FE1 Exam Thread (Mod Warning: NO ADS)

steph86

I firstly if i havent done so already is congratulate third fox on passing all 8 fe1s. its is to be congratulated rather than bashed by negativity.

I would have loved to sit all 8 in one sittin to try and get as many out the way in one go but for financial reasons i couldnt, so i sat 4.
If you are not working full time and have no other commitments then studying hard ( 5 days a week) will get you over the 50% line.

it is dedication, learning as much of a subject as you can and answering as many pass questions in exam conditions ( 35 mins per q) as you can.( that is what worked for me)

It should be noted that this thread is for everyone to HELP and SUPPORT one another.
If you pass on the exams that is a great achievement in itself.
If you fail then you pick yourself up, get stuck in to your books, figure out what might have gone wrong and try again.

Also, welcome all newbies.

FreudianSlippers

Please do not post Private Messages on threads. You'd think someone who passed all 8 FE1s in 3 months would know what private means.

Thirdfox

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Please do not post Private Messages on threads. You'd think someone who passed all 8 FE1s in 3 months would know what private means.

On reflection I probably should have just reported the PMs - but I do prefer open discussion. I shall say no more on this matter (publicly ).

edit: apologises for taking this thread off topic.

back on topic - I am interested in finding out which exam others thought was hardest? EU/Constitutional? I found that I needed to spend around 2x more time in Constitutional than say Criminal. Conversely - did anyone find Constitutional easy?

steph86

Thirdfox wrote: »

On reflection I probably should have just reported the PMs - but I do prefer open discussion. I shall say no more on this matter (publicly ).

edit: apologises for taking this thread off topic.

back on topic - I am interested in finding out which exam others thought was hardest? EU/Constitutional? I found that I needed to spend around 2x more time in Constitutional than say Criminal. Conversely - did anyone find Constitutional easy?

I sat eu there in march and found that i spent a lot of time on it too compared to the other subjects, mainly the topics are far longer, for every rule there were exceptions and the cases were far harder to learn off as they werent as interesting as tort cases for example.
I'm studying constitiutional at the moment with company, criminal and equity and its going ok so far. there is alot in it compared to criminal and equity. i done well in constitutional at college so hopefully i should be fine with it.

Pat28

Could someone please explain Martin V Mowlin. (not even sure if its important answering a question on a dmc)
I don't quite understand what the ratio is in this particular case.
Lord Mansfield held that a gift of money that had been secured by way of mortgage carried with it the estate in the land which had been conveyed as security for the mortgage.

Does this mean: If Joe gave a DMC gift of 50k to Peter, which he borrowed from the bank against his house - the successor to the title of the house Mary, would inherit the house minus Peters interest of 50k?

Thanks and sorry if this is a stupid question!

41561246

Hi everyone,
I am taking FE1 for the first time and taking the online independent college course.
Ive heard that independent college was the best shot but Just realised that the manual for company law was full of mistakes and omissions. is this normal or I shouldn't solely rely on the manuals??

Thirdfox

415 - are you sure? I used the IC manual for my company exams and did fine. Didn't find too many mistakes in them either (if any, can't recall now).

As for omissions - I'm not sure, but I just relied on the manual and got through without a problem.

hero82

Hi all,what exactly was the examiner looking for in relation to qs 3 oct 2010 for constitution.any help would be much appreciated!!

JCJCJC

hero82 wrote: »

Hi all,what exactly was the examiner looking for in relation to qs 3 oct 2010 for constitution.any help would be much appreciated!!

It was about judicial independence and separation of powers, the primacy of the courts in reining in the executive and/or legislature if the breach the constitution. Articles 34-5-6, Buckley v AG, the judicial development of the proportionality test in relation to interference with rights, Heaney v Ireland and all that.
It was fairly loosely drafted so you could make your own of it really. I haven't seen the examiner's report on it, maybe someone who has would comment?

jc

frustratedTC

I sat my first 4 last sitting in tort, criminal, contract and equity and got them, and am going to do constitutional, property, company and EU, finding it really hard to get into the study for them (haven't really started) and not sure how to approach these 4, any1 any advice on how they've been approaching them?

chops018

hey everyone,

just wondering if anyone could give me a starting point on how to go about getting stuck into studying for the exams (what are these manuals I've been reading about, how to get previous exampapers, is there reading lists, what books should I get to aid in my studies etc etc.) I plan on taking 4 exams next March/April.

And please don't just say read through the thread, going back through all the posts and replies and arguments, advice etc is tough as you have to distinguish the questions from people and their posts. So please could someone give me an outline of what direction to go in when getting started.

As you can see above I'm looking into what stuff to get for studying, and just general advice on getting started and preparing (getting all your materials together etc).

frustratedTC

Chops which 4 are u taking?

On the law society website there is a syllabus for each exam, so download that. And the manuals are basically books provided for by the private grinds courses held in Griffith College and Independent Colleges, but u can buy them off people who have sat the grinds and passed the exams if u dont want to pay the 395 per subject!Theres a thread on here where people advertise if they're selling the books and the prices they'll accept, i'd recommend buying a manual for each subject your studying as they're very focused on the fe-1s

chops018

frustratedTC wrote: »

Chops which 4 are u taking?

On the law society website there is a syllabus for each exam, so download that. And the manuals are basically books provided for by the private grinds courses held in Griffith College and Independent Colleges, but u can buy them off people who have sat the grinds and passed the exams if u dont want to pay the 395 per subject!Theres a thread on here where people advertise if they're selling the books and the prices they'll accept, i'd recommend buying a manual for each subject your studying as they're very focused on the fe-1s

thanks for the reply!

not sure what 4 I'm taking yet, I haven't applied yet, I'm hoping to do 4 March/April 2012. I've plenty of time but I just want to get all the info about them before I get stuck into the actual content for studying!

I'll have to read through all the threads, and take notes on people's experiences/info on the manuals etc. even though it will be a pain reading through all those posts

Chopper888

JCJCJC wrote: »

Assuming you don't mean subscription databases like lexis-nexis, westlaw and firstlaw, try this one. EU law should be easy to find online because there are about 50,000 overpaid geeks working in the Berlaymont with bugger-all better to do except uploading waffle to break the hearts and minds of FE1 candidates in Ireland ;-)
I'm leaving EU until Spring 2012, in the hope that Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland will default on their debts and collapse the EU before Xmas, and the Law Society will recognise the error of their ways and replace EU with drink-driving law which will always be useful in practise in Ireland ;-)

Thanks JC.

hero82

thanks jc.u wouldnt happen to know of any relevant articles that i could read in relation to this topic?

Pat28

Any ideas on the precise cost of the ppc1 and ppc 2 courses?

Also must have a quick rant about my love for the law society!
It will cost me a hell of a lot to move to Dublin for these courses in the future. I can say with 100% clarity that if i had known they were only held in Dublin, i would never have decided to embark on them.
Moving to Dublin is a big deal for me my Wife and kids. I live in hope they will change their minds and hold the courses in Cork, which are feasible for those living in Munster! If not this will put a lot of people off doing the fe1's, so the logic behind cost cutting is annoying.

These fe1's are costing a fortune - and job prospects are pretty dull... starting to regret... but i suppose i could just decide to do something else all the same like move to Australia where there is plenty of work and the sun shines! Or Canada where at least again there is plenty of work!

shaneybaby

Pat28 wrote: »

Any ideas on the precise cost of the ppc1 and ppc 2 courses?

Also must have a quick rant about my love for the law society!
It will cost me a hell of a lot to move to Dublin for these courses in the future. I can say with 100% clarity that if i had known they were only held in Dublin, i would never have decided to embark on them.
Moving to Dublin is a big deal for me my Wife and kids. I live in hope they will change their minds and hold the courses in Cork, which are feasible for those living in Munster! If not this will put a lot of people off doing the fe1's, so the logic behind cost cutting is annoying.

These fe1's are costing a fortune - and job prospects are pretty dull... starting to regret... but i suppose i could just decide to do something else all the same like move to Australia where there is plenty of work and the sun shines! Or Canada where at least again there is plenty of work!

I feel for ye Pat, as a cork man heading up on PPC2 i do. There are loads in your boat but don't worry people seem to make it work, just get your work done during the week and you'll be grand and free from Friday on. All the prices are on the law soc website in that trianing link (gimme a pm if you can't find them) They only closed the cork course last week. Don't lose heart

UberStressed

Has anyone ever done the one day revision courses in Griffith? I am thinking about doing the Constitutional Law one, I struggle with this subject the most and am hoping it would give me a bit more clarity and focus - would love to hear from anyone that has done it before!

