strong>ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this coming Thursday - July 11th. Essays with comments and rubrics will be returned to you by Tuesday, July 15th via email.

MPT DUE DATE: This MPT will be due on Monday - July 15th. They will be returned as soon as possible.

Please note that you do not have to do both the essay AND MPT to receive comments. I encourage you to do both, but if you prefer to do only one, that is acceptable.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY/MPT TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you prefer to send me a hard copy, slip the paper under my door (room 230) or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it to my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays/MPTs (and all your practice essays/MPTs) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions/MPTs. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY/MPT: Occasionally, we may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

ALL STUDENTS / SCROLL DOWN PAST THE ESSAY FOR THE MPT
Essay - CRIMINAL LAW/PROCEDURE - Please use the July 2009 Criminal Law/Procedure essay in your materials. The text of the question is set out below.

John, age 18, and Crystal, age 14, walked into the Mini Mart, a convenience store. They wandered around the store for a few minutes and then walked up to the counter. John had his hand in a leather bag. He stared at the store clerk for about 10 seconds and started to sweat. At this point, Crystal began to cry. She said, “I don’t want to do this,” and ran out of the store. John remained for a few more seconds and then ran out of the store himself. The store clerk immediately called 911 and nervously said, “Two kids were about to rob me, but I guess they changed their minds.”

Three days later, the police came to Crystal’s home, where she lives with her parents. The police told Crystal’s mother that Crystal was a suspect in an attempted robbery and that they wanted to search for evidence. Crystal’s mother asked the police if they had a warrant. They said, “No, but we can get one.” Crystal’s mother let the police in.

When the police searched Crystal’s room, they found John’s zipped leather bag in Crystal’s closet. Without first obtaining a search warrant, or asking Crystal’s mother who owned the bag, the police opened the bag and found a gun and printouts of e-mails from John to a friend. The police read the e-mails, which described John’s plans to rob the Minit Mart with the help of his girlfriend, Crystal.

Crystal later confessed that she and John had planned to rob the Minit Mart store, but that she got scared and ran out of the store. She also said that John gave her the leather bag with the gun after they had left the Minit Mart and told her to “get rid of it.”

John was charged with attempted armed robbery of the Minit Mart store. His lawyer filed a motion to suppress the leather bag and its contents on the grounds that the bag was seized and searched in violation of John’s Fourth Amendment rights. The trial court denied the motion, and the issue was properly preserved for appeal.

At John’s trial for attempted armed robbery, the Minit Mart clerk testified to the facts that he had told the police earlier. Crystal also testified for the prosecution, repeating what she had previously told the police. She also said that the leather bag belonged to John, that she and John had planned the robbery together, that she saw John load the gun and put it in his leather bag before they entered the Minit Mart, and that John’s hand was in the leather bag with the gun for the entire time that they were in the Minit Mart. She testified that she “got scared” when she and John were standing at the counter, which is why she ran from the store. She said that when John got into the car after running out of the store, he said, “Well, that went bad,” and then drove away from the store.

After Crystal’s testimony, the prosecution introduced the leather bag, the e-mails, and the gun into evidence. The court admitted all of the evidence over the objection of John’s lawyer.

John presented no evidence.

At the close of the case, the trial court denied both John’s motion for judgment of acquittal and his request for a jury instruction on the defense of abandonment.

The jury convicted John of attempted armed robbery. Did the trial court err:

1. In denying John’s motion to suppress the leather bag and its contents? Explain

2. In denying John’s motion for judgment of acquittal? Explain

3. In failing to instruct the jury on the defense of abandonment? Explain?

FIRST MPT ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

MPT - A-1 AUTOMOTIVE - Please use the July 2008 MPT - Williams v. A-1 Automotive. The text of the MPT WILL NOT be set out below so please consult your commercial bar course materials materials.

If you do not have this MPT, please let me know to expect a different MPT from you.

Some of you indicated that you have completed the crim law/pro essay I posted earlier in the week. You may feel free to do this family law essay instead. You can turn it in tomorrow any time if that helps you to get it done. Please note that you may only do one of the essays for this week - the crim law/pro one or this family law one.

Essay - FAMILY LAW - Please use the February 2009 Family Law question contained in your materials. The text of the question is set out below.

Fourteen years ago, Mom and Dad had a brief romance while Dad was on vacation in State A, where Mom lived. Nine months after Dad returned to his home in State B, Mom telephoned Dad. Mom told Dad that she had just given birth to Child and that Dad was Child’s father. Mom also told Dad that, if he would agree to waive his right to establish his paternity of Child, she would sign a release waiving all rights to seek child support from him. Dad agreed to Mom’s proposal, and they signed a written contract containing the terms outlined by Mom.

Mom is a college graduate and had an excellent job when Child was born. However, she has developed a chronic disease and is no longer able to fully provide for herself and Child, now age 14.

