When can the principal be liable to a third party?

When can the principal be liable to a third party?  Analyze "authority."

Learn Presidential and Congressional Powers

This Visual Aid compares what the President May/Must/Can't do.  Likewise for Congress.

Happy Studying.

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Real Property isn't easy. Here is a visual aid to learn Joint Tenancy in 5 minutes.

Real Property isn't easy.  Here is a visual aid to learn Joint Tenancy in 5 minutes.

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. . . for the treasure trove of visual aids covering the Multi-State Bar Exam - Including more Real Property Visual Aids like this one.

The job-hunting law graduate: "Where to look and when to apply"

Finding a job after law school is on the minds of most third year students (3L’s).  Before landing that job – or even applying – the Bar Exam is a necessary hurdle…well, unless you’re a Wisconsinite.  Wisconsin aside (some Wisconsin law graduates are not required to take the Bar if they graduate from certain schools) most recent graduates are juggling their Bar review course, job prospects, and a personal life, if it even still exists. 

Should you look for a job before you pass the Bar Exam?

Yes!  You should be applying to jobs before the exam.  Even if you haven’t applied yet, set aside 20 minutes a day to make a list of employers and what they require.  Some jobs require applicants submit a resume; others require a résumé, cover letter, references, writing samples, etc.  You get the point…

You need to focus on your interviewing skills.  Don’t ignore this part of the overall picture. 
 
First impressions are important.  "In an age dominated by social media where personal photographs are ubiquitous, it becomes important to understand the ways personality is communicated via our appearance," said one researcher working on a study at the University of Texas.  And this personality factor is huge.  It will affect how you fit in with the firm, how you get along with, say, the team of paralegals who are essential to the firm.

Research the firm or organization you are applying to, and predict if you will be liked.  I suggest taking a look at the firm's "staff" page if it is available, and read the bio section.  Most firms these days have a website, and if they don't, you might even be able to use this sort of "constructive criticism" to gain a few brownie points with the interviewing attorney.

If you need help with your interview skills:

I have heard excellent things about this particular interview skills-improvement course. 

Prioritize your application process to fit your schedule:

Take your list of jobs that only require a simple resume, and apply to those first.  As a 3L or graduate, you should have your résumé nearly perfected.  If you need help, click here.

Where do you find jobs you may be interested in applying for?

The #1 resource is your school’s career services department.  By now, you should have a way of logging in and accessing your school’s career database.  If you are not going to stick around the geographical area where you went to school, send an email to the career services department at the schools where you hope to find your first job. 

If you seek a government job, go to USAJobs.gov

Here are some ideas to bring in some cash while you find your dream job:

1. Search Craigslist or other similar directories for tutoring or teaching jobs.

For example, you could teach an online class and make thousands a year doing so. 

2. If you have graduated law school, then you must have passed Legal Research and Writing.  Consider writing articles for sites like Examiner.com..  This program can get you started; it has helped countless people make money writing online.  As a graduate degree holder, you can probably land a gig that can generate money, depending on how many people end up reading your articles.  Tip: write about a subject you are passionate about.
3. Use your talents or hobbies to make money.  Do you speak more than one language?  Consider becoming a translator in some capacity.  There really are so many ways to put your language skills to use as a part-time translator.  Get started here as a translator. 

More Tips:

Get on LinkedIn if you aren’t already…connections, connections, connections.  It really is quite valuable to have a list of all of your network contacts.  You never know who may be able to help you, or who you may be able to help. 

Spread your seed.  Maybe you will need to apply to 50 jobs before you find one for you.  By applying to many jobs, you’ll only have more doors that could possibly open.  An added benefit is that when you do get a job offer, you will have a bit of leverage room to negotiate if need be if you have two or three offers.

Don’t screw with your credit, and be careful with social media.  These days, pictures that are uploaded to social media sites are probably going to be around forever.  Just ask a few of our nation’s finest politicians.

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Finally, this video from CNN Money, entitled "How much should I save in my 20's," provides some sound advice.

Quickly determining money damages for Contracts on Bar Exam

If you have the ability to extract the two most relevant facts from each fact pattern, you can determine (1) the correct formula to use, and (2) the right dollar amount.  This is an area where a little memorization is key.  You need to know what you are looking for, what formula applies, and what each part of the formula should be calculated as.  Just like algebra.

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Master Future Interests

Preview of my free future interests report (just sign-up on the right-hand column):

This short document will provide you with a text outline teaching you to assess future interests, tough rules from the Common Law and the Modern Law treatments, such as: The Doctrine of Worthier Title, The Rule in Shelly's Case, and more!

The Rule Against Perpetuities: 3 Steps to Defeat the RAP on the BAR

If a Rule against Perpetuities (RAP) question comes up on the MBE, you can use a quick 3 step process to quickly reach the right answer.  

Step 1: Write Down the Future Interest (FI) resulting from conveyance + determine “Condition Precedent”

Step 2: Circle the “Measuring Man” (MM);

Step 3: Ask yourself: within 21 years of the death of MM, will we know who takes?

Here is an example: 

For Tom’s 75th birthday, his wealthier friend Jerry wants to do something special for him.  Tom has one 27 year old son.  Both are in relatively good health.

Jerry conveys to Tom for life, then to the first of Tom’s children to reach age 33.

Step 1: You should recognize this as a Contingent Remainder.  The future interest involved is contingent – meaning it may occur – but only if Tom dies AND if he has no child who is 33 at that time.    

Step 2: Tom Is the “Measuring Man.”  Tom’s life determines whether the “contingency” takes place, so to speak.

Step 3: Tom could die tomorrow; his son could die tomorrow; his son could die tomorrow and the next day Tom could get a woman pregnant.  Think of all of the possibilities.

The Answer: Tom would have his life estate, and Jerry would have a reversion.  

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