PMSI Superpriority can go to hell (question for the lawyers)

[Triforcer]

My bar exam is 10 days away and I'm starting to get that rising, inside-two-weeks panic.  Do any of the lawyers here help write/grade bar exam essays and have any good tips?  Or:  of the people you knew that failed the bar, was there some non-obvious common thread in how you saw them prepare (beyond "the crackrock" or "never opening a book")?

I've been doing BARBRI self study (watching DVDs at home) and outlining all 11 subjects and doing practice MBEs for a month now, and am spending the next 10 days on going over old essay questions.  Any recommendations for the stretch run to keep me from being the first from my law school to fail the Ohio bar in 10 years? 

[Strazos]

Isn't helping Triforcer become an Actual lawyer against the greater good?

[CmdrSlack]

My bar exam is 10 days away and I'm starting to get that rising, inside-two-weeks panic.  Do any of the lawyers here help write/grade bar exam essays and have any good tips?  Or:  of the people you knew that failed the bar, was there some non-obvious common thread in how you saw them prepare (beyond "the crackrock" or "never opening a book")?

I've been doing BARBRI self study (watching DVDs at home) and outlining all 11 subjects and doing practice MBEs for a month now, and am spending the next 10 days on going over old essay questions.  Any recommendations for the stretch run to keep me from being the first from my law school to fail the Ohio bar in 10 years? 

Outline your outlines. If you still have the DVDs rewatch the ones that talk about what phrases to use in essays, because those really help. Don't forget to follow the IRAC format (Or CRAC, whichever you prefer). One month was probably not the best plan, but it's too late for that now. I spent about 13 hours/day on the Illinois bar.

Going over old essays is great, but don't let yourself get too bogged down -- I would read the question, outline my answer and then read the sample answer, making comparisons. I also wrote down WHY a practice MBE question was wrong, but writing shit down over and over again helps me, it may not work for you.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, as that's a fast track to failing -- and hey, there's always February.

[Abagadro]

Any recommendations for the stretch run to keep me from being the first from my law school to fail the Ohio bar in 10 years? 

Yes. Chill the fuck out.  The thought of bar exams is usually worse than the reality. You are a sharp guy who has studied. You will pass. Take a deep breath. In fact, I would seriously recommend that you STOP studying for the two or three days before the test so you can get your head straight and you can focus better.

If you really have to keep pounding, focus on stuff that you didn't take for classes. Bar examiners typically love property, probate and commercial transactions (particularly UCC Article 3 and 9). Everyone takes property, but not everyone takes probate or UCC classes in law school. If you aren't up on those, I'd hit them.

[Oban]

The professor of a contract law class asked one of his better students, "If you were to give someone an orange, how would you go about it?"

The student replied, "Here's an orange."

The professor was outraged. "No! No! Think like a lawyer!"

The student then replied, "Okay. I'd tell him `I hereby give and convey to you all and singular, my estate and interests, rights, claim, title, claim and advantages of and in, said orange, together with all its rind, juice, pulp, and seeds, and all rights and advantages with full power to bite, cut, freeze and otherwise eat, the same, or give the same away with and without the pulp, juice, rind and seeds, anything herein before or hereinafter or in any deed, or deeds, instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding...'"

[Triforcer]

Thanks for the advice Oban and Slack...I'm actually doing most of what you said- rewriting stuff over and over and over (I don't get much out of just staring at an outline and commanding myself to memorize it).  And the essays look much more simple than the MBE, for which I'm glad-in my state, the bar passage rate is so high that I hope only the "flipped through the book for one week" and "total panic meltdown" types fail. 

[Strazos]

Who wants to explain UCCs in English? I see them all the time at work. I have no idea what they actually are.

[Abagadro]

Depends on what you are talking about. UCC is just Uniform Commercial Code and is a standardized code section that most states have adopted to deal with commercial transactions. If you see UCC-1s those are statements that are filed with the state as a means to establish priority in assets pledged in secured transactions.

[Strazos]

I guess that's what they are. They're usually copied a lot and stuffed into commercial loans.

As our supervisor likes to say during tours; "The people in here don't actually know anything about lending; they just handle all of the paperwork for the entire bank."

I see originals, I send them out for recording. What they are is largely irrelevant for us. 

[CmdrSlack]

Thanks for the advice Oban and Slack...I'm actually doing most of what you said- rewriting stuff over and over and over (I don't get much out of just staring at an outline and commanding myself to memorize it).  And the essays look much more simple than the MBE, for which I'm glad-in my state, the bar passage rate is so high that I hope only the "flipped through the book for one week" and "total panic meltdown" types fail. 

On the re-writing: what I did was to take a set of the bar bri notes from lectures, and outline it. Then I'd outline that outline, aiming for fewer pages.  I'd do that until I got it to (for most subjects) five pages or less.

Seemed to help a ton.

[Nazrat]

Number 1 Bar prep tip:  Stop stressing.  If you have done the work, you will pass.  The only ones that I knew that failed were complete slackers or stress cases who freaked out during the exam. 

Just reread the outlines IMO.  You can make flashcards from them if that helps.  Just remember that you need to hit the main points on the essays.  Add the details that you know but make sure that you hit all of the major issues. 

In Texas, we took the exam.  3 months later, you get a grade.  I have never seen the actual results so I do not know where I was strong or weak on the exam.  I would venture a guess that most lawyers are in a similar position. 

P.S.  Don't drink to relax during the week of the exam.