Where Steven Comes to Waste Time

I'm going to skip the SOTU address tonight. While I would love to hear the Prez tell us the difference between Iran and Iraq, unfortunately, duty calls.

Apparently, Cindy Sheehan will be there. I wonder if she's going to do something unexpected...er....expected.

I'll get the final scores later tonight.

Steven was not studying at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Now that the final stretch is approaching, I spent a little time thinking about the numbers I needed to pass. A 75 here, a 60 here, etc., etc. 140 on the MBE? A certain percentile can receive a certain score?

I came to realize that knowing the numbers is not going to get me a better score. Instead, it takes time out from study time (yeah, yeah, sort of like blogging).

After all, we're not going to know the numbers if we pass. And we're not going to care.

So as of today, I don't care about the numbers. Its pass or fail.

Essay Tuesday.

Steven was not studying at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

For those studying, have you ever noticed that the analysis in some subjects are similar to others? For example, consider negligence. Duty, Standard of care, breach, causation, and damages. Simple enough.

Now notice that there are several other topics which require a similar anaysis:

CORPORATIONS: Director's duty of care
Duty - to corporation
Standard of Care - reasonable director
Breach - reasonable director would not...secretly profit through an interested sale
causation - b/f the secret profit, the corporation has lost money, no superseding cause
damages - corporation lost money
remedy - director personally liable, must disgorge profit to corporation

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Lawyer's duty of care
Duty - to client
Standard of Care - reasonable lawyer in good standing
breach - reasonable lawyer would not put himself in a conflict of interest situation by having sex with a client (assuming went beyond permissible rules re: sex in CA)
causation - b/f the conflict of interest, no ethical violation
damage - none, but lawyer committed ethical violation
remedy - lawyer subject to discipline

TRUSTS - Trustee's duty of care
Duty - to beneficiaries
Standard of care - reasonable person managing his or her own property
breach - reasonable person would not commingle funds
causation - b/f the commingling, trust fund would not have lose $2000, no superseding cause
damages - trust principal lost money
remedy - trustee personally liable, b/f's can void trasnaction?


Obviously, there are some tweaks that are needed, but the overall analysis is the same. The point is that if you are fully capable of handling a negligence analysis, then you are 80% done with other issues that require a similar analysis.

Steven was not studying at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

To all the takers: you ARE reviewing the major elements of the subjects at least once daily, right?

Steven was not studying at 7:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

I sent a letter to the dean and the director of the program informing him that I will be taking a leave of absence until I pass the bar exam (I initially wrote that I was going to withdraw, but apparently there is a world of difference between withdrawing and taking a leave of absence.)

I also spoke with the coordinator of the program and told him that I planned to transfer, considering my needs and my recent grades. After discussing it a bit, he seemed to be ok with it. The decision to move isn't final yet, as I'm still waiting for one more grade (a big 3-unit class which will ultimately make or break me.)

Now comes the issue of how to deal with the student loans payments that will begin to kick in. I suppose I can ask for a delay until I get a job (after the exam).

Steven was not studying at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

As I am reviewing property right now, I am wondering whether the examiners ever include aspects which are particularly difficult to many people (example: rule against perpetuities.) I recall seeing a problem like that on the performance test section.

Steven was not studying at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

I haven't posted in awhile because its just been a nightmare of a week.

The lady at the financial aid department had to choose this week to take a freaking vacation. I desperately needed to tell her that Im taking the semester off (or longer if things work out.) She better be back on Monday.

Anyway, on Wednesday, I actually took a practice MBE pretty close to test conditions. Unfortunately, I scored a 128. Funny thing though. On the AM portion I scored a 50. But on the PM portion I scored a 78. The difference between the two portions are that I actually worked faster on the PM portion and I went with my gut instinct.

Anyway, I did a few essays today, and overall, I realize that I suck. Period. Issue spotting is a pain in the ass.

On a lighter note, one of my favorite net stations went back on the air after being down for months.

