What's Up With the Bar/Bri Litigation?
Several readers have written in to inquire about the status of the BAR/BRI class action litigation. Here's the latest update on the lawsuit website:
Over 85,000 Claim Forms representing claims for over 120,000 BAR/BRI courses have been received and processed by the Claims Administrator. However, several objectors appealed from the Court’s Order granting final approval of the Settlement. A total of seven Notices of Appeal of the Settlement were filed....NO CLAIMS CAN BE CALCULATED OR PAID UNTIL THERE HAS BEEN A FINAL RESOLUTION OF ALL APPEALS.
On January 25, 2008 Class Counsel met with attorneys for the objector-appellants and defendants' counsel under the auspicies of the Ninth Circuit Mediation Program. After a full day of mediation, the parties could not reach a resolution that would allow for a dismissal of the appeals and distribution of the Settlement Fund. Further updates will be posted on this website.
So don't hold your breath waiting for that check. But for some class members, you may have another source of relief.
Details, after the jump.
From a tipster:
I wanted to call your attention to another possible Bar/Bri settlement. I've searched your archives and didn't find anything mentioning it. I received a Claim Form as a member of the Class for a lawsuit entitled Park v. Thomson Corp.It looks legitimate, although we're not sure how it relates to the first Bar/Bri case, Rodriguez v. West Publishing Corp. (and we are tooI already submitted my Bar/Bri claim form for the $125 last summer, so I read through this latest mailing to find out if it was a duplicate. It seems that it is a different action, but the settlement is estimated at a paltry $30 - $40 per class member.
I don't have time to figure out if this is a scam or just another opportunity get more money back from Bar/Bri. Have you heard of this? If this is legit, I'm sure your other readers would like to know.
The allegations in Park and Rodriguez are similar, but the plaintiff classes are defined differently. The FAQs for the Park case include these exchanges:
20. If I filed a Claim Form in the Rodriguez BAR/BRI Class Action and I believe I am a class member in this Settlement, am I required to file a Claim Form in this Settlement?Yes, you must file a Claim Form to remain a member of this Park BAR/BRI Settlement.
21. I filed a Claim Form in the Rodriguez BAR/BRI Class Action. What is the status of my Claim?
Distribution is anticipated to occur during the second quarter of 2008, pending the resolution of all appeals.
The final settlement hearing in Park is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 AM, so presumably we'll know more after that time. If you'd like to discuss the Bar/Bri litigation, please feel free to do so in the comments. Thanks.
Park BAR/BRI Settlement [official website]
BAR/BRI Class Action Litigation [official website]
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Who gives a fuck. I am glad bar/bri is over.
worst monday for ATL ever.
Good real reporting Lat--thanks! I was wondering where my check was. =(
Echo 1:09.
Is Bar/Bri a good bar prep course? Are there any competitors that people would recommend or is BarBri the best you'll find?
What is an auspicies?
1:23, just bite the BarBri bullet so you can pass the damn exam.
This was botched as soon as McGuireWoods took it over, remember the mess that this whole litigation was? I mean, really, are you surprised that no money has come out yet. Even their own lawyers were complaining that it was a bad deal, and they negotiated it ...
I sold my BarBri books on ebay and got about $350. Add in the $125 and the $30 and the price starts to look somewhat reasonable.
aren't most people's bar expenses covered by firms? if so, why care?
Forget BarBri, anyone hear about stealth layoffs at Sheppard?
So Obama is the puppet of some slimeball politician who calls himself "The Godfather" and refers to dying as "getting called home"? The hits keep on comin' with this guy.
where is Kash?
Any way to get in on this if you haven't filed a claim yet?
Where is SEN?
Sorry 1:43, Kash may be a little tired!
@ 1:36(2) - My BarBri was also covered by my employer. I have not read the court filings. Could I even obtain a refund?
1:53 --
You broke my heart with that comment. Kash, please dump 1:53 and date me!!
1:36 - get your head out of your big firm a--. Some people have to pay for their BAR/BRI, even people who work at law firms. Not to mention the thousands of lawyers who work in government, at non-profits, in house etc. So they care. I venture to say the big firms who paid for your prep and that of your associate class would also be happy to get $125/associate who is within the class.
1:57 --
No. The claim is made by the person/entity that purchased the course. Our law firms are probably going to get a decent amount of money back.
Shit, I'm on the 160k scale, and I'll take whatever I can ge from these fools. On the who-paid note, I paid for mine and got reimbursed... interesting if some had their firms cut the check originally.
1:53 --
I am distraught. This news has really floored me. You have crushed my hopes, insulted, my manhood, and I demand satisfaction. I challenge you to a duel, the winner of which may pursue the affections of Ms. Hill. You pick the weapons. I will then make arrangements for time and place.
