It’s Never Too Early to Start Reviewing for the California Baby Bar

It’s Never Too Early to Start Reviewing for the California Baby Bar

Slated on June 26^th of this year, the First-Year Law Students' Examination is required by the California State Bar for those first year law students who are enrolled at a law school unaccredited by the American Bar Association or the Committee of Bar Examiners.

The First-Year Law Students' Examination is also called the California Baby Bar because it’s a shorter version of the very intensive California Bar Exam.

The two tests are the same in terms of scope, test types and scoring but since the takers of the California Baby Bar are first year law students, who have received less training and practice, the rate of success is much lower, estimated at a dismal 20%.

The Importance of Getting Help As Early As Possible

Being ready for the California Baby Bar does not happen overnight. True readiness cannot even be achieved a few months before the exam. The required skills to survive the First-Year Law Students' Examination (or California Baby Bar) including writing and legal analysis have to be developed over time, making reviews and other forms of supplementary studying necessary as early as first year of law school.

If you’re taking the California State Bar and worried about your chances, you should look into professional review centers like Open Book Bar Prep. This Los Angeles-based center is led by member of the California State Bar and seasoned instructor, Bobby "Babak" Doustkam.

Known best for his emphasis on one-on-one instruction and individual attention among other unique study philosophies, Bobby "Babak" Doustkam offers help to first year law students through Open Book Bar Prep‘s California Baby Bar review program and General Tutoring program. 

Highlights of the California Baby Bar Review and General Tutoring program

Bobby Doustkam starts off every review program with a thorough assessment of a student’s proficiency. An individually-tailored syllabus is then prepared specifically targeting the student’s weaknesses and tapping into his strengths. 

Although there will be differences in every syllabus put together by Bobby Doustkam, the skills being trained are essentially the same, chief of which is writing legal essays.  Here, Bobby Doustkam stresses the importance of having a good grasp of the issue first. His tutelage will focus greatly on sharpening a student’s legal analysis.

Second, a student must be able to discuss this issue using the IRAC format.  The experience of the instructors at Open Book Bar Prep has enabled them to understand what Bar graders are looking for in a good legal essay so the reviewees of the center are constantly trained to meet these standards.

During the final weeks of the prep, students are also made to take three full day practice exams.  This simulation is designed to check and improve their mental and physical endurance during the California Baby Bar. Many of the practice tests and exercises here are timed for enhancing speed and this is being done even for those students under the General Tutoring program.

Start on a Review Program Now!

The skills that a law student can pick up in review centers like Open Book Bar Prep will serve them well during the California Baby Bar, the California Bar Exam and even in regular law school classes. Studying is convenient too because tutelage can be done through Skype or through the Los Angeles Center.  Check out more of Bobby "Babak" Doustkam’s review programs at http://www.openbookbarprep.com and start on a review program as early as now!

Key Areas to Train While Preparing for the California Bar Exam

The July 2012 California Bar Exam is just around the corner. Sheer panic has driven many students into isolated self-studying and frantic memorization in the hopes that mad unsupervised studying (often without rest) will earn them a spot in the State of California Bar. They couldn’t be more wrong though.

If you are a law student about to take the California Bar Exam, know that preparing adequately begins with understanding what bar graders are looking for and this is something which specialized review centers like Bobby Doustkam’s Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles can help you with.

Bar member and experienced teacher, Bobby "Babak" Doustkam has identified three key areas to train during the California Bar Exam review. Let’s begin with time management.

Time-Management

You can’t earn points in questions you don’t even have the time to answer.  One good tip on improving speed is to pre-mark your answer sheet with “time targets.” Aim for question 18 by 9:30, question 35 by 10:00, and so on.  You may devise your own technique but the key here is knowing whether you are going slower than the ideal pace. Bobby Doustkam also warns students against dwelling on hard questions, suprisingly a very common mistake. At Open Book Bar Prep, many simulated tests are timed in order to train students in answering questions at the right pace and keep them away from time-wasting test-taking habits.

Application of the Law

Committing each letter of the law to memory is another practice Bobby "Babak" Doustkam strongly discourages. This is not only bordering on humanly impossible, it is simply a waste of time and energy. What bar graders need to see is your ability to apply the law.  At Open Book Bar Prep, Bobby Doustkam always stresses the value of legal analysis and practice.

Let’s take the performance test of the California Bar Exam for example. Meant to determine how well a student will do given real life legal task, a performance test includes instructions (which may involve writing a memorandum, an affidavit or an offer of settlement), a file stating the facts of the case, and a library containing the legal statutes needed to complete the task. Providing a library for test takers to refer to makes the California Bar Exam an open book test where memorization is not necessary.  What is essential here is using the legal authorities in the context of a real life task.

