Waiting for the results of the Baby Bar

[InterAlia1961]

The California Bar's website still says the results of the June 2011 First-year Law Student Examination will be mailed out next Friday. The wait is excruciating. One day, I'm sure I passed it. The next, I'm sure I didn't. I thought the essay portion was easier than the Concord final. I know I did well on the Contract essay. I spotted the big issues as well as the minor issues. On the first Criminal Law essay, one of the interogatories asked if one of the defendant's could successfully assert the insanity defense. I knew all four tests and how to apply them. There were two Criminal Law essays this time around, and I was just drained by the time the second one showed up. I think I did okay. I know many people didn't spot the false imprisonment issue. I also fee good about the Torts essay.

When it comes to the MCQ portion, I'm much less optimistic. I had enough time to go back over 20 of my answers, changing only one, but this was the hardest part of the test for me. I'm not altogether sure I achieved the requisite 70, even on the good days. Someone told me that we could call in on Friday, August 12^th and find out if we are on the "pass list." But I remember hearing that this doesn't always work well. Last year (can't remember if it was the June or October administration of the test), several people were told they did not pass, only to get the results in the mail a few days later indicating they had passed. I probably won't call. But, by not calling, I'm subjecting myself to at least 6 more days of anxiety. The last time I received something from the California Bar, it took 6 days to get here.

For now, I'll have to be content with the compulsive checking of my horoscope and past statistics, not to mention bad dreams. Sigh. 

[passaroa25]

It sounds like you were better prepared than I was in 2009.  What kind of study schedule do you adhere to?  Does Concord allow its students to continue on whether they have passed the Baby Bar or not?

[InterAlia1961]

At Concord, we can continue with our 2L courses, but if we don't pass by the 3rd time we won't receive credit for the second-year unless we switch to the EJD program.

[passaroa25]

Is it possible to go all the way through and take the exam  at the end of the 4th year before taking the bar ? Wait a minute! Isn't false imprisonment a  tort? Is there a fine anywhere for false imprisonment?

[InterAlia1961]

Is it possible to go all the way through and take the exam  at the end of the 4th year before taking the bar ? Wait a minute! Isn't false imprisonment a  tort? Is there a fine anywhere for false imprisonment?

Not at Concord. You have until the end of 2L to pass it or you're out. If you don't transfer to the EJD program, you can't re-enroll for a year, and you have to start all over. You might be onto something with the FI, though. Hmmmmm......
 

[passaroa25]

Okay. I got a 60 after my first year with Cal Southern. And I didn't have enough money to take it again within 3 administrations. I would enroll in Concord if I had all 4 years to take the FYLSE  again. I could finance with Sallie Mae.

[InterAlia1961]

I'm worried about financing another test, too. Which part of the test did you find the most difficult? I'm curious to find out if the test changes in degree of difficulty or remains pretty much constant. You might want to look into Concord. I thought their their Concord Essay Outreach (CEO) and Concord First programs were extremely helpful. I can't imagine taking the FYLSE without a program like Concord First. When I first started the program, I was getting 55s on my essays and barely able to pass MCQs. When I finished I was at 80+ on essays and 70-80 on MCQs.

[passaroa25]

Financing the test was just part of it.  I live in Florida.  I didn't have another 600 for the flight and hotel to California for the test after June 2009. 

I found the multiple choice questions the most difficult.  However,  I simply wasn't as prepared as I should have been.  For example, in all the essays, it was easy to spot the issues.  But, I hadn't remembered any of the legal rules.   I knew what a contract was.  But, I would say something like:  "A contract is an agreement between two or more people who bargain for mutual promises."  I should have written:  "A contract is an agreement between two or more parties creating obligations that are enforceable or otherwise recognizable at law."  I knew what battery, assault, theft, larceny, burglary, rape, murder, etc were in plain English; not in the terms that judges use in court opinions.  This is what the examiners were looking for.  I realized too late that my essay needed to read like a court opinion, not like a college essay (even if the structure of the essay was in the IRAC format).

That is probably why the multiple choice questions were so difficult for me.  I really needed to have the black letter law memorized; not just know something about each rule of law.

The test administrators are probably a little more lenient now.  Anyway,  more Concord students pass than students from any other online law school.  I looked it up. 

I will think about enrolling in Concord.

[lawstudent#1]

Okay. I got a 60 after my first year with Cal Southern. And I didn't have enough money to take it again within 3 administrations. I would enroll in Concord if I had all 4 years to take the FYLSE  again. I could finance with Sallie Mae.

If you have to re enroll anyways, why not try the lsat again and go to an ABA school? You'd have all that knowledge to bring with you.

Most ABA 1L's couldn't pass that minibar if you had a gun to their head. (and exams on a curve)

[passaroa25]

In 1987, I accepted a scholarship from Mercer Law School.  I needed to get all A's.  I got only one A and was academically dismissed.  Now, I live in Florida.  Here, if you have been a 1 L anywhere else, you cannot even apply to an ABA law school.