My reading of the settlement is that you can still make a claim, even if you were reimbursed by a firm later.
Please do a post on Joe Marino and the Barbri retaker course, which is awful. Marino is the guy who consistently claims he has an expertise in knowing which essays will be on the bar yet manages to get almost nothing correct yet Barbri has him teach the course year after year and does not him hand out an evaluation.
Ah, 2:16, if only we still used the old ways! Not that it would be a good way of determining a suitor for the lady, but it much more satisfying, no?
I choose the small-sword, and look forward to putting holes in your lungs and liver; clearly your heart is already stuck.
Please do a post on Joe Marino and the Barbri retaker course, which is awful. Marino is the guy who consistently claims he has an expertise in knowing which essays will be on the bar yet manages to get almost nothing correct yet Barbri has him teach the course year after year and does not give the class evaluations. I believe they do not ask for class evaluations because they would prefer not to know how bad he is since it is hard to get a professor teach on Sunday mornings (especially during football season).
Ah, 2:16, if only we still used the old ways! Not that it would be a good way of determining a suitor for the lady, but it is much more satisfying, no?
I choose the small-sword, and look forward to putting holes in your lungs and liver; clearly your heart is already stuck.
Here is what I know about BarBri:
1. I passed the NY Bar after using them
2. Always polite and professional with me on the phone
3. Owner gives out home #
4. lecturers, even on video, at least try to make boring stuff entertaining and present it in a basic, understandable fashion, even the whacked out property woman
5. Everyone pays the same amount in each state, whether the firms pay or not is of no major concern
6. There are competing courses i.e. Pieper and self-study options
On the other hand...
Law schools are a disaster...some pay $150k...some pay nothing, sometimes at the same school...there is no semblance of "customer care", at least my school and yes, adults paying that $$$ in most other capacities would be trated slightly differently...academics who have never seen the inside of a courtroom interjected their political views, especially on terrorism, immigration etc. in my case, taught me why the government should win tax cases, securities from a text that was obsolete by day 1 of class and core courses that I would have been better off learning from BarBri in the first place! If anything I'd like to see the amount of lawsuits against crap law schools and their fraudulent inducement/bait and switch techniques...oh and just for fun, figure out what your law school "billable hour" was...based on my 15hr p/w and $36k tuition I was paying about $75 p/h, often times in classes of 50+ students...it would have been cheaper to have a BigFirm Sr Associate or Partner teach us...
1:53,
Based on your response, I must concede that you rule. I feel a bit the coward for backing down, but you've proven yourself the wittier, and thus the better, man. Be good to Kash. Kash, forgive me. I will always bear you close to my breast.
If your firm reimbursed you after you paid for the class, then the $ is owed to the firm. It's the same thing as if it paid directly.
Once and for all, Penn Law and Penn St. Law are not the same thing.
Sorry 2:51, that agreement doesn't wash. If at the time you paid for the course you did not expect reimbursement, but you were subsequently reimbursed by a firm, that is NOT the same as the firm paying for the course directly.
By accepting a check from the firm I did not assign to the firm all of my rights with respect to the course.
Turn it around...Would the firm become liable for any of my personal obligations arising out of the course by virtue of cutting me a check?
Didn't think so.
3:08 -- you are so wrong. Please get a clue.
Penn Law: http://www.law.upenn.edu/
Penn St. Law: http://www.dsl.psu.edu/
618-- no one needs to see that. Everyone knows what Penn is. It's the one with the football team in the Big 10 (or 11 I guess).
Penn St. is the one with the campus in Philly.
Let me clear it up-
Penn- in Philly, ranked 77.
PSU- in State College, ranked 7.
Idiots.
Is Bar/Bri a good bar prep course? Are there any competitors that people would recommend or is BarBri the best you'll find?
Bar/Bri is so good you'll wonder why you wasted 3 years of your life and 100K in loans when you can read the Bar/Bri outlines over 6 weeks and obliterate the bar exam. Really makes you feel foolish in retrosspect.
BarBri is a great course. It teaches you how to pass the Bar Exam--period. They do not teach you the law or try to make you a good lawyer, that is not their job, they just teach you to pass.
They could teach a smart highschool senior to pass the test.
If you are taking the BarBri course, my only advice it to read the large books (8.5 x 14) for the multistate topics--even though they tell you not to unless you are having trouble with a topic. After reading that, I did much better on my multistate practice tests.
As far as multistate, you can jet get teh PMBR book and take a test or two to get a flavor of their questions as well.
Also, I agree with posts above about the people at BarBri being great. My course was covered by firm, but I had friends in school who were paying on own and BarBri gave them discounts (and they were basically only game in town so they did not have to do so). Also, they gave out cell numbers so we can call any day.
Overall, BarBri gets an A+