Bar Essay Writing
Course Syllabus, Spring 2010
M/W 11 AM – 12:15 PM
M/W 2:30 – 3:45 PM
M/W 7:30 – 8:45 PM
Prof. Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.
Ph: (978) 681-0800 x177
M: (978) 476-9704
Description:
This course focuses on honing and improving students’ analytical and writing skills, with a special emphasis on the analytical and writing skills used for successful completion of the essay portion of the bar examination. Students will explore issue spotting techniques and methods of analysis; learn helpful tips for writing essay exams; receive personalized feedback on essays; and review the substantive law necessary to write the essay exam.
Course Overview:
This is an intensive writing class, and you should expect to complete several writing assignments each week, including full-length bar essays. Students should have completed all six substantive courses tested by the Multistate Bar Exam before taking this course. You will complete 12 graded in-class essays (bar exam questions from prior exams) during the semester. You will meet individually with the professor at the end of the semester, and you will receive personal feedback on your essays throughout the course. There will also be a final essay exam on which you’ll answer five essay questions in three hours, which is the same format you’ll find on the essay portion of the Massachusetts bar examination.
Grading:
Each assignment will be graded on a seven-point scale, in consistency with the grading employed by the Massachusetts Bar Examiners.
Your grade will be based on the following assignments and allocation of points:
12 in-class essays, worth 7 points each (84 points total)
3 take-home exercises, worth 7 points each (21 points total)
Final exam worth 35 points (3 hours, 5 essays worth 7 points each; 35 points total)
There are a total of 140 possible points in the course. In order to pass the course, a student must obtain at least 75 points. At the end of the course, you will receive either a “passing” or “not passing” grade.
Text:
Bar Essay BootCamp, Michael L. Coyne, Joseph Devlin, Ursula Furi-Perry and Peter M. Malaguti
OVERVIEW OF WEEKLY TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS:
Week 1:
Substantive Topic: Overview/Evidence
Writing Topic: What Are Examiners Looking For?
Reading Assignment: Foreword
Mon 1/18:
NO CLASS – Martin Luther King Day
Wed 1/20:
Overview & Expectations
Essay skills and objectives
Comparing Bar Questions
Anatomy of a Bar Question
Week 2:
Substantive Topic: Evidence
Writing Topic: Reading and Understanding the Question
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 1
Mon 1/25:
Reading and Understanding the Question
Wed 1/27:
In-Class Essay #1
Week 3:
Substantive Topic: Civil Procedure/Property
Writing Topic: Issue Spotting
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 2
Mon 2/1:
Issue Spotting Tips and Exercises
Wed 2/3:
In-Class Essay #2
Week 4:
Substantive Topic: Property
Writing Topic: Outlining
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 3
Mon 2/8:
Outlining Formats
Wed 2/10:
In-Class Essay #3
Week 5:
Substantive Topic: Property/Domestic Relations
Writing Topic: Paragraph Construction and TAAC
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 4
Mon 2/15:
Paragraph Construction
Wed 2/17:
TAAC
Week 6:
Substantive Topic: Property/Domestic Relations
Writing Topic: Essay Organization
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 5
Mon 2/22:
Essay Organization
Take-Home Assignment #1 Due (Exercises 4.1 and 4.2)
Wed 2/24:
In-Class Essay #4
Week 7:
Substantive Topic: Torts
Writing Topic: Phrasing the Issue/Thesis
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 6
Mon 3/1:
Phrasing the Issue/Thesis
Wed 3/3:
In-Class Essay #5
Week 8:
Substantive Topic: Torts/UCC
Writing Topic: Pinpointing the Rule
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 7
Mon 3/8:
Discerning What Rule of Law Applies
S.O.U.N.D. Bytes
Take-Home Assignment #2 Due (Exercise 5.2)
Wed 3/10:
In-Class Essay #6
Week 9:
Mon 3/15 and Wed 3/17:
NO CLASS—Spring Break
Week 10:
Substantive Topic: Con Law
Writing Topic: Rule Statements
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 8
Mon 3/22:
Rule Statements
Wed 3/24:
In-Class Essay #7
Week 11:
Substantive Topic: Con Law/Professional Responsibility
Writing Topic: Analytical Skills
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 9
Mon 3/29:
Analytical Skills
Take-Home Assignment #3 Due (Exercises 9.1 and 9.2)
Wed 3/31:
In-Class Essay #8
Week 12:
Substantive Topic: Contracts
Writing Topic: General Writing Skills
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 10
Mon 4/5:
General Writing Skills
Wed 4/7:
In-Class Essay #9
Week 13:
Substantive Topic: Contracts/Wills & Trusts
Writing Topic: Being Concise
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 11
Mon 4/12:
Concision
Practicing Under a Time Crunch
Wed 4/14:
In-Class Essay #10
Week 14:
Substantive Topic: Criminal Law/Criminal Procedure
Writing Topic: Editing and Revision
Reading Assignment: Read and Complete All Exercises in Chapter 12
Mon 4/19:
NO CLASS—Patriots Day
Wed 4/21:
In-Class Essay #11
Week 15:
Substantive Topic: Criminal Law/Business Associations
Writing Topic: Review
Mon 4/26:
Review
Wed 4/28:
In-Class Essay #11
Week 16:
THIS WEEK: INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES TO DISCUSS YOUR WRITING, BAR PREP PLANS AND SCHEDULE
Wed 5/5:
FINAL 3-HOUR ESSAY EXAM from 6 – 9 PM