JMLS Academic dismissal: gripes and questions....

[nachas]

Nachas,
I am sorry that you got academically dismissed and my heart goes out to you. I wanted to know if you took any practice exams prior to the actual test. You mention that you didnt test well.

I searched for practice exams, but all profs test differently and none of them have old exams available.
We mostly used law in a flash, E&E, and Q&A books for test review, along with emmanuels, and I did really well - often explaining why I answered the way I did to my study buddies who got the questions wrong and didn't understand the material.
I took an old practice exam for Contracts and scored 90%, but it wasn't at school, wasn't under the stress of a room full of law school students, and I didn't take the test thinking that it was representative of my entire grade in class.  I just took the test under a 2 and a half hour time contraint.
The LD hit hard the day of the exams, my friends were all freaking out, and I was very nervous (and thought about my grandfather nonstop during the tests).
Note to pickle:
I'm still not buying the correlation between first semester grades and Bar exam scores either.  I know dozens of lawyers, some who passed the bar first time, and some who passed it second go around.  Some straight A law students passed first time and some had to retake, which is the same for people who barely squeaked by.
Then there's the old adage:
The A students become professors, the B students become judges and the C students make all the money
:-)

doods, do watcha like.

I don't think you will be admitted, graduate, pass the bar.  But hey, use me as inspiration.  Good luck Nachas!  I mean it.

Thanks Pickle.

[nachas]

Nachas, what type of law do you plan to practice?

and best of luck

Criminal.
and thanks.

[nachas]

For whats its worth, some rather grim commentary on this thread

http://www.jdunderground.com/thread.php?threadId=17291

Ouch.
Anonymity and the like.
It's probably better that I don't respond to those little nuggets, lest I further expose my own stupidity.

[Thistle]

For whats its worth, some rather grim commentary on this thread

http://www.jdunderground.com/thread.php?threadId=17291

Ouch.
Anonymity and the like.
It's probably better that I don't respond to those little nuggets, lest I further expose my own stupidity.

more idiots that are somehow "qualified" to comment on medical diagnoses.  "there's no such thing as adhd!"  why not?  "er, because i don't believe in it!  and neither does tom cruise!  thats good enough for me!"

these will be the same lawyers, should they pass the bar, screaming about how their clients have read a statute and now think they understand it better than an attorney does, and how annoying that is.  pot=kettle 

[nealric]

The A students become professors, the B students become judges and the C students make all the money

That one only applies at Harvard (since Yale and Standford don't have traditional grades)

[classic695]

nachas = jeffislouie. Are you still excited about starting at JMSL now that you've failed out?

[almostlegal]

My advice to the OP:

1. Do not go back to JMLS. You obviously have a lot of animosity toward the school (some of it justified) that by itself is going to make it extremely hard for you to succeed there. Also, do not go back to law school if your only option is a low ranked school that has a harsh curve and flunks people out - you'll find the atmosphere is similar to that at JMLS.

2. Work out whatever personal and medical issues you need to.

3. Get a job and save some money.

4. If 2 years later you still want to be a lawyer, reapply to law school and start from scratch. Get your LSAT score up and try to squeak your way into a school with a higher curve and lower attrition rate.

If you do this, make sure you learn how to take law school exams. Here is a tip from someone who did well first year (top 10%) at a lower ranked school - your profs are mostly looking for a black letter law analysis of the fact pattern - not regurgitation of info like you did in undergrad. Do the LEEWS program before your classes get started and download as many practice exams as you can for first year subjects, even if they're from other schools. That's what I did.

The E&Es are great but they are not a substitute for practice exams. Hardly any of my first year profs had practice exams on file either. You need to practice them (any exams you can find - look for exams from schools of roughly the same rank school you are at) until you get good at taking them under timed conditions (get a digital silent timer). If you have one or two particularly receptive profs, you can ask them to critique your practice exam - even if they didn't write the exam. One more thing: drop the study groups - get ONE study partner who is on the same page with you and compare practice exams after you write them seperately - cramming verbally with a group of people and doing flash cards, etc. is a complete waste of time and will not lead to good exam scores.

OP, it sucks that you were academically dismissed from law school.  I don't know about you, but prior to exams, I (and a few other students I know) made lists of alternate careers in case I (or we) failed out.  Nobody wants to see their law career end so quickly. 

That said, I agree with everything big - fat - box said here.

The one thing that was pounded into my head before starting law school that really applies here is that in-class performance does not correlate with good grades.  This is actually because you're being asked about two different things.  In class, the teacher wants to know what you've read; on an exam, the teacher wants to see you apply what you've learned.

OP, best wishes in whatever you choose to do.  There are a few blogs out there dealing with failing out of law school and later returning.  Hit google and you may find some shared experiences/advice from others in a similar situation.

[jeffislouie]

nachas = jeffislouie. Are you still excited about starting at JMSL now that you've failed out?

Hilarious.  And false.

[classic695]

nachas = jeffislouie. Are you still excited about starting at JMSL now that you've failed out?

Hilarious.  And false.

Your posts under the two names are too similar, and easily gave you away.

[nealric]

Piss off a liberal - ask them for proof....

I would like to see some proof of that