From the Single Mom's Law School Experience, then "Almost Attorney" to FINALLY an Esquire!: MPT portion of the BAR

Friday, July 30, 2010

MPT portion of the BAR

I was surprised to find out that all jurisdictions do not require testing the MPT portion for the bar. Oregon does. What is the MPT? Basically, you unseal the book and it contains memos, evidence, and legal authority. You are to analyze and answer the question that has been posed to you. In all truthfulness, it was not too difficult. If you did well in your legal research and writing class, this is an easy issue.

I can't tell you the specifics of the test, because believe it or not, they make you sign a confidentiality issue. What I can say that our issue had to deal with whether a lawyer had to testify against her client in criminal proceedings. We were given evidence, a letter from the attorney, some work product, and then "cases" that we read. In return, we wrote a legal memorandum with what our conclusion was.

Very simple, very straightforward. And it counts for 12.5% of the Bar. So, moral of the story: Pay attention in your LRW classes!

1 comment:

AnonymousAugust 4, 2010 at 8:07 PM
Hey Lisa!

This is totally off topic, lol! I'm getting ready to start classes in a week or two and I really want to put a ton of classical music on my iPod as well . . . can you recommend any songs or artists that were good for you while you studied?

Sorry, I would have sent this to you in an email if I could have! Thanks!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

FAQ

Lots of people ask me: how do you do it? How do you attend law school and raise a child alone? My answer is simply that you prioritize. You approach school as an 8 to 5 job. I take Friday evenings and Saturday's off. Study a bit on Sundays. For me this works. It means not being a part of the "social" things at school, and that time between your classes is in the library studying. But that's okay. You will have different goals then the students who are single with no children.

How do you afford it? Student loans........yes, you heard me. My reasoning is that my earning capacity will double, but likely triple, which means that I can afford to take on the debt to pay for a better future for my daughter and I.

Does you daughter resent you studying? No. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she really does understand the bigger picture. She is my biggest supporter. I have learned to include her by taking her to class with me when I can, by having her help me study with flash cards, and by taking her to appropriate events at school. In fact, I did an incoming student panel one year, and the administration of the school had her speak as well. We are a team, and that includes this journey.