UCC Sales: Free 8 Pages of Visual Aids

The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is one of those subjects that most law students take early in law school.  The subject matter tends to appeal to very few – unlike other classes like, say, Criminal Law, Con law, or Torts.  

UCC Sales

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Why does the UCC exist when we have regular old “contract law?”  Since 1952, the UCC has allowed the states to harmonize the law of sales and commercial transactions.   Very rarely can a business exist by only conducting business within the confines of its’ own state.  To put an end to the mass confusion created by the differences among varying state laws, the UCC (and all uniform legislation for that matter) exists to allow businesses to operate with more certainty and security.   

Most of the rules are straightforward – some even the same or similar to principles learned in contracts.  However, there a few big differences and several concepts not routinely taught in 1L contracts class.

Since UCC “Sales” is probably the most straightforward UCC subject (as opposed to Secured Transactions and Commercial Paper/Negotiable Instruments), it makes sense to learn it first.  That’s why this is the first UCC special report available from Leap the Bar.  

Here are a few of the visual aids and diagrams included in the UCC Sales Speed Review:

 

And a sneak peak at the main review chart:

2 free multistate charts: Venue in Civil Action and "International Shoe"

You probably know by now how important it is to have a firm grasp on Federal Civil Procedure. 

Here are a couple of the most tested rules.  Yes, they're basic...but forgetting them can be fatal.  Subscribers will have these waiting in their inbox in PDF format, along with some other goodies within 24 hours.  (note: these are image files and will not print as clear or legible as the PDF files).  Subscribe to the free newsletter here.

Top 3 secrets to break into the legal market

Develop Local Ties and Emphasize Community Involvement

When a firm must pick one of two equally qualified applicants, local ties and community involvement may tip the scale in favor of one.  It makes sense.  Two obvious benefits to the firm are: a smaller risk of a wasted investment, and a potentially profitable referral source.

Know the Firm’s Personality

Every law firm has a different working environment.  Put yourself in the shoes of the employer.  If you have an excellent candidate in front of you, but foresee personality conflicts with other, more established employees…chances are you will continue looking.

Go Pro Bono While You Wait

If you have passed the Bar and haven’t found a job, don’t sit around.  Get a part-time job (or two) if you have to.  There are TONS of pro bono opportunities out there. Here are just a few. 

For more leads and job tips, subscribe to the Job Hunter Newsletter by clicking this link.    

San Francisco, CA:

Equal Rights Advocates - Equalrights.org

Immigrant Legal Resource Center – ilrc.org

Washington, DC:

Farm Workers Justice Fund, Inc. - Fwjustice.org

Defenders of Wildlife – defenders.org

Legal Counsel for the Elderly – aarp.org/Ice/

Atlanta, GA:

Georgia Legal Services Program – glsp.org/

Tallahassee, FL:

Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation – leaflaw.org

New York, NY:

Legal Aid Society – legal-aid.org

For more job tips and resources on a semi-weekly basis, subscribe for free here.

6 reasons why Real Property is so difficult and what to do to prepare

Reasons why Real Property is considered one of the most difficult MBE topics:

• Long fact patterns;
• "Race/Race-Notice" statutes to read and (possibly) apply;
• Multiple conveyances;
• "Dry" subject matter;
• Passage of time since Property course(s) taken in law school;
• Lack of familiarity with mortgages

Long fact patterns.  The effect can be mitigated by skipping questions and coming back to them when done with the rest of the test. 

The more difficult questions contain multiple conveyances, often resulting in the bar taker resorting to sketching out a barely legible chart in the margin.  This may be an effective strategy for these difficult questions, but it wastes time.  Better to know the rule, get your facts straight, pick the answer, and move on.

Most law students take Property 1L year.  It's been a while.

Many younger law students don't have life experience with real estate, mortgages, banks, etc.

The way I think Property is best approached is by breaking it down into a few MAIN categories (the subject of an upcoming post...stay tuned). 

Landlord - Tenant Law, also known as "Leaseholds" or "Leasehold Estates," is straightforward for the most part.  Here is a "skeleton" outline to help you identify the major issues of Landlord/Tenant Law

Subscribe to receive PDF (printable) versions of the free Leap the Bar Visual Aids.  You will also find more out about how to get the full version of this Landlord/Tenant Visual Aid, plus the rest of Real Property and other multistate subjects (text and Visual).

Landlord / Tenant Law "Skeleton" Outline

How To Organize Your Application Process And Find Your Dream Legal Job

If you are a typical law graduate, you will probably apply to several openings before you find your first real job . . . perhaps “several” is an understatement.  After law school, I applied to more than 30 positions before I found the right firm for me. 

The key to finding the right job for you without undue stress, is to stay as organized as possible.  A spreadsheet to keep track of the positions you’ve applied to, the requisite application materials to send, the date(s) you apply, and many other things should be included in your personal organizational spreadsheet.

If you want a sample or a guide, subscribe to the Job Hunter’s email list located on the right-hand column of this page.  If you want visual aids to help you study for the multistate portion of the Bar Exam, subscribe to the first mailing list.  If you want both, subscribe to both!

Last but not least: if you find this tool helpful, pass it on to a friend…just make sure they know to subscribe to continue receiving post graduate job hunting tips, tools and resources.

Here are a few sites you should bookmark now:

Emplawyernet: www.lawjobs.com

Monster: www.Monster.com

National Association of Legal Placement: http://www.nalp.org/

Attorney Jobs: www.attorneyjobs.com

Here is a preview of the sample Job Tracking Spreadsheet:

(customizable version available for all free subscribers)

Leap Strong!

Armstrong

Two Vital Bar Review Tips

I have 2 tips for you today.  The first might seem “generic” at first – even cliché, but it is invaluable advice.  Here’s the first tip:

Bar Review doesn’t rule your life.  Sure, it may be a six-figure investment…but wait a minute.  Even if you have loans in the hundreds of thousands of dollars-range, don’t lose sight of the fact that you are allowed to take the stinking test multiple times.  Eventually, your education will pay off, and you will be an attorney.  So relax.  Don’t feel entitled to be a jerk/b*tch just because “you’re taking the bar exam.” Your friends and family who aren’t taking the bar or who never have just don’t understand, and they’ll view your selfishness as a reflection upon yourself, which it isn’t. 

Tip 2:

Practice essays over and over and over.  Not just the practice essays you might have assigned from the course you spent thousands of dollars to enroll in, but also essay questions from previous Bar Exams.  I suggest that you take a look at all of the law school websites in your state to find a possible list.  For example, I found this Virginia treasure trove of past exams.  The Bar Examiners in many states are lazy, which in my opinion is demonstrated by the fact that it isn’t uncommon to see the same question (with minor alterations, maybe) over the course of a period of years.   

"Using common sense can sometimes cover lost ground"

When it comes to Evidence, I’ve found that using common sense can sometimes cover the ground lost due to a forgotten rule.  My guess is that this is due to the fact that most of the Federal Rules of Evidence are based on rules that are in place for a reason.  It makes sense.  This is America – there aren’t any “extreme” rules or lack thereof.  If you forget a hearsay exception or other rule, just apply your common sense and a bit of logic.  Try not to think like a lawyer just yet.  Unless, of course, you do remember the rule.