Law School Discussion

  I really love your observation even if it is inaccurate:

"For you to score in the 60's on the essay portion means that you were objectively bad at understanding how to apply the law to a set of facts."

It was not "bad at understanding" it was not hitting all the issues, but my skill set improved, I just passed the FYLSE in October.  Have no idea on my score since snail mail hasn't arrived here in Oregon.

An attorney at work made the same quick judgement about my June test, he said, "I must not have enough substantive knowledge."  That was clearly an opinion that kicked my butt, because it just wasn't true. 

As for the cat negligence question on the Tort question in October, I pretty much flew threw that explanation this time: RACE HORSE STYLE. I originally put how the day care operater should kill the cat, (that's what I would have done) but after I wrote that, I quickly deleted it and stated her options were clear, call the local animal shelter and have them trap the cats and keep the children indoors so no child would be harmed.  The day careoperator was negligent in her actions when she knew the danger existed outside and her duty of care for those children as invitees - DofC of reasonable care to known dangers: those wild fury cats which can be pretty vicious and Oh MY Goodness: poop in the sand box, what state was she in, she would have been a trained operator in CA and would have known to pour Ammonia - a caustic hazardous substance in a sand box is a NO NO?  Her license should be revoked.  I had fun, but I was so drained after that test, the last 8 MPC's had to answer in the last 5 minutes so the last 3 were guesses. We then HAD to drive 11 hours home to Portland so I could be at work the next day!   

At least we went to the Oakland Raider game the Sunday before;)  That was my day of rest prior to the test.

 


My advice again, KNOW your RULE statements, speed writing or typing is the only way to score passing scores on the essays, missing one issue will be a BIG deduction, the lawyers who grade the essay give no mercy.  We are all at mercy - even some students from brick and mortar schools suffer the consequence of taking this test, but at a 20% pass rate it isn't that anyone is a moron or that some people don't get the issues quickly or missed the issues, some under pressure have a hard time.

My test in June, we had a question that was a criminal law question and some answered it as a tort - Doc sent an emergency room patient home without seeing him because the nurse diagnosed the guy with indegestion when he had chest pains.  On his way home, he suffered a heart attack while driving and crashed into a truck.  He died.  The call of the question was WHAT CRIMES could be found against the Doctor?  LOL  most who read that question thought TORT!  One simple word and they got credit for their answer but most were 35 and 45 for missing the call of the question.  I answered it correctly, my mistake was my opening statement or I would have passed that one.  My conclusion, fry the doc (LOL not really)  I put it could be negligent homicide due to his inaction but had to go through the entire MURDER fact pattern to conclude NH or No Crime if the court viewed it was reasonable for him to rely on the nurse's indegestion conclusion.  I also put that if the state does find him guilty of negligence homicide, the state medical board might also consider the crime some sort of violation to his license and he might loose his license - but that shouldn't have been even put in the discussion.




A

I failed my first try, 2nd try is in October.  It is hard but I failed 537 - one multiple choice question for the 2nd evaluation - which might have passed me, received 60 - 60 - 60 and 65 on my essays = 77% on the multiple choice - but the degree of difficulty killed me my 308 was lowered to 289, waiting for my essays to see what issues I missed and a professor at the school will evaluate what I need to do.  I'm a Concord student - we have a program called Second Time Sucess - it is helping me prepare for the test.  Concord First I started in middle of May - could kick myself for not starting earlier, so I could pass on the first try.  Did about 1600 multiple choice, about 50 essays, 10 were graded by a professor at the law school.  First right out your rule statements, memorize them, sing them, go over them in your head in the shower, in bed. Take small breaks, if you work like I do, live, eat and breath - Criminal Law, Torts and Contracts.  If you are not in a review course - sign up for one right now.  If you have six weeks to prepare and haven't started, working full time - you might pass on your first try.  I'm lucky, I have my crim law down, now I'm hitting torts.  I've heard people like Gould - google it with FYLSE.  AND GOOD LUCK

nope, I didn't 

I'm taking it again in October and studying harder to address what I know are my unknown's. 

READ and brief EVERY case, be prepared with your briefs for online classes and lectures.  Plan on spending at least 20 hours a week studying, briefing cases, taking notes from online lectures and classes and preparing your rule statements.  My advise for you right now is to sit down and figure out a schedule of how you will plan your day, your week and if you work, plan on spending at least 8 hours on your days off studying.  AND STICK TO THAT SCHEDULE.  Before any test, review all your materials.  Join the Concord SBA, start practicing multiple choice questions for the FYLSE immediately through the SBA daily email.  Talk to the SBA officers and members on additional material you may purchase to help you learn the material.  Lastly, if you don't understand something - e-mail your professor for HELP.  Good luck on your DL choice.

More than 40 percent of Concord's graduates have already earned a graduate degree, including nine MBA, five Ph.D., and four MD degree holders. These accomplished professionals included small business owners, college professors, a surgeon and an engineer who was in Afghanistan serving in the Army Reserves for much of his third year of law school (a quote from A. Miller at the 2010 graduation ceremony).

For those of you that think the online is not the way to go, I beg to differ.  I have had attorneys tell me they wish they had the opportunity and the smaller loan bill.  I have had hiring partners tell me they don't care if the school is ABA, don't care about GPA's, if you go to a school, pass the Cal Bar and you have a brain for presenting yourself on paper, you'll land that interview and become an attorney.  I choose not to waste money that I could spend on better things than some school that gives me the same opportunity to sit for the BAR exam.  Lastly, I know for a fact that the brick and mortar NON ABA accredited school in Chico has produced at least two DEPUTY DA's for Butte county.  Those that discriminate about whether a school is ABA or not ABA don't want change and are not prepared for the next step, schools that are online are more efficient and can give the SAME education with out the high education expense costing our country and our citizens. California is doing a fabulous job of turning out some pretty darn good lawyers from nonABA schools and to say that you better go to an ABA if you want to be a Deputy DA is hogwash.. 

The first lecturer for Concord in 1998 was Arthur Miller a well known professor from Harvard Law School!  I love his civil procedure lectures and my degree, my education and my future career as a lawyer may very well be better than most brick and mortar schools because of the lecturers that are at my school.

Lastly,  if you work in a law office ANYWHERE and want to go another route, 2 years of college course work, under instruction of an attorney you can become eligible to sit for the FYLSE and every 6 months submit the required report to the CA bar. After Passing the FYLSE and completing the study requirements a person may sit for the Bar Exam and upon Passing the BAR without EVERY having gone to ANY law school or correspondence program that person can become a lawyer.  Just think, just the cost of time and expense of books!  Sounds like Abe Lincoln, except he did his studies in a log cabin. 

http://rules.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=-2KV5j0w6Cw%3d&tabid=1227

Oh and if you think large law firms don't look at our resumes, think again!  They are looking at all and will even offer internships to those they feel are qualified to join their staff.  I work for on of the largest law firms in the NW and they don't descriminate, most law firms don't.  Only a few attorneys say that they wouldn't hire someone from an online program so they can see their name in the paper.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2012/06/07/online-law-degrees-face-hung-jury

http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/is-your-45000-a-year-degree-is-getting-the-last-laugh

http://www.lawjobs.com/newsandviews/LawArticle.jsp?id=1202425745957&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

The last article is the best, Heather Brown graduated, passed the bar and is a long beach prosecutor!  ONLINE ROCKS