LegalAnalysisandDrafting:TheBarExam
Spring2012
UniversityofCincinnatiCollegeofLaw
JoelChanvisanuruk
COURSESUMMARY&SYLLABUS
Scheduledclasses:Fridays,1:30–3:30,Room118
Professor:
JoelChanvisanuruk
201‐MCollegeofLaw
Phone:(513)556‐3531;(513)307‐6097(cell)
E‐mail:chanvijm@ucmail.uc.edu
Officehours:Wednesdays,10:00–12:00,exceptduringindividualmeetingweeks
Requiredtexts:
RiebeandSchwartz,PASSTHEBAR!(CarolinaAcademicPress2006)
Rigos,RIGOSBARREVIEWSERIESMULTISTATEPERFORMANCETESTREVIEW
(SecondEdition)(Aspen,2010)
Barbri’sfullandConviserMiniReview(CMR)outlinesofContractsandTorts.
AvailableforpurchasefromtheCPD,registrationpagepostedtoUCLawSyllabus
website.
TWEN:
TWENregistrationisrequiredforthiscourse.TheTWENpasswordforthiscourse
is“bearcat.”
CourseObjectives:
Uponcompletionofthiscoursestudentswillhavelearnedandmasteredstrategies
fordraftingresponsestobarexamessaysandperformancetests.
Thiscourseisnotareplacementforacommercialbarpreparationcourse,andis
insufficientonitsownaspreparationforanystate’sbarexam.
CourseExpectationsandStructure:
Myexpectationsofstudentsenrolledinthiscoursearebasedontheassumption
thatyouplanontakingandpassingabarexamination.Iexpectstudentsenrolledin
thiscoursetocompletereadingandstudyassignments,toengageinself‐assessment
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oftheirworkandlearningstyleandtoputforthagoodfaitheffortintheexecution
ofwrittenandgroupassignments.
Thiscoursefocusesonthewrittencomponentsofbarexams,namelyessaysand
performancetests.StudentswillcompleteelevenpreviouslyadministeredOhio
TortsandContractsessayquestionsandthreemultistateperformancetestsunder
timedconditions.Responsestothesequestionswillbeself‐reviewed,peer
reviewedorreviewedbytheprofessor.Studentswillscheduleandattendthree
mandatoryindividualmeetingswiththeprofessor.
OutsideofclassstudentswillreviewandstudythesubstantivelawofTortsand
Contracts.Yourreviewandstudyofthesubstantivelawmustpermityouto
performwellonquizzesandessaysengagingthesubjectmatter.Asthisisareview
ofmaterialforwhichstudentshavepreviouslyreceivedCollegeofLawcredit,
studenttimecommittedtothisreviewisnotconsideredpartofthetwocredits
earnedinthiscourse.
Studentswilltakefivequizzesduringthesemester.Eachquizwilltakeplaceduring
thefirstfifteenminutesofclassandwillcoverthematerialassignedforstudythat
week.Tomorecloselyreplicatetherecallnecessaryforsuccessfulperformanceon
thewrittencomponentsofthebarexam,quizzeswillnotbemultiplechoicebut
ratheraseriesofpromptsrequiringdefinitionsorexplanationsofpointsoflaw(e.g.
Explainthe“MailboxRule;”Listanddefinethedefensestointentionaltorts”).
QuizzeswillreceiveagradeofCheck‐plus,Check,orCheck‐minus.
Grading:
Thisisa2‐creditcoursegradedonaHighPass,Pass,LowPass,Failbasis.In
additiontoattendingscheduledclasses,youarealsorequiredtoattendthree
individualmeetingswithyourprofessortoreviewandreceivefeedbackonyour
practicequestions.
InordertoattainagradeofPassstudentsmustdemonstrateagoodfaitheffortin
thecompletionofwrittenandgroupexercises,attend80%ofthescheduledclasses,
andattendthreemandatoryindividualmeetingswiththeprofessor.
Studentswhofailtodemonstrateagoodfaitheffortinthecompletionofin‐class
writtenandgroupexercises,attendfewerthan80%ofthescheduledclassesorfail
toscheduleandattendthreemandatoryindividualmeetingswiththeprofessorwill
receiveaLowPassorFail.FailuretocompleteanassignedessayorMPTwillresult
inaFail.Latewritingassignmentswillnotbeaccepted,butcountedasanon‐
submission,resultinginacourseFail.
Inordertoattainagradeof“HighPass”studentsmustbeeligibleforagradeof
“Pass”andhavescoredatleastthreecheck‐plusesandnocheck‐minusesonthefive
quizzes.
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FirstAssignment:
ReadReibeChapters1,3and5.


Ifyouhavedecidedwhichstate’sbarexamyouaretaking:readChapter7
andcompleteexercise7‐1
Ifyouhaveyettodecidewhichstate’sbarexamtotake:readChapter6and
completeexercise6‐2
Bringwithyoutoyourfirstclassaprintedcopyofeitherassignment7‐1or6‐2.
Course/ReadingSchedule:
Thefullcourseandreadingschedulewillbedistributedduringourfirstclass
meeting.
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