Tag Archives: essay predictions

Good luck on the bar exam tomorrow!

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Hello Everyone,

Thank you again for following the blog. I mentioned earlier that murder might be on the exam. It has been absent for some time and would seem to be due. Of course, anything is possible. And, if you were studying for the bar at any time in the past couple of years, then you will know that many have been predicting a murder exam for some time.

The following is from an earlier post that I wrote covering the basic murder approach that we have seen traditionally embraced by the California bar examiners. You may have come across this post earlier if you have been searching through older posts. If so, this will be familiar to you – either way it is a good refresher.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our July 2016 Bar Exam Tips List!

Incidentally, if murder were to show up on the exam on day one or day three of the July 2016 bar exam, then I would not be surprised if it were crossed over with some of the lesser tested areas of Criminal Procedure. We have not seen any 8th Amendment issues in some time (see the “Free Stuff” page for a free download of an exam template for this area) and we also have not seen much testing of the 6th Amendment areas of void dire (peremptory challenges, right to an impartial jury, etc.). So these areas could easily be tested this bar round. Evidence is also an area that can repeat and sometimes we see it as a cross-over with Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure (and if you read my post from a few days ago – we have seen it tested with Wills and Community Property as a cross over with marital and spousal privileges).

It is this simple – as I have always maintained over the many years of writing this blog – the bar examiners can test anything on any bar exam round. I do not say this to send you into a panic. It is simply true. As a result, there will be topics that you are hoping for and there will probably be a few you hope not to get – that is the nature of the bar exam. But, you can do it, do NOT give up no matter what you see on the exam –  write your heart out tomorrow.

Did you know that many topics show up back to back (from one bar round to the next) sometimes even three times in a row? Therefore, all bets are simply off on presuming something is not likely to come up.

My main focus in writing during the bar exam days is to simply provide you with something to hang onto, some peace of mind and hopefully even a little bit of sanity.  

I know how demanding and draining and how seemingly impossible taking this exam can sometimes feel like to examinees. But, it doesn’t have to be that way – sometimes a few words of encouragement – or a quick review of an approach – like the approach below 🙂 – can be all a person needs to make that little bit of difference between passing and failing. That is why I write here. I tell you this as a source of encouragement: it is completely normal to be a little bit freaked out about tomorrow (assuming you are awake – like most, and are thinking about the exam). This is normal. It is also normal to feel somewhat calm – we are all different. There is no one size fits all approach to this exam. Ideally you would get a good nights sleep before the bar exam. Some do. I never did – and yet I passed. So wherever you are at (asleep early or awake still and reading this post) you can do it!

OKAY – WHAT TO DO IF YOU WERE TO GET A CRIMINAL LAW MURDER ESSAY TOMORROW (OR THURSDAY)?

As a bar taker you undoubtedly have a very good grasp of the rules for Murder. However, it is very important that you are able to make your way through all of the necessary points efficiently and in a manner that the grader will recognize as a passing or above passing answer.

Here is a quick, basic essay approach for murder. (Note that you should use a lot of headings and have a physical structure that evidences your approach – this will give the graders a sense that you actually know what you are talking about and it will make your essay far more appealing to read, it will appear organized and it will make it easier for you to write your answer because you have an approach).

Approach for handling a murder question:

Address: Common Law Murder – Common Law Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Malice aforethought is proven four ways: 1) intent to kill, 2) intent to inflict great bodily injury, 3) depraved heart killings, and 4) felony murder. (Note: if you have a slightly different definition for malice aforethought, that is okay, there are variations of this language. Go with what you know and have memorized – as long as it is correct).

(Address the above and then if you have a felony murder issue, prove up the underlying felony (BARRKS – Burglary, Arson, Robbery, Rape, Kidnapping or Sodomy – incidentally, if this area is tested, the examiners may not test one of the above common law inherently dangerous felonies – watch out for a dangerous felony like drug trafficking or another dangerous (but not enumerated as a FMR felony) felony – it forces you to reach a bit and explain that the prosecutor could charge the defendant for felony murder on the basis that it was an inherently dangerous felony, but not a common law enumerated (BARRKS) felony). Another note about malice aforethought – years ago, I would advise my students to only prove up one of the four ways to show malice aforethought and then move on. But, in more recent years, the examiners have embraced answers that address more than one of the ways to prove up malice aforethought. So, that is what I would recommend you do – write on two or three ways to prove it up – if the facts lend to a discussion of more than one way to prove up malice aforethought.

Then move onto:

Statutory Degrees of Murder

First Degree Murder: First degree murder is the intentional killing with malice aforethought, premeditation and deliberation. (Here do not spend all day on defining or explaining premeditation or deliberation – it either was premeditated and deliberate (lying in wait, planned, thought out etc.) or it wasn’t – address the issue and conclude and move on.

