There is less than a month now until the bar exam. Considering I have fielded several requests for an explanation of what the bar exam actually is, I thought that I would explain it here.
The bar exam consists of two full days (unless you are applying for multiple jurisdictions). One day is entirely state specific law and the second day is devoted to multistate topics. The bar exam as I am taking it in New York will break down as follows:
For the New York day must must know Agency, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Corporations, Domestic Relations, Equity, Federal Jurisdiction, Future Interests, No Fault Insurance, Mortgages, New York Practice, Professional Responsibility, Partnership, Personal Property, Secured Transactions, Trusts, Wills, Workers' Compensation, and New York distinctions for all Multistate subjects (below).
For the Multistate day I must know Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) on the first day is sort of like an essay. However, instead of my regurgitating memorized data, the MPT gives me a case file similar to a real life client file. The case file is a closed universe where I do not actually have to know any outside law (yay!). It includes a task memo, client documents, statutes and fake cases from the fake jurisdiction. It seems like it would be a simple task, but 90 minutes goes by in a heart beat when you have to read a big file and answer a multi-part question.
Luckily I took most of the subjects in law school, which helps enormously. However, I still have to take a bar review course. I chose BarBri simply because that is what 80% of law students use. A friend of mine in law school convinced me to use BarBri by pointing out that "if they teach it to you at BarBri and it is wrong, then everyone will be wrong!" That was logical enough for me to sign up.
I have been in this course since the Wednesday after my graduation. Every day I sit through taped lectures, perform practice tests and condense my notes for memorization later on. It all ends next Wednesday. From that point on I will be pulling my hair out trying to memorize all of this information on my own.
It has been rather useful. Last Sunday, along with thousands of other BarBri students, I travelled over to the Jacob Javits Center on the west side to take a full day practice Multistate Test. We all sat in a large, bleak cement room, in close proximity with one another and took a six hour practice test. I cannot express adequately in words the enormity of the room or the odd feeling of sitting, breathing and shuffling with thousands of other uncomfortable students. One girl near me honestly believed the room was a parking lot.
The test itself was easier than I thought it would be and it was nice to be able to get some perspective of what the real test is going to be like. I also won a $15 iTunes gift card while I was there, so it was a win-win situation!
Have I bored you yet? I am sure you will hear more from me about this as it nears the end of the month. The bar exam will be July 29 and 30.
The bar exam consists of two full days (unless you are applying for multiple jurisdictions). One day is entirely state specific law and the second day is devoted to multistate topics. The bar exam as I am taking it in New York will break down as follows:
Day One (NY Day)
AM Session
3 New York Essay Questions
50 New York Multiple Choice Questions
PM Session
2 New York Essay Questions
1 90minute Multistate Performance Test
Day Two (Multistate Day)
AM Session
100 Multistate Multiple Choice Questions
PM Session
100 Multistate Multiple Choice Questions
For the New York day must must know Agency, Commercial Paper, Conflict of Laws, Corporations, Domestic Relations, Equity, Federal Jurisdiction, Future Interests, No Fault Insurance, Mortgages, New York Practice, Professional Responsibility, Partnership, Personal Property, Secured Transactions, Trusts, Wills, Workers' Compensation, and New York distinctions for all Multistate subjects (below).
For the Multistate day I must know Constitutional Law, Contracts and Sales, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.
The Multistate Performance Test (MPT) on the first day is sort of like an essay. However, instead of my regurgitating memorized data, the MPT gives me a case file similar to a real life client file. The case file is a closed universe where I do not actually have to know any outside law (yay!). It includes a task memo, client documents, statutes and fake cases from the fake jurisdiction. It seems like it would be a simple task, but 90 minutes goes by in a heart beat when you have to read a big file and answer a multi-part question.
Luckily I took most of the subjects in law school, which helps enormously. However, I still have to take a bar review course. I chose BarBri simply because that is what 80% of law students use. A friend of mine in law school convinced me to use BarBri by pointing out that "if they teach it to you at BarBri and it is wrong, then everyone will be wrong!" That was logical enough for me to sign up.
I have been in this course since the Wednesday after my graduation. Every day I sit through taped lectures, perform practice tests and condense my notes for memorization later on. It all ends next Wednesday. From that point on I will be pulling my hair out trying to memorize all of this information on my own.
It has been rather useful. Last Sunday, along with thousands of other BarBri students, I travelled over to the Jacob Javits Center on the west side to take a full day practice Multistate Test. We all sat in a large, bleak cement room, in close proximity with one another and took a six hour practice test. I cannot express adequately in words the enormity of the room or the odd feeling of sitting, breathing and shuffling with thousands of other uncomfortable students. One girl near me honestly believed the room was a parking lot.
The test itself was easier than I thought it would be and it was nice to be able to get some perspective of what the real test is going to be like. I also won a $15 iTunes gift card while I was there, so it was a win-win situation!
Have I bored you yet? I am sure you will hear more from me about this as it nears the end of the month. The bar exam will be July 29 and 30.
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In other news, I love the story about the girl with a bat in her bra. Only at the Holiday Inn front desk...