Enrolling in review centers like Bobby Doustkam’s Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles will give you access to more simulated performance tests to practice on.

Physical and Mental Endurance

Spanning 13 subjects and entailing 18 hours of examination, the California Bar Exam is a test of human endurance and spirit as much as it is a test of intelligence and competence. 

Keep yourself in top shape. Sleep right, eat right, clear your head of negativity and find ways to boost your confidence. Bobby "Babak" Doustkam does not at all promote prolonged self-isolation because a student will need the support of an instructor, family, friends and even fellow test-takers.

To know more about the strategies of Bobby "Babak" Doustkam and review center, Open Book Bar Prep, check out their website at http://www.openbookbarprep.com or get in touch with its seasoned instructors at (818) 400-4025. Review classes may be done at its Los Angeles location or via Skype.

Bobby Doustkam’s Recommended Resources for the California Bar Exam

Take out your pen, pencil and paper; it’s time to intensify your preparation for the California Bar Exam 2012.  The nerve-wracking three-day test is looming ahead so top review centers like Bobby Doustkam’s Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles are stepping up their game to give examinees the most essential resources at their disposal.

Bobby "Babak" Doustkam, member of the California State Bar and experienced teacher, urges test-takers to gain access to the following:

A Primer for California Bar Exam. There are plenty of similar materials both in print and online, the purpose of which are to enlighten students on the basics and highlights of the test. Think of the bar exam as unfamiliar territory, the rugged crisscrossing terrain of which you must know like the back of your hand. For the same reason, Bobby Doustkam advises his students to explore websites of the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the California Bar Foundation and the National Conference of Bar Examiners, in which you will find pertinent information on bar exams.

Law Student Blogs.  Learn from the experience of others!  In his website, Bobby "Babak" Doustkam emphasizes that locking yourself in your room away from other students hardly works. By understanding the struggle of others, you will find comfort as well as useful tips. Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles recommends the following Law.com, The Blog of Legal Times, The National Law Journal: Legal Pad LA and The Shark.

Practice and Simulated Exams Using Actual Bar Questions. Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles requires its students to take six simulated exams as well as timed and untimed essay writing and performance workshops.  Real MBEs are used for the practice tests; Students also get the opportunity to have their worked scrutinized by a former Bar Grader! In evaluating the readiness of each student, Bobby "Babak" Doustkam strives to be as accurate as possible.  Another advantage of the simulated exams administered during the last four weeks of Bobby Doustkam’s review course is that it trains the endurance of test takers. The California Bar Exam 2012 is a long and grueling test, taken morning until afternoon for three consecutive days.

Resources on Substantive Law.  Bobby Doustkam’s review courses will walk you through all of substantive law, which will be covered by the California Bar Exam. The strengths of Bobby "Babak" Doustkam’s resources on substantive law are:

• The review materials of the Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles were designed specifically for the California Bar Exam 2012.
• Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles offers review materials that have been condensed to contain only vital information, analysis and case law on the test subjects.   Reviewers do not need to pour a lot of energy into memorizing and understanding information they don’t actually need for the California Bar Exam 2012. It is lean, organized and up-to-date.
• Finally, the materials of Open Book Bar Prep in Los Angeles are further customized to tailor to each student’s needs. Bobby Doustkam’s review center is known for providing one-on-one instruction so students get individual attention from trained reviewers.  Bobby "Babak" Doustkam himself may add supplementary review materials after having reviewed the work of a student and found him to be struggling with some Substantive Law subjects and lacking in required skills.

What It Takes To Pass The California Bar Exam

What It Takes To Pass The California Bar Exam

The Committee of Bar Examiners of the State of California announced that in 2011 54.8 percent passed the California Bar Exam, which means more than half of thousands of aspiring lawyers were able to hit the 1440 mark out of the perfect score of 2000.

Those poised to take this qualifying test in 2012 are anxiously wondering whether they have what it takes and be able to practice law in the State of California.

Understanding the Rudiments of the California Bar Exam

Passing the bar exam or any test for that matter entails understanding its basic parts and grading system.

The California Bar Exam consists of three lengthy parts divided into three days. On the morning of the first and third day of the test, examinees have to complete an essay portion with three questions for each day.  One performance test is then given in the afternoon of the first and last day.  These parts of the test will comprise 65% of the total score. On the second day, the Committee of Bar Examiners administers a Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), which is a set of 200 multiple choice questions.  This make up 35% of the student’s grade.

Being Equipped With The Necessary Testing Skills

Perusing through tons of materials, many attempt to prepare for this comprehensive exam on their own. Bobby "Babak" Doustkam, a practicing attorney and dedicated teacher, believes that even the most diligent of studying isn’t going to cut it.

The test covers several topics including Business Associations, Criminal Law and Procedure, Remedies, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Torts, Community Property, Professional Responsibility, Trusts, Constitutional Law, Real Property, Wills and Succession and Contract—quite a lot of subjects for one student to review alone.

Bobby Doustkam stresses that a successful examinee not only needs to have great memory, he needs to be able to do good analysis while responding to the test questions. He has to express himself in writing clearly, logically and powerfully and go through multiple choice questions correctly and at the right pace. 

Passing the California Bar Exam requires skills both in writing compelling legal essays and in answering multiple choice questions. It requires timing, technique and professional coaching from experienced review centers like Bobby "Babak" Doustkam’s Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles.

Having The Right Review Center On Your Side

Bobby Doustkam has devised specific test-taking strategies taught under a student-centered learning environment.  It is student-centered because Bobby "Babak" Doustkam founded Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles on the principle that individual attention through one-on-one coaching is the best way to prepare its many students.At Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles, students are given key information on test parts and the grading of these. 

Bobby Doustkam understands what bar examiners are looking for in a good essay and train reviewers to write on-target responses to these questions.

Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles has likewise designed their own study materials, which will spare students from unsystematically leafing through any and all law textbooks and materials. For a test so lengthy and intensive, Bobby Doustkam believes that maximizing a student’s time and energy by weeding out the unnecessary and centering on the essential is the only way to survive.

With the help of the review instructors of Open Book Bar Prep, Los Angeles and the individually-tailored work program by Bobby "Babak" Doustkam, preparing for the bar exam becomes a doable goal in

Negligence: Special (specific) Standard of Care

On a Negligence essay exam, it will be important to establish the standard of care applicable to the fact pattern. To know what type of Duty is owed, we must first determine what type of standard of care the Defendant would be held accountable for. As mentioned yesterday, the General Standard of Care is that of a Reasonable Prudent Person under the same circumstances. Special (specific) Standard of care however has about 8 categories/situations in which a “higher standard or a specific standard “ is taken into account  They are: Custom and Usage, Children, Professionals, Owners and Occupiers of Land, In-Keepers and Common Carriers, Automobile Guest Statutes , Bailments and Rescuers (emergency situations). Do YOU remember all of the details of each category?

To establish A Prima Facie Case for negligence, we must first prove that the standard of care was breached. General Standard of care is that of a REASONABLE PRUDENT PERSON under the same circumstances. Special standard of care is a bit more complex..as it has many different categories. Do YOU remember all of the different areas under the Special Standard? Stay tuned!

Open Book Bar Prep Tips for California Bar Exam Essays

The California Bar Exam is an 18-hour test which consists of three parts. 

The first is the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) which is a set of 200 multiple-choice questions administered on the second day of this three-day test. The second part involves responding to six essay questions, and two performance tests.  After the essay portion, students have to do well in two performance tests, which evaluate how well they can analyze and address simulated legal problems. 

As you can see, a great portion of the California Bar Exam is written; the essay portion alone makes up 39%.  So in order to survive the intensive California Bar Exam, one essential skill to develop is writing clear, concise and intelligent legal essays. 

Open Book Bar Prep recognizes the advantage of being able to compose compelling essays on the spot.   In its California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes, it has incorporated courses on writing which will help students learn the following:

·       Understanding the essay questions

·       Coming up with logical and organized outlines

·       Writing excellent responses to the test questions

Open Book Bar Prep is a great venue to prepare for either the California Bar Exam or the First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSE), more popularly known as the California Baby Bar.  And to help its many reviewers, Open Book Bar Prep lets students in on some of its essay writing techniques:

·       Use the right level of language and tone in your essay.  For the California Bar Exam essay portion, use a tone that is neither conversational nor excessively formal. Imagine speaking to an educated person who does not know the law as much as you do but who is intelligent enough to grasp its basic concepts. 

·       Follow the IRAC or any of its recognized variations.  IRAC stands for issue, rule, application and conclusion, which means your essay has to cover the points in the same logical fashion.  In answering an essay question, creativity comes second to organization and logic so resist the urge to alter this rigid structure.  But if you feel it is required, you can modify this outline a little bit to include counter arguments and legal or factual premise.  California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes can introduce you to some of the variations of IRAC and help you use them without risking a low essay score.

·       Be comprehensive but concise.  This is actually very challenging because it involves recognizing which points should and should not be belabored.  Some students cut to the chase in an effort to be brief but end up breezing through important points that should have been more thoroughly explained.  Some students, meanwhile, write very lengthy explanations even when they are no longer necessary. To get the right balance, be sure to get lots of practice during California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes.  Open Book Bar Prep makes sure that its teachers pay individual attention to students’ essay writing skills. With the right guidance and sufficient practice, students can better identify critical points to highlight, reiterate and expound on without necessarily writing an unnecessarily long response.

