FE1 Exam Thread (Mod Warning: NO ADS)

crystalmice

Caoileann wrote: »

Hello all,

Im taking my first four FE1s in October, and began studying from Griffith manuals last week. I have had no choice but to work full-time up until this point and will continue to work weekends up until exams start.

How is everyones study going? Did most people start a long time ago? I feel helpless like im at such a disadvantage Although Im finding it very difficult to study more than four hours a day.. brain is fried

Hi,
Im in exactly the same boat, was working abroad all summer and only got back last week so just started studying, and I really cant seem to manage more than a few hours of study a day, I genuinely cant figure out how I used to be able to study 14 hours a day for weeks at a time during college! Im gunning for my first four but I may drop one as its gets closer, but just wanted to let you know that your not the only one who just started and is finding it difficult to get off the starting block!

brannid3

steph86 wrote: »

Hi, can someone explain foss v harbottle to me, i've completly confused myself. from what i can see is that only a company can take actions against wrongs commited against the company. exceptions to this however are fraud, special resolution, ultra vires. where these arise minority shareholders can take an action for the wrongs committed against the company. Minority shareholders can also take action where there has been oppression against the company under S.205....

also, what topics are people studying for company?

Foss v Harbottle, The courts basically said that if a wrong had been done to the company then the company is the proper plaintiff,not an individual shareholder.So no shareholders or minority shareholders could try to take an action against the board.It has become a rule now justified for reasons like if an individual could sue then a floodgate effect could occur and if the action complained of was one in which it was within the powers of the company to sanction at meetings,they would always ratify it.

The problem with the rule though is that presumes that the majority will fix the wrong and that they all care enough to fix it.So they basically have established four exceptions of the rule to aid derivative action. Prudential Assurances is a really helpful case to look over for the exemptions.
So we got the four which are if the company is acting ultra vires (Cockburn v Newbridge Sanitary System,bribery),fraud on the minority(Meiner v Hooper's telegraph),transactions that need a super majority (Baillie v Oriental Telegraph) and finally for reasons of Justice itself so Moylan v Irish Whiting Manufacturers is an example of that one.

If all else fails and you can find yourself within the exemptions you go for oppression under section 205, s213 f&g.To wind the company up on just an reasonable grounds.The case I always think of for oppression is the Re Murphs Restaurant one where they ousted someone from the company but it was really malicious.

Sorry my writings a bit messy,it's basically the same as what ya were saying up there.I'm just doing my first 4 (comp,cont,eu and tort) now and only specialised in law in my last year of college so im very worried about it!

Eyespy

trasla7 wrote: »

hey, im doing the same 4 as my first sitting. brain is completely fried too! just finished making notes and will be learning the stuff from next week on. constitutional law is a nightmare. exam reports are no help at all.

in relation to your query above: the person who posted that question must have mixed up spring and autumn 2010. your correct in what you say about q 4 autumn (october 2010) and the gcd sample answer thing relates to spring (april 2010) id imagine.

Oh thanks so much for that! I haven't the spring paper, only papers up to Autumn 2009 so it's such a help to know that my problem spotting isn't completely off . And totally agree about the exam reports, I've never seen a page and a half to reveal so little about well anything.

On the subject of Constitutional Law, did Art 38 come up in any shape or form in the Spring setting and is the casenote a given on the paper now? How do people feel about them as a rule? Do most prefer essays or problems to them?
Also does anyone think delegated legislation will come up as a problem question in this setting?

Thanks again

Eyespy

crystalmice wrote: »

Hi,
Im in exactly the same boat, was working abroad all summer and only got back last week so just started studying, and I really cant seem to manage more than a few hours of study a day, I genuinely cant figure out how I used to be able to study 14 hours a day for weeks at a time during college! Im gunning for my first four but I may drop one as its gets closer, but just wanted to let you know that your not the only one who just started and is finding it difficult to get off the starting block!

What four are you studying yourself Crystalmice? I'm sort of in the same boat as both of you, I'd studied for May and the start of June but got extra hours at work (not legal related unfortunately) for July/August so am only delving back into the books now. Still very apprehensive but mostly about how the heck I'm going to get 5 answers down on paper in 3 hours. Started to dream about the exams at the moment, that can't be good can it?

JCJCJC

crystalmice wrote: »

Hi,
Im gunning for my first four but I may drop one as its gets closer,

Drop nothing CM. You have to SIT four to begin with, even just to get your first three on the scorecard. Even if you are very weak on one subject, go in to the exam, sign on and bail out then as early as you can. It's about as pleasant a morning as having a root canal job done, but you don't have a choice.

Caoileann

JCJCJC wrote: »

Drop nothing CM. You have to SIT four to begin with, even just to get your first three on the scorecard. Even if you are very weak on one subject, go in to the exam, sign on and bail out then as early as you can. It's about as pleasant a morning as having a root canal job done, but you don't have a choice.

On this point, is anyone planning on doing this? I mean focusing on three and just signing your name and leaving on the day of their fourth exam?

I really feel like I'm running out of time and that there's no way I'll be able to cover four entire syllabi. I'm torn between just focusing on three, or cutting topics and giving four my best shot. I wonder which is the lesser risk to take!

evercloserunion

crystalmice wrote: »

Hi,
Im in exactly the same boat, was working abroad all summer and only got back last week so just started studying, and I really cant seem to manage more than a few hours of study a day, I genuinely cant figure out how I used to be able to study 14 hours a day for weeks at a time during college! Im gunning for my first four but I may drop one as its gets closer, but just wanted to let you know that your not the only one who just started and is finding it difficult to get off the starting block!

Exact same boat here as well! I've been working 40+ hour weeks up until now. Finding it very hard to study. Glad to know there are others in the same boat!

I'm currently tracking down manuals for criminal, property and contract. My other exam is equity. I studied equity fairly recently for college, and have pretty good notes on most of the course. Accordingly, I am thinking of not bothering with an equity manual and just going by my notes (plus some more study of topics I didn't study last year). The notes are taken from Delany's textbook. Can anyone tell me if this is a good idea? I'd rather not waste the money on a fourth manual considering how good my notes are for equity, but does the manual cut out a lot of work versus the textbook?

JCJCJC

Caoileann wrote: »

On this point, is anyone planning on doing this? I mean focusing on three and just signing your name and leaving on the day of their fourth exam?

I really feel like I'm running out of time and that there's no way I'll be able to cover four entire syllabi. I'm torn between just focusing on three, or cutting topics and giving four my best shot. I wonder which is the lesser risk to take!

I've done it myself. Only got two the first time, got three the second time by concentrating on three, but you must sit four. I sat EU for the sake of it and left early - on the day, a huge gang walked with me.

JC

corkgirl88

lots of people only prepare for three and just leave after half an hour in the fourth exam. If you are under pressure, work hard for the three to ensure you pass them.

larryloffy

Caoileann wrote: »

On this point, is anyone planning on doing this? I mean focusing on three and just signing your name and leaving on the day of their fourth exam?

I really feel like I'm running out of time and that there's no way I'll be able to cover four entire syllabi. I'm torn between just focusing on three, or cutting topics and giving four my best shot. I wonder which is the lesser risk to take!

Personally I think your best off giving them all a shot! I sat my first four in march, criminal company equity & property, I was most worried about criminal and if I was to of dropped one it def would of been criminal.... however it turned out I failed equity and did very well in criminal! So if I had of dropped criminal prior & failed equity I would of been very screwed! Its your own choice but maybe cut down one of the subjects ALOT, take risks, do the bare minimum so you'll at least have the option of passing. Don't worry there still is time, there's looooooooooads of time! When you put it into perspective keep remembering 5 Questions in 3hours - that's only a little over 35mins per question......... 35mins is NOT a long time to write so only learn on a topic what you'll have enough time to write for in 35mins! And learn it well

larryloffy

some of the manuals are as big as the books! so if you've covered the delaney book pretty well I think you'd be ok. it's up to you, I study by the manuals but most of the manuals I've been using are the Kings Inns manuals, not Fe1. Check out the syllabus for your topics online and look over the exam papers, once you can attempt to answer 5/8 questions on those then your laughing

Caoileann

larryloffy wrote: »

Personally I think your best off giving them all a shot! I sat my first four in march, criminal company equity & property, I was most worried about criminal and if I was to of dropped one it def would of been criminal.... however it turned out I failed equity and did very well in criminal! So if I had of dropped criminal prior & failed equity I would of been very screwed! Its your own choice but maybe cut down one of the subjects ALOT, take risks, do the bare minimum so you'll at least have the option of passing. Don't worry there still is time, there's looooooooooads of time! When you put it into perspective keep remembering 5 Questions in 3hours - that's only a little over 35mins per question......... 35mins is NOT a long time to write so only learn on a topic what you'll have enough time to write for in 35mins! And learn it well

Thanks I think I'll take your advise, at least that way I'll know I tried my best. When you say cut down on one subject a lot, did you cover the entire syllabus for your other three? For college exams I always cut out so much out of everything! But for these exams do people generally cover all topics? Such an FE1 virgin sorry!

larryloffy

people more or less do cover everything initially but I find when it gets closer to the exams that they tend to focus on the most important topics/cut it down to at least the one's they reckon they'll be answering their questions on the day. This is just MY opinion, but I think it's good to have a BASIC knowledge of most of the syllabus (example 16 topics) but then I usually break it down to about 8/9 very well learnt topics that I could write on if they came up, but about 6 of those that I would be hoping to answer on........... now that's the way I've kinda studied for them, and I'd be basing the topics on the trends of the last couple of years, on the exam grids, past papers etc......... which subjects are you doing?? do you have the exam grids to get a good idea of the patterns??

neenee

Could anyone tell me what topics came up on the last Criminal Paper?Thanks very much

Eyespy

JCJCJC wrote: »

Drop nothing CM. You have to SIT four to begin with, even just to get your first three on the scorecard. Even if you are very weak on one subject, go in to the exam, sign on and bail out then as early as you can. It's about as pleasant a morning as having a root canal job done, but you don't have a choice.

Are you sitting any subjects this time round JC?

Eyespy

Caoileann wrote: »

On this point, is anyone planning on doing this? I mean focusing on three and just signing your name and leaving on the day of their fourth exam?

I really feel like I'm running out of time and that there's no way I'll be able to cover four entire syllabi. I'm torn between just focusing on three, or cutting topics and giving four my best shot. I wonder which is the lesser risk to take!

Nah, going to sit the four. Am dreading property, I hated it in college and even at this moment cannot stomach it. But it's getting the same amount of time as the other subjects because one of "good subjects" might not go my way. I'm hoping this way I'll at least get three, and if I get the fourth, that's just gravy.

Cherry_Angel

Caoileann wrote: »

Hello all,

Im taking my first four FE1s in October, and began studying from Griffith manuals last week. I have had no choice but to work full-time up until this point and will continue to work weekends up until exams start.

How is everyones study going? Did most people start a long time ago? I feel helpless like im at such a disadvantage Although Im finding it very difficult to study more than four hours a day.. brain is fried

Caoileann, I'm in the same position, was working until friday, so now im going to start doing 12hr days to try and see where I get!! I'm sitting Company, Contract, Equity and Property....

Have a bit of Property done but still at at a major loss.... What subjects are you doing??

Cherry_Angel

crystalmice wrote: »

Hi,
Im in exactly the same boat, was working abroad all summer and only got back last week so just started studying, and I really cant seem to manage more than a few hours of study a day, I genuinely cant figure out how I used to be able to study 14 hours a day for weeks at a time during college! Im gunning for my first four but I may drop one as its gets closer, but just wanted to let you know that your not the only one who just started and is finding it difficult to get off the starting block!