Mom brought an action against Dad is State A seeking to establish his paternity of Child and obtain child support, claiming that the contract waiving her right to child support is unenforceable. She served Dad by registered mail in State B, where he has continued to live since Child’s birth. Dad has not visited State A since his vacation there more than 14 years ago and has never met Child.

State A’s long arm statute provides that a court has personal jurisdiction over an alleged parent for purposes of determining paternity and support obligations if the alleged parent “engaged in sexual intercourse in this state and the child may have been conceived by that act of intercourse.”

Dad moved to dismiss Mom’s petition on the ground that the State A court’s assertion of personal jurisdiction over him to determine paternity and child support would violate due process requirements. The trial court denied the motion, and Dad entered a special appearance, preserving his right to appeal on the jurisdictional claim.

On the merits, Dad argues that the contract he and Mom made shortly after Child’s birth should be enforced. In the event that the court declines to enforce the contract, Dad argues that the equities of the case require that the value of any child support awarded to Mom be calculated based on state public assistance benefit levels or, in the alternative, that he be awarded custody of Child. Dad also seeks liberal visitation with Child in the event that the court awards custody to Mom.

1. Was the court’s assertion of personal jurisdiction over Dad to determine Dad’s paternity and support obligations consistent with due process requirements? Explain.

2. Assuming the court has personal jurisdiction over Dad, how should the court rule on the child support, custody, and visitation issues? Explain

strong>FINAL DAYS STUDY PLAN

At this point, now that your bar courses are over (or almost over), you are all putting together your study schedules for the final days before the bar exam. You may already have a plan in place. If you do, that's great and I encourage you to use what works for you. If you do not, here's some advice as you go through that process:

FINAL DAYS SCHEDULE REVIEW: IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO REVIEW YOUR FINAL DAYS SCHEDULE, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO SO.

1. Assess each subject and truthfully say where you are with the subject. This will help you determine how much time to spend on the particular subject during your final study period. Please note that your plan will be to review everything in the final study period. The assessment just tells you how much time you need to spend on each subject to be ready for exam.

2. How should you assess each subject? You can use whatever method works best for you. If you do not have a method, consider asking yourself literally where you are on each subject. Are you there? Are you almost there? Are you nowhere?

There = If the bar exam was tomorrow, you'd feel confident about the subject and your ability to test competently in it. You don't have to be perfect to be "there." But the general feeling should be that you understand the topic and feel good about being able to answer a question on it (essay or multiple choice.

Almost there = You understand the topic, but there are a few aspects of the topic that are still giving you trouble. There are still aspects that you have not memorized and that you are unsure you would be able to spot or write about on the exam. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you need to hone in on a few aspects.

Nowhere = You do not feel confident on the topic because there are several aspects that you do not understand and need to assimilate/memorize before the exam.

For most students, the majority of subjects will fall in the "almost there" pile with a few subjects falling in the other piles. But remember that this about truth - on both ends! Be honest as to what you feel ready for and what you don't. In this way, you'll make the final schedule that is right for you.

3. Timing In organizing your study schedule, try to organize your review of those topics in terms of the amount of work you need on them (i.e., you'll need more time on a subject you are "almost there" on than one you are "there" on). Try to arrange the schedule so that you have enough time to review all subjects. For instance, there may be some subjects you need to spend half or a whole day on while others could be taken care of in three hours.

4. What should the reviews look like? Think about what you need. Do you still need to memorize? Do you need to work questions? And the answer to do you need to work questions is YES! Any review should really include both. Make sure that you are remembering the law (memorizing) and that you know how to use it (working questions). This is pivotal.

Other things to incorporate in your schedule

1. Don't forget your MPT. If you are still having timing and organization issues, keep working them. In any event, before you conclude your work on MPTs, make sure you read through all the different types of tasks you could be asked to do. Each one tests the same skills, but you don't want to be "shell shocked" if, during the actual exam, you are given a task you've never practiced before.

2. Essay reverse outlining/writing. You may know the law, but you still may be struggling with when to use it and how much to use. In addition to writing essays, reading over additional essays can help you to overcome this. To do this, read the essay question. Pay attention to the call of the question. Then read the answer. Pay attention to the content of the answer given in response to the question call (i.e., what law is discussed and the order it is discussed in). This will help you to see how issues are tested and what the bar examiners are looking for in asking certain questions.

3. Multiple Choice. Stay nimble here by continuing to work multiple choice problems. Continuing to read the answers will help you to understand how to work the problems and will also help you in understanding the nuances of law. If you have run out of questions, you can purchase actual questions (written by the bar examiners) from the NCBEX.ORG website.

Weekend before the bar If you would feel more comfortable having another round of review after this final review, be sure to save the weekend before the bar to go back through everything. This is not a must but an option to consider.

Other advice on a final days study plan This is just one method. If you have another that works best for you, that's what you should use. Students, who have passed, have used a variety of methods so don't be afraid to choose what works for you.

