Ray's J.D. (Juris Doctor)

Welcome!

As already stated - this is a work in progress.

Use what you learn, help you it can! Fleming's material and my own last second game plan saved me from total failure!

Follow my game plan (I am using it for 2L myself, as well as review for the FYLSX!) and you should not have to suffer through a 2L year of Academic Probation like me.

As always, stay tuned!

My Grades:

I am not shy about this point. I will fully report my grades on all aspects of this project. I may make a page for it, but since I only have the few grades thus far, I'll go ahead and place them here:

The 1L courses that I took had been, Introduction to Law and Legal Writing, Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts.

Introduction to Law and Legal Writing is a pass / fail course, Final grade = "P."
Contracts: Final grade = "D+."
Criminal Law: Final grade = "C-."
Torts: Final Grade = "C-."

This gives me a GPA of 1.57.

Oddly enough, this passes. A 2.0 is required to move on though, and I must now "up" my GPA to a 2.0 by the end of 2L, or I must be removed from the program.

It also qualified me to sit for the First Year Law Students Exam, FYLSX, in June of 2012, the first administration of the FYLSX from the point where I qualified for it. Based on my "stellar" performance on the 1L year subjects, which is what the FYLSX tests, I am currently heavily into preparation for the FYLSX in June of 2012!

As with all of my efforts, I will freely include, good, bad or ugly, how I perform on the FYLSX. It is very expensive, you do NOT want to have to take it more than once!

I am editing the pages to remove direct reference to the term "Baby Bar." In my study for this beast of a day, I have come to realize that the cute "Baby Bar" name is a misnomer... the only thing "Baby" about this thing is that it is one day on three subjects as opposed to the full three day bar, but as it relates to these three subjects it IS the Bar Exam... we just get to take these three subject areas twice - once now and again when we graduate!

A Menu for this site:

Alright, the menu should be working on all of the pages now. Below, I offer a little explanation as to what you will find on those pages and offer the link directly to them from that description.

You see that some of the top pages below are not hyperlinked. This is because I either have yet to upload them, or maybe even write them just yet. Once they do go live, I will add the link and place a button for them on the menu bar to the right.

For now, to start, here are the pages that I have established:

Legal Education: Discussion on why I chose this field of study.

LSAC and the LSAT: Discussion and opinion on both.

Why Distance Education?: Why I chose distance education over traditional law school.

Limitations and Benefits: Discussion on both aspects in regard to distance education and legal studies:

Northwestern California University School of Law: Why I chose NWCULaw, specifically.

Introduction: Distance Education, Distance v. Traditional Law School, Learning for the Bar Exam, Course Materials.

Program Type: Specifics about the NWCULaw program.

Accreditation: Discussion about the ABA, Distance Education and Florida Specifics.

DETC: A note about the Distance Education and Training Council.

The California FYLSX a.k.a., "Baby Bar": My experiences with the California FYLSX, from preparation to perspiration.

Advice for ANY potential law school student

If you are thinking about going to an ABA accredited type of law program, and you want to be better prepared, buy the Commercial Outlines (Gilbert's Law Summaries) for the classes you will be taking and read them cover to cover immediately, then again in the three months prior to starting your 1L year. You do not need to buy all of the Gilbert's for all of the courses in the entire program, just for the first year (1L) subjects.

Your exams are going to be your grade for the course. For most programs, I believe, the Final Exam is the ONLY thing you get, and it determines your entire grade. Often, it will be one single question.

People say silly things such as "thinking like a lawyer" and "analysis." The simple fact of the matter is that if you know the material, you will be able to analyze and think like a lawyer. Don't waste time think about how to think like a lawyer, study the material, master it and you WILL be thinking like a lawyer!

If the fact pattern is describing an unauthorized or trespassory entry into a parked car, and the intent is to swipe the iPhone cable which is dangling from the power outlet, and it is the middle of the day, in a parking lot, and the car's door is unlocked... you are going to have a really hard time proving up Common Law Burglary, but a simple time with Modern Law Burglary, which is different.

The Commercial Outlines will give you a heads up if you use them in the months prior to starting your 1L year at ANY school!

Once you realize this, and you won't unless you do it, the rest of law school will be a LOT easier for you!

And for ALL programs, EVERYWHERE, law school - in general - is meant to mess with your head. I think that is WRONG. Do not fall for the trap, do not let them mess with your head. The only things preventing you from becoming an attorney are:

1) Getting through law school.
2) Passing a background check.
3) Passing a Bar Exam.

Anything that takes your eyes off of that is a waste of your time and effort.

It isn't the school, it isn't the program, it is the person who comes out at the back end.

They say there are too many attorneys - "they" are sadly mistaken, there simply are not enough GOOD ones!