FE1 Exam Thread (Read 1st post!) NOTICE: YOU MAY SWAP EXAM GRIDS

sunshine and showers

I've set up an online study group for the FE1s is anyone is interested. PM for details.

law_student1

What is the best way to divide up time? I am planning on sitting 4/5 in September and study pretty much full-time from mid-June, but I really don't know how to go about setting up a timetable to allocate my time to each subject and topic.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

effinnblindin

I'm planning on sitting 4 or 5 FE1's in September and would just like to know what subjects I should do? From what I've read here, would I be correct in saying that I should split up EU and Constitutional (due to their breadth) and keep Contract and Equity together due to overlaps? I'm also thinking it would be a good idea to do Company this year as it will change significantly next year. Any advice would be great!

Also could anyone recommend which FE1 manuals are the best? Would the FE1 manuals alone get me through? I have a law degree and do not plan on taking an FE1 prep course. Thanks in advance!!

FEar1

effinnblindin wrote: »

I'm planning on sitting 4 or 5 FE1's in September and would just like to know what subjects I should do? From what I've read here, would I be correct in saying that I should split up EU and Constitutional (due to their breadth) and keep Contract and Equity together due to overlaps? I'm also thinking it would be a good idea to do Company this year as it will change significantly next year. Any advice would be great!

I think the consensus is there's a good overlap between equity, property and contract. They seem to be the best of a bad bunch for passing the so-called "Big 3" needed in your first sitting!

Troels Hartmann

If I was suggesting a way of splitting them, Id try:

First sitting: Contract, Equity, Property, Criminal and EU.

Good but of overlap between the first three; Criminal is definitely one of the "easier" ones (in my view) and while EU is punishing it is less punishing than Constitutional and easier to do alongside a couple of others; and as someone said above you are likely to score your first magic three from this selection.

Second sitting: Company, Tort and Constitutional.

Three challenging subjects, but more than manageable as a trio if you work at it. And if you miss one or two of your first sitting then IT won't be too difficult to add these on. Tort and Company are no cake walk but they're manageable, and Constitutiinal is very tough as people know

effinnblindin

Troels Hartmann wrote: »

If I was suggesting a way of splitting them, Id try:

First sitting: Contract, Equity, Property, Criminal and EU.

Good but of overlap between the first three; Criminal is definitely one of the "easier" ones (in my view) and while EU is punishing it is less punishing than Constitutional and easier to do alongside a couple of others; and as someone said above you are likely to score your first magic three from this selection.

Second sitting: Company, Tort and Constitutional.

Three challenging subjects, but more than manageable as a trio if you work at it. And if you miss one or two of your first sitting then IT won't be too difficult to add these on. Tort and Company are no cake walk but they're manageable, and Constitutiinal is very tough as people know

Thanks for that! Just one more question. Would I be better off including Company this year if it is going to change a lot next year with the new Companies Act? If I do this what subject would you swap it with?

Troels Hartmann

effinnblindin wrote: »

Thanks for that! Just one more question. Would I be better off including Company this year if it is going to change a lot next year with the new Companies Act? If I do this what subject would you swap it with?

Have you done Company before? (I presume not). Are you doing a prep course or using old manuals? If you have old-ish manuals then obviously you'll need to do Company ASAP (and be sure you'll pass it!). Company is far from the worst subject.

If I was to swap it Id swap it with Criminal - because I think you should still try to get Contract Equity and Property done together, and do one of EU and constitutional in your first sitting.

Another thing to consider is that the last EU paper was absolutely appalling and so the next one might be relatively OK to compensate

effinnblindin

Troels Hartmann wrote: »

Have you done Company before? (I presume not). Are you doing a prep course or using old manuals? If you have old-ish manuals then obviously you'll need to do Company ASAP (and be sure you'll pass it!). Company is far from the worst subject.

If I was to swap it Id swap it with Criminal - because I think you should still try to get Contract Equity and Property done together, and do one of EU and constitutional in your first sitting.

Another thing to consider is that the last EU paper was absolutely appalling and so the next one might be relatively OK to compensate

Yeah I did Company last year during my undergrad but never as a FE1. I've no manuals yet as I'm still trying to decide what subjects to do and I don't plan on doing a prep course. I had only really considered doing 4 FE1s this time as 5 seems like an awful lot of work. But if it'd be worth my while doing Company, Equity, Property, EU and Contract I might give them a shot!

Troels Hartmann

effinnblindin wrote: »

Yeah I did Company last year during my undergrad but never as a FE1. I've no manuals yet as I'm still trying to decide what subjects to do and I don't plan on doing a prep course. I had only really considered doing 4 FE1s this time as 5 seems like an awful lot of work. But if it'd be worth my while doing Company, Equity, Property, EU and Contract I might give them a shot!

Good that you've done company recently. A familiarity with it should mean that you could fly through it.

Personally I would aim to attempt 5 on your first go - especially if you have recent familiarity with one or more - but 4 is perfectly fine.

I think everyone should budget to pass these over 3 sittings. The average experience is that people sit them 4 or 5 at a time, miss one or two each sitting, which they then pick up the next time.

Some people (including myself!) take more than 3 sittings but I think the average experience is three sittings.

dashdoll

I have an EU manual from 2014 which Im hoping to use for the Sept exam.

Wondering if there has been any updates since then that Id need to be aware of and also if there are any chapters you can pretty much leave out for EU or is it a case of needing to cover everything?

Thanks.

Fe1r

Hi All,

I'm new to the group, be gentle haha!

I started the FE1's in March and got my magic 3, failed the only one I thought I had passed and somehow got the other three (equity, tort and property)

I got criminal rechecked (I got 39), its a long shot but here's hoping!

Anyway, I'm gearing up for the next round, I'm thinking 3 in October - Company, EU and Criminal (presuming it doesn't go my way in the recheck). I'm wondering what do to for a re-sit? I used a manual from 2012/2013. Can I learn the exact same essays again, or do I need to get a more recent manual, trawl through it from scratch and make out new essays/notes? I was well prepared for it last time, I answered 5 questions and even then had my choice of questions as I left very little out. Any advice?

Also, due to complete oversight on my part, I recently ordered a company law manual having forgotten I got one last year. It's Independent Colleges 2014 edition, if anyone is interested in buying it?

Troels Hartmann

dashdoll wrote: »

I have an EU manual from 2014 which Im hoping to use for the Sept exam.

Wondering if there has been any updates since then that Id need to be aware of and also if there are any chapters you can pretty much leave out for EU or is it a case of needing to cover everything?

Thanks.

2014 is perfect. Virtually nothing new in the last 12 months (or at least nothing that missing out on would cause you to fail)

EU is a tough on to call this time because the last paper was so totally appalling. Generally though there is a LOT of choice so anyone who does a good spread should be able to pass if the exam is reasonably fair.

Supremacy & direct effect & MS liability
Free movement of goods
Citizenship & free movement of workers
Competition law

These four areas are an absolute MUST in my view. Do them and do them well. At least 3 of them will come up on the day.

Annulment/Enforcment procedure
Institutions
Sources of EU law
Fundamental rights

These are good to have. Id do at least two of them well.

Freedom of establishment & services
Free movement of capital

Worth doing the bare outline of these just in case they might arise in a problem (don't think they would come up as an essay)

And I never thought Id say this - but the dreaded "notes" quesrion is worth preparing for. I did, on the advice of people here, and it's probably what saved my bacon. I prepared 16 short notes on the main cases that seem to come up and I could easily pick three on the day - thanks to help from a kind lady on this board.

LawyrUp

I was just wondering if anyone who wrote to the Law Society complaining about that horrible EU exam ever heard anything back other than acknowledging receipt of their complaint?

I didn't get any response.

Troels Hartmann

Also Have the exam reports for the last sitting been released yet?

The EU report will surely be the greatest piece of comedy in years

Chuckler

Just completed Acceptance in Contract - battle of the forms - nailed it, then Denning adds a hypothetical solution to an imagined problem - oh how I detest thee

dashdoll

Does anyone have a recommendation for material for the Tort FE1 exam for either lectures or manuals?

Not sure whether I should go for City or Independent for Tort.

Thanks.

Troels Hartmann

dashdoll wrote: »

Does anyone have a recommendation for material for the Tort FE1 exam for either lectures or manuals?

Not sure whether I should go for City or Independent for Tort.

Thanks.

Either would be perfectly fine I think. I used Independent for tort and it was grand. City manuals are just as good as Independent though across all subjects.

neesie_85

dashdoll wrote: »

Does anyone have a recommendation for material for the Tort FE1 exam for either lectures or manuals?

Not sure whether I should go for City or Independent for Tort.

Thanks.

I found the Independent manual really good for tort. it was up-to-date and the layout for the topics was very clear and easy to navigate.

sunshine and showers

Spoke to the Law Society today. Recheck results aren't out tomorrow, it'll be next week.

Raquel123

Hi everyone,

Did the LLB, graduated in 2014. I'm planning to sit 4 exams in September-October: Tort, Criminal, Contract & Equity. Can someone please advise if this is a good combination or am I setting myself up for disaster? :P

I have only just started studying Tort & in already stuck on a question. Question 5 2014, Tort paper. The one about the horse. I have no idea about horse related torts. Can someone please point me to where it is in Healy or elsewhere?

Do you all think I have enough time to be able to pass them?
Also about the whole you must sit 4 pass 3... What does this mean? Do you have to do all 8 or only 6 if you can still pass after failing one in a sitting of 4? Confused...

Any study groups I can join?

Thanks all

Troels Hartmann

Doing those 4 together is fine.

Personally however Id add in Property to the above. It's best to do 1) contract 2) equity and 3) property together because there is a bit of overlap between 1 and 2 and a lot of overlap between 2 and 3. (Overlap more in the sense of principles, rather than in content - although there is some content common to them)

Billetdoux

Raquel123 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Did the LLB, graduated in 2014. I'm planning to sit 4 exams in September-October: Tort, Criminal, Contract & Equity. Can someone please advise if this is a good combination or am I setting myself up for disaster? :P

I have only just started studying Tort & in already stuck on a question. Question 5 2014, Tort paper. The one about the horse. I have no idea about horse related torts. Can someone please point me to where it is in Healy or elsewhere?

Do you all think I have enough time to be able to pass them?
Also about the whole you must sit 4 pass 3... What does this mean? Do you have to do all 8 or only 6 if you can still pass after failing one in a sitting of 4? Confused...

Any study groups I can join?

Thanks all

The "must sit 4 pass 3" rule is gone now. You have to take a minimum of 3 on your first sitting and pass all 3. You can sit as many as you like first time, as long it is at least 3 and you pass 3 exams.

Hope that helps!

Unsure on the horse torts, haven't got to torts papers yet but I'll definitely keep an eye out for the question!

You definitely have enough time, just put the head down and power through. I'm in the same boat anyway, so you have a friend

FEar1

Hello everyone! Just wondering generally where people would recommend starting for Constitutional?

I know it's one where every topic is an important topic but what are the ones people feel are the core topics to know in depth?

Troels Hartmann

FEar1 wrote: »

Hello everyone! Just wondering generally where people would recommend starting for Constitutional?

I know it's one where every topic is an important topic but what are the ones people feel are the core topics to know in depth?

Very difficult to advise on Constitutional because the course is so vast and he could ask literally anything. But:-

ESSENTIALS:-
1) Separation of powers
2) Trial in due course of law & due process (incl are Haughey, and all the administrative law stuff)

If you don't cover both of these then don't bother turning up on the day.

After that it is honestly quite tricky to advise! There is very little that you can safely leave out and absolutely say that it won't come up.

Personally I would never leave out the following:-

3) Property rights (no question for the last 2 papers which seems ridiculous)
4) Constitutiinal interpretation (asked reasonably regularly but not much recently - and its not difficult)
5) Judicial review - locus standi, justiciability (eg the Callely v Moylan question on last paper which probably allowed me to scrape a pass!), and the effects of findings of unconstitutionality.

After that it really is pot luck. I would advise people to cover as much as they possibly can because the course is so broad and all of it could potentially show up.

I also did religion, education, marriage, and outlines on the AG, assembly & association, withdrawal of life support, etc. I didn't put much focus on the Dail seanad President or Courts but other people swear by them.

Be sure to read up on recent cases - Fleming, Gormley & White, the recent overturning of the Kenny exclusionary rule (name of the case is gone from my head!), and the appalling PP v HSE case last Christmas.

Worth noting though that the examiner doesn't seem to pose questions based on the controversial issues of the day. No questions last year on marriage, abortion or life support despite the various legal train-wrecks which have taken place on these issues in the last 2 years.

Also worth noting that he seems to have some kind of lurid and almost sexual obsession with questions on referenda and the referendum process. YET ANOTHER question on it in March after several last year. And this despite the fact that this is something which would never, ever, ever arise in practice. It's similar to Noel Travers' perverse obsession with the Pringle/ESM case in EU law, again despite it being a ridiculously obscure topic.

I say this just because it might be no harm to bone up on the referendum material just in case .....


Sorry for the long post

jenspondolik

neesie_85 wrote: »

I found the Independent manual really good for tort. it was up-to-date and the layout for the topics was very clear and easy to navigate.

Except for not having anything in it re accumulation element of Rylands v Fletcher! Which was a whole question in March...

Troels Hartmann

jenspondolik wrote: »

Except for not having anything in it re accumulation element of Rylands v Fletcher! Which was a whole question in March...

Seriously?! That's pretty shocking if true. That's regularly asked (and is a nice little topic IMHO)

Gunslinger92

Hello everyone!

Have a law degree and am currently finishing up my masters, have my thesis to write now. Am I mad for possibly trying three of these in autumn?

Troels Hartmann

Gunslinger92 wrote: »

Hello everyone!

Have a law degree and am currently finishing up my masters, have my thesis to write now. Am I mad for possibly trying three of these in autumn?

That depends. How long is the thesis? And when is the submission date?

Gunslinger92

Troels Hartmann wrote: »

That depends. How long is the thesis? And when is the submission date?

12,500 maximum, due end of September.. But with editing and proof reading and stuff I'd aim to have it done 4 or 5 weeks before then. I'm also going to be doing a four week internship in the next few weeks. On the one hand I think having them both to do would help focus me, on the other hand I think it's madness :pac:

Troels Hartmann

Gunslinger92 wrote: »

12,500 maximum, due end of September.. But with editing and proof reading and stuff I'd aim to have it done 4 or 5 weeks before then. I'm also going to be doing a four week internship in the next few weeks. On the one hand I think having them both to do would help focus me, on the other hand I think it's madness :pac:

Being honest I think you'd find it difficult. Then again, stranger things have happened! I know people who have passed 5/6 at a time while holding down 2 jobs.

My main fear for you is that you would damage the quality of your thesis by attempting FE1s at the same time, and believe me that is SO not worth it.

That said, any 3 of Contract, Equity, Property or Criminal is doable if you're under pressure. There's a fair amount of crossover between the first 3, and Criminal is definitely of the "easier" ones to pass (easy is very much a relative term when it comes to the FE1s......)