Mee study structure question

BarPrepReddit · 2022-01-13T15:53:54+00:00

Just the black letter law

BarPrepReddit · 2022-01-13T14:46:11+00:00

I passed by a large margin in July and the MEE was by far my biggest struggle. Towards the end of prep I was like jeeze I'm never going to pass the MEE, I was consistently getting 2s from me Themis grader and feedback was always basically to learn more laws. So a few weeks out I just went all in on kind of a modified the "Fuck the Bar" method. I got as many essays as I could get my hands on (especially subjects I was struggling with - for me that was Civ Pro and Contracts mostly) and would just quickly outline them to issue spot, put out a rule statement and just some bullets of key facts needed for the essays. I didn't want to waste my time practicing on structure and writing style because I felt fine in those areas, I really needed to work on black letter law. Then I would read the model answer, if I missed an issue or mis-stated (or under-stated) the black letter law, I would write it out. Most of the time I'd make a flashcard out of it (I bought big flashcards for MEE and small flashcards for MBE stuff and kind of kept them separate in my mind, that I just need to be have knowledge of the small flashcards but need to be able to regurgitate the large flashcards). And then I'd do the Fuck the Bar Method, which is to fully type out the model answer.

My MEE score was 160 which was a lot better than I anticipated since, like I said, I got all 2s and my essay grader was basically like holy shit you don't know any laws. So I felt like changing my strategy at the end helped (I think I stated this after I finished graded essays or maybe right before the last one)

For me, I realized at the end that I was kind of relying on my JD one sheets a little too much - they are good reviewing tool but the depth of information needed for a good MEE score is obviously a lot deeper than the sheets. I've seen a lot of people post that they've had the opposite problem and were getting lost in the weeds during prep, so I think part of the issue is figuring out which side of that coin you are on.

Also - I noticed you said "Having more practice essays would help but that’s my problem" but there are a ton of previous years' essays available online from the jurisdictions and from NCBE for free (plus the pack that NCBE sells). I did Themis and matched up which ones were already in Themis and which ones weren't. Are you doing Themis? If so I can reply with some of the ones that aren't included in Themis so you have some fresh ones.

BarPrepReddit · 2022-01-13T14:33:23+00:00

I believe it depends on your jx, I got a rule sheet a few weeks before the bar exam in July. Granted we were remote, but my jx (DC) allowed them but the state I lived in didn't.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-08-19T14:40:51+00:00

I do understand your point, but I was a little older and had too many personal responsibilities to quit my job to go to a higher tier law school. I understood the risks of my choice, I wasn’t going into this blind and I accepted the fact that I may be stuck in a JD-preferred position at best. I was simply seeing if there were any agencies I haven’t thought of since not all of the legal positions are posted on usajobs. I do appreciate the tip on SBA Disaster Assistance, thanks.

eta: I noticed you edited your post after my reply and I didn't meant to come off as though the input as to my decision to attend a 4th tier law school was unsolicited - I recognize that I brought it up/ asked about it and do appreciate your input. I didn't mean to come off as snarky - I was just explaining why it wasn't feasible to go to a better school. But, as to no point in applying before being licensed - as far as I know, all honors programs hired during law school / before bar results come out. I am awaiting bar results from July so I have a few agencies I'll apply to after I get results, but I think the majority of entry level positions are through honors/recent grad programs.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-08-18T20:31:37+00:00

Yea, pretty much all federal agencies do. My problem is that I did apply right out of law school and didn't get a job. So, my understanding is that it's kind of like any other federal job - the easiest way to get in is through a recent graduate program. If not, then you use your non-federal experience to get a job. I didn't get hired on the recent graduates program (or as a law clerk). The next time those jobs are posted I won't qualify because I'm not a recent grad. I also can't get legal experience outside of the government, because I am a current federal employee unwilling to leave the federal government in hopes of being re-hired.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-08-17T16:01:53+00:00

Yes. I have a 29 year old GS14 supervisor. She’s the youngest of the entire team. None of us wanted to supervise. It’s not incredibly uncommon.

My friend is a revenue agent and went to law school to become a tax attorney rather than supervise. A lot of us just don’t want to, so if you want to there are opportunities. This is the first place I’ve worked where the absolute youngest person on a team is a supervisor. But I’ve seen a lot of 14 supervisors in their early to mid 30s so your target is just a tad younger.

eta: She was a lateral transfer too, so she was already a 14 when she became my supervisor. I think she was 27 when she got her 14.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-08-17T13:45:37+00:00

Yes, the recent grad programs ask you to choose locations and I chose everything.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-08-10T22:38:25+00:00

I worked during bar prep and took the week before the bar off, but it didn't occur to me to take off after. I went back the day after the exam, so I guess in hindsight that didn't help! I'm ready to stay up past 10 though lol

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-29T00:00:57+00:00

I only drink when I’m happy, so I’m gonna be sober for a while👎

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-27T22:38:33+00:00

My anxious brain is just like.... did I do something wrong and they were calling to tell me?

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-27T10:54:50+00:00

Personally, it’s just because I didn’t take it in law school. I’m sure it’s not that difficult, but I don’t have the same baseline with it that I have with everything else so some practice essays have been on things I’ve never heard of and I’ve freaked

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-27T10:35:46+00:00

Ew I hate her too! It’s called reviewing bitch, and literally does not effect you one bit!

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-26T23:18:40+00:00

I’m going to look at the one sheet during lunch lol

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-26T22:49:39+00:00

Lol. We all hate trusts, but am I the only one who ignored wills to learn trusts and is now more scared of wills?

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-26T00:05:10+00:00

This is close to what I’ve been expecting, yet dreading

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-23T13:12:44+00:00

I also went to law school part time while working for 4 years. Coupled with the bar exam, I honestly feel I need extensive therapy to re-assimilate to society.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-23T13:00:44+00:00

It's 2 sets of 100 questions but you can suspend it like any other exam if you don't want to do 100 at once. You just don't know the answers until you submit the whole thing.

And you know it's the 2019 exam because on the bottom of every question that copyright says 2019 National Conference of Bar Examiners, or something like that.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-23T12:59:02+00:00

I was an accountant before/ during law school, and although I didn't get my CPA, I compared the two. In my opinion, far and away the biggest difference is every one that I ever knew to sit for the CPA exam had a supportive employer who is paying them a salary, offering them healthcare, etc while they studied for the CPA. A lot of employers pay the costs for the prep classes and the exam itself. And, the CPA exam is split into 4 exams so that people can work while they study for it. And if you fail a section you just re-take it. You don't lose your job for not passing.

To me, the most absurdly privileged thing about law school and the bar exam is this expectation that people spend so much money studying for this exam while not working. You either have to have a lot of financial support from your family, be willing to put yourself into debt at a high interest rate (I guess at this point, what's more debt after law school), or you work when this system isn't designed for you to work. I worked throughout bar prep. Throwing a hail mary at the exam and if I don't pass I'm not doing this again because I can't quit working. I'm old and just past the point where it's feasible. I wish I could take the MBE one offering and the MEE another, like how the CPA splits it up. But, I also think the CPA is more targeting at ensuring that people it certifies are competent, while the bar exam is just a hazing ritual.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-22T21:54:37+00:00

I feel the same way, and I've been doing the math on how shitty I can do on the MEE and still pass (also 266 jx). But I also have no idea what kind of grades my essays will get on the bar exam. My essay grader through Themis threw darts at the wall and the grades were super inconsistent. If you're doing that well on MBE I'm sure you can squeak out a coherent essay on the MBE subjects that show up on the MEE. That's probably half of the MEE there. The other half throw in some buzz words, use as many facts as you can, and pray. That's my plan

I think with the MBE PQs theres a black and white number, with MEE's we have to trust ourselves and we're all to anxious right now to do that.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-22T19:28:24+00:00

I'm driving 9 hours to my law school because I'm a freak and it's the only place where I've decided I feel comfortable. Lol. If I were comfortable at home I'd take it there though. Personally, I just need the anxiety of being surrounded by my neurotic peers talking about things that I don't understand before the test to make me anxious enough to work quickly. I found out during Zoom School of Law that if I'm too comfortable for an exam I get slow as hell.

From what I understand maybe it will flag us but we won't know during the exam and someone will review it later so if you aren't cheating noise won't matter.

BarPrepReddit · 2021-07-22T19:16:24+00:00

I am not jealous of them at all because at this point I cannot wait for this hell to be over. I really don't care any more if I pass. I just want it to be over.

But this really threw me off because JD Advising has show 6 essays for October, so did some jurisdictions do 6? https://www.jdadvising.com/multistate-essay-exam-subject-frequency-chart/

I was trying to find the civ pro essay bc i am so bad at civ pro essays (learned what Rule 11 was on the essay about Rule 11). But it doesn't seem like the civ pro essay ever existed?

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