Most important of these tips is to remember that your essays will be graded by distinguished members of the California State Bar. Their standards will be high but they are real people. As you practice writing during California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes, always remember that you are trying to get a message through to a human being.

Open Book Bar Prep Strategies For The California Bar Exam

Years of studying with the hopes of practicing law in the state of California will eventually come down to one test: the California Bar Exam. 

Those who have taken it know it to be grueling and those who are about to take it are anxious as can be.  The California Bar Exam is a three-part test consisting of the 200-item Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), an essay part with six questions, and two performance tests.  To do well, you will have to work on your skills in both writing and multiple-choice questions.

Not every law student succeeds in sufficiently preparing for the California Bar Exam.  In 2011, only 53.9% of some 8,852 takers, passed the bar exam.  Some 2,376 of these were repeaters and only 416 or 17.6% made it through.

Nervous already? While that is certainly understandable, know that there are effective ways in getting ready for this dreaded test.  With the right strategies from an excellent bar exam prep seminar and entire course such as Open Book Bar Prep, the challenge of the California Bar Exam can be overcome.  Open Book Bar Prep provides specialized, one-on-one tutoring to law students throughout their legal education (i.e. law school), and helps them to understand the Bar concepts such as IRAC, writing concise essays, and studying for the final exam, all of which will greatly help the student when it’s time for their Bar.

Open Book Bar Prep is a study hub for takers of the California Bar Exam. Other than California Bar Prep Classes, it also offers California Baby Bar Classes for those who are studying at unaccredited law schools and are thus required to take The First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSE).  To prep students for the required tests of the California State Bar, Open Book Bar Prep offers the following advice:

·       Let go of other responsibilities—temporarily, that is. If you’ve been juggling work, family life and law school, it may be wise not to do the same while reviewing for the bar exam.  Sure, you may have been getting away with barely passing test scores or mediocre legal papers but do not take the same risk while attending California Bar Prep Classes.  Because the exam is difficult and exhausting, you will need to focus your energies to it 100%. The same is true even for California Baby Bar Classes.

To relieve yourself from other worries, secure a loan or ask your spouse to take on more responsibilities at home. The fewer distractions you have, the more relaxed you feel, and the more confident you would be in taking the test.

Remember to keep your attitude positive as well.  Studies have shown that there is a direct link between test anxiety and scoring poorly. 

·       Prepare and consistently follow an individually-tailored study plan.  California Bar Prep Classes conducted by Open Book Bar Prep are individually tailored based on your learning strengths and weaknesses.  Ultimately, the greatest advantage of this level of individual attention is being able to follow a highly effective study plan customized for your unique style as a learner.

California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes both cover all the subjects of the California Bar Exam namely: Business Associations, Criminal Law and Procedure, Remedies, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Torts, Community Property, Professional Responsibility, Trusts, Constitutional Law, Real Property, Wills and Succession and Contract.

This is a rather wide scope but with the full attention of a teacher, the areas where you need the most improvement will be thoroughly evaluated enabling you to devote more time and attention to the subjects where you need the most help.  During California Bar Prep Classes and California Baby Bar Classes, a one-on-one instructor will also be able to recognize your strengths and help you tap into them. 

With the help of Open Book Bar Prep, you can be one of 4,771 students who succeeded in becoming a member of the California State Bar. So relax and start taking the necessary steps towards acing this very challenging exam.

Do YOU remember how to to establish a Prima Facie Case for Negligence? To do so, you must prove that There was a Duty, there was a Breach of that Duty, and that Breach was the Actual (factual) and Proximate (legal) Cause of the Plaintiff's Harm. So how does one know what type of duty was owed? Stay tuned for the difference between General Standard of Care and Special Standard of Care!!!

Do YOU remember the Defenses to the 7 Intentional Torts? They are: Consent, Self Defense, Defense of others, Defense of property, Re-entry to land (to recapture Chattel) ,Privilege of arrest, ShopKeeper's Privilege, and Necessity!

Do YOU remember the Defenses to the 7 Intentional Torts? They are: Consent, Self Defense, Defense of others, Defense of property, Re-entry to land (to recapture Chattel) Privilege of arrest, ShopKeeper's Privilege, and Necessity!

Remeber there are 7 Intentional Torts. 4 are against a Person (Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment, and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress), 3 are against Property (Trespass to Land, Trespass to Chattel, and Conversion). Remeber, the emphasis is on the intent..One DESIRES to bring about the outcome, or KNOWS with substantial Certainity act or result will occur. Remember Garratt V. Dailey?

Five weeks left for the Feb 2012 Bar! Are YOU READY?! Starting next week we will highlight subject areas daily to keep your mind focused...Even when your Facebook, Tweet, or Blogging! Stay tuned!