As for tomorrow, I debated driving all the way down to school to study but I don't know.

Steven was not studying at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Now that time is of the essence, I will no longer read over outlines, 90% of which consists of superfluous information. I have small outlines for each of the subjects which I tend to memorize every day.

For the essays, my writing style has improved somewhat, so I think I will write out one or two essays per day. With the remainder, I will spend 30 minutes creating an outline, then spend five minutes visualizing my written answer and see how it chalks up to the model answer provided.

Since I am taking classes anyway, I decided to brief cases in order to prepare myself for the PT section.

Steven was not studying at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

I just found out I got the highest grade (an A) in one of my classes.

I'm waiting for my CALI award...

Steven was not studying at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you are taking the bar exam in California or another state, I HIGHLY recommend you read this article.

Im not sure how to classify this article, but it has definitely motivated me to study.

Steven was not studying at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

In case you don't know, I spent the last three months requesting a transfer to another law school. While I love the school I am attending now and wouldn't mind staying there, it is located an hour away (with no traffic) from my house and it is very inconvenient for me to drive back and forth three days per week.

I got an email from the school's director asking about my current status. I told her that I would like to start this semester if it wasn't too late, but I am willing to wait until the summer or fall. I am crossing my fingers for the good news.

Now that I think about it, I should again think about the consequences either way. I'll do that later. Right now, I have to get back to studying.

Steven was not studying at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Life is back to normal and now its back to thinking about the bar exam.

Now that the bar exam is four weeks away, I should prepare for the exam under test conditions. I just finished taking three practice essay exams.

In case you're wondering, the California Bar Exam is three days long. This year, the exam takes place from February 22-24.

Im hungry. I'll be back later.

Steven was not studying at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

I told my sister earlier not to bring any more rabbits because of this incident. I plan to take that statement back.

What happened was sad and what made it worse was that what happened should not have happened. Also, I think we could have done a little more.

I realize that all animals die at some point. While our rabbit was with us, he received personal attention and was treated as a member of the family. And in his last moments, we all gave the rabbit a lot of love and sacrificed our other obligations to make him comfortable. Today, my sister and I made sure that his passing was peaceful and painless. And when he passed on, we all felt saddened.

Now that I think about it, there are only a few animals in this world that are lucky enough to be given this kind of love.

On that note, I wouldn't mind if she brings another rabbit home. Just not anytime soon.

Steven was not studying at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last night, I let the rabbit sleep in my room. I didn't want it to spend its last night alone. I did everything I could to make him as comfortable as possible.

I spent most of the night wondering what I should do. Assuming that he was paralyzed, can the vet do something so that he can live at least a comfortable life? I have heard a few stories on the net, but the majority of websites I visited stated that a rabbit's quality of life is very poor and euthanasia is the most humane option. The good news was that he was eating that night and seemed alert that night, which made me feel comfortable falling asleep.

This morning, the rabbit was on the floor and appeared to be sleeping on its side. I picked him up and took him downstairs where I tried to give it water using a dropper. He did not look well. He must have suffered last night. At 9AM, I made an appointment with a vet in Pasadena. My sister decided to come with me. When we arrived at the office, I decided to wait in the lobby and let my sister talk to the vet.

When I saw the vet leave the exam room, I came in and asked my sister what happened. The vet confirmed the worst: the rabbit was paralyzed and he had to be put down.

I looked at the rabbit one last time. Its eyes were closed and it was shivering a bit. It didn't make any attempt to move. I didn't say anything. I pet him gently one last time before I felt the room. I wish I gave him a hug.

Fifteen minutes later, I saw a technician walk in the exam room. She walked out carrying the rabbit and took him into another room. My sister then came out of the room and then took care of the paperwork. We left the office at around 11AM. It seems pretty quick considering the circumstances.