Second Degree Murder (here is the quick way: “all murders that are not first degree are second degree unless mitigated down to some form of manslaughter”). Note: Most exam answers embraced by the California bar examiners handle second degree murder this way. However, if the call of the question asks you specifically about second degree murder, then you should use the definition of second degree murder instead and discuss it.

Manslaughter

There are two types of manslaughter (Voluntary and Involuntary). If you know right away that the facts support a heat of passion killing, then address that first under Manslaughter as: Voluntary Manslaughter. (By the way, anytime there is a fight that results in a death – you should address heat of passion/voluntary manslaughter)

Voluntary Manslaughter: is a killing that would be murder but for the existence of adequate provocation and insufficient cooling time. (there are four elements here that you could develop, but, the reality is that if you have a cross over exam and it involves a full murder discussion – from common law murder to manslaughter, then you simply do not have a lot of time. So spend your time focusing on whether what happened would arouse the passions of reasonable person to kill AND whether or not the person did not have time to cool).

Involuntary Manslaughter: A killing is involuntary manslaughter if it was committed with criminal negligence or during the commission of an unlawful act.

There is also the concept of Misdemeanor Manslaughter Rule – it is simply an accidental killing that occurs while the defendant is engaged in a non-dangerous felony or misdemeanor.

Obviously there are defenses like: Intoxication, Insanity (know the four tests as best you can), self defense, defense of others etc. that can all work to either relieve the defendant of liability for common law murder and reduce the crime down to some form of manslaughter. Keep in mind the above is a basic approach. But, sometimes that is really the best thing to have in your head on the day of the exam. You should have a framework or basic approach and then allow yourself the freedom to write your answer based on the particular fact pattern you face, utilizing the facts as much as possible.

If you were to get a murder essay, I am thinking it could be in the context of Criminal Procedure (possible in the context of the 8th Amendment and/or 6th Amendment). If, however, you are tested on Criminal Law murder alone, then you will likely have issues with either the inchoate crimes (Solicitation, Attempt and Conspiracy) and/or accomplice liability. The reason for this is that it makes for a better one hour essay to include additional areas outside of the Criminal Law murder approach.

Focus on the call(s) of the question:

Finally, one of the things that can be challenging with any essay exam is simply understanding the call of the question. For murder exams, the California bar examiners often state the call as follows: “Can D be convicted of murder or any lessor included offense?” If this is your call, then you will follow the approach I have addressed above, with little variance.

However, sometimes, the examiners ask you multiple calls on a murder exam. For example, call number one might be: “What defenses can D assert?” Call number two might be: “Can D be convicted of voluntary manslaughter?” And, then you may have a third and fourth call that are from Criminal Procedure.

If you end up with an essay that is broken out into these separate calls, you need to do your best to address the calls in the order asked and to respond to the calls. This means that you will need to address the defenses to murder (most likely, it will be defenses to murder) in the first call without even having discussed murder yet. This might feel uncomfortable to you – to write on the defenses before writing on the crime that the defenses are for, but it is something you just have to do.

Next, under the second call, typically you would need to address common law murder, first degree murder and second degree murder before you could determine whether the killing should be mitigated down from some type of murder to voluntary manslaughter. Many will focus simply on the heat of passion killing without getting credit for going through common law murder, malice aforethought, first degree and second degree. But, you will want to show your breadth of knowledge and show the examiners that you have a good grasp on the approach.

This is just an example of how the material can be tested and how it may require you to go a bit out of order. Just do it. Don’t let it bother you, just focus on the task at hand and answer what has been asked of you. Always focus on the call or calls of the question.

Okay, that is it for now. I wish everyone who is taking the bar exam tomorrow, the very best of luck!

Remember, if you have a chance to email me with your thoughts on what was tested on day one of the essays, that will help me in my reworking of the predictions for Thursday’s essays. You can email me at: barexamguru@yahoo.com

Stay tuned, as I will post here during the days of the bar exam.

Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barnonereview.com

 

Bar Exam Tips: July 2015 Bar Exam Predictions

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Hello All,

Thank you for following my blog. We have had thousands of views each day this week. I am grateful for the following and glad that I can be of service. As it comes down to these final days before the bar exam, examinees feel more and more anxious about the test. This is normal. One of the ways that can help with easing up on that anxiety is to have a few areas to focus on in terms of the essays.

About the “Predictions”

While it is not possible to be able to predict what will be tested on the bar exam, I think it can not hurt to be made aware of certain essay scenarios that may be more likely to appear on this upcoming exam simply because these areas either have not been tested in a very long time, or because these areas/topics happen to be frequent flyers (favorite areas for testing) on the California bar exam.

