An ATL reader sent us this photo from the University of Buffalo, writing:

What my barbri tuition got me for my mpre review class. This tv is for approximately 60 people.

Stanford Law School is one of the best law schools in the country. SLS is ranked #3 in the latest U.S. News law school rankings. Stanford graduates are generally intelligent, capable, and employable individuals (with some exceptions).

But are they smart enough to miss the first few weeks of Bar/Bri? The law school has changed its academic calendar to a quarters system. Stanford University already followed a quarters system, but the law school had been on a semester-based academic calendar.

The change could result in some conflict between 3L classes and the beginning of bar review courses. One student explains:

Stanford Law School changed to the quarter system, leaving their students in very precarious position vis a vis the bar exam. Classes do not end until several weeks after the California bar review courses start. Aside from the fact that this puts an extra burden on all SLS 3Ls, who will have to study for the bar at the same time they are attending classes and studying for finals, it creates a real mess for those students who are not remaining, or cannot remain in the immediate area. to study for and take the California bar.

This is because the bar review curricula differ from location to location. Accordingly, a student who is planning to take the bar review course somewhere other than in the Bay Area cannot take the first few weeks of the bar review course in the Stanford area and then move to wherever it is they are planning to move and finish up the bar review course at that location. Moreover, many of the students have leases on their apartments that end before the bar exam; thus, even those students who have the flexibility and financial wherewithal to change their relocation plans and remain in the Stanford area through the bar exam may not have any place to live (and how many of those do you think there are?) Stanford Law School refuses to address this issue head on, attempting to placate their students with vague promises that they’re “looking into it.”

We spoke to officials at Stanford Law School, and it appears that the school has “look[ed] into it.” Overall, the school feels that the benefits outweigh the burdens, and the burdens can be mitigated.

Look at it from Stanford’s perspective, after the jump.

Now that aspiring lawyers have taken the bar exam, they can relax and try to forget about it until the fall, when results come in. One way of relieving stress is “the bar trip”: a post-bar exam vacation to an exotic locale, for sun, surf, or snow, depending on one’s travel preferences.

The bar trip — the last hurrah before immersion into the grim realities of law firm life — is a tradition among law grads. But we’re hearing that the recession may be interfering with the tradition this year. With Biglaw start dates pushed back, and talk of lower salaries running rampant, law grads may be feeling less celebratory this year.

Purely anecdotally, law grads have told us that they’re scaling back. They’re not going on extravagant bar trips, and in some cases, not going on bar trips at all.

Are we only friends with fiscally conservative types, or is this actually a trend this year? Are you thinking of a “staycation,” or are you still planning a trip around the world?

If you’re traveling, please tell us where you’re heading and for how long. If you are heading out of the country, we hope you’ll be sure to spend some time in internet cafes checking out the latest ATL news.

Earlier: Post-Bar Travel: Open Thread

So. There’s this thing called the bar exam taking place next week. (Exact dates vary by jurisdiction.)

As bar exam candidates enter the home stretch, they exhibit a wide range of emotions. Some are cool as cucumbers, so confident of passage that they spend bar review classes making origami creatures. Others are panicky, hot messes (literally — like the folks who had to sprint down smoke-filled stairwells during the NYU library fire earlier this week).

Does anyone sitting for the bar have last-minute requests for advice? Do any veterans have wisdom to impart? What’s the most effective way to study — or relax — over the next 72 hours or so?

Comments are open. You know what to do.

Earlier: Ahhhhhhhh. The Bar Exam! And a Fire!
Prior ATL coverage of the bar exam (scroll down)

From a bored Bar/Bri student:

This is how effective Barbri is this year: this little origami creature (see image below) was created by a student in the NY review course…. during the course. It took her two Corporations lectures and one Conflict of Laws lecture to complete. And she didn’t skip a beat — she had plenty of time to “fill in the blanks,” as we are instructed to do on our lecture handouts.

Can’t believe this elaborate creation is actually origami? Read more, after the jump.

It looks like there may have been a mini-riot at the Bar/Bri lecture today. Apparently some students felt that the Con Law lecturer wasn’t entirely on top of all the salient issues. We heard from a few of them; here is one report:

I’m one of thousands of BarBri students studying for the New York Bar. I attend one of the Video locations. Today’s lecture was Constitutional Law. The lecturer was Professor Cristina Rodriguez from NYU. She was horrendous. Not only as a speaker/lecturer, but … she also got some points of law wrong on the handout. Barbri had re-recorded the lecture, which is available later today. At my location, students left midway through the lecture. I don’t plan on going to the lecture tomorrow.

Of all the con law profs, how did Barbri end up with one of the worst? Is that all I get with my thousands of tuition dollars?

