I'm not exactly sure who I am saying bye to. Maybe it is the old me. Maybe it's that period of my life during which I wrote this blog. I wish I would have had more readers. It would be nice to have gotten a little more feedback. Maybe I did a poor job with the name. Whatever the case, I think I'll put this blog to rest.
It was so helpful for me to have found this outlet. I did find a job finally. Thank G-d. It is for a government agency doing Criminal and civil. I have a lot of work to do in order to become competent. It is what I have worked for, a chance. I will do what I can to cease the opportunity. Maybe I'll blog about that. We'll see. Anyhow, I bid you all Adieu. May you come across a cause for which your spirit is moved. "A life without cause is a life without effect."
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Good luck to all of you Bar Exam Takers
I know I'm a bit late, if anyone is reading. I don't envy your positions. Take a deep breath and do the best you can. It is hard to keep the bar exam in perspective, but just take it one day at a time. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thank you Letter; Taking the Oath of Attorney
After finally passing this last exam, I had it in my heart to write a thank you letter. I wrote one letter and sent it to my professors, faculty I knew but had not necessarily taken, administrators, and staff members at my law school to thank them. The idea is not original. I got it from a friend of mine who passed before me. However, I thinks she only wrote to professors and those she liked at that.
I didn't necessarily like all my professors, but I do appreciate all of their efforts. My "To" list ended up being about 30-40 names long. I don't necessarily like putting my business out there, but my desire for privacy was outweighed by my sense of obligation to thank those whom i felt helped me in some way.
Many people on my list were some with whom I only had brief conversations. But, many times the fact they let me pick their brains, and sacrificed free time made a strong impression on me. I take notice of things like that. Some of you probably assume there is no need to thank professors because if they teach, they are only doing their jobs. That may be so, but they should still be thanked because: A.) they are not obligated to care, yet most of the time they still do; and B.) they like us are humans, and a little affirmation can go a long way.
I took the oath of attorney today.
I didn't feel like waiting until May 2nd to get sworn in with a ton of other faceless bar passers in my county. I decided to schedule a private ceremony with a local judge. Your probably thinking "[a]fter waiting 1 1/2 years, you could wait another 3 weeks?" The answer is No. Flip that, and I mean that in the most expletive type way possible.
Doing private ceremonies for passers with family present was something the judge I clerked for used to do. What makes this option great is it is more personal while simultaneously maintaining officiousness. The familes have a chance to come in and feel like a part of the ceremony. I am certainly not ceremonious, but I knew my family would appreciate this, as this ordeal has been a group effort. It is all the better if you know the judge. I didn't know this one, but he was obliging and very amicable.
This whole thing is surreal. I am still in a sense of disbelief. I have become so much more humble then I used to be. I used to be so proud to be in Law School. I was so psyched to be taking the bar. Now, while I appreciate the challenges these endeavors have provided, I just reflect on how these trials have changed me, I think(and pray) for the better.
"Nothing is a given." My failures have cemented this lesson in me. My failures have made this chance to be a lawyer extremely meaningful. I will do my best to honor and uphold the profession. I cannot take it for granted. How appropriate is it in this lenten season I have figuratively resurrected on the third exam, while dying for the last two? How is that for symbolism?
I didn't necessarily like all my professors, but I do appreciate all of their efforts. My "To" list ended up being about 30-40 names long. I don't necessarily like putting my business out there, but my desire for privacy was outweighed by my sense of obligation to thank those whom i felt helped me in some way.
Many people on my list were some with whom I only had brief conversations. But, many times the fact they let me pick their brains, and sacrificed free time made a strong impression on me. I take notice of things like that. Some of you probably assume there is no need to thank professors because if they teach, they are only doing their jobs. That may be so, but they should still be thanked because: A.) they are not obligated to care, yet most of the time they still do; and B.) they like us are humans, and a little affirmation can go a long way.
I took the oath of attorney today.
Doing private ceremonies for passers with family present was something the judge I clerked for used to do. What makes this option great is it is more personal while simultaneously maintaining officiousness. The familes have a chance to come in and feel like a part of the ceremony. I am certainly not ceremonious, but I knew my family would appreciate this, as this ordeal has been a group effort. It is all the better if you know the judge. I didn't know this one, but he was obliging and very amicable.
This whole thing is surreal. I am still in a sense of disbelief. I have become so much more humble then I used to be. I used to be so proud to be in Law School. I was so psyched to be taking the bar. Now, while I appreciate the challenges these endeavors have provided, I just reflect on how these trials have changed me, I think(and pray) for the better.
"Nothing is a given." My failures have cemented this lesson in me. My failures have made this chance to be a lawyer extremely meaningful. I will do my best to honor and uphold the profession. I cannot take it for granted. How appropriate is it in this lenten season I have figuratively resurrected on the third exam, while dying for the last two? How is that for symbolism?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Bar Exam Study Recap: What worked + What did not, part 2
Here is a bullet list to summarize my strategy for this past exam:
Don't kid yourself. There is no honor code here. Don't try to start cold and test your fictional testtaking "savoir faire" by doing blocks of questions then subsequently reviewing blocks of rules. Doing questions coupled with immediate review is more efficient. It builds confidence, recognition, and good habits. You have to know the rules to play the game.
I have to be truthful here, I didn't really do that many multiple choice question for the state specific questions. I maybe did about 200-400. Florida Bar exam multiple choice, are extremely specific. They require cold, down pat memorization. Memorize any timing requirements for Civ Pro and Crim Pro. These subjects are on the exam every time. Memorize MBE Evidence as well as all State distinctions. This is on the exam every time as well. Your materials should tell you whatelse to focus on.
By listening to friends and reading, I came across a far better method. I read the essay and outlined the essay in 15 minutes; I then read the rules and copied it at least 3 times. In the beginning, I was writing the entire essay with the intro, rules, and analysis. Towards the end, I was only writing rules. If you don't know how to analyze by now, then you are not reading this blog because you did not graduate lawschool. Thus, you are not taking the bar exam. Trust yourself. You didn't make it this far without knowing how to analyze. If you don't, copy the analysis until you do. Alternatively, just copy the rule and make your own analysis.
That being said, this is one of the factors that helped me to finally pass. For me, it was a matter of repeatedly writing things out 15-20 times. Note, I did this by putting lare amounts of information (e.g. jurisdiction of Florida courts) into outline format. For shorter information, I wrote it out in sentences. It was a crude form of wrote memorization indeed. But, it worked well enough nonetheless.
- I found motivation/hope
- I outlined (not really because I already had them done)
- I read my outlines once (but reread particular sections or subsections which required clarification)
- I did MBE problems; reviewed the answers after each question; and wrote out the rules
- towards the end, I started to do larger quantities in a row to prepare for the exam
- I timed myself in the last month.
- Remember, you have 108 seconds per question.
- the same applied for State specific Multiple choice
- I did 1-3 essays a day
- I read the questions, read the answers, then re-wrote the essays
- In the last 3 weeks I memorized Essay rules and MBE rules.
- I typed my essays during actual exam administration (as opposed to handwriting as I previously did)
- GET YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT!!!
- Outline
- I read the outlines only once.
- MBE Questions(and state questions for that matter)
Don't kid yourself. There is no honor code here. Don't try to start cold and test your fictional testtaking "savoir faire" by doing blocks of questions then subsequently reviewing blocks of rules. Doing questions coupled with immediate review is more efficient. It builds confidence, recognition, and good habits. You have to know the rules to play the game.
I have to be truthful here, I didn't really do that many multiple choice question for the state specific questions. I maybe did about 200-400. Florida Bar exam multiple choice, are extremely specific. They require cold, down pat memorization. Memorize any timing requirements for Civ Pro and Crim Pro. These subjects are on the exam every time. Memorize MBE Evidence as well as all State distinctions. This is on the exam every time as well. Your materials should tell you whatelse to focus on.
- Essay Prep
By listening to friends and reading, I came across a far better method. I read the essay and outlined the essay in 15 minutes; I then read the rules and copied it at least 3 times. In the beginning, I was writing the entire essay with the intro, rules, and analysis. Towards the end, I was only writing rules. If you don't know how to analyze by now, then you are not reading this blog because you did not graduate lawschool. Thus, you are not taking the bar exam. Trust yourself. You didn't make it this far without knowing how to analyze. If you don't, copy the analysis until you do. Alternatively, just copy the rule and make your own analysis.
- Memorize
That being said, this is one of the factors that helped me to finally pass. For me, it was a matter of repeatedly writing things out 15-20 times. Note, I did this by putting lare amounts of information (e.g. jurisdiction of Florida courts) into outline format. For shorter information, I wrote it out in sentences. It was a crude form of wrote memorization indeed. But, it worked well enough nonetheless.
- Exercise regularly. Eat right.
- Miscellaneous
Monday, April 11, 2011
Bar Exam Study Recap: What worked + What did not, part 1: Materials
It is evening in these parts. I feel sort of relaxed. I never really pictured the day I would get to write this particular post. I've seen this type of post on similarly themed blogs and websites. I think it is a good idea. I'll try to be specific. But remember, you have to have the testicular fortitude and common sense to find and apply what is useful for you while disregarding what won't work for you.
What worked for me?
Finally, I took about 3 weeks to memorize long, hard complicated, rule statements for the MBE and essays. I was fortunate enough to recieve outlines from friends specifically structued for memorizing essay rules (but if you don't have this, read and write out the rules in the model answers and do what you must to memorize them verbatim). Also, I found, what I assume to be the best MBE outlines I've ever read at this link.
Basically, the Bar/bri materials include 2 primer books for the MBE (which are optional); two, long detailed outlines, one for state subjects and the other for MBE subjects; a condensed outline book called, the conviser outline, for State and MBE subjects; two books with Essay questions/answers, state multiple choice questions/answers; 2 books with Multiple Choice MBE questions/answers; Finally, Bar/bri lectures usually come with a lecture packet (though not always). Keep in mind, Bar/bri materials differ in format from state to state depending on the exam format. Also, I didn't use all of these materials.
Specifically, I was used the conviser outline, all of the State Essay questions and answers books, state subject multiple choice questions and answers, I used the lecture packets (specifically for State specific distinctions), as well as MBE questions and answers. I did away with the primer books and the long outlines. The primer books were not necessary and the long outlines are a prime example of information overload.
However, here is the Caveat: Bar/bri lectures, in my experience, were a fantastically inefficient use of my time; but the materials are fantastic for pointing out frequently tested State-M.B.E. distinctions. These are super important. If you choose to buy the outlines on the internet, see if you can purchase the lecture packets as well. Alternatively, seek a friend who has taken the course and see if they can e-mail or share the distinctions with you.
In the past, I would read the materials and pay particular attention. I focused hard and read for many hours. DON'T DO THIS unless, you are Rain man or Kim Peek. In the case you are either one of these people or similarly situated, you should be in Vegas or Atlantic City.
This time, I read the sections to see if I understood the gist. If I didn't, I reread sections that were difficult once more. Immediately after, I did problems. This was the extend of my use of the Conviser. I would refer to it very briefly only on occasions where I read an answer explanation which did not seem clear.
In my experience, solely reading outlines was passive learning. PASSIVE IS A DIRTY WORD!!! It has a minimal value. I learned the rules much better by doing the problems with immediate review. This helped me to put the rules in context. This method of doing the problems and writing the rules was more active forcing my mind to wrestle with the rule, its applications, exceptions, nuances, etc. . .
This was not the first time I did this many problems. I did way more the first time I took this exam. But, I never absorbed the reasoning behind the answer. You cannot forget something you never learned. Although, in my previous attempt I did look at the explanations, it was all too brief. Thus, I did not have the connaisance necessary to apply what I read.
Here is some other stuff I used though sparingly: "Black's Law dictionary"; PMBR Lectures; hand made flash cards (but the value for me in these was in writing them); and flashcardexchange.com.
I discovered it later (way too late in fact). But, I found pre-made state specific flashcards, MBE flashcards, Bar Exam Mnemonic flashcards; if you have an account you can save others' flashcards, you can edit flashcards, or you can make your own. You can access these flashcards at any time if you have internet access. I also created a Google document (on Google documents) to write my rule statements. I waivered back and forth between it and writing pads ultimately typing when I was running out of time.
That is it. I'll break this up and comment about what worked and what didn't work in my next post.
What worked for me?
- A quick summation:
Finally, I took about 3 weeks to memorize long, hard complicated, rule statements for the MBE and essays. I was fortunate enough to recieve outlines from friends specifically structued for memorizing essay rules (but if you don't have this, read and write out the rules in the model answers and do what you must to memorize them verbatim). Also, I found, what I assume to be the best MBE outlines I've ever read at this link.
- Materials
- Bar/Bri MBE Outlines & Questions, State Outlines & Questions.
Basically, the Bar/bri materials include 2 primer books for the MBE (which are optional); two, long detailed outlines, one for state subjects and the other for MBE subjects; a condensed outline book called, the conviser outline, for State and MBE subjects; two books with Essay questions/answers, state multiple choice questions/answers; 2 books with Multiple Choice MBE questions/answers; Finally, Bar/bri lectures usually come with a lecture packet (though not always). Keep in mind, Bar/bri materials differ in format from state to state depending on the exam format. Also, I didn't use all of these materials.
Specifically, I was used the conviser outline, all of the State Essay questions and answers books, state subject multiple choice questions and answers, I used the lecture packets (specifically for State specific distinctions), as well as MBE questions and answers. I did away with the primer books and the long outlines. The primer books were not necessary and the long outlines are a prime example of information overload.
However, here is the Caveat: Bar/bri lectures, in my experience, were a fantastically inefficient use of my time; but the materials are fantastic for pointing out frequently tested State-M.B.E. distinctions. These are super important. If you choose to buy the outlines on the internet, see if you can purchase the lecture packets as well. Alternatively, seek a friend who has taken the course and see if they can e-mail or share the distinctions with you.
In the past, I would read the materials and pay particular attention. I focused hard and read for many hours. DON'T DO THIS unless, you are Rain man or Kim Peek. In the case you are either one of these people or similarly situated, you should be in Vegas or Atlantic City.
This time, I read the sections to see if I understood the gist. If I didn't, I reread sections that were difficult once more. Immediately after, I did problems. This was the extend of my use of the Conviser. I would refer to it very briefly only on occasions where I read an answer explanation which did not seem clear.
In my experience, solely reading outlines was passive learning. PASSIVE IS A DIRTY WORD!!! It has a minimal value. I learned the rules much better by doing the problems with immediate review. This helped me to put the rules in context. This method of doing the problems and writing the rules was more active forcing my mind to wrestle with the rule, its applications, exceptions, nuances, etc. . .
This was not the first time I did this many problems. I did way more the first time I took this exam. But, I never absorbed the reasoning behind the answer. You cannot forget something you never learned. Although, in my previous attempt I did look at the explanations, it was all too brief. Thus, I did not have the connaisance necessary to apply what I read.
- PMBR: Red book and Green book of MBE Questions and explanations
- MBE Outlines: (Please refer to the link I pasted above)
- Miscellaneous
Here is some other stuff I used though sparingly: "Black's Law dictionary"; PMBR Lectures; hand made flash cards (but the value for me in these was in writing them); and flashcardexchange.com.
I discovered it later (way too late in fact). But, I found pre-made state specific flashcards, MBE flashcards, Bar Exam Mnemonic flashcards; if you have an account you can save others' flashcards, you can edit flashcards, or you can make your own. You can access these flashcards at any time if you have internet access. I also created a Google document (on Google documents) to write my rule statements. I waivered back and forth between it and writing pads ultimately typing when I was running out of time.
That is it. I'll break this up and comment about what worked and what didn't work in my next post.
I PASSED!!! WOO HOO!!!
Okay. The Florida bar released results via computer today. The Florida Board of bar examiners releases results by listing applicant file numbers, from lowest to highest, followed by a pass or fail indication.
So, my friend texted me today and asked "[w]hat is the word[?]" It was past 11:00 a.m. I knew he was referring to the bar exam results, but I thought results were coming in at 1:00 p.m. I had just stepped out the door hoping to run some erands. I had to renew my driver's license and registration. I was hoping to make my day a productive one to keep my mind off what I knew to be the inevitable.
Anyways, my friend told me he passed. I was stoked. He is doing an L.L.M. and he worked really hard while studying hard at the same time. I was happy to hear that. But, by the same token my heart began to pulsate more rapidly. I became a bit more anxious although I did my best to subdue it. I responded, "Congrats. I didn't check yet. I'll let you know."
I informed my aunt results were released. She insisted on going back to the house because she could not stand the anticipation. I logged on to my laptop, went straight to Google, searched for the Florida board of bar examiners, and voi la. I checked my applicant number, actually I quadruple checked it (even though it is the same one I've had for the past 2 years) and by the grace of G-d it said: PASS, PASS, PASS.
I dropped to my knees, and prayed a thank you prayer. I texted my friends and family in three sets of a repeated message. I had to thank them all for their support, encouragement, and counsel. But, before I got to the second set I was bombarded with phonecalls from well wishers and congratulators. I recieved a ton of return text messages as well.
How do I feel? Happy? Not so much, although surely I am happy in some small sense. But, honestly I am feeling an overwhelming sense of RELIEF to the Umpth degree.
Some of my family and friend are in tears. I'm not, but I understand. They have supported me aimlessly and without reserve. They have been there for all of the ups and the downs as well. This was a group effort. I cannot and will not take the credit all on my own. It wouldn't be honest, nor would it be right to do so.
Now, I am waiting on my "oath of attorney" to arrive. Then, I will get sworn in. I am not into ceremonies, but I think I will bring my grandparents and take photos. They will enjoy it. Wow!!!
So, my friend texted me today and asked "[w]hat is the word[?]" It was past 11:00 a.m. I knew he was referring to the bar exam results, but I thought results were coming in at 1:00 p.m. I had just stepped out the door hoping to run some erands. I had to renew my driver's license and registration. I was hoping to make my day a productive one to keep my mind off what I knew to be the inevitable.
Anyways, my friend told me he passed. I was stoked. He is doing an L.L.M. and he worked really hard while studying hard at the same time. I was happy to hear that. But, by the same token my heart began to pulsate more rapidly. I became a bit more anxious although I did my best to subdue it. I responded, "Congrats. I didn't check yet. I'll let you know."
I informed my aunt results were released. She insisted on going back to the house because she could not stand the anticipation. I logged on to my laptop, went straight to Google, searched for the Florida board of bar examiners, and voi la. I checked my applicant number, actually I quadruple checked it (even though it is the same one I've had for the past 2 years) and by the grace of G-d it said: PASS, PASS, PASS.
I dropped to my knees, and prayed a thank you prayer. I texted my friends and family in three sets of a repeated message. I had to thank them all for their support, encouragement, and counsel. But, before I got to the second set I was bombarded with phonecalls from well wishers and congratulators. I recieved a ton of return text messages as well.
How do I feel? Happy? Not so much, although surely I am happy in some small sense. But, honestly I am feeling an overwhelming sense of RELIEF to the Umpth degree.
Now, I am waiting on my "oath of attorney" to arrive. Then, I will get sworn in. I am not into ceremonies, but I think I will bring my grandparents and take photos. They will enjoy it. Wow!!!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Memorization Epiphany:
I have mentioned learning types many times. At the basest assessment, I am a kinesthetic learner meaning I learn from partaking in activity. One of the things I read about was writing a rule out after you miss a question with it. I have never attempted nor even thought possible for myself to memorize large volumes of material. I thought I had to have familiarity and that would suffice. Well, I have rethought this.
I came across a post at All4jds.com., a website comprised of forums dealing with lawschool, bar exam, and lawyering related topics. So, when of the posts was about how to increase memory. A poster replied and posted a link to his company page http://lawprism.com/. Basically, he runs a california company and helps people prepare for the "California bar exam" and the "Baby bar." He did this lecture, which you can access Here . It's two hours but definitely worth listening to.
Towards the end he talked about how he studied for the "Baby bar" or "First year law school exam" in California. [For those who don't know, California allows people to go to California accredited lawschools for a year or 2 and take an examination which will give them a license to practice law in the State of California only.] So, at the end he said he was down to 72 or so hours, If I remember correctly, and proceeded to type the rules out 15-20 times in order to achieve rote memorization of the necessary rules. He didn't advocate this approach for the regular bar exam.
I was down to about 20 days. I was panicking and I knew I had to memorize. I stopped doing practice MBE questions and writing essays. I picked up outlines and started to read them and repeat them to myself, because, although painstaking and not efficient, I didn't know what else to do. I was able to memorize some things but the memory traces were not as strong as I knew I needed them to be to achieve success.
So, with about 10 days left, I came across that lecture, pro gratis, of course. I listened to the whole thing. It was a topic I had been researching for a while and it was of interest to me. I began to employ that technique of typing everything out.
I couldn't type everything. First of all, there wasn't enough time at that point. I had to make the best and most reasonable use of my time which is what any lawyer or aspiring attorney would be expected to do. Second of all, it was'nt necessary. For example, I am pretty certain U.C.C. Article 2 governs contracts for the sale of goods. I could recite that rule in my sleep I have heard it so many times. But that is me. If I did not know it well and/or I needed to be reminded, I would write it out. I focused on things that tended to trip me up, that had many elements, or that I really had issues recalling. Also, certain things are not likely to be tested. For example, a contract can be written or oral. This is great to know. It's important. However, without getting into statute of fraud issues or the "can of worms" it leads to, it is unlikely the bar exam will ask you a question calling for that stand alone statement. It is the best example I can think of, but I hope you get the point. Bar examiners don't and can't really test everything.
Additionally, I didn't write everything full out. For example, I needed to learn the jurisdiction of the Florida courts. I drafted it into an outline format like this:
I used this to spit out some of the most specific, detailed, and concise rule statements I have ever written. I used to think the rule statements in the Barbri outlines were impossible until I learned this technique. I am not sure this is the best way. But, it is far more better for me to do this than it is for me to read an outline and close my eyes hoping the words will magically appear in my mind.
The obvious Caveat is, this might not work for everyone. If it doesn't don't bother with it. If it does, then more power to you. Like anything else, it takes work and is not magic. Sometimes it would take me 7-10 times before I could write something without having to refer to the source. But, like clockwork, I was able to recall and rewrite the rule, statement, or outline I had copied by the 15th to 20th time nearly without fail.
Also, I don't really want to go into detail about it in this post, and probably not on this blog for that matter. But, a tip to strengthen the memory trace in addition to writing, is to speak what is being written, and to read what you just wrote as well. To put it simply, when we store something into memory we create a pathway in the brain to do it. If a person writes, this creates one pathway. These pathways can break if they are not strong and this is what causes difficulty retrieving memories when they are absolutely needed. This could be the result of increased stress (such as when taking exams) or other emotional scenarios. However, if a person writes, reads aloud, and visualizes the same information, the memory trace is much stronger. This means, the memory will be easier to retrieve.
I will post some more about this later on.
I came across a post at All4jds.com., a website comprised of forums dealing with lawschool, bar exam, and lawyering related topics. So, when of the posts was about how to increase memory. A poster replied and posted a link to his company page http://lawprism.com/. Basically, he runs a california company and helps people prepare for the "California bar exam" and the "Baby bar." He did this lecture, which you can access Here . It's two hours but definitely worth listening to.
Towards the end he talked about how he studied for the "Baby bar" or "First year law school exam" in California. [For those who don't know, California allows people to go to California accredited lawschools for a year or 2 and take an examination which will give them a license to practice law in the State of California only.] So, at the end he said he was down to 72 or so hours, If I remember correctly, and proceeded to type the rules out 15-20 times in order to achieve rote memorization of the necessary rules. He didn't advocate this approach for the regular bar exam.
I was down to about 20 days. I was panicking and I knew I had to memorize. I stopped doing practice MBE questions and writing essays. I picked up outlines and started to read them and repeat them to myself, because, although painstaking and not efficient, I didn't know what else to do. I was able to memorize some things but the memory traces were not as strong as I knew I needed them to be to achieve success.
So, with about 10 days left, I came across that lecture, pro gratis, of course. I listened to the whole thing. It was a topic I had been researching for a while and it was of interest to me. I began to employ that technique of typing everything out.
I couldn't type everything. First of all, there wasn't enough time at that point. I had to make the best and most reasonable use of my time which is what any lawyer or aspiring attorney would be expected to do. Second of all, it was'nt necessary. For example, I am pretty certain U.C.C. Article 2 governs contracts for the sale of goods. I could recite that rule in my sleep I have heard it so many times. But that is me. If I did not know it well and/or I needed to be reminded, I would write it out. I focused on things that tended to trip me up, that had many elements, or that I really had issues recalling. Also, certain things are not likely to be tested. For example, a contract can be written or oral. This is great to know. It's important. However, without getting into statute of fraud issues or the "can of worms" it leads to, it is unlikely the bar exam will ask you a question calling for that stand alone statement. It is the best example I can think of, but I hope you get the point. Bar examiners don't and can't really test everything.
Additionally, I didn't write everything full out. For example, I needed to learn the jurisdiction of the Florida courts. I drafted it into an outline format like this:
- FL Supreme Ct.
- Mandatory
- Death penalty
- Bonds
- Invalidation of State statutes or constitutional provisions
- Statewide Utility rate decisions
- Discretionary
- Class of Constitutional officers
- Conflicting decisions
- Validation of State statutes or constitutional provisions
- "Great public importance"cases
- Federally Certified questions
- Bypass certification
- Writs
- No Certiorari
I used this to spit out some of the most specific, detailed, and concise rule statements I have ever written. I used to think the rule statements in the Barbri outlines were impossible until I learned this technique. I am not sure this is the best way. But, it is far more better for me to do this than it is for me to read an outline and close my eyes hoping the words will magically appear in my mind.
The obvious Caveat is, this might not work for everyone. If it doesn't don't bother with it. If it does, then more power to you. Like anything else, it takes work and is not magic. Sometimes it would take me 7-10 times before I could write something without having to refer to the source. But, like clockwork, I was able to recall and rewrite the rule, statement, or outline I had copied by the 15th to 20th time nearly without fail.
Also, I don't really want to go into detail about it in this post, and probably not on this blog for that matter. But, a tip to strengthen the memory trace in addition to writing, is to speak what is being written, and to read what you just wrote as well. To put it simply, when we store something into memory we create a pathway in the brain to do it. If a person writes, this creates one pathway. These pathways can break if they are not strong and this is what causes difficulty retrieving memories when they are absolutely needed. This could be the result of increased stress (such as when taking exams) or other emotional scenarios. However, if a person writes, reads aloud, and visualizes the same information, the memory trace is much stronger. This means, the memory will be easier to retrieve.
I will post some more about this later on.
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