And I appear!
Bar-bri substantive law lectures are "fill in the blanks" in the workbook. If you have the Bar-bri workbook and it's not filled-in, either you have to fill it in somehow or it's far less useful. It WILL give you their organizational outlines and a good gist of what they're saying.
Not-so-quick and dirty then:
Provided you can get that info and make outlines--or you're working from your class outlines--I'd say study those straight through to ensure you understand every single concept. Don't worry too hard about memorizing yet; pick up the easy stuff. That's 1 subject a day--2 if they're the short ones (agency, partnership, corps).
Interspearse mbe questions throughout this. Follow Bar-bri's schedule on outlining essay answers at first, without actually completing the essays.
After you've finished the subjects, start again, focusing on memorizing and organizing the information. Example: Bar-bri contracts has applicable law, formation, terms, performance, remedies, excuses, third parties. Everything on a contracts question falls into one of those categories--deal with things in that order. PR has five main categories; every PR question must fit under one of those--and usually more than one. You KNOW PR will be on the test, and Duty of Loyalty is pretty much always there.
Continue with the MBEs and do at least one essay for each subject, timing them at some point to make sure you're done in an hour. Also, read the information regarding the various types of PT questions you might get.
By now, you're near the end of June. You should be doing timed essays now--but the Bar-Bri ones more than 5 years old are fairly worthless, I think. They phrasings are not current--print and use Cal Bar questions from the last 5-6 years. When reviewing the posted answers, note that while they look different, they're covering the same ground. One answer may take one track on an this-or-that and the other took the other track. That's what they mean by "there's more than one way to answer." See that they hit the same subject and usually the same issues, though how they handle them may differ. Note that there's ALWAYS application, though style may differ.
You should also be doing a half-day timed MBE test by now, to check your timing and ability. If you can't get through all 100 questions in 3 hours, you're taking too long. You also need to start doing PT's. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!! They tell you exactly what they want you to do--
and what you don't have to do.
By the first week of July, you should be doing 3 essays in the morning and a PT in the afternoon at least twice a week. Keep up on the MBE's and general review of material you have problems with.
When people say, "If you don't know the law, make it up and apply that," they mean, for example, if the question is on general or limited partnership and you can't remember which is which, JUST ASSIGN A DEFINITION and apply it. Even if it's the wrong one, just pick one and keep going.
Watch out for fatigue and madness. In late June, you'll be freaking out ("I can't do this!" etc). Totally normal. You'll get through it, just keep going, regardless of how you feel.
As for the actual exam, you can't take a backpack in, or a phone. Leave those in your hotel room--WHICH BETTER BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET! Traffic will screw you up if you have to drive. Take pens, pencils, erasers, rolaids/tums, highlighters, a non-ticking watch, etc.
If someone is going with you, have them get your lunch; if not, have it in your room. 1000 people seeking food at the same time is outrageous. If you can afford it, go to a local eatery at night. Discuss the test only as much as you like--if you're getting nervous, DON'T DISCUSS IT.
Keep me posted on how you're doing.
Gotta go for now.
(yes, she's a lawyer. She hitchhiker her way to law school graduation!)