After the jump, an email that BarBri sent to its students about the Con Law lecture.

UPDATE: Please note that this post has been revised in various respects since it was originally published. In addition, please see the addendum, after the jump.

We’d like to take a moment and acknowledge the great life and career of Professor Charles H. Whitebread. Professor Whitebread passed away Tuesday, in Santa Monica, California.

Professor Whitebread was a legend at the USC Gould School of Law, but most attorneys will remember him for his BAR/BRI Criminal Law lectures. We fondly remember the bow-tied professor for adding a bit of levity at a time when we were stressed beyond belief.

He is survived by his life partner, John Golden, and his devoted friend Michael Kelly.

The USC Gould School of Law will hold a memorial for Professor Whitebread at a date still to be determined. Donations to the Charles H. Whitebread Memorial Scholarship may be sent to the law school.

If you’re studying for the bar exam, congratulations on making it this far. You’re almost there; the exam will be over before you know it. In a few weeks, you’ll be lying on a beach somewhere, enjoying some fabulous post-bar travel.

How are things going for you in the home stretch? An ATL Community thread on the subject is generating healthy commentary, so let’s bring it to the front page:

How is everyone’s progress on studying for the bar?

How did the simulated MBE go for everyone?

General thoughts?

Based on the responses thus far, it seems that folks are worried, but unduly so. Relax; you’ll be just fine. Those practice MBE scores are plenty high, and you still have some study time left.

If you don’t pass the bar exam for some reason, like these famous bar failers, you can just take the test again (and again, and again; hi Paulina Bandy!). It’s not the end of the world. Bar failers have had successful careers in law, politics, media, and academia, among many other fields.

Of course, failing isn’t fun, and it does make for awkward interactions around the office or with classmates. So what’s the best way to study? From a reader:

I’d love a thread about bar exam prep courses. I’d especially like to hear from people who decided not to take one. Biggest mistake of one’s life, or best idea ever?

We took Bar/Bri and PMBR (the three-day review), and we found them both very helpful. It’s nice to have a plan of attack that you can mechanically follow — lawyers love fixed trajectories — as well as a third party imposing some discipline on your study habits.

But we also know lots of folks who got the books, studied on their own, and did just fine (and saved themselves or their firms a nice chunk of change). Readers, any thoughts?

Update: We went back and reviewed the 200+ comments on our earlier open thread about BarBri. The comments we found most entertaining pertained to Professor Paula Franzese, who teaches property. She inspired passionate detractors and defenders. Selected comments, after the jump (or just click here).

Open Thread: Bar Exam Study Update [ATL Community]

With bar exams taking place at the end of this month, a bunch of almost-lawyers are furiously studying away. It’s not the worst way to spend the dog days of summer… but it’s pretty bad. If you’re in that boat, we wish you luck (and encourage you to spend your study breaks here at ATL).

While few look forward to taking the bar, many look forward to post-bar, pre-start-date travel: the legendary, celebrated bar trip, your last hurrah before immersion into the grim realities of law firm life. With Biglaw start dates pushed back at quite a few firms (see here, here, and here), some of you may have more travel time than expected.

So where are you headed, and how long are you staying there? Or where are you considering going? Is Europe still a desirable destination, or does the weakness of the dollar put it out of reach? Is southeast Asia still a popular pick, or is a post-bar trip to Thailand so “five minutes ago”? Please share your views, in the comments.

If nothing else, this post should trigger you to buy airplane tickets — e.g., on a 21-day advance fare — if you haven’t done so already. Last-minute airfare deals seem to be a thing of the past (perhaps due to rising fuel costs). If you want to get a ticket using frequent flyer miles, you need to act fast — heck, you may even be too late — given the dwindling supply of such seats.

Kash leaves today for two months in Hong Kong — an unfortunate destination in terms of weather right now, described by the Lonely Planet guide as “punishingly hot and humid” during the summer. Hope you’ve made wiser choices!

We realize that some of you really dislike Bar/Bri bar review class. But posting an online threat to prevent class from going forward seems a bit extreme, don’t you think? See email below.

If you’re really down about studying for the bar exam, just have a bar review orgy. It’s more fun than posting anonymous threats on the internet, and it doesn’t inconvenience your fellow students.

P.S. While we’re on the subject, who’s driving a Ferrari to BarBri in L.A.? Law firm bar stipends can be generous, but not that generous.

************
From: “BAR/BRI of MA”
Date: June 29, 2008 9:33:38 PM EDT
To: “BAR/BRI of MA”
Subject: BAR/BRI BAR Review - Harvard Law School - Urgent Announcement

Dear BAR/BRI Student:

We apologize if you receive this in duplicate or even triplicate.