So it is with that in mind, that I will be sharing some of my predictions. While there is no guarantee that these topics will appear on the July bar exam, it can not hurt to review these areas. Also, it gives you something else to focus on other than the constant memorization of long outlines (not something I think is especially productive) and should any of these topics appear on your bar exam, you will feel great for having studied these areas a little extra in the days leading up to the exam.

Another note about the “predictions” and release times

I write this blog to provide help to bar examinees who are all too often struggling and without guidance from their own bar prep providers. I do however, owe my first loyalty to my enrolled students who pay for the privilege of my predictions and other insights. As a result, my students get this information first. So please understand, that while I do release predictions on my blog, out of respect for my enrolled students, I release these only after I have provided this information to my enrolled students.

PREDICTIONS:

Professional Responsibility – Professional Responsibility is almost always tested on the essay portion of the California bar exam. As of 1994 the California bar examiners committed to tested Professional Responsibility on every bar exam on the written portion. This means that it it is on ever bar round on either the essays (most typical) or on the performance test or on both the essays and the performance test. Professional Responsibility was not tested on the essay portion of the February 2015 bar exam. Since it was skipped last bar round, my thoughts are that it is coming back. It is rare for Professional Responsibility not to show up on the essays. Assuming it is tested, what areas might come up? Generally you can always expect to discuss breach of the duty of loyalty – as this is the most common duty breach on a professional responsibility essay. The bar examiners can test anything and in Professional Responsibility since there are only so many areas for testing, these areas tend to repeat and are harder to predict. That being said, there are a few areas that have not been tested in a while – the area of attorney advertising has not shown up in a while. In addition, you always want to look at favorite areas of testing when trying to prepare for what is most likely. Favorite testing areas for Professional Responsibility are: when an attorney has a sexual relationship with their client, fee agreements and a fact pattern where you have a corporation as a client. These are favorite areas for testing. Above all, be ready for Professional Responsibility.

Constitutional Law – If Constitutional Law were to be tested (and I think there is a very good possibility it could show up on the July 2015 bar exam) then I would be prepared for this scenario – where the state is regulating in such a way that it potentially places an undue burden on interstate commerce. This requires you to evaluate the constitutionality of a state statute. You will need to address whether the state has the power to act (SHWEM – the states per the 10th Amendment can act for the Safety, Health, Welfare, Education or Morals of its citizens. In addition you will need to balance the state interest that is at stake against the burden that is placed on interstate commerce. One of the best ways to prepare for this type of essay is to review past California bar essays that test this exact area. Of course anything can be tested, including any area of Constitutional Law. I am leaning toward a commerce clause/dormant commerce clause issue because it has been several years since the examiners have tested this on the California bar exam. However, be mindful that favorite areas of testing for Constitutional Law are First Amendment Speech and Equal Protection. If you were to see an essay involving a state statute that treats out of staters differently than instaters – then this would also pose a minor Equal Protection issue.
Criminal Law/Procedure
Murder has not been tested in quite some time. This could be tested either on its own as a straight Criminal Law essay or possibly crossed over with criminal procedure. Typically when murder exams are crossed over with Criminal Procedure it involves the 4th and 5th Amendments. However, 6th Amend void dire and peremptory challenges based upon race and/or belief or opposition to the death penalty have not shown up in a very long time. This lends itself to an easy cross over with 8th Amendment capital punishment. Watch out also for 8th Amendment bail issues and 6th Amendment issues regarding pro se counsel and request for standby counsel. These areas are not favorites for testing, but since we have not seen these issues tested in some time you should be prepared.
Community Property
Since Community Property was not tested on the last bar exam, most are predicting that it will show up on this next bar exam. I agree it could come up and I think it could come up potentially as a crossover, it could even show up with Evidence – for example testing a Marital and Spousal Privilege issue.
Evidence
Many are also predicting Evidence. If you were to see Evidence you know that you will need to be prepared for Hearsay issues and the exceptions. Be very well prepared for this area as it always shows up when Evidence is tested. Also be prepared for the potential of seeing a transcript style exam, look out for marital and spousal privilege (as I mentioned above) and any privileges. Always expect Hearsay, follow the approach. Know your form objections in case you see a transcript style exam. Remember that there are form objections for answers (for example: “non-responsive”) that are different than form objections that area available for questions.
POSSIBLY REPEATING TOPICS – CAVEAT: ANYTHING CAN REPEAT!
Each bar round we usually see two or even three topics repeat back to back. So you need to be prepared for anything and everything. I personally think that the following topics might be a little more likely to repeat: Civil Procedure and Property and Business Associations (which was really only barely tested on the last bar exam in the area of Agency). Here is what I think you should consider for these possible repeater topics:
Civil Procedure
Watch out for res judicata and collateral estoppel as it has not been tested in quite some time. Also, remember that res judicata would allow the examiners to test the California (and minority) “primary rights view”. Also look out for notice and code pleading issues. And, of course be prepared for the most heavily tested area of Civil Procedure – jurisdiction.
Property
Look out for Easements, warranty deed issue in a land sale contracts context, also always consider landlord tenant as it is the most common tested area of property.
Business Organizations 
Agency and Partnership were tested on the last bar round, but could always come up again. However, be on the look out for a straight Corporations essay. Securities law has not been tested in years so you should be prepared for this possibility. But you could also see common law fraud, ultra vires. How? The call of the question could ask you to only address the common law and not to address federal securities law. This has been done in the past. It is not my first pick, I just want to make you aware of it as a possibility. Commonly tested areas include pre-incorporation contracts, formation of a corporation (demure, defacto and by estoppel would need to be discussed) and what I refer to as “tack on issues” where you have to answer short answer calls like: “whether stockholders who own a particular class of stock can force the corporation to pay a dividend.” These are typical short answer questions that you need to be prepared to handle in Business Organization. Another example of a short answer/tack on type issue is whether it was proper for the corporation to deny access to the books (the shareholder’s right to inspect records) to a shareholder. This is one of the challenges of Business Organizations – there are several tack on issues that the bar examiners can test. The best way to prepare for this is to review past essays and to know these tack on issues.
Obviously, anything could be tested this bar round. I never claim to be able to predict the bar exam. I think it is just as likely that you would see Wills repeat on the July bar exam as you would see a Community Property essay – so be prepared for it all.
I wish you all the best in these final days and on the actual bar exam!
Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar Exam Cram Session and Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barexamcramsession.com and http://www.barnonereview.com

