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NY Bar Examination - July 2009

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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Fri Jan 16, 2009 04:27 PM

Hello aspirant lawyers,

I am strongly considering sitting the NY Bar Exam in July of this year, BUT I am uncertain as to which preparation course I should take. I reside in London; to the best of my knowledge, CLT, BPP and the New York Bar Commpany are the main providers of a preparation course. Has anyone out there completed a course with the aforementioned companies? If yes, please share your views on the quality of the materials, support given and any other relevant information.

I have contacted them, but as you know, each company will promote its service in a way that often does not reflect the true state of affairs.

 
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Sdevante

Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 102
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sat Jan 17, 2009 02:37 AM
I don't suppose you have access to Barbri, do you?
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specialK

Joined: 13 Nov 2007
Posts: 19
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sat Jan 17, 2009 07:09 AM
My advice would be to buy the BarBri (or some other providers) books on-line (from Ebay/etc) and use them, solely, skipping classes altogether. I sat the Bar this past July and paid for both books and classes (well, my firm did). I attended one class before realising they were useless and that I could pass the Bar fine without them. I'm sure my Common Law background (British LLB) and Masters degrees (to a lesser extent) helped. But the classes are just not worth the money. Books, on the other hand, are indispendable. Hope that helps.
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Gregor2009

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 548
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:02 AM
besides Ebay, is there anywhere I can purchase the BarBri books? Interested to take the NY bar exam but not really looking paying a few thousand dollars to do it.

Thanks in advance!
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Sdevante

Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 102
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sat Jan 17, 2009 05:17 PM
If you contact Barbri, they have a program where instead of taking classes, they send you the books as well as an ipod loaded with lectures. Then after the bar, you just send the ipod and books back.

I suggest you check out their website or call them and see what would work best for you.

barbri.com/app.aspx?cmd=go_home
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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Jan 18, 2009 07:44 AM
Not at all. I only conducted a research on the company and clearly it is the largest provider of the Bar preparation course. However, it is to be noted that the company was involved in a multi million lawsuit. Here is a link for your perusal:-

www.barbri-classaction.com/barbri/default.htm

If the link does not open, just type 'barbri class action litigation' in google.
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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Jan 18, 2009 07:46 AM
Thank you guys for recommendations. I will give them my thorough consideration.

[Edited by crm042 on 19 Jan 2009]
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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Jan 18, 2009 07:52 AM
Hello Specialk,
If you dont mind, which class (BPP, CLT or NY Bar Company) did you attend albeit for a day?
Also, do you still have your materials? If yes, are you selling them?

Congrats on passing.... so are you currently working in the UK?
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Sdevante

Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 102
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Jan 18, 2009 08:57 PM
You do realize that class action is over stuff that happened over three years ago, right?
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Kim_Facey

Joined: 10 Jan 2009
Posts: 7
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Mon Jan 19, 2009 01:44 AM
Doesn't matter, the fact is it happened, yes???
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Sdevante

Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 102
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Mon Jan 19, 2009 05:16 AM
My point is, why skip one of the dominant U.S. bar prep programs and do some half ass bar prep program, just because they overcharged people three years ago, who, incidentally, weren't YOU?

I could care a less if anybody uses Barbri or not, it just seems like an invalid point to me to say they were sued over stuff that happened a while back. Obviously, they have adjusted their prices or else the class action would span to the present.
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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:33 AM
...go easy yow! All participants here are trying to make an informed decision that will affect their lives forever. I consider your argument mundane. If Barbri has been sued, which of course, did happen, it is relevant and ought to be mentioned here, irrespective of how long ago it happened. At the end of the day, as previous threads have indicated, Barbri is the largest company that offers the preparation course and they continue to do so. Thus, they must be doing something good.

Finally, the tone of your post could be misconstrued:

'...some half ass bar pre program.....I could care a less if anybody uses Babri or not....'

