Got Letter from Bar Examiners

Last week I got the letter we have all been waiting for--the letter saying we are approved to take the bar exam. That is a load off our backs. Not that I should have been worried, but we have heard that some people are prevented from even sitting for the bar exam. Not sure why. But I am glad I am not one. They figured out I am not a menace to society, and that maybe I could be of benefit to the legal field. The letter did indicate that they are still continuing our background investigations and that we still have to have a one-on-one interview before it is all said and done. But at least we are past this hurdle.

MBE: The Call of the Question

I am sitting here tonight having a bad run at MBE questions. This after having a good run yesterday. What am I to think? These questions seem an endless mound of insurmountable material. All to be mastered in a week. Jeez.

One trick I am trying to remember though is to read the call of the question first. That will help in knowing what to look for in the question. That helps you answer the question quickly and correctly. Except for tonight. Yikes.

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen!

"Wonderful, Wonderful, Copenhagen." I love that song sung by Danny Kaye. It made me want to go to that city. It is on my list of places to go--a list that I hope to whittle down after I successfully pass the bar! Even looking at the photos on this link makes me want to book some Copenhagen hotels.

In addition to Copenhagen, I would love to travel to Scotland to check out my ancestors. It is a trip long overdue. I should have gone there many years ago. A visit to Edinburgh would be a must before heading out into the hinterlands. I would love to stay in one of the charming Edinburgh hotels.

Then over to Ireland to check on my ancestors from the other side of the family. Here again, it is a trip long overdue. I have long heard about how beautiful Ireland is and how very friendly the people are there. I would love to book some Dublin hotels.

Bush Should Pardon Marion Jones

I am determined to turn every one of my posts into something that relates to my bar study. Regarding constitutional law, the president is allowed to pardon federal criminals. Jones lied about using performance-enhancing drugs, which I knew about, but also lied about her knowledge of the father of one of her children in a check forging scheme, which I didn't know about. Bush should still pardon her. I like her, and I feel generous. He could pardon much worse.

PMBR 3 Day Workshop--Worth It!

I know there is a lot of discussion out there as to whether PMBR is worth the money. I have to say unequivocally that the three day workshop is great. The first day you do another simulated test. Granted, as I mentioned in the earlier post, I did worse on this test than I did on the BarBri one. But it was a wake up call as to the importance of doing practice questions, and the two day review of the questions was invaluable. I have seen a marked improvement on my practice tests since then, and I am sure the review had something to do with that. I would definitely recommend the 3-day PMBR.

PMBR Simulated Test: Bombed! Study Plan Revision Needed

I am in total panic mode now. I did worse today on the PBMR simulated test than I did on the Barbri one a month ago. And I have been studying. How can this be?

One reason may be that I did a lot of practice questions before the Barbri test, and I haven't done many lately. But still.....

But tough times call for tough measures. I still have two weeks, and I have to do a major overhaul on my study strategy.

First to go is the making of the flashcards. No more! Some people swear by them, but they slow me down. I never made or used flashcards in school, so why start now? I have been making flashcards on the essay subjects the last couple of weeks, and it has totally slowed me down, and I don't think it has added any to my knowledge. So no more flashcards.

Right now I am in study consolidation mode.

My plan today is to switch to doing again as many practice MBE questions I can do, as well as practice essay questions. In addition to reading through some mini outlines.

Not much different than what I did before finals in law school. But that got me through then, maybe it can as well now.

Bar Exam Tip: Specific Intent Crimes

These crimes include property offenses, first degree murder, and inchoate crimes--attempt, solicitation, and conspiracy. There are two defenses to specific intent crimes--voluntary intoxication and mistake of fact, even if unreasonable.