JCJCJC

UberStressed wrote: »

Has anyone ever done the one day revision courses in Griffith? I am thinking about doing the Constitutional Law one, I struggle with this subject the most and am hoping it would give me a bit more clarity and focus - would love to hear from anyone that has done it before!

I've done several of the GCD one-days, and I would recommend them. I didn't do anything else between graduating with a LLB in 2007 and the FE1`s, and I have four passed so far. They bring you right up-to-date, their grids and other materials are excellent, and their sample exam question answers will wake you up to the standard that the FE1 examiners are expecting - in my own opinion, it's a higher standard than college and there is complete emphasis on very recent law. GCD are genuinely interested in seeing you pass these exams, even on the tenuous relationship of being a one-day student.

JCJCJC

hero82 wrote: »

thanks jc.u wouldnt happen to know of any relevant articles that i could read in relation to this topic?

Assuming you mean EU - no, I'm the worst person you could ask for EU, it's incomprehensible to me. Not tackling the exam until march 2012.

JC

hero82

JCJCJC wrote: »

Assuming you mean EU - no, I'm the worst person you could ask for EU, it's incomprehensible to me. Not tackling the exam until march 2012.

JC

sorry jc i wasnt very clear.i was wondering about any articles in relation to that judicial independence question for constitiution.my apologies!

galileo84

Any one here done contract already an passed it wondering if its a big course to get thru cos going doing it wit land,equity,crim & comp in october?

JCJCJC

galileo84 wrote: »

Any one here done contract already an passed it wondering if its a big course to get thru cos going doing it wit land,equity,crim & comp in october?

I've done and passed it by a safe margin on the second lap. It's not as big a course as company or EU I would say. Equity is a helpful subject to do with it as is tort because there is a fair bit of overlap, especially in remedies. Break the course down into discrete areas and analyse the recurring ones, either on your own or with a grid from IC or GCD. Offer, acceptance and formalities seems to come up always, know the old cases, they are in every book right down to nutshells and nutcases. Look at what the examiners themselves have written and published in journal articles - I got a whole essay question on heads of recovery of damages from one easy-to-read journal article published by Prof. Robt. Clarke, I gave him back his own essay structure and cases. I just improved the language a bit ;-)
Definitely look at the examiner's recent reports and see the cases the examiner is telling you she wants to see mentioned - you'd be a complete eejit not to do that at least. If you can afford the examiner's own recently-updated book buy it and use it, if not, leaf through it in a bookshop, in order to note the cases she has cited from about 2008 to date and look those up.
When you have a list of the fresh cases the examiner likes, like Katesan, Dakota, Zuphen etc, go to bailii.org near the exam dates and search for them - look for the most recent cases in 2010 and 2011 that cite those and you'll be really hot then.
I would say specific performance is possibly topical because currently there is a lot of litigation falling out of the back end of the celtic tiger, trying to get property deals closed now at boom prices.

You should be able to reasonably cover say seven big topics which leaves you a margin of comfort to tackle your five questions.

JCJCJC

hero82 wrote: »

sorry jc i wasnt very clear.i was wondering about any articles in relation to that judicial independence question for constitiution.my apologies!

I'm using a 09 IC manual which is ok on it, plus GCD's sample answers from the one-day last March which are first class, I could only dream of writing essays with the breadth of knowledge they show - I think a SC does them. I also have Casey's textbook.
If you have access to a law library or legal database, search for 'separation of powers' because judicial independence is really a sub-subject of that overall doctrine. David Gwynne-Morgan has a book out on the topic which your library should be able to get if funds are tight. Any practising solicitor or barrister can borrow books from the law society's website and the law library, so if you have any professional friends you could ask them to get a book for you - they are DX'ed out and you'll have them overnight.
I haven't searched the legal databases yet myself for articles, at this juncture I'm just reading through the whole course to get an overview of the subject, I'm about 75% there.

Just google [ "separation of powers" Ireland ] and you'll get a fair bit of free stuff to get you going - I just tried it. Ask me the question again nearer the exams, I might have found something.

Never ever cite wikipedia in anything, but use it to get an overview.

galileo84

JCJCJC wrote: »

I've done and passed it by a safe margin on the second lap. It's not as big a course as company or EU I would say. Equity is a helpful subject to do with it as is tort because there is a fair bit of overlap, especially in remedies. Break the course down into discrete areas and analyse the recurring ones, either on your own or with a grid from IC or GCD. Offer, acceptance and formalities seems to come up always, know the old cases, they are in every book right down to nutshells and nutcases. Look at what the examiners themselves have written and published in journal articles - I got a whole essay question on heads of recovery of damages from one easy-to-read journal article published by Prof. Robt. Clarke, I gave him back his own essay structure and cases. I just improved the language a bit ;-)
Definitely look at the examiner's recent reports and see the cases the examiner is telling you she wants to see mentioned - you'd be a complete eejit not to do that at least. If you can afford the examiner's own recently-updated book buy it and use it, if not, leaf through it in a bookshop, in order to note the cases she has cited from about 2008 to date and look those up.
When you have a list of the fresh cases the examiner likes, like Katesan, Dakota, Zuphen etc, go to bailii.org near the exam dates and search for them - look for the most recent cases in 2010 and 2011 that cite those and you'll be really hot then.
I would say specific performance is possibly topical because currently there is a lot of litigation falling out of the back end of the celtic tiger, trying to get property deals closed now at boom prices.

You should be able to reasonably cover say seven big topics which leaves you a margin of comfort to tackle your five questions.

thanks for your input it was very helpful...do u know the name of the examiners book?

JCJCJC

galileo84 wrote: »

thanks for your input it was very helpful...do u know the name of the examiners book?

Something fairly obvious like Contract Law in Ireland - by Robert Ckarke and Blathnaid Clark, he uses the silent e, she don't ;-)

looney-toone

Hey,


I'm looking for some advice with regards studying for the FE1s,
I have a Corp Law degree and an LLB Degree.
I want to sit/pass 3/4 subjects in October... I have 8/9 weeks to study before the exams. I was thinking of concentrating on 3 of the 4 exams to ensure I pass them. Could anyone advise me as to what I should do with regards subjects, the time frame needed for each subject??

I would really appreciate it!!

JCJCJC

looney-toone wrote: »

Hey,


I'm looking for some advice with regards studying for the FE1s,
I have a Corp Law degree and an LLB Degree.
I want to sit/pass 3/4 subjects in October... I have 8/9 weeks to study before the exams. I was thinking of concentrating on 3 of the 4 exams to ensure I pass them. Could anyone advise me as to what I should do with regards subjects, the time frame needed for each subject??

I would really appreciate it!!

Jeez, Looney T, you're a member here for a year and a half - have you been reading at all? This come up again and again. With your particular knowledge of corporate law, surely company would be obvious for you. After that, your next best three, but if you are equally brilliant at them all I would say contract, tort and equity, or criminal, constitutional and property. I'm making those selection suggestions to group complementary subjects together.

Just on degrees - I have a 4-yr 2.1 LLB from UL, but in my last job I interviewed a guy for a job who had a two-year post-grad LLB from UCG. I was very well disposed towards him because of the common interest etc, but the dude's knowledge of law could be written on the back of a small stamp with a yard brush - he was utterly, absolutely clueless, knew bugger-all as far as I could discover.

Has anybody here gone the Preliminary Exam route? I have a friend who is a law undergrad in college, she is going to try to have some or all of her FE1s done while still in college by doing the PE. If you know about it, what''s it like?

jc

EDIT: Looney Toone - note that you must SIT at least four exams initially, not 3/4 if that means 3 or 4.

frustratedTC

hey
just looking at Q's on sepaprte legal personality in company, was wondering if its necessary to go into the facts of salomon v. salomon, they take up a good chunk of the q!?

Miss_F

frustratedTC wrote: »

hey
just looking at Q's on sepaprte legal personality in company, was wondering if its necessary to go into the facts of salomon v. salomon, they take up a good chunk of the q!?

I went into detail on this before on a sample question & was told I didnt need to just the basic points , so short summary of about 3-4 lines is what iam going with now.