2018 February New York Bar Forum

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brit_dxb

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by brit_dxb » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:15 pm

hellaperla wrote:Hi all, just wondering if anyone can help me with this - does BOLE send an email acknowledgment of their receipt of your handwriting sample? I’m taking the bar based on my foreign legal education. Thanks in advance!
Hi hellaperla, another foreign applicant here. No, I don't think they do, you should call them if you want a confirmation that they have received it. That's what I did as I was worried that my form wasn't properly notarised so just called them to check.

hellaperla

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by hellaperla » Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:07 pm

brit_dxb wrote:
hellaperla wrote:Hi all, just wondering if anyone can help me with this - does BOLE send an email acknowledgment of their receipt of your handwriting sample? I’m taking the bar based on my foreign legal education. Thanks in advance!
Hi hellaperla, another foreign applicant here. No, I don't think they do, you should call them if you want a confirmation that they have received it. That's what I did as I was worried that my form wasn't properly notarised so just called them to check.
Thanks brit_dxb! Will do that. Good luck to us! :-)

sheeeluh

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by sheeeluh » Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:33 pm

pvnyc wrote:
chocciebiccie wrote:
Banana1 wrote:
lolabear727 wrote:
sdphill wrote:
guyindfw1 wrote:
nada123 wrote:
Sounds great but where can i get Themis books or MBE subject outlines?

If i don't know the black letter law, would i still be able to start on adaptibar?
sent you a PM, I can email you outlines and other resources I have.
Can I get the resources too? I'm taking the NY Bar in Feb and am planning on studying early since I'm working full time.

Same here! 3 of us so far! I'm glad i'm not alone.
MAKE IT 4
...me 5 please :)
make it 6 please... retaker.. failed july... feels hopeless....embarassed to go outside and meet people.. anxiety on the roof :(
Make it 7 PLEASE! Also a July retaker!

Peetib

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Peetib » Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:34 am

Hi,

So I signed up for the February 2018 sitting of the New York bar exam but have not started studying a yet. Some unexpected things kept coming up. So far I only bought one book to study for it. Could anyone give me any guidance as to whether this is hopeless or what material I should get to help in cramming session for the bar. I’ve already decided I am not going to take a course and do it on my own.

Any guidance on this would be helpful.
Thanks.

Damage Over Time

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Damage Over Time » Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:38 am

Peetib wrote:Hi,

So I signed up for the February 2018 sitting of the New York bar exam but have not started studying a yet. Some unexpected things kept coming up. So far I only bought one book to study for it. Could anyone give me any guidance as to whether this is hopeless or what material I should get to help in cramming session for the bar. I’ve already decided I am not going to take a course and do it on my own.

Any guidance on this would be helpful.
Thanks.
Have you studied for the bar before? Or is this your first attempt?

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ScurryRay

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ScurryRay » Sat Jan 27, 2018 10:06 pm

Peetib wrote:Hi,

So I signed up for the February 2018 sitting of the New York bar exam but have not started studying a yet. Some unexpected things kept coming up. So far I only bought one book to study for it. Could anyone give me any guidance as to whether this is hopeless or what material I should get to help in cramming session for the bar. I’ve already decided I am not going to take a course and do it on my own.

Any guidance on this would be helpful.
Thanks.
I would be incredibly stressed out if that were me but I think you could pull it off if you put your head down and focused on nothing else in life for the next month. That said, I am a first time bar taker and really have no clue, just basing this on the amount of information I have consumed over the last month. Definitely would recommend Adaptibar and jam through as many MBE questions as you feasibly can. I use it and appreciate it and everyone seems to rave over it. I also have the Finz Multistate Method Strategies and Tactics book and that seems useful. Other than that, I am using Barbri and can't speak to other sources. That said, you still have a month which is a lot of time so I wouldn't think it is completely hopeless. I hope you pull it off. Best of luck, I'll be there stressing with you on exam day(s).

Pax UK

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Pax UK » Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:50 pm

Is anyone taking at Buffalo next month, and specifically if so, are there nearby alternatives to the lunch we’ve been offered? My air bnb accommodation is (each way) a 15min walk away & I don’t want to spend all that time just tryna eat!

Any Kaplan students here? How did you find the mid term assessment?!

ZipsFan23

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ZipsFan23 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:42 pm

I know this is for Feb 2018 NY BAR, but I will be taking the July 2018 NY BAR. Just looking for some tips, What is best prep course to use? Was thinking Barbi but not really sure, (From PA Law School, so don't know many in NY) Also when would be a good time to start the studying? If anyone has any information or study schedules to share it would be highly appreciated.

-- Thanks

kc128

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by kc128 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:45 pm

ZipsFan23 wrote:I know this is for Feb 2018 NY BAR, but I will be taking the July 2018 NY BAR. Just looking for some tips, What is best prep course to use? Was thinking Barbi but not really sure, (From PA Law School, so don't know many in NY) Also when would be a good time to start the studying? If anyone has any information or study schedules to share it would be highly appreciated.

-- Thanks
Personally preferred Themis over Barbri. I like that Themis breaks down their lecture videos so you can jump right to a topic you're having trouble with and potentially skip areas you're doing okay in. That said, I personally think all video lectures are pointless though most first time takers view them, at least based on ppl I know.

Supplement w/e prep course you decide on with the Emmanuel & Kaplan MBE books.

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b290

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by b290 » Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:24 pm

ScurryRay wrote:
Peetib wrote:Hi,

So I signed up for the February 2018 sitting of the New York bar exam but have not started studying a yet. Some unexpected things kept coming up. So far I only bought one book to study for it. Could anyone give me any guidance as to whether this is hopeless or what material I should get to help in cramming session for the bar. I’ve already decided I am not going to take a course and do it on my own.

Any guidance on this would be helpful.
Thanks.
I would be incredibly stressed out if that were me but I think you could pull it off if you put your head down and focused on nothing else in life for the next month. That said, I am a first time bar taker and really have no clue, just basing this on the amount of information I have consumed over the last month. Definitely would recommend Adaptibar and jam through as many MBE questions as you feasibly can. I use it and appreciate it and everyone seems to rave over it. I also have the Finz Multistate Method Strategies and Tactics book and that seems useful. Other than that, I am using Barbri and can't speak to other sources. That said, you still have a month which is a lot of time so I wouldn't think it is completely hopeless. I hope you pull it off. Best of luck, I'll be there stressing with you on exam day(s).
It can be done. Be glad that it's literally at the end of the month (as in Feb 27 and 28), so you have extra days. I'll second the MBE advice since it's 50% of your exam and some of the MBE subjects also pop up as essays. Even if you happen to have only one MBE subject an essay (which never happens), you've got 55% covered, and if there's 2 or more (as usual) that's 60%+ of the exam. I'll also recommend Adaptibar, just do questions and go over the answers (as to why you're getting some questions wrong). I took it for July and it did wonders for my MBE score.

As for the essays, Just get the IRAC down and repeat. You'll do a lot better with a structured answer on BS than with no structure on actual law. 30 mins/essay = 15-20 mins of actual essay time so you're not going to have that much time anyway. Consequently, not much is expected out your answer anyway. So get what you need to say and move one. That's also in your favor.

The PTs are a crapshoot. Do at least one, (preferably a few) just to be familiar with it. On this short notice, it's a little easier to work on more proven stuff (essays and MBE). Good luck!
Pax UK wrote:Is anyone taking at Buffalo next month, and specifically if so, are there nearby alternatives to the lunch we’ve been offered? My air bnb accommodation is (each way) a 15min walk away & I don’t want to spend all that time just tryna eat!