We are here to share ideas and learn new ones - right?
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Gregor2009

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 548
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:20 AM
Bumping this thread up -

Is anyone considering to take the NY Bar Exam in July 2009? How long preparation does one recommend? Would starting now be too late? (Bearing in mind I am in full-time employment).


Cheers,
Greg
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crm042

Joined: 15 Jan 2009
Posts: 10
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 05:03 AM
Whilst I don't doubt your ability, I would consider the February exam instead, particularly since you're in full time employment. Do not under estimate the volume of work you'll exposed to....
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Gregor2009

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 548
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 05:30 AM
Yeah crm042, thanks - thought the February one would be better too.. Now the question is...which Bar Review provider? Micromash, Pieper or Bar Bri?
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Givemeajob LJ

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 51
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 08:43 PM
I took the Pieper Bar Review at BPP in Holborn, London. Great Course! I sat the bar exam in February, fingers crossed I pass. The BPP Course is aimed at non-US students, I used some of the BarBri materials in conjunction with the Pieper stuff and it was good for consolidation purposes.
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Givemeajob LJ

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 51
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 08:44 PM
Gregor,

If you are in full-time employment I would not consider doing the bar this July. You need AT LEAST 2 months of 8-10 hours a day otherwise you are going to struggle. I was doing 8-10 hours a day for 3 months before and when I sat the exam there was loads of stuff I didn't know...that is just my advice.
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Santa


Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Posts: 383
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 08:56 PM
Damn, so is it possible to combine it with an LL.M. year? Probably not?
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Givemeajob LJ

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 51
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 08:59 PM
I hope so, because I will have to COMBINE it when I get my FAIL result next month ;) or I might just retake it at the end of July 09 and goto Cornell 2 days later...
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Santa


Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Posts: 383
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 09:29 PM
Yeah but you already studied for it so :)
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Givemeajob LJ

Joined: 15 Sep 2008
Posts: 51
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 09:40 PM
That's the one thing that is good with the Pieper course, they give you loads of mnemonics to remember things, I haven't touched a New York Bar book since end of Feb and I bet I can recite at least 90% of the 300 mnemonics to the letter...so yeah.

To be honest Santa, it might be worth doing some New York bar stuff now, that way you can use it as a refresher during the LLM, because to answer your question above I think you can conincide it with an LLM if you have studied it previously.
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Gregor2009

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 548
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:54 PM
Thanks GivemeajobLJ, I am leaning towards Pieper as there seems to be more positive remarks and less negative ones with them (compared to BarBri).

I will most likely go for the February 2010 taking. From now till say December 2009, I will read up and then do some hardcore memorising in the new year.

As for you, I hope you passed :) Results will be out soon ey? Keep us posted!


Cheers,
G
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Durham Red

Joined: 29 Nov 2008
Posts: 70
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:55 PM
I'm looking at getting the course materials now for the July exam (I'm not currently working so I should have the time) and have paid for the Pieper Course. Unfortunately they now say that they do not deliver to the UK and I have to arrange for a courier. FedEx and UPS etc say it will cost an additional $209 on top of the $3,500 for the books/ipod.

When I consider that there will, therefore, be no Customs declaration on it and UK Customs will undoubtedly get suspicious at a 24lb package with no declaration and charge me VAT and a penalty fine of around £350 for the import, I am in a quandry as to whether to risk the extra expense on an already exorbitant price or look for another provider inside the UK.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
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Gregor2009

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 548
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:01 AM
No possibility Pieper could fill up the relevant Air Waybill with more detail and fully declare the items for you?

If you have already paid for Pieper, I think you should just proceed - are they willing to extend a refund to you?

Cheers!
G
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Dumdedum

Joined: 15 Feb 2008
Posts: 42
NY Bar Examination - July 2009
Wed Apr 15, 2009 06:58 AM
I would go with BarBri as the main, but there are some who also take others as supplemental material.

[Edited by Dumdedum on 15 Apr 2009]
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