More help on this If you need more help on putting a schedule together or if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. I am also available by phone, email, Skype, etc.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO REVIEW YOUR SCHEDULE, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO SO.

strong>ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this coming Thursday - July 18th. Essays with comments and rubrics will be returned to you by Tuesday, July 22nd via email. This is your final essay of the week although we will have a morning simulation on on July 22nd which will give you the opportunity to write three more essays and an MPT.

MPT DUE DATE: This MPT will be due on Monday - July 21st. They will be returned as soon as possible.

Please note that you do not have to do both the essay AND MPT to receive comments. I encourage you to do both, but if you prefer to do only one, that is acceptable.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY/MPT TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you prefer to send me a hard copy, slip the paper under my door (room 230) or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it to my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays/MPTs (and all your practice essays/MPTs) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions/MPTs. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY/MPT: Occasionally, we may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

ALL STUDENTS / SCROLL DOWN PAST THE ESSAY FOR THE MPT
Essay - CONTRACTS - Please use the July 2007 Contracts riminal Law/Procedure essay in your materials. The text of the question is set out below.

Baker is a renowned pastry chef. Café, a sole proprietorship, is a well-known restaurant in need of hiring a pastry chef. Baker and Café’s Owner had extensive conversations regarding Baker coming to work at Café. On May 1, a week after those conversations occurred, Baker sent Café a signed letter dated May 1 stating: “I will work for Café as head pastry chef for two years for an annual salary of $100,000.”

On the morning of May 7, Café Owner telephoned Baker and said: “The $100,000 is pretty stiff. Could you possibly consider working for less?” Baker replied: “I am a renowned pastry chef. I will not work for any less!”

Later that morning, Café’s Owner sent Baker a signed letter by regular mail stating: “You obviously think you are too good for my restaurant. I am no longer interested in hiring you to work at Café.”

Later that afternoon, Café’s Owner had a change of heart and sent Baker a registered, express-mail signed letter stating: “Okay, if you really won’t work for less, I agree to pay you the $100,000 a year you demand to work as head pastry chef at Café for two years.”

On May 10, the registered, express-mail letter was delivered to Baker’s office. The regular-mail letter containing the rejection was still on its way. Baker accepted delivery of the registered, express-mail letter from the postal carrier and placed it on his desk without opening it.

On May 11, before Baker read the registered, express-mail letter on his desk, he accepted an offer to work for Restaurant. As a courtesy, Baker called Café’s Owner and said, “Sorry, I just took a job at Restaurant. Too bad you couldn’t afford me.” Café’s Owner responded, “You can’t work for Restaurant, I already accepted your offer to work at Café for $100,000 a year.”

Does Café have an enforceable contract with Baker? Explain

MPT ASSIGNMENT

MPT - WHITFORD v. NEWBERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT - Please use the February 2002 MPT Whitford v. Newberry Middle School District. The text of the MPT WILL NOT be set out below so please consult your materials.

To help you prepare for the upcoming February 2013 bar exam, SIU will offer several supplementary services. As I mentioned during your exit interviews and in subsequent correspondence, I, with the help of Professor Heidi Ramos, will work diligently this winter to help you succeed on the bar exam.

THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!
Already, you should be engaged in bar study as your commercial bar prep provider has probably provided a schedule suggesting how you should begin. Please make sure you are completing the tasks as they have been assigned. You want to get started on time and stay on task so as not to fall behind.

FIRST WORKSHOP - December 20th - 10:00 am - room 206
The workshop will focus on Scheduling and Multiple Choice Strategies. The goal here is to supplement what you will receive in your commercial bar prep course by offering advice and strategies regarding scheduling and multiple choice test taking and studying.

If you cannot make it, a recording of this workshop will be available on this blog site. Please note that I do not post the videos myself and so I can not be certain when they will be posted, but if you are subscribed ot the blog feed, you will receive an email when anything is posted here.

Please try to avail yourselves of these services. We have found over the years that students who participate in supplemental programs such as these greatly increase their chances of success on the bar exam.

WEEKLY ESSAY
The first weekly essay will be posted to this blog. Again, if you subscribe to the blog fee, you won't miss it. It is scheduled for the week of January 6. It will be posted on Monday, January 6th and will be due by Thursday January 9th. It will be returned to you by Tuesday, January 14th. We'll begin the weekly MPTs starting the week of January 27th, but don't let that stop you from working them!

IF YOU'RE THINKING IT'S TOO EARLY TO START WRITING ESSAYS (OR EVEN DOING MULTIPLE CHOICE PROBLEMS), READ BELOW
You may be thinking you are not ready to write an essay. But, you have to adjust your thinking on this when it comes to bar study. You should work problems EVERY SINGLE DAY. Let me say it another way. DO NOT LET A DAY GO BY WITHOUT YOU WORKING PROBLEMS. Working the problems often is not only about testing your knowledge, but testing your process. If you work problems consistently throughout bar study, you will know whether you have outlined the materials appropriately, whether you can write a good essay in the allotted time (30 minutes for Illinois and Missouri), whether you need to change your approach to how you are studying, whether you can detect the nuances in multiple choice questions, etc.