Steven was not studying at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

1. When you can see your bar results screen, press PrtSc (on the upper right side of your keyboard)
2. Open Paint (Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> Paint)
3. On Paint, click on the Edit menu and click on Paste.
4. Save the picture (Make sure it's saved as a JPG file.)

Steven was not studying at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

I spent the day taking care of my sister's sick rabbit. The rabbit was initially scared of me but he soon realized that I am only trying to take care of him. As I spend more and more time with him, the more I think that the rabbit is paralyzed. The biggest tipoff was its inability to pee and poop on its own. I had to lift him up so that gravity would do the job for me.

I "volunteered" to take the rabbit to the vet. I say "volunteered" because it seems as if no one else in my family has any interest in taking this situation seriously. Which means have to give up study time (like this matters anyway). Not only that, I'll be really bummed if the rabbit is put down.

I, for one, would like to keep the rabbit alive. If it is paralyzed but it can live a reasonably good life, then I'll do what I can to make sure it does. However, this is my sister's rabbit and I am very disappointed in her lack of interest in seeking quick treatment. She also has no qualms with putting the rabbit to sleep. Perhaps this experience will teach her something. Or at the very least make her think twice before bringing another pet into the house.

Im still hoping its only a fracture.

Steven was not studying at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

I thought about writing more about myself, but I have no idea what to write. I guess I'll leave it up to someone to ask what is it about me they want to know.

One thing though, I don't want to put my picture up...yet. The main reasons being that I haven't lost enough weight and I haven't fixed my lazy eye yet.

Sad day today. One of my sister's rabbits can't move its hind legs. This morning, the rabbit's head was stuck in its cage and my sister and I tried to get it out. We managed to get it free and I'm confident that we didn't hurt him. But since then, it was unable to move its hind legs. At first, I thought it was just shock from having its head stuck. But it's been like this all day, so I got extremely worried. I told my sister to take it to the vet ASAP to have him checked out. Im hoping its not paralyzed.

Steven was not studying at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

This is a hilarious prank gone wrong. It's sad but still, this is the example of the true idiot.

Steven was not studying at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Its raining today. Kinda strange, since the last two weeks were sunny with no clouds whatsoever. Looks like they just sneaked up overnight.

Its a bit of a drag. I wanted to go to this one place today, where the bar exam will be taking place in about umm...40 days?

I'm not sure what I want to study today, to tell you the truth. I thought about making outlines based on what I remember so far, but I think I might be more productive doing essays or MBE questions. I don't know.

I'm still praying that my transfer request will be accepted. I am getting so sick of driving long distances.

Steven was not studying at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm give up. Your appellation's technical monkey!


Someone actually said that to me today.

I was cracking up.

When he realized I understood what that phrase meant, he started cracking up too.

The people around us were looking at us like we were crazy.

Back to work tommorow. Wills and Trusts, anyone?

Steven was not studying at 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

Took me a bit to figure this out, but this is one of the best blonde jokes I have heard in a while.

Steven was not studying at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Ive been studying Contracts/Sales for most of the day, and right now I have a freaking headache!

Not to mention a class at 7 tonight.

::sigh::

Steven was not studying at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Tonight's class was cancelled today. Yeah, as if I'd really pay attention with the bar exam coming up. So I decided to use the time to watch American Me and look at some other people's blogs at the same time.

Apparently, there are people out there who can write a long essay about what they did the last hour. I, on the other hand don't like to write much. First, I don't have the time to write long stories. Second, I think most people are turned off by long blogs, unless they have pictures to go along with it. So I think for the time being, I'll keep my entries short and sweet.

On that note, I tried to study Con Law, but boredom kicked in very quickly. Got a few essays done and did some multiple choice questions. I haven't decided what Im going to study tomorrow.

Steven was not studying at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

Since I need to cheer myself up for another hell-laden semester (its only part-time, but still...), I thought I'd post a few jokes.

Why are women bad at math?
They are always told that this is nine inches.

The best blonde joke ever!

NEWS: Woman caught having sex with a two year old in the back seat.

