But, on a practical legel, what CAN you do. Well, for starters, on the MBE you want to learn something from EVERY Single MBE question. If you don’t, there was no point in doing the question. None. What do I mean by this? Welll, take the question, and whether you get it right or wrong, REALLY understand why you got it right or wrong. Review the explanation in the back of the book, review your notes and really analyze why one answer is better than the other 3. Also, get used to reading carefully.

As for essays, ALWAYS write out your practice essays. Also, use your notes. By using your notes you are effectively studying the black letter law and memorizing it. However, rather than do this passively, you are also practicing your essay writing skills.

Above all else, just memorizing the black letter law is not enough. You need to learn how to apply it, and what t means. Practice makes perfect - cliche, but it's the truth.

Good Luck!