We’re writing to let you know that BAR/BRI classes held at HLS will be cancelled on Monday, June 30. Over the weekend, we learned of a threatening message concerning the LawSchool on an internet site and, while this kind of threat isn’t uncommon, we decided it was best to use an abundance of caution and cancel classes for the day while HUPD continues to investigate the matter.

You will receive a follow-up email from your BAR/BRI rep indicating how this class will be made up. At this time, we expect all classes to resume on schedule on Tuesday.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Parking Reserved for A Ferrari [RumorsDaily]

Earlier: The Hell That Is Bar/Bri: Open Thread

The title of this post reflects the majority view of the BAR/BRI bar review course. We actually enjoyed studying for the bar. Our overall reaction: “Wow. We’re learning so much…. LAW!”

But most of you don’t seem to be fans of Bar/Bri. You find it rather unpleasant — or maybe weird. Here’s one email we received:

Longtime fan, first-time writer. I was wondering if you could do a discussion thread on the Barbri course we are taking?

Would especially like to start with a mention of the Property I lecture today by Seton Hall law professor Paula Franzese. While pretty excellent, it certainly had its totally surreal moments — especially her long divergence about a fundraiser involving N-Sync and her (then) five-year-old daughter.

Also, the singing. She sings a lot — it’s totally something to behold!

Indeed. We recall Professor Franzese’s property coverage as one of the highlights of bar review. She managed to make a potentially dry subject at least somewhat entertaining.

Here is the requested open thread. While we’re on the subject of BarBri blonde beauties with musical talents, here is “Bar/Bri Girl,” a music video parody set to the tune of “Barbie Girl.” It was our favorite number from this year’s NYU Law Review Revue, which we had the pleasure of attending this spring:

NYU Law Revue 2008 - Barbri Girl [YouTube]

While responses to last week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on summer associate programs continue to flow in (add your 2 cents here), let’s pause to consider what last year’s summer associates are going to experience over the next few months: bar exams (sorry), relocations, and sweet, sweet signing bonuses (or not).

We’ve received about a hundred comments and tips since we posted our “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask” table, which aggregated the results from our ATL / Lateral Link surveys on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, relocation benefits and whether you have to pay it all back when you leave.

So today, we’re updating the table to fill in some more blanks.

The table below now shows six things for each firm:

  * which bar exam expenses the firm will reimburse (send us tips to fill in the blanks),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a summer stipend or a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts,

  * whether the firm provides any particular relocation benefits,

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year, and

  * whether the firm will make you pay it all back if you leave. As a general rule, payback requirements will apply to everything but a stub bonus, and will include clerkship bonuses.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the aggregated table of bar reimbursements, stipends and bonuses, salary advances, moving expenses, stub bonuses, and payback requirements. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Four of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, covering the range of firms from Akin Gump to Young Conaway. We’ve also posted results from our surveys on relocation benefits and whether you have to pay it all back when you leave. And between survey responses, comments, and tips, we have a few thousand data points.

Today, we’re consolidating the three tables in one place, so that we can start filling in more blanks and squeezing out some nuances.

The table below now shows six things for each firm:

  * which bar exam expenses the firm will reimburse (send us tips to fill in the blanks),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a summer stipend or a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts,

  * whether the firm provides any particular relocation benefits,

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year, and

  * whether the firm will make you pay it all back if you leave. As a general rule, payback requirements will apply to everything but a stub bonus, and will include clerkship bonuses.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the aggregated table of bar reimbursements, stipends and bonuses, salary advances, moving expenses, stub bonuses, and payback requirements. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Three of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses (which covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Proskauer Rose). We got quite a few tips in response, as well as quite a few comments in person, at the NALP conference in Toronto.

Find out whether today’s installment will at last make it to Wachtell, Weil, WilmerHale and beyond … after the jump.

But before we get there, let’s quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. Also feel free to let us know whether these stipends and bonuses are subject to repayment if you leave, and whether your firm helps out with relocations, both topics of surveys last week.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the fourth batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Two of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Kirkland & Ellis (or K&L Gates, depending on how you choose to alphabetize). We got quite a few tips in response, as well as quite a few comments in person at the NALP conference in Toronto.

Find out whether today’s installment will make it to O’Melveny, Pillsbury, Quinn, Skadden, or all the way to Weil and beyond … after the jump.

But before we get there, let’s quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. Also feel free to let us know whether these stipends and bonuses are subject to repayment if you leave, and whether your firm helps out with relocations, both topics of surveys last week.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the third batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part One of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Drinker Biddle. We got quite a few tips in response, as well as one of my favorite comments of the week:

Nooooo. I need to know about firms in the ‘W’s! I hate waiting.