Here's a joke for all you psychics out there...

Dear IRS: Please remove me from your mailing list.
(I dont think one needs a tax degree to figure this one out)

Q: How many kids with ADD does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Dammit, I gotta pass the bar exam!

Steven was not studying at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

My winter break is over. It's not a big deal I suppose since I didn't have much of a vacation to begin with.

Believe it or not, I'm still contemplating the classes I want to take. I should explain my situation here. I originally planned to obtain my LLM degree after this semester. Technically, if I was insane, I could do it. Unfortunately, due to the bar exam, I have to reduce my class load.
I have to take a few required courses to obtain my degree. But the courses are only offered once a year. So I have to take them this semester or I have to wait another year. I have two choices.

Choice #1 - Take the required courses. There are only a few required courses I need to take. The drag is that it will force me to go to school three nights per week. The advantage is that I can get the degree and graduate by the end of summer.

Choice #2 - Take the most convenient courses and wait it out. This way, I can only go to school once per week and I can spend the remainder of the time focusing on the bar exam. But this means I have to forgo the required courses and wait until next year to take them (That's right, January 2007.)

And there's the hidden, long-shot, pray for a miracle choice #3. If my transfer request is approved, then I won't be as concerned about finishing my units on time. I'll explain this later.

Anyway, I did some practice Corporations essay exams today, and I felt like killing myself because I didn't know the answers.

Steven was not studying at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

I spent a good part of the day studying evidence today.
My 6:30 AM strategy seems to be working a little too well. Now Im waking up at 5AM at home.
Tomorrow, one practice performance test and some crim law/crim pro essays.


I was reviewing the tragic story of the 12 miners and as you may know, one of them wrote a note saying that "I see them on the other side." As immature as this may sound, for a split second, I was wondering whether those miners had the ability to write after death.

Steven was not studying at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

Im not much of a football fan, and a fan of college football even less. Actually, I am a bit partial to SC. But that was one hell of a game. I suppose the people at BCS can use this game to defend their somewhat-arbitrary ranking system.

I think it wasn't because UT was the better team. SC just blew a lot of plays. Especially that really unnecessary facemask penalty. Stupid.

Damn.

Steven was not studying at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

I was studying remedies today until I realized that it would be more efficient to study this subject later in the month.

I was at a Starbucks this afternoon and I had a conversation with someone about estate planning. At one point I told him that many rich and even middle class people have some kind of estate plan. He then jokingly said, "There's no such thing as estate planning for broke people."

Now Im wondering whether it is desirable for "someone of limited means" to have an estate plan. Lets assume this person has no life insurance, no significant or unique assets (house, car, collection of Garbage Pail Kids stickers) and has a dead end job (fast food worker, intern, law clerk).
**For the legal eagles - lets also assume he made a valid holographic will.

Any thoughts?

Steven was not studying at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

I made it to a coffee shop by 6:30 this morning. The rain forced me to take an alternate route instead of the usual freeways.

Right now it is pouring outside. That along with the winds make it appear that the rain is falling almost sideways.

PS - The AIDS test was a JOKE!

Steven was not studying at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

New year's resolutions:

1) Pass the bar exam
2) Pass the CPA exam
3) Pass the AIDS test

I am sure I will pass at least one of these tests.


The February Bar Exam is coming up pretty quick. Only 51 days to learn and apply 1000 rules (900 of which most lawyers will never use in their practice).

Anyway, I have been away for a good part of the week. While I have been trying to study at a public library, it has brought limited success. Mainly because of PARKING.

In one public library, there is a three hour parking limit.

In another library, there is a one hour parking limit. However, it should be noted that there are streets where you can park all day. The bad news is that there are other cars that park there all day too.

Tomorrow's strategy:
1) Try to leave home by 6:30AM and find an all day parking spot.
2) Hang out at a small coffee shop until 9AM (when the library opens)

Steven was not studying at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments