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I was in BigLaw for 9 years and left because I hit my savings target. FIRE kept me motivated. I’m now primarily supporting my wife’s career (BigLaw counsel) as her job has unparalleled flexibility and she legit enjoys it, so we’ll use that to get the rest of the way to full financial independence. For myself, I’m currently focused on writing, wildlife photography, and fitness goals. Its unlikely that I will return to the legal field in the future. I’ve written more about it here if interested: https://www.attorneyevolved.com/post/biglaw-early-retirement
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It’s easier than California. Take a bar prep class.
I did almost no MPT prep and I passed the exam multiple times. It's a closed-world practical skills test that analyzes your critical thinking and writing skills. Make sure you understand what work product they want, and remember what you learned in your Legal Writing class.
The difficultly of the exam depends on the state. The UBE is middle of the road. I found it significantly easier than Delaware and have heard it's easier than California. Other states I've heard are easier than the UBE.
I haven't taken Florida, so I can't speak to that one. But if you've been in a practice already, you're ready for the MPT. It's literally going to be something you'd write on a normal day at the office, and they'll give you all the facts and law you'll need. Really the biggest key is to give them the type of product they ask for. The only person in my firm that failed the bar last summer (in addition to some issues with the MBE) wrote an argumentative brief for the MPT when the question clearly asked for a client letter.
As far as the MEE goes, focus on issue spotting and rule statements. Your goal is to maximize your potential points on each question, and that means throwing every bit of rules and application you can within the time limit. Remember that every fact is in there for a reason, so for each sentence in the question ask yourself "how can I throw this into a rule?"
Breathe, set timers so you devote sufficient time to each question, and just dive in. If you get to give minutes left on a question, start outlining what's left. It's ALL about the points, and graders will give you points for outlined stuff too.
Chief
I did 100% of Barbri. Felt very prepared for the UBE.
I did 60% of barbri until a week before the UBE then finished another 20%. In hindsight, I was very prepared even though I slacked. The Barbri course makes you feel like a failure but you will pass if you engage with it. If you’ve been practicing law already, the MPT will be absolute cake. The multiple choice is the challenging part. I would supplement the barbri course with actual bar questions as they are sometimes written differently. For the writing portion, it’s honestly less about knowing the law and more about knowing how to rack up points. If you don’t know the rule, make up a logical one and apply it. You will get points.
You will kill it, good luck!
I would definitely recommend at least doing 5-10 MPT’s in test time to get a feel for all the different types of deliverables. You don’t necessarily have to draft the entire answer, just outline it and leaving enough time that you could draft the answer in the exam. They really aren’t hard but, at least for me, there were a few that conceptualizing how to format it took longer than expected. At the end of the day, the timing is crucial and having a complete draft/answer should score you more points even if it isn’t entirely correct.
Overall, the UBE comes down to just putting in the work (probably with a Barbri or Themis course). I finished about 80% of Themis and was so burnt out I barely studied the last week, was just ready to get it over with. Coming from a T4 with average grades, I could waive into any UBE state. Not trying to say that as a humble brag, just that you should be fine if you put in the work. Good luck!
Forgot to add that I can’t speak to the Florida or California comparison, but my similarly situated classmate took California using Barbri and also passed.
Thanks everyone re: MPT advice! I think it went well enough :) Now ready to rock the portion of the exam I passed in July!