You do not want to discover these problems in the last few weeks of study. You want to note your problems early, fix them and then work more problems to make sure you are on track in terms of your ability to effectively answer bar exam questions. I'll discuss more on how you incorporate this constant practice into your study schedule during the December 20th workshop.

I hope you let us help you in the process by submitting a weekly essay (and MPT when we start) to us. You'll be doing essays daily anyway so why not submit one to us once a week for useful feedback.

That's all for now. Don't forget to subscribe to the feed and check back for the first essay assignment!

It's here! Your first essay of the week for SIU's bar program. Please read and follow the directions below.

ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on FRIDAY - January 9TH.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you write, you may scan and email it to me or you may fax it to me at 618 435 3317.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays (and all your practice essays) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY: Occasionally, I may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps me to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

ESSAY
BARBRI– PAGE 11 (under TORTS in “Illinois Essay Testing” book)
KAPLAN– PAGE 2 (in “Illinois Essays” book)
THEMIS– Please locate the Feb 2008 TORTS essay in your materials. If it is not available, you may choose any TORTS essay in your materials (please indicate what year the essay was given or supply the question and answer for review) or do the one set out below.

These page numbers are approximate and may have changed. If these page numbers do not correlate with your materials, look specifically for the February 2008 essay in your materials or at NCBEX.ORG so that you can review the answer after you have completed the essay.

FEB 2008 TORTS ESSAY
Last month, Paul attended a fund-raising lunch at Library, where he purchased and ate a chicken salad sandwich. Later that day, he became severely ill and was diagnosed with food poisoning. As a result of the food poisoning, Paul developed a permanent digestive disorder.

Several other people also became sick after eating lunch, and the Health Department determined that the chicken salad was contaminated with salmonella bacteria. According to the Health Department, raw chicken often contains salmonella bacteria. Although the risk of salmonella contamination cannot be eliminated, proper preparation and cooking can ensure that the chicken is safe for eating. The chicken must be thoroughly cooked, and all utensils or surfaces that come in contact with raw chicken must be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and soap before further use.

The Reading Club had initiated and planned the Library’s first and only fund-raising lunch. Ann, Bill, and Chuck independently volunteered to make the chicken salad. Each made a separate batch of salad, using their own recipes and working individually at their own homes. Another volunteer combined the three batches of salad at Library, and a Library employee sold sandwiches at the lunch. All lunch profits went to Library.

Ann, Bill, and Chuck each purchased their chicken from Supermarket. The chicken was contained in packages labeled with a prominent warning describing the risk of salmonella contamination and the precautions necessary to avoid that risk.

A Health Department spokesperson has said that “Someone who made the chicken salad did not take proper precautions.” Ann, Bill, and Chuck all claim they took the proper precautions.

Paul has consulted an attorney about bringing a tort action against: (1) Library, (2) Supermarket, and (3) Ann, Bill, and Chuck. If Paul can prove only the facts outlined above:

1. Can Library be found liable to Paul under a strict liability theory? Explain.
2. Can Supermarket be found liable to Paul under a strict liability theory? Explain.
3. Can Ann, Bill, and Chuck be found liable to Paul under either a strict liability or negligence theory? Explain.

Dear bar candidates:

I have attached the recording of the first bar preparation workshop held on December 20th.

I apologize for the lateness of this post. The IT department let me know that the taping I did on December 20th malfunctioned. Thus, I do not have a current taping for you. I like to have fresh tapes of these every bar study period and I will endeavor to ensure that my next workshop (held on this Friday, January 10th) is recorded and available for you to see. Pleaes use the posting from this summer for this particlaur workshop. The substance is the same, but please ignore dates. The power point I handed out is attached as well.

SIU Bar Prep Workshop #1
Video

PDF Handout

Please find below you second essay of the week for SIU's bar program. Please read and follow the directions below.

ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this Thursday - January 16th.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you would prefer to give me a hard copy, place the hard copy in the receptacle in your commercial bar prep room. If you are not in a commercial bar prep class, slip the paper under my door or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays (and all your practice essays) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY: Occasionally, I may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

BARBRI/KAPLAN/THEMIS STUDENTS

Essay - Agency and Partnership - Please use the July 2009 Agency and Partnership Question in your essay book. The text of the question is set out below.

Six months ago, Andy, Ben, and Carol executed a document entitled “Metropolitan Limited Partnership Agreement” (“the agreement”). Under the terms of the agreement, Andy, Ben, and Carol were to be “limited partners” in the “Metropolitan Limited Partnership” (“MLP”). The agreement provided that each would contribute $500,000 to the venture, which they each did.

The agreement also provided that Warren would be the “general partner” of MLP, but Warren never signed the agreement.

The agreement further provided that the venture would buy undeveloped land and hold it for development. The land was purchased, and a deed for the land naming MLP as grantee was executed, delivered, and recorded. In the MLP name, Andy, Ben, and Carol also hired a marketing company, Marketing, to develop a campaign to resell the land as “Metropolitan Estates.”

Two Months after the agreement was executed by Andy, Ben, and Carol, Marketing sued MLP, and Any, Ben, and Carol individually, for nonpayment of amounts due to Marketing for services it had provided to MLP. MLP is unable to pay Marketing because the land, its only asset, has substantially depreciated due to an economic downturn.

Immediately after Marketing filed suit, Andy, Ben, and Carol filed a certificate of limited partnership in the name of MLP in the appropriate state office.

Two weeks after the certificate of limited partnership was filed, Zack went onto the land owned in the name of MLP and fell down an uncovered well. Zack died as a result of injuries suffered in the fall. Zack’s estate has filed a wrongful death action against Andy, Ben, and Carol individually.

1. What type of entity is MLP? Explain.

2. Can Marketing recover from Andy, Ben, and Carol personally for the amounts it is owned by MLP? What steps must it follow if it tries to do so? Explain.

3. If Zack’s estate is entitled to damages, can it recover from Andy, Ben, and Carol personally for the wrongful death claim? What steps must it follow if it tries to do so? Explain.

Please find below you second essay of the week for SIU's bar program. Please read and follow the directions below.

ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this Thursday - January 16th.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you would prefer to give me a hard copy, place the hard copy in the receptacle in your commercial bar prep room. If you are not in a commercial bar prep class, slip the paper under my door or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays (and all your practice essays) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY: Occasionally, I may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

BARBRI/KAPLAN/THEMIS STUDENTS

Essay - Agency and Partnership - Please use the July 2009 Agency and Partnership Question in your essay book. The text of the question is set out below.

Six months ago, Andy, Ben, and Carol executed a document entitled “Metropolitan Limited Partnership Agreement” (“the agreement”). Under the terms of the agreement, Andy, Ben, and Carol were to be “limited partners” in the “Metropolitan Limited Partnership” (“MLP”). The agreement provided that each would contribute $500,000 to the venture, which they each did.

The agreement also provided that Warren would be the “general partner” of MLP, but Warren never signed the agreement.

The agreement further provided that the venture would buy undeveloped land and hold it for development. The land was purchased, and a deed for the land naming MLP as grantee was executed, delivered, and recorded. In the MLP name, Andy, Ben, and Carol also hired a marketing company, Marketing, to develop a campaign to resell the land as “Metropolitan Estates.”

Two Months after the agreement was executed by Andy, Ben, and Carol, Marketing sued MLP, and Any, Ben, and Carol individually, for nonpayment of amounts due to Marketing for services it had provided to MLP. MLP is unable to pay Marketing because the land, its only asset, has substantially depreciated due to an economic downturn.

Immediately after Marketing filed suit, Andy, Ben, and Carol filed a certificate of limited partnership in the name of MLP in the appropriate state office.

Two weeks after the certificate of limited partnership was filed, Zack went onto the land owned in the name of MLP and fell down an uncovered well. Zack died as a result of injuries suffered in the fall. Zack’s estate has filed a wrongful death action against Andy, Ben, and Carol individually.

1. What type of entity is MLP? Explain.

2. Can Marketing recover from Andy, Ben, and Carol personally for the amounts it is owned by MLP? What steps must it follow if it tries to do so? Explain.

3. If Zack’s estate is entitled to damages, can it recover from Andy, Ben, and Carol personally for the wrongful death claim? What steps must it follow if it tries to do so? Explain.

SIU Bar Exam Workshop 2
Video

PDF Handout

ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due by Thursday, January 23rd.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you write, you may scan and email it to me or you may fax it to me at 618 435 3317.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays (and all your practice essays) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY: Occasionally, I may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

BARBRI, KAPLAN & THEMIS STUDENTS:

Essay - CONTRACTS - Please use the July 2007 Contracts question contained in your materials. The text of the question is set out below.

Baker is a renowned pastry chef. Café, a sole proprietorship, is a well-known restaurant in need of hiring a pastry chef. Baker and Café’s Owner had extensive conversations regarding Baker coming to work at Café. On May 1, a week after those conversations occurred, Baker sent Café a signed letter dated May 1 stating: “I will work for Café as head pastry chef for two years for an annual salary of $100,000.”

On the morning of May 7, Café Owner telephoned Baker and said: “The $100,000 is pretty stiff. Could you possibly consider working for less?” Baker replied: “I am a renowned pastry chef. I will not work for any less!”

Later that morning, Café’s Owner sent Baker a signed letter by regular mail stating: “You obviously think you are too good for my restaurant. I am no longer interested in hiring you to work at Café.”

Later that afternoon, Café’s Owner had a change of heart and sent Baker a registered, express-mail signed letter stating: “Okay, if you really won’t work for less, I agree to pay you the $100,000 a year you demand to work as head pastry chef at Café for two years.”

On May 10, the registered, express-mail letter was delivered to Baker’s office. The regular-mail letter containing the rejection was still on its way. Baker accepted delivery of the registered, express-mail letter from the postal carrier and placed it on his desk without opening it.

On May 11, before Baker read the registered, express-mail letter on his desk, he accepted an offer to work for Restaurant. As a courtesy, Baker called Café’s Owner and said, “Sorry, I just took a job at Restaurant. Too bad you couldn’t afford me.” Café’s Owner responded, “You can’t work for Restaurant, I already accepted your offer to work at Café for $100,000 a year.”

Does Café have an enforceable contract with Baker? Explain

SIU Bar Exam Workshop 3

Video

Handout PDF

strong>ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this coming Thursday - January 30th. Essays with comments and rubrics will be returned to you by Tuesday, February 4th via email.

MPT DUE DATE: This MPT will be due on Sunday - February 2nd. They will be returned as soon as possible.

Please note that you do not have to do both the essay AND MPT to receive comments. I encourage you to do both, but if you prefer to do only one, that is acceptable.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY/MPT TO ME: You may certainly email either of them to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you prefer to send me a hard copy, slip the paper under my door (room 230) or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it to my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays/MPTs (and all your practice essays/MPTs) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions/MPTs. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY/MPT: Occasionally, we may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

ALL STUDENTS / SCROLL DOWN PAST THE COMMERCIAL PAPER ESSAY FOR THE MPT

Essay- COMMERCIAL PAPER - Please use the February 2009 Commercial Paper Question in your essay materials. The text of the question is set out below.
Drawer wrote a check, drawn on Bank, to Payee for $3,000 and delivered the check to Payee as payment for services Payee had performed for Drawer. Before Payee had a chance to deposit the check in her bank account, she was robbed at gunpoint by Thief, who took her handbag with the check in it. After Thief discovered payee’s check in her handbag, he used the examples of Payee’s signature on various pieces of identification inside her wallet to create a perfect forgery of Payee’s signature on the back of the check.

The next day, Thief agreed to buy a used car from Seller for $3,000. Thief offered Seller the $3,000 check stolen from payee as payment for the car. Thief told Seller that his friend Payee, owed him $3,000 and had signed the check over to him so that he could use it to pay for the car. Seller was initially reluctant to take the check in payment for the car. However, Thief showed Payee’s driver’s license to Seller, explaining that Payee had lent him her ID while she was at work. Seller saw that the signature on the check matched the signature on the driver’s license, so he was convinced that Thief was telling the truth and that Payee had negotiated the check to Thief. Acting in good faith, Seller took the check in payment for the car, gave Thief the car keys, and signed the certificate of title over to him. Thief drove off in the car.

The next day, Seller took payee’s check to Bank and tried to cash it, but Drawer had stopped payment on the check after payee had told him that the check had been stolen. Accordingly, Bank’s teller refused to pay the check.

Does Seller have a right to recover the amount of the check from any of payee, Drawer, Bank, or Thief? Explain as to each.

FIRST MPT ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

MPT - A-1 AUTOMOTIVE - Please use the July 2008 MPT - Williams v. A-1 Automotive. The text of the MPT WILL NOT be set out below so please consult your commercial bar course materials materials.

If you do not have this MPT, please let me know to expect a different MPT from you.

ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due by Friday, February 6th.

MPT DUE DATE: The MPT will be due my Sunday, February 9th.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY/MPT TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you write, you may scan and email it to me or you may fax it to me at 618 435 3317.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays and MPTs (and all your practice essays and MPTs) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY: Occasionally, we may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay or MPT.

ONE MPT ASSIGNMENT FOR EVERY STUDENT IS SET OUT AFTER THE ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS

All STUDENNTS :

Essay - Evidence - Please use the February 2008 Evidence Question in your essay materials. The text of the question is set out below.

Victor was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Standard hospital practice requires the admitting nurse in the emergency room to record all information provided by a patient about the cause of the patient’s illness or injury. Following that practice, the admitting nurse, Nurse, asked Victor: “What happened?” Victor responded: “I was stabbed with a big knife. Dan did it.” Nurse immediately wrote Victor’s statement in the appropriate place in the hospital record.

One week after his hospital admission, Victor unexpectedly died as a result of the stab wound. Dan was charged with Victor’s murder.

When Victor’s wife, Wife, heard of Dan’s arrest, she was shocked. She told Friend, “When Victor and I were alone together in the hospital, he told me who stabbed him, and it wasn’t Dan!” But Wife refused to tell Friend whom Victor had identified as his assailant.

During the trial, in order to prove that Dan stabbed Victor, the prosecutor offered the hospital record made by Nurse that contained Victor’s statement that Dan stabbed him. The prosecutor cannot locate Nurse to testify at trial. Defense counsel objected to admission of the hospital record and the statements in it, but the court overruled the objection.

During the presentation of Dan’s case, defense counsel suggested that Victor had been attacked by Stepson, Wife’s child by a previous marriage. Defense counsel called Wife as a witness and questioned her concerning Victor’s statement to her about the identity of his assailant. Wife refused to answer on the basis of the marital privilege. The prosecutor objected to the questions directed to Wife on the grounds that they sought to elicit hearsay. The court sustained both Wife’s claim of privilege and the prosecutor’s hearsay objection.

1. Did the trial court err in admitting into evidence the hospital record containing Victor’s statement? Explain.

2. Did the trial court err in sustaining Wife’s claim of privilege? Explain.

3. Did the trial court err in sustaining the prosecutor’s hearsay objection to Wife’s testimony? Explain.

SECOND MPT ASSIGNMENT OF THE WEEK

MPT - IN RE MISTOVER ACRES LLC - Please use the July 2007 MPT - In re Mistover Acres. The text of the MPT WILL NOT be set out below so please consult your materials.

strong>ESSAY DUE DATE: This essay will be due on this coming Thursday - February 13th. Essays with comments and rubrics will be returned to you by Tuesday, February 18th via email.

MPT DUE DATE: This MPT will be due on Sunday - February 16th. They will be returned as soon as possible.

Please note that you do not have to do both the essay AND MPT to receive comments. I encourage you to do both, but if you prefer to do only one, that is acceptable.

DELIVERING THE ESSAY/MPT TO ME: You may certainly email it to me at tjohnson@siu.edu. If you prefer to send me a hard copy, slip the paper under my door (room 230) or give it to my secretary (Ms. Carol Manis in room 243). If you slip it under my door or give it to my secretary, you should let me know that you have done that.

WRITING OR TYPING: Approach these essays/MPTs (and all your practice essays/MPTs) in the way that you will for the bar exam. Thus, if you plan to type for the bar exam, then type your answers. If you plan to write, then write your answers to these essay questions/MPTs. If you write, I will gladly accept scanned electronic copies of your essays.

INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR ESSAY/MPT: Occasionally, we may have a question about the work you have turned in. Having your contact information helps us to easily get a hold of you if we have any questions about your essay.

ALL STUDENTS / SCROLL DOWN PAST THE ESSAY FOR THE MPT
Essay - CRIMINAL LAW/PROCEDURE - Please use the July 2009 Criminal Law/Procedure essay in your materials. The text of the question is set out below.

John, age 18, and Crystal, age 14, walked into the Mini Mart, a convenience store. They wandered around the store for a few minutes and then walked up to the counter. John had his hand in a leather bag. He stared at the store clerk for about 10 seconds and started to sweat. At this point, Crystal began to cry. She said, “I don’t want to do this,” and ran out of the store. John remained for a few more seconds and then ran out of the store himself. The store clerk immediately called 911 and nervously said, “Two kids were about to rob me, but I guess they changed their minds.”

Three days later, the police came to Crystal’s home, where she lives with her parents. The police told Crystal’s mother that Crystal was a suspect in an attempted robbery and that they wanted to search for evidence. Crystal’s mother asked the police if they had a warrant. They said, “No, but we can get one.” Crystal’s mother let the police in.

When the police searched Crystal’s room, they found John’s zipped leather bag in Crystal’s closet. Without first obtaining a search warrant, or asking Crystal’s mother who owned the bag, the police opened the bag and found a gun and printouts of e-mails from John to a friend. The police read the e-mails, which described John’s plans to rob the Minit Mart with the help of his girlfriend, Crystal.

Crystal later confessed that she and John had planned to rob the Minit Mart store, but that she got scared and ran out of the store. She also said that John gave her the leather bag with the gun after they had left the Minit Mart and told her to “get rid of it.”

John was charged with attempted armed robbery of the Minit Mart store. His lawyer filed a motion to suppress the leather bag and its contents on the grounds that the bag was seized and searched in violation of John’s Fourth Amendment rights. The trial court denied the motion, and the issue was properly preserved for appeal.

At John’s trial for attempted armed robbery, the Minit Mart clerk testified to the facts that he had told the police earlier. Crystal also testified for the prosecution, repeating what she had previously told the police. She also said that the leather bag belonged to John, that she and John had planned the robbery together, that she saw John load the gun and put it in his leather bag before they entered the Minit Mart, and that John’s hand was in the leather bag with the gun for the entire time that they were in the Minit Mart. She testified that she “got scared” when she and John were standing at the counter, which is why she ran from the store. She said that when John got into the car after running out of the store, he said, “Well, that went bad,” and then drove away from the store.

After Crystal’s testimony, the prosecution introduced the leather bag, the e-mails, and the gun into evidence. The court admitted all of the evidence over the objection of John’s lawyer.

John presented no evidence.

At the close of the case, the trial court denied both John’s motion for judgment of acquittal and his request for a jury instruction on the defense of abandonment.

The jury convicted John of attempted armed robbery. Did the trial court err:

1. In denying John’s motion to suppress the leather bag and its contents? Explain

2. In denying John’s motion for judgment of acquittal? Explain

3. In failing to instruct the jury on the defense of abandonment? Explain?

MPT ASSIGNMENT

MPT - WHITFORD v. NEWBERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT - Please use the February 2002 MPT Whitford v. Newberry Middle School District. The text of the MPT WILL NOT be set out below so please consult your materials.

At this point, now that your bar courses are over, you are all putting together your study schedules for the final days before the bar exam. Here's some advice as you go through that process:

1. Assess each subject and truthfully say where you are with the subject. This will help you determine how much time to spend on the particular subject during your final study period. Please note that your plan will be to review everything in the final study period. The assessment just tells you how much time you need to spend to be ready for exam.

2. How should you assess each subject? You can use whatever method works best for you. If you do not have a method, consider asking yourself literally where you are on each subject. Are you there? Are you almost there? Are you nowhere?

There = If the bar exam was tomorrow, you'd feel confident about the subject and your ability to test well in it. You don't have to be perfect to be "there." But the general feeling should be that you understand the topic and feel good about being able to answer a question on it.

Almost there = You understand the topic, but there are a few aspects of the topic that are still giving you trouble. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you need to hone in on a few aspects.

Nowhere = You do not feel confident on the topic because there are several aspects that you do not understand and need to assimilate before the exam.

For most students, the majority of subjects will fall in the "almost there" pile with a few subjects falling in the other piles. But remember that this about truth - on both ends. Be honest as to what you feel ready for and what you don't. In this way, you'll make the final schedule that is right for you.

Timing. In organizing this study schedule, try to organize those topics you have to spend a great deal of time on Again, assessing only helps you to organize your time. You will still go over every subject regardless of where it falls in the categories.

I am sure at this point, the stress is building as you prepare for your upcoming bar exam. Here are a few STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS you may find useful:

TAKE A DEEP BREATH ...and Relax

When you're under stress your muscles tense and your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. One of the simplest (and best) ways to stop this stress response is to breathe deeply and slowly. It sounds simple, and it is. Most people, however, don't breathe deeply under normal circumstances, so it may help to review the mechanics of deep breathing and how it helps you to relax.

Breathing Under Stress

When prehistoric humans were in danger of attack, their muscles tensed and their breathing became rapid and shallow as they prepared to run or fight. Their high level of tension was a means of preparing their bodies for optimum performance. Today, the causes of our “stress” are different, but our stress response is the same. However, since we’re not running or fighting, our tension has no release and our stress response builds. One way to counteract the stress response is to learn how to breathe deeply and slowly – the opposite of how we breathe when under stress.

How Deep Breathing Works

Deep breathing is not always natural to adults. Watch the way a baby breathes: the area beneath the chest goes in and out. Most adults breathe from the chest. This is shallower breathing, so less oxygen is taken in with each breath. As a result, the blood is forced to move through the system quickly so that enough oxygen gets to the brain and organs. Higher blood pressure results.

Deep breathing can reverse these effects. Take some time to practice this kind of breathing each day, especially when you’re under stress. You can be sitting, standing or lying down, but it helps to wear loose, comfortable clothing. Begin by breathing in through your nostrils. Count to five, silently saying the word “in,” and let your lower abdomen fill with air. Then count to five, silently saying the word “out,” as you let the air escape through pursed lips. Do this deep breathing for two minutes or more each time. With practice, you’ll be able to count slowly to 10 or higher. You can increase your relaxation if you imagine breathing in ocean air, the scent of flowers or forest air.

Effects of Deep Breathing

By helping you let go of tension, deep breathing can relieve headaches, backaches, stomach aches and sleeplessness. It releases the body’s own painkillers, called endorphins, into the system. It allows blood pressure to return to normal, which is good for your heart. Deep breathing can also allow held-in emotions to come to the surface, so your emotional health benefits from deep breathing, too. Use deep breathing any time, anywhere. It’s one of the best techniques for relieving stress.

Are you wondering what to do next? Don't get too comfortable. It's time to hit the books again. SIU is here to help you with the 2014 Summer Bar Prep program !

Established to supplement your commercial bar course, SIU School of Law offers assistance in three ways: Workshops, Weekly Essays and Personal One on One Assistance.

The First Workshop will be held on May 21st at 2:00 in room 206. It will focus on Scheduling and Multiple Choice Strategies.

Scheduling and Multiple Choice Workshop Video

Scheduling and Multiple Choice Workshop Powerpoint

Second Workshop - Essay Writing and Memorization

Video

PCMac

PowerPoint