Any Kaplan students here? How did you find the mid term assessment?!
The places that come to mind:

- Doughbois (http://www.doughbois.com/menu/) Is literally across the street.
- Subway (there are 2 of them within a few blocks of the convention)
- Taki's also down the road (across the street on the far end of the convention center)
- The myriad of places on Main Street (1 block away)
- It's NY so you'll have a million pizza places

With the choices above, I didn't see the need to order the provided lunch. I'd rather walk, get my food and come back than wait on the line. I'm staying about 10 mins away so if I'm really not satisfied, I can go back to my place and get something there.

The main issue is that you'll be out during lunch hour, so (as expected) it'll be super busy. If you can, get your food to go - you won't have to worry about when to run back to the convention center (even if it's only a few blocks). That hour will go by faster than you think. Also, it's Buffalo, so with snow and the cold, it'll take you an extra few minutes to get around. Plan accordingly.

My $.02

Banana1

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Banana1 » Mon Feb 05, 2018 1:59 am

Whos taking in albany???

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Yazzzay

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Yazzzay » Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:39 am

How did anyone feel about the Barbri simulated MBE?

I took it for the July bar- got an 89 (I know...) and ended up with a scaled 125 on the real MBE. Definitely messed up my confidence for those last 3 weeks pre bar though.

This time I got a 135, but I'm slightly worried I wasn't taking it seriously enough- had a really busy day and was only able to do the questions in sets of 25-50. Going to sit down this week and try to do another set of 100 and 100 and hope it goes similarly.

b290

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by b290 » Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:48 pm

Yazzzay wrote:How did anyone feel about the Barbri simulated MBE?

I took it for the July bar- got an 89 (I know...) and ended up with a scaled 125 on the real MBE. Definitely messed up my confidence for those last 3 weeks pre bar though.

This time I got a 135, but I'm slightly worried I wasn't taking it seriously enough- had a really busy day and was only able to do the questions in sets of 25-50. Going to sit down this week and try to do another set of 100 and 100 and hope it goes similarly.
Well, you're doing better than last time, and that's what counts. Even if you don't do the same, it's all about correcting mistakes when repeating.

My $.02

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kc128

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by kc128 » Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:50 am

Yazzzay wrote:How did anyone feel about the Barbri simulated MBE?

I took it for the July bar- got an 89 (I know...) and ended up with a scaled 125 on the real MBE. Definitely messed up my confidence for those last 3 weeks pre bar though.

This time I got a 135, but I'm slightly worried I wasn't taking it seriously enough- had a really busy day and was only able to do the questions in sets of 25-50. Going to sit down this week and try to do another set of 100 and 100 and hope it goes similarly.
You jumped from an 89 from the July simulated to a 135 on this one? If so, that's a huge improvement, even if you write some of it off because you didn't take it under exact timed conditions.

ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:47 pm

Pax UK wrote:Is anyone taking at Buffalo next month, and specifically if so, are there nearby alternatives to the lunch we’ve been offered? My air bnb accommodation is (each way) a 15min walk away & I don’t want to spend all that time just tryna eat!

Any Kaplan students here? How did you find the mid term assessment?!
Oh god. I'm sorry you're in buffalo. But I fully support you seeking alternate food places because the lunch program thing...yuck, wasnt a fan

ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:52 pm

Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I TOOK it in Albany and know a couple people taking it there this time.

Also guys stop asking for af aptibar discounts it became an issue in the discount thread- which in theory is where the request should have been made anyways - but adaptibar has rules and a ToS that disallow this type of stuff. Things got heated between 2 people in that thread and the person that reported the stuff "won," presumably because he posted part of their TOS and then a lot or all of the adaptibar stuff was removed.

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ScurryRay » Fri Feb 09, 2018 1:14 pm

Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I am taking it in Albany. Have only driven past it on the highway and have no knowledge of the city. Plan to get there a few days early to check things out and get situated.

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ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:10 pm

ScurryRay wrote:
Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I am taking it in Albany. Have only driven past it on the highway and have no knowledge of the city. Plan to get there a few days early to check things out and get situated.
If either of you have questions feel free to ask/contact me...whether it's how long of a commute from A to B to food places

ScurryRay

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ScurryRay » Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:09 pm

ubebarstudying wrote:
ScurryRay wrote:
Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I am taking it in Albany. Have only driven past it on the highway and have no knowledge of the city. Plan to get there a few days early to check things out and get situated.
If either of you have questions feel free to ask/contact me...whether it's how long of a commute from A to B to food places
Thank you so much for the offer. I'll take you up on that. I'm staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Albany Medical Center. Looks like about a mile away from Empire Plaza. Is that a reasonable expectation to walk there for the exam? Not sure what that mile is comprised of (i.e. sidewalks or highways)? I hear Albany doesn't allow Uber or Lyft so was hoping to walk. Also, was it complete chaos during lunch break or did you have a reasonable chance to get out of the testing center and get some food without feeling rushed and having to compete against everyone else for a spot in line to make sure you were back on time?

Thanks a lot for your help.

ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:35 pm

ScurryRay wrote:
ubebarstudying wrote:
ScurryRay wrote:
Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I am taking it in Albany. Have only driven past it on the highway and have no knowledge of the city. Plan to get there a few days early to check things out and get situated.
If either of you have questions feel free to ask/contact me...whether it's how long of a commute from A to B to food places
Thank you so much for the offer. I'll take you up on that. I'm staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Albany Medical Center. Looks like about a mile away from Empire Plaza. Is that a reasonable expectation to walk there for the exam? Not sure what that mile is comprised of (i.e. sidewalks or highways)? I hear Albany doesn't allow Uber or Lyft so was hoping to walk. Also, was it complete chaos during lunch break or did you have a reasonable chance to get out of the testing center and get some food without feeling rushed and having to compete against everyone else for a spot in line to make sure you were back on time?

Thanks a lot for your help.
Ok so that's actually great news because for food and so on you may not even need to go outside, but I'll get to that. First, I would normally say yes that is walking distance but since it is February and, well, Albany, it may be freezing and I would be careful making the walk bevause of the possibility of ice patches. However, good news: Albany does have uber and lyft now, and I would be surprised if your hotel isn't having people shuttled to the test site, so you certainly have options. They aren't highway roads, and I think almost the entire area has sidewalks so again, if you want to walk it's feasible.

As for lunch, it's chaos when everyone rushes out and if you cut it too close to the time allowed back may hit a traffic jam which won't matter as much on day 1, but on day 2 people also tend to line up to re-sharpen pencils. I had time to get food without any problem though, just scope places out on the way in and know there are a few more further down. There is a sort of cafeteria with decent food from pizza to salads, a McDonald's, some coffee and bakery stands, and I there were a couple other places that didn't have seating but were open and you could just order and find wherever to sit. In other words, you may be more anxious about this on day 1 but just keep an eye on the time - there are a few clocks around and I definitely recommend the good old watch - and you'll be fine. Day 2? Well I would just recommend bringing extra sharpened pencils so you don't have to worry but if you think you'll need to hop in that line try and take a shorter lunch that day to get back earlier so you don't get held up at security or at the sharpeners. Finally, as promised, when it comes to breakfast, coffee, dinner, or perhaps needing a very stiff drink after day 2, part of the hotel is literally over a bar and grill, and there is a Panera and a Starbucks one to two doors down, but I THINK you can get to at least one of the three without having to to outside, but I can't recall which.

ScurryRay

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ScurryRay » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:10 pm

ubebarstudying wrote:
ScurryRay wrote:
ubebarstudying wrote:
ScurryRay wrote:
Banana1 wrote:Whos taking in albany???
I am taking it in Albany. Have only driven past it on the highway and have no knowledge of the city. Plan to get there a few days early to check things out and get situated.
If either of you have questions feel free to ask/contact me...whether it's how long of a commute from A to B to food places
Thank you so much for the offer. I'll take you up on that. I'm staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Albany Medical Center. Looks like about a mile away from Empire Plaza. Is that a reasonable expectation to walk there for the exam? Not sure what that mile is comprised of (i.e. sidewalks or highways)? I hear Albany doesn't allow Uber or Lyft so was hoping to walk. Also, was it complete chaos during lunch break or did you have a reasonable chance to get out of the testing center and get some food without feeling rushed and having to compete against everyone else for a spot in line to make sure you were back on time?

Thanks a lot for your help.
Ok so that's actually great news because for food and so on you may not even need to go outside, but I'll get to that. First, I would normally say yes that is walking distance but since it is February and, well, Albany, it may be freezing and I would be careful making the walk bevause of the possibility of ice patches. However, good news: Albany does have uber and lyft now, and I would be surprised if your hotel isn't having people shuttled to the test site, so you certainly have options. They aren't highway roads, and I think almost the entire area has sidewalks so again, if you want to walk it's feasible.

As for lunch, it's chaos when everyone rushes out and if you cut it too close to the time allowed back may hit a traffic jam which won't matter as much on day 1, but on day 2 people also tend to line up to re-sharpen pencils. I had time to get food without any problem though, just scope places out on the way in and know there are a few more further down. There is a sort of cafeteria with decent food from pizza to salads, a McDonald's, some coffee and bakery stands, and I there were a couple other places that didn't have seating but were open and you could just order and find wherever to sit. In other words, you may be more anxious about this on day 1 but just keep an eye on the time - there are a few clocks around and I definitely recommend the good old watch - and you'll be fine. Day 2? Well I would just recommend bringing extra sharpened pencils so you don't have to worry but if you think you'll need to hop in that line try and take a shorter lunch that day to get back earlier so you don't get held up at security or at the sharpeners. Finally, as promised, when it comes to breakfast, coffee, dinner, or perhaps needing a very stiff drink after day 2, part of the hotel is literally over a bar and grill, and there is a Panera and a Starbucks one to two doors down, but I THINK you can get to at least one of the three without having to to outside, but I can't recall which.
Super information. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide the info.

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ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:35 pm

No problem at all!

Lawyerinwaiting89

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by Lawyerinwaiting89 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:49 pm

Logged onto the exam software and it says that there is an update available. Hadn't checked since doing the practice exams. Did others notice this recently and download the update?

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by radjo » Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:28 pm

Hi, I have a couple of questions. Please see if you can answer.
1) During the exam, are we allowed to make markings (underlining, writing notes) etc. on the question paper itself?
2) Can I pack my food put it in the bag and put the bag in the Personal Belongings room and eat it during the break? In other words is personal belonging room accessible during the break?
Thanks.

ubebarstudying

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Re: 2018 February New York Bar

Post by ubebarstudying » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:41 pm

radjo wrote:Hi, I have a couple of questions. Please see if you can answer.
1) During the exam, are we allowed to make markings (underlining, writing notes) etc. on the question paper itself?
2) Can I pack my food put it in the bag and put the bag in the Personal Belongings room and eat it during the break? In other words is personal belonging room accessible during the break?
Thanks.
1) yes but just adhere to the guidelines. Meaning you can, but I believe NY still only allows blue or black pens for the essay day, only old school sharpened pencils on day 2. I recall highllighters etc are disallowed, though somehow a few people slipped in with them which, side note, I found really irritating because I was big into color coding and that would have been a great asset but at the end of the day it's best to just follow the rules and not risk it.

2) yes the room is accessible - when I took it people on the MBE day were reviewing notes of flashcards during lunch which...I mean if that gives peace of mind for the afternoon session, that's cool but youre not going to learn or remember something flying through notes on 7 topics on lunch break... anyway, yes it is a accessible and you can get your lunch, but depending on your location and the belongings room it has, there may be a bit of a traffic jam. I'd be shocked if it was so extensive as to render you unable to grab and eat your food, but I'm just saying that if you are fortunate to be relatively close to the door or if you finish a section in time to get out early, I would say to either walk quickly out to beat the people further from the door or grab it first thing, respectively.

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