Bar Exam Tips: Where to Focus in the Final Days

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Hello All,

Thank you for following my blog. If you are about to take the July 2015 bar exam then you are undoubtedly getting at least a little nervous. This is completely normal. As it gets closer and closer to the bar exam and you are down to a matter of days, it is increasingly important that you control your focus and that you have a plan. If you have been following this blog you will know that I do not believe that memorizing 150 page outlines for 15 subjects is an effective or realistic way of preparing for the bar exam. You need to have your material that you are memorizing condensed down to what you actually need to know and what you can actually use on the bar exam when writing an essay or analyzing an MBE. The shorter and more concise definitions and rule statements you can have memorized – the better.

Think about it this way – if you are trying to analyze an MBE from a one paragraph definition or rule (and this is what many – if not most – bar prep courses provide) it will be very difficult to do. The same goes for writing a passing or above passing essay. You simply do not have time to include long, unwieldy rule statements. You need to be succinct, to the point and clear. One of the most effective ways to achieve this on the essays is to use what I call “working definitions” – these are definitions that are complete, but are not longer than necessary and as a result are clear, do not confuse the grader, do not take a long time to write down and are effective because your point is clear. If you are using clear and succinct definitions, your analysis will become more clear and concise as well. This is really critical.

The next really important thing to focus on in the coming days (and I mean laser focus) is how you are going to approach each essay topic. Do you have an approach for Defamation, for example? Do you have an approach for Products Liability? Do you have an approach for a Contracts formation problem? These are the things that you should be thinking about and working on in the coming days so that you are prepared for how to attack and write a passing answer for any essay topic.

Memorizing long, unwieldy outlines at this point is not a good plan. Your MBEs should be in shape (or come into shape) by your simply doing MBEs and memorizing shorter rule statements. Your success on the essays will be dependent upon your ability to identify the issues and whether you have an approach for each topic (sub topics like defamation and products liability – as opposed to an approach to all of Torts). This information is not to send you in a panic. You can start creating shorthand approaches for each topic now and be ready in a week – truly. But, remember that you need to prepare for the actual test – you will not be writing out a contracts outline on exam day – you might be asked to write a Contracts essay – but not an outline. So keep this in mind in the coming days as you prepare and work on memorization.

And, if you are at a loss for these things, we still have room in our final Bar Exam Cram Session. We address all of these things, provide you with working definitions and approaches that reflect what the California bar examiners have historically embraced on the essays. These same definitions and approaches make navigating the MBEs easier as well because you are working from a more succinct and concise version. Our students credit their passing to this two day course. We also provide you with a study plan that tells you what to do every day leading up to the bar exam so that you maximize your study time. To register or for more information, visit our site: BarExamCramSession.com

Thank you again for reading the blog and all the best to everyone who is studying for the July 2015 bar exam!

Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar Exam Cram Session and Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barexamcramsession.com and http://www.barnonereview.com

Bar Exam Tip: Bar Exam Predictions, Criminal Law Murder

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Hello Everyone,

Thank you again for following the blog. We are almost at 700,00 site visits, so thank you!

I have not yet released my predictions publicly, but I will. Please understand that my enrolled students get access to the predictions first. Our last Bar Exam Cram Session on July 18th and 19th will be the last time we release predictions in our classroom setting. At that point all of our students will have my predictions. Once our students have had an opportunity to have the predictions, I will begin releasing these publicly on the site. It will likely be (as always) the week before the bar exam. For more information about our last Bar Exam Cram Session, click here, we still have some spots left.

In the meantime, however, I wanted to post an approach for Criminal Law Murder. I personally think that Criminal Law Murder is due. While Criminal Law has been tested several times in recent years (including showing up back to back on two consecutive bar rounds), the bar examiners have not tested Criminal Law Murder in several years. So, I think it is safe to say that it is coming soon.

First, a few words about my “predictions” . . .

I can not predict what will be on the bar exam. I have had a lot of luck in making the predictions that I make. I am glad of that. I spend a great deal of time reviewing several years of past exams and put in a lot of effort to come up with these predictions. However, no one can predict the bar exam. And, whatever you hear about predictions, you should NOT study based upon predictions. That being said, I think it is helpful to think about possible essay scenarios that might be a bit more likely to show up on the bar exam because these areas have not been tested in some time.

Also, understand – my theory and philosophy towards the bar exam is to be ready for anything – I firmly believe that is the best way to prepare. So, whether or not Criminal Law Murder shows up on the bar exam this July 2015, you want to walk into the bar exam prepared to write a Criminal Law Murder Essay. That is how you want to prepare for the bar exam.

The following is from an earlier post that I wrote covering the basic murder approach that we have seen traditionally embraced by the California bar examiners. You may have come across this post earlier if you have been searching through older posts. If so, this will be familiar to you – either way it is a good refresher.

Incidentally, if murder were to show up on the exam on day one or day three of the July 2015 bar exam, then I would not be surprised if it were crossed over with some of the lesser tested areas of Criminal Procedure. We have not seen any 8th Amendment issues in some time (see the “Free Stuff” page for a free download of an exam template for this area) and we also have not seen much testing of the 6th Amendment areas of void dire (peremptory challenges, right to an impartial jury, etc.). So these areas could easily be tested this bar round. Evidence is also an area that can repeat and sometimes we see it as a cross-over with Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure (and if you read my post from a few days ago – we have seen it tested with Wills and Community Property as a cross over with marital and spousal privileges).

It is this simple – as I have always maintained over the many years of writing this blog – the bar examiners can test anything on any bar exam round. I do not say this to send you into a panic. It is simply true. As a result, there will be topics that you are hoping for and there will probably be a few you hope not to get – that is the nature of the bar exam. But, you can do it, do NOT give up no matter what you see on the exam. And, remember, you have time to prepare adequately.

The bar exam is still weeks away. I know it does not seem like much time. But, if you use it effectively, then you can absolutely prepare in time. Our students in our last Bar Exam Cram Session generally come in without any approaches to the bar exam and yet, they are able to take the approaches we provide in class and memorize these and write the bar exam using these approaches. So, you have time now to start working on these things. I had to come up with my own approaches to the essays because the commercial bar prep companies at that time were not providing essay approaches. In fact, they still don’t. If I can come up with my own, you can too. Take control over your own bar studies and make certain you prepare from here on forward in such a way that you will know how to write any essay that you face. And, remember you should prepare for every topic, because any topic could come up.

YOU NEED TO HAVE AN APPROACH FOR EACH TOPIC

As a bar taker you will undoubtedly walk into the bar exam and have a very good grasp of the rules for Murder. However, it is very important that you are able to make your way through all of the necessary points efficiently and in a manner that the grader will recognize as a passing or above passing answer. This requires an essay approach. You should walk into the bar exam with approaches to every topic (each bar subject has either one approach or several. For example, Contracts really only has one approach – the approach for Contracts is essentially the same regardless of the Contracts essay, the only differences being whether you write on the Common Law of Contracts only or if you have a UCC exam. On the other hand, Torts has several approaches – a defamation approach, a products liability approach, a negligence approach a torts/remedies approach and a miscellaneous torts approach. I will do my best to write more on these topics as I have time).

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO START WRITING AN ESSAY

My point is that there is a lot you can do to effectively prepare for the bar exam now so that on exam day you know exactly what to do, what to write, how to start your essay, etc.. You should NOT be trying to figure this out on exam day. If you are in that position, you are likely to fail. So please take it upon yourself to prepare NOW for these situations. You know that you are going to have to write essays – so figure out ahead of time how you will start each topic.

Here is a quick, basic essay approach for murder. (Note that you should use a lot of headings and have a physical structure that evidences your approach – this will give the graders a sense that you actually know what you are talking about and it will make your essay far more appealing to read, it will appear organized and it will make it easier for you to write your answer because you have an approach).