What subjects are you doing??

frustratedTC

What are the main n.b topics for company and property this sitting?

crystalmice

Cherry_Angel wrote: »

What subjects are you doing??

Im sitting company and equity as I just did them in my final year exams so at least bits of the courses are familiar (even though company is so gigantic I have never even seen half the syllabus before opening the manual:( ) and then criminal and contract as they are relatively easy and also mean that I have no exams back to back. Contract is the one I havnt looked at yet so I may just do what some people have proposed and cut it down alot, try and sit it but really focus on the other three! Company seems to be such a wild card though that I would be concerned about only studying for three with that as one of them since it has around a 30% pass rate! Agh, its all a bit too confusing!

Also, I have the independent colleges manual for equity and its quite badly written, a bit rambling and not very focused, so I think il just use my college notes for it, which are basically a digest of delany!

frustratedTC

Crystale mice i wouldn't try cut down contract as a lot of the course overlaps, she tends to mix topics in questions. Her past papers are god guidance I found. Equity is quite a nice paper and a lot of the questions are repeated, even problem questions. Criminal is nice to study but marked toughly, he's a stickler for cases.

What are u focusing on for company?It's my first time to sit it, its endless it seems, i'm not even nearly finished note taking!!

Orla FitzP

frustratedTC wrote: »

Crystale mice i wouldn't try cut down contract as a lot of the course overlaps, she tends to mix topics in questions. Her past papers are god guidance I found. Equity is quite a nice paper and a lot of the questions are repeated, even problem questions. Criminal is nice to study but marked toughly, he's a stickler for cases.

What are u focusing on for company?It's my first time to sit it, its endless it seems, i'm not even nearly finished note taking!!

I found company to be really tough and dull and made me not want to study it but I started re wording things in my own way rather then fancy legal language and it made it abit more bearable it also cut it down and made it simpler! Maybe that might help!

Strawberry Fields

What topics are people doing for property this sitting and what topics are you leaving out?

crystalmice

Orla FitzP wrote: »

I found company to be really tough and dull and made me not want to study it but I started re wording things in my own way rather then fancy legal language and it made it abit more bearable it also cut it down and made it simpler! Maybe that might help!

Im really struggling with company too, it is so long! How many topics did you leave out? Im really unsure how much can be left out with all the overlap in questions and would really appreciate some guidance!

bob_lob_law

Can you highlight the legislation as well as tab it?

shaneybaby

bob_lob_law wrote: »

Can you highlight the legislation as well as tab it?

Yes. Just don't write on it.

frustratedTC

For property I think succession is a guarantee (hope i'm not jinxing myself here!), family home is important but she might give it a break same q has been asked successively over the past few papers, easements have been on a lot of the past papers too, mortgages are important, co-ownership, treasure trove and the equity q's, adverse possession is regularly asked too.
She seems to ask more the modern property law than the archaic stuff.

Not really sure what I can leave out, there's a lot I don't like though, find it quite a boring subject!

Company,
I reckon directors has to come up this paper as it was the first time it hadn't come up last paper, borrowing is due to,shares and shareholders cover too much to leave out, ultra vires and corporate authority is important too, as is separate legal personality.

How important are the constitutional documentation and introductory principles?

Orla FitzP

Can anyone tell me if ur doing art 101 tfeu anti competitive agreements if u have to define the Market??? Please anybody and not just somebody looking for exam grids or manuals?

JessieJ

Orla FitzP wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if ur doing art 101 tfeu anti competitive agreements if u have to define the Market??? Please anybody and not just somebody looking for exam grids or manuals?

Nope, not for A101.



Ahem, if anybody does have a up-to-date EU and Company exam grid, that would be v much appreciated!

frustratedTC

Hi, just wondering if someone could explain Re Wogans (Drogheda) in company law and how it is distinguished from Re Keenans. Would really appreciate it