Find out whether today’s installment will get far enough to satisfy our poor reader at Weil, WilmerHale, Wachtell, Winston, or Whatnot … after the jump.

But before we get there, let’s quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. (Or, if you’re going to be at this week’s NALP conference in Toronto, feel free to say hello in person.)

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the second batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, after the jump.

We received over 1,200 responses to last week’s our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and we’ve definitely got the makings of another sweet, informative running table for you.

But it’s going to take a little bit of time to mesh all the data, as some of you differ quite a bit on what, if anything, your firms provide. So while we work on getting you everything from A to Z, here are the results from Akin Gump to Drinker Biddle, or about 35 firms, to get the ball rolling. We’ll post a bigger table next week.

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

Now, this is the first iteration of these results, and like another Episode I, it may have some room for improvement. It’s entirely possible that we’ve got the right numbers in the wrong buckets, or are missing a number completely, or have otherwise managed to bork something.

For example, in a lot of cases, where associates have reported that their firms don’t cover bar expenses, they may really have meant to say that the firms don’t provide a stipend, but actually do reimburse the actual bar exam expenses when presented with a receipt. In other cases, reported salary advances or stub bonuses may differ from associate to associate, and we need more input so we can state a range instead of an amount certain.

So, if details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance, please send us a tip.

Those caveats aside, we bring you the first batch of results. Check out the table, after the jump.

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.

We didn’t notice this, until a tipster just mentioned it to us: today is the February MBE day. So, to everyone taking the multistate bar examination right now, good luck!

From the same source:

I thought an open thread about the weirdest bar preparation might be entertaining. I immediately thought of you when I was told that the husband of an acquaintance, taking the bar for his second time, decided to “manage” his bathroom breaks by first doing a purge diet the week prior to the bar, and then taking Immodium each day during the exam.

Sorry for the crudeness, but I found this funny, as well as a bit extreme.

No worries. We have a reasonably high tolerance for crassness in these pages.

We also like this suggested topic of bar prep. The February administration of the bar exam is often more difficult to study for than the July administration, since those who sit for the bar in February are more likely to have to juggle their studies with other commitments (e.g., a day job). July exam takers, in contrast, are usually recent law school graduates who have taken the summer off to prepare full-time for the big test.

If you have any good stories about how you prepped for the bar, feel free to share them in the comments.

National Conference of Bar Examiners: MBE [official website]

We reminded you on Friday, but we fear our post got lost in the shuffle. If you’re part of the plaintiff class in the Bar/Bri class action — and since you’re reading ATL, you probably are — then the deadline for filing your proof of claim is this Monday, September 17. So if you want your $125 or so, you need to act now.

Is the settlement a good deal? We largely agree with this commenter:

That settlement is a disgrace. The plaintiff class was sold up the river…. But I’ll take the money and run.

Just like most of you (see poll results), we filed a claim, knowing that we’re being undercompensated. And knowing that we’re acting against the advice of The Legal Diva — a named plaintiff in the case who now opposes the settlement. From The Recorder:

Loredana Nesci, a 2005 graduate of Quinnipiac College School of Law in Connecticut, said lead attorney Eliot Disner initially convinced her he’d built a strong case against BAR/BRI and would seek to break the company apart. “We were promised the moon and stars by Disner,” she said.

But Nesci said everything changed after Disner’s former firm — Los Angeles’ Van Etten Suzumoto & Becket — was acquired by McGuireWoods.

“After that merger, I think that McGuireWoods took Eliot, gagged him [and now] he’s in a basement in their firm, because I can’t find the guy,” said Nesci, now a practicing attorney based in Studio City.

It seems that the Legal Diva — er, Ms. Nesci — was right about Disner. Her “gagged in a basement” comment appeared in a February 2007 article. A few months later, in May 2007, Eliot Disner was fired by McGuireWoods (after he criticized the settlement).

For more on her Diva-ness, check out her website, which is a real trip. Her bio describes her past work as a police officer for the LAPD, explains how she earned the title of “Legal Diva,” and boasts of how she was “quickly gaining notoriety for being a colorful and cunning attorney.” It also mentions that she “enjoys working with feral cats,” which sounds apropos for a Legal Diva. MEOW!

(See especially the super-cute testimonials from her clients, including Doug Smith, at right. We don’t want to know what types of matters she handled for him….)

Bar/BRI Class Action Litigation [official website]
The Legal Diva: Loredana Nesci [official website]
$49M Disappoints Some in Lawyers’ Class [The Recorder]

Earlier: A Friendly Reminder: The BAR/BRI Proof of Claim Deadline Is Monday!