APPROACH FOR HANDLING A CRIMINAL LAW MURDER QUESTION

First address: Common Law Murder – Common Law Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Malice aforethought is proven four ways: 1) intent to kill, 2) intent to inflict great bodily injury, 3) depraved heart killings, and 4) felony murder.

(Address the above and then if you have a felony murder issue, prove up the underlying felony (BARRKS – Burglary, Arson, Robbery, Rape, Kidnapping or Sodomy – incidentally, if this area is tested, the examiners may not test one of the above common law inherently dangerous felonies – watch out for a dangerous felony like drug trafficking or another dangerous (but not enumerated as a FMR felony) felony – it forces you to reach a bit and explain that the prosecutor could charge the defendant for felony murder on the basis that it was an inherently dangerous felony, but not a common law enumerated (BARRKS) felony)

Then move onto:

Statutory Degrees of Murder

First Degree Murder: First degree murder is the intentional killing with malice aforethought, premeditation and deliberation. (here do not spend all day on defining or explaining premeditation or deliberation – it either was premeditated and deliberate (lying in wait, planned, thought out etc.) or it wasn’t – address the issue and conclude and move on).

Second Degree Murder (here is the quick way: “all murders that are not first degree are second degree unless mitigated down to some form of manslaughter”).

Manslaughter

There are two types of manslaughter (Voluntary and Involuntary). If you know right away that the facts support a heat of passion killing, then address that first under Manslaughter as: Voluntary Manslaughter. (By the way, anytime there is a fight that results in a death – you should address heat of passion/voluntary manslaughter)

Voluntary Manslaughter: is a killing that would be murder but for the existence of adequate provocation and insufficient cooling time. (there are elements here that you could develop, but, the reality is that if you have a cross over exam and it involves a full murder discussion – from common law murder to manslaughter, then you simply do not have a lot of time. So spend your time focusing on whether what happened would arouse the passions of reasonable person to kill AND whether or not the person did not have time to cool).

Involuntary Manslaughter: A killing is involuntary manslaughter if it was committed with criminal negligence or during the commission of an unlawful act.

There is also the concept of Misdemeanor Manslaughter Rule – it is simply an accidental killing that occurs while the defendant is engaged in a non-dangerous felony or misdemeanor.

Obviously there are defenses like: Intoxication, Insanity (know the four tests as best you can – this has not been tested in years), self defense, defense of others etc. that can all work to either relieve the defendant of liability for common law murder and reduce the crime down to some form of manslaughter. Keep in mind the above is a basic approach. But, sometimes that is really the best thing to have in your head on the day of the exam. You should have a framework or basic approach and then allow yourself the freedom to write your answer based on the particular fact pattern you face.

Thank you again for following the blog!

Lisa Duncanson

Program Director/Founder
Bar Exam Cram Session & Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barexamcramsession.com and http://www.barnonereview.com

Prepare For The February 2015 Bar Exam With The Two Day Bar Exam Cram Sessions

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Hello all,

All the best of luck to those who are waiting for bar results for the July 2014 bar exam!

For those of you who are preparing for the February 2015 bar exam, we have released our February 2015 Bar Exam Cram Session Schedule. We will conduct three separate Bar Exam Cram Sessions for the February 2015 Bar Exam. The dates are as follows (click on dates below for more information and to register):

Session I – December 13, 2014 & December 14, 2014

Session II – January 17, 2015 & January 18, 2015

Session III – February 7, 2015 & February 8, 2015

The Two Day Bar Exam Cram Sessions provide a condensed review of all bar tested topics and provide students with a tried and true approach for each essay tested topic. We tell you what you need to know, including what to write, when to write it, how much time to spend on particular issues and provide you with a proven approach to success on the California Bar Exam. You receive a complete set of The Bar Exam Cram Sheets, a study plan for the final ten days leading up to the bar exam and all of the Bar Exam Guru’s predictions and email updates up through the bar exam. See the links above for more detailed course information.

Stay tuned for more information about our February 2015 Civil Procedure MBE Maximizer Program, Score Maximizer Program and Writing Maximizer Program.

All the best to everyone waiting for bar results!

Lisa Duncanson

Founder/Program Director
Bar Exam Cram Session and Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barexamcramsession.com and http://www.barnonereview.com

 

 

July 2014 Bar Exam Predictions: More Final Thoughts and Best of Luck to You!

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Hello All,

All the best to everyone taking the bar exam tomorrow! Remember to stay positive and focus on doing your best, you can do it!

There is still time to join our July 2014 Bar Exam Tips List:

Each bar round I pick a test location and meet up with my students after day one of the bar exam. During this meeting I go over my revised essay predictions for day three (based upon what was tested on day one’s essay) and provide tips on where to focus your studies for day three of the exam.

I also provide an email version of this that I make available to my enrolled students who are at other test locations. This year, I will also make this available to blog followers. If you would like to receive this information, you can join our list here:

Please be sure to select “yes” or “no” in the drop down menus below and click on the “submit” button at the bottom of the form to be added to our list. Be sure to see more exam tips below this form.

Ontario Test Location Bar Exam Meetup:

If you would like to attend our Ontario Bar Exam Meet Up, we have a few spaces available. Send an email to me at: barexamguru@yahoo.com and we will get back to you on a first come, first served basis.  

Okay, and now a few more exam tips list: Areas that I have not mentioned outside of my class sessions include: the tracing rules (from Remedies – First in, First Out, Lowest Intermediate Balance Rule, Replenishment Theory) and Fifth Amendment Takings (specifically what is known as a “Regulatory Taking”). These two areas have not shown up in some time on the bar exam.

If you were to have the tracing rules tested, you would have an essay with a commingled bank account. If you were to be tested in the area of Regulatory Takings you would have a regulation that took away (limited, decreased, etc.) some use of the land. Past exams have included: an ordinance that provided the public the right to picket on private property and also statutes that limited land development due to a need to protect the habitat of an endangered species. If you were to see something like this, you would need to address the Fifth Amendment Taking issue and explain that while the statute or ordinance does not amount to an “actual physical taking”, the landowner may have a claim under a regulatory taking theory (this still allows for “just compensation”).

A little more on Property . . .

Property – As I mentioned in an earlier post, Property could repeat on the July 2014 bar exam (it was tested on the February 2014 bar exam). So if Property is tested tomorrow or on Thursday, what might likely show up? Well, Landlord/Tenant is one of the most commonly tested areas of Property. So, that is always fair game. However, Easements (it has not been tested in quite some time) is very possible (either alone or in a possible land sale contract setting or even with Landlord/Tenant). And as I mentioned in an earlier post, Covenants and Equitable Servitudes are possible.

If you were to get an essay on Easements and it was in the land sale context – the scenario could go like this: Betty is granted an easement by Grant for a 20-foot road. She receives this easement by express grant, but never records. Betty uses the road and ultimately paves a thirty-foot wide road and begins using it for part residential and part commercial use. Grant sells his land (the servient tenement, the land that is burdened by the easement) to Buyer. The issues become 1) Does Betty have a valid Easement, 2) Does Buyer take the land subject to Betty’s easement etc.The above scenario generates many discussable points.

To determine whether Betty has a valid easement you should follow the Easements approach:

1. Is the easement appurtenant or in gross? (this should be a very short discussion)

2. Is the Easement affirmative or negative easement? (this should be a very short discussion)

3. Creation – how was the easement created (PING)?

4. Scope – what is the scope of the easement and was the scope exceeded – or was the easement overburdened?

5. Was the easement terminated?

With respect to whether Buyer takes the land subject to Betty’s easement will likely require a few discussions: 1) a discussion of notice (actual notice, inquiry notice and constructive notice) and potentially recording act statutes and 2) a potential Warranty Deed discussion where you discuss the present and future covenants (six total).

**Incidentally, I think that an essay involving an Easement is just as likely an essay testing scenario in Property as is a straight Covenants/Equitable Servitudes essay.

Further Predictions for day three: I will continue posting on my blog through the bar exam (but, to get the complete inside view, please sign up for our tips list). After I know what was tested on day one, I will provide my suggestions of areas to focus on for day three’s essays (revised predictions for day three’s essays). However in order for me to do so, since I am not sitting for the test, I need to hear from examinees as to what was actually tested. My students will contact me, but, the more examinees I hear from, the more I will know and the more focused I can be about making suggestions for areas to study on day three.

Help me help you: So, if you have a moment, please feel free to email me on Tuesday during your break with your thoughts on what was tested. The more I know, the more I can offer to you. I can be reached via email at: barexamguru@yahoo.com

Hang in there, I know these last hours can be tough, but, be positive and believe in yourself!

Best of luck to all who are taking the bar exam! Thank you for the following and for your positive feedback via email – it is greatly appreciated, I love hearing from you!

Lisa Duncanson

Program Director/Founder
Bar None Review
(213) 529-0990
http://www.barexamcramsession.com and http://www.barnonereview.com

California Bar Exam: Three Days Away!

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Good luck photo for blog

Hello All,

The bar exam is now just three days away. It is normal to have some anxiety right now (okay, it is normal to have a lot of anxiety right now).  But, there is still time to review, and still time to gain a better understanding of how areas are tested, and still time to continue to memorize the law. You need to believe this in order to make the best use of the remaining time. Actively work at remaining calm and maintaining a positive attitude – it will only lead to a better study period in the next couple of days.

If you would like to be added to our July 2014 Bar Exam Tips Email List, please see my earlier post to sign up.

If you have read my prior posts, you know that Evidence is one of the subjects that I have suggested as a possibility for this July’s exam. Also, Constitutional Law could repeat – remember, anything can show up on the bar exam. Of course, you may not see either Constitutional Law or Evidence on the July 2014 bar exam. But if you were to see either subject on the essay portion of the exam, would you know how to handle it?

If you do not feel confident on how to handle a Constitutional Law essay or an Evidence essay today, just a few days before the test, is it too late?  Should you give up?  Of course not!

Two essays for your review: I am posting two essays here (I have posted these same essays previously on this site, I mention this in case you have already downloaded these). One is a Constitutional Law essay (involving a state statute that treats out of staters differently than in-staters . . . so what area does that bring to mind? If you do not know the answer to that, then you definitely need to read this essay and the answers . . . hint: you are required to determine whether the state law places an undue burden on interstate commerce). So, if Constitutional Law is something you are fearing – then I would take a look over the subject again (preferably by relying on a condensed outline of some kind). In addition, I would recommend that you take a look at a few essays in Constitutional Law. I would do the same for Evidence. Both subjects can be race-horse exams. So, keep this in mind when you are writing your answers. Get to writing as quickly as you can.

I have attached as downloads, a past Constitutional Law Essay and a past Evidence Essay that I think are worth reviewing (yes – even the Sunday before the exam – why not)?

The reason I think it makes good sense to review these exams a few days before the exam is because of this simple fact – a very similar essay exam could appear on day one or day three of the California Bar Exam. Therefore, it just makes sense to read through both essays. You can download the Constitutional Law Essay here: ConLaw Handout 2 F-05 and the Evidence Essay here: Evidence Transcript Style Essay

A couple of thoughts about Evidence: If you were to see Evidence on the exam (as you know) Hearsay is likely. It is hard to imagine an Evidence exam without hearsay showing up. Beware that the most commonly tested exceptions are Present Sense Impression and Excited Utterance (and both exceptions should be discussed if you think either is colorable). I would review Judicial Notice and Subsequent Remedial Measures as I think either could come up if you have Evidence (or even as a cross-over on another topic). Also, Best Evidence Rule is tested frequently on Evidence essays. If you have been reviewing past Evidence essays then you already know this. If, however, you have not reviewed many Evidence Essays, then it is not too late to review a few now, before the exam.

A couple of thoughts about Constitutional Law: This Constitutional Law essay is from the February 2005 bar exam. I think it is worth a read. DO NOT test yourself on this. Instead, simply read through it (stay calm while you do so) and read and study the answer. Spend about 25 – 30 minutes on it (a few more minutes if you think you will benefit from it). The key here is to be able to glean some insights into both the approach for Constitutional Law (the approach that is embraced by the California Bar Examiners) and also how to handle an essay that is similar to this Constitutional Law exam. I think it is quite likely that you would see something like this tested. It is certainly possible. Given that possibility – it can not hurt you to read through it. And, remember, it is really important that you simply “read through it” – DO NOT TEST yourself on this – just read it and do your best to connect the dots between the fact pattern and what was generated in the answers. Focus on this: “If I were to get this particular essay exam on the actual bar exam, how would I write my answer?”

Hopefully, you would stick to the issues that are addressed in both answers and even better, if you do see something similar to this particular essay exam, you will remember how to handle it on exam day.

With respect to the Evidence Essay – note the style of writing (what I call a “shot-gun” type of approach) that is used in the exam answers. Both are brief where needed and get through all of the calls in a pretty efficient manner. Also note that in a transcript exam you need to be prepared to write on form objections (examples of form objections include: leading, compound, assumes facts not in evidence, non-responsive, etc.).

Help me help you . . . 

I will be posting again on Tuesday right after the essay portion of the bar exam – I will be counting on my students and blog followers to send me what was tested on the essay section of the bar exam so that I can update my predictions with respect to what I think might be more likely to show up on day three of the essay exam. So, if you have a moment, please email me after the essay portion of the bar exam on Tuesday. This will help me, help you – it is always good to have a sense of where to focus in these final days and even on the days of bar exam. Of course, no one can predict this exam. But, it can not hurt to put some extra time into an area that might be more likely to show up.

I will be hearing from my enrolled students on the break after the essays on Day One. But, the more people I hear from, the better I will have a fix on what was actually tested on Tuesday (essay wise) so that I can work up my next set of predictions for day three. Just a note – because there are some examinees with accommodations who will be taking the bar exam over a six day period, I will limit my discussion to the essays only – I will not discuss the performance test until the week after the bar exam.

Thank you again for following the blog.

I wish you all the very best of luck in your remaining studies! Remember to stay positive and to believe in yourself!

Best of luck to you all!

Lisa Duncanson
Program Director/Founder
Bar None Review and BarExamCramSession.com
(213) 529-0990

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