FE1/King's Inns

Right Turn Clyde

Just how difficult are the FE1 and King's Inns exams? I've always performed quite well on written work and continuous assessment (mid to high 2.1) but it just never seems to happen for me in an exam. My undergraduate results have averaged out at about 57%. Am I daydreaming, or do you think I have a chance of passing either of those exams? I know there's no way of knowing for sure, but generally speaking, would I need to be at a 2.1 standard to get through them. Thanks for your help.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Just wanted to add to this Q myself. I am also hoping to do the FE1s but have recently been affected by concentration and information retention issues do to a medical condition. Would I be pretty much screwed as a result? Before this I was at a mid 2.1 standard but my results last semester ended up at a low 50s which was very disappointing for me.

pixieprincess

Hi, I am in my final year of the LLB in GCD and I am interested in the Fe1s. I have done a little research and I have read that you have to sit 4 in your first sitting, you must pass three out of four, and then can sit the remaining subjects individually if you wish. If you got over the first three you could take your time to study and pass the rest one to two subjects per exam time. I have looked up numerous prep courses and I think they might help you in your decision as you could use the prep course exams as a trial run. I recommend researching the topics to find out what you might study together, I have heard EU is very hard but as I am covering that now I might sit it first. Apparently Equity is handy enough and people have said do not take EU with Constitution. I am sure more people with get on this thread with past experience and accurate advise so I am looking forward to what they offer. Best of luck with the Fe1s if you go ahead with them.

Right Turn Clyde

Hi pixie. Thanks for your advice. I've actually just finished a law degree so I don't think I'll be doing any prep courses. I'm pretty confident I can get through them in my own time. I own most of the key text books, and I have numerous notes and other materials to refer to. I just need to put in the hours! I guess my question was more about how difficult the FE1s are when compared to LLB exams. With coursework I was able to bring my grade up to a 2.1 in each subject, but in the actual exams I rarely scored beyond a high 2.2.

pixieprincess

Hi Clyde, I know what you mean, as it is a higher pass rate (50 percent) I am also worried about the exams. I am at the 2.1 grade at the moment, usually ending up with 65 to 70 for my marks, I had heard that to be over 70 you have to be at Masters level and part of me is worried that the Fe1s will require a Masters level answer, hopefully more people will get on this thread!! I do know of someone sitting the fe1s now and they passed their first set but I think they are a little stressed over the May exams. Another friend told me that everyone sits the first four and only studies for three to pass. I suppose only studying for three makes it a little easier. Have you ever sought feedback from your exams to find out if it is simply something that you might have been doing wrong in the exam (one of my lecturers keep repeating "use ILAC method" with problem questions, to us last week ) hopefully it is something minor that you can work on as you seem very organised with your study notes and articles. I am studying my Jurisprudence 2 next Monday, I am very happy that is not and Fe1 exam!!

pixieprincess

I have also just set up a new thread on whether perusing a mediation career would be better than the Fe1s, so hopefully I get some feed back from that. It is great to have options.

Right Turn Clyde

pixieprincess wrote: »

Hi Clyde, I know what you mean, as it is a higher pass rate (50 percent) I am also worried about the exams. I am at the 2.1 grade at the moment, usually ending up with 65 to 70 for my marks, I had heard that to be over 70 you have to be at Masters level and part of me is worried that the Fe1s will require a Masters level answer, hopefully more people will get on this thread!! I do know of someone sitting the fe1s now and they passed their first set but I think they are a little stressed over the May exams. Another friend told me that everyone sits the first four and only studies for three to pass. I suppose only studying for three makes it a little easier. Have you ever sought feedback from your exams to find out if it is simply something that you might have been doing wrong in the exam (one of my lecturers keep repeating "use ILAC method" with problem questions, to us last week ) hopefully it is something minor that you can work on as you seem very organised with your study notes and articles. I am studying my Jurisprudence 2 next Monday, I am very happy that is not and Fe1 exam!!

I haven't sought feedback, but I know that my handwriting speed is holding me back. Everyone says it's about quality, not quantity. But there's been times when I had information that I know would have got me extra marks, but I just didn't have time to get it down. I always seem to write less than everyone else. Legibility might also be an issue. My handwriting has really deteriorated over the years. I think I just need to stop relying on the laptop and build back up my handwriting skills, so I can get the info down quickly and clearly. Hopefully that will be enough.

Good luck with Jurisprudence. I studied it last year. I did not enjoy it at all because our lecturer made it needlessly difficult. About 60% of the class had stopped attending lectures within the first month. I won't name names, but this guy is a well-regarded lecturer, yet he's almost useless! A brilliant mind, but no ability to transfer ideas to other people. I have no notes I can offer you because it's not really a subject that calls for them. It's more about doing the reading and just trying to make sense of the ideas. The best 'study' I done was spent looking out the window, trying to digest all of the info. Raymond Wacks' Understanding Jurisprudence is a very good introduction to the subject. There's a 3rd edition available now, but you could pick up this one for less than a tenner. It's worth a look.

Right Turn Clyde

pixieprincess wrote: »

I am studying my Jurisprudence 2 next Monday, I am very happy that is not and Fe1 exam!!

Sorry, I misread you there. I'm sure you don't need an introductory text with only two weeks to go. You probably have all the hard thinking done already.

pixieprincess

Thanks for that Clyde, I actually bought that book, it is very good. I think we probably had the same lecturer- very eccentric!! That happens to me too. I found that I take about five minutes or so at the start of each question to write done everything I think might be useful and use it as an answer plan. Then when inevitably when I run out of time at least question the examiner can see where I was headed with my answer.

For Juris study, I found the internet more helpful! especially after spending a fortune on recommended books for study which were barley used.

Hope you can keep us updated on your progression, it would be great to hear how you get one with the Fe1s!!

Right Turn Clyde

pixieprincess wrote: »

Thanks for that Clyde, I actually bought that book, it is very good. I think we probably had the same lecturer- very eccentric!! That happens to me too. I found that I take about five minutes or so at the start of each question to write done everything I think might be useful and use it as an answer plan. Then when inevitably when I run out of time at least question the examiner can see where I was headed with my answer.

For Juris study, I found the internet more helpful! especially after spending a fortune on recommended books for study which were barley used.

Hope you can keep us updated on your progression, it would be great to hear how you get one with the Fe1s!!

I will do! Thanks for your help!

LegallyAbroad

Two things to consider here.

Firstly, can you pass the FE1s and how long will it take you. I would submit that anyone who can graduate from University could probably pass the FE1s. The problem is if you're at a 2:2 standard in University exams, the FE1s may end up taking many multiples of sittingss

Secondly, what are you going to do with your FE1s? Personally I wouldn't sit them unless I'd a contract in place. A low 2:1 realistically isn't setting you up ideally for the milk rounds.

Apolgies if that sounds negative, but if you're going to do it, do it with your eyes open. Just look at the FE1 for the level of angst caused by these exams.

I believe the Inns exams are significantly easier.

Right Turn Clyde

LegallyAbroad wrote: »

Two things to consider here.

Firstly, can you pass the FE1s and how long will it take you. I would submit that anyone who can graduate from University could probably pass the FE1s. The problem is if you're at a 2:2 standard in University exams, the FE1s may end up taking many multiples of sittingss

Secondly, what are you going to do with your FE1s? Personally I wouldn't sit them unless I'd a contract in place. A low 2:1 realistically isn't setting you up ideally for the milk rounds.

Apolgies if that sounds negative, but if you're going to do it, do it with your eyes open. Just look at the FE1 for the level of angst caused by these exams.

I believe the Inns exams are significantly easier.

Thanks for your reply. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do. I'm just putting the feelers out there. I chose to study law because it seemed to be a strong degree that could lead me anywhere, and I was genuinely interested in the modules on offer. But I never seriously considered practising law. But that has started to change. I've heard all the horror stories about the cost and time involved, and the near impossibility of getting a training contract or of supporting yourself through devilling. Yet here I am still considering it.

You made a good point about my grades. But that's the least of my worries. I never completed my Leaving Certificate, I'm almost 30 years old and I have a criminal conviction. Now I know what you're thinking, and I'm thinking pretty much the same thing. But I've met a number of people over the past few years that have shown me that it can be done. I've spoken to solicitors that dropped out of college before their Junior Cert, and barristers with surprising chequered pasts. And none of these people were top of the class. They just done enough, persevered, and eventually it paid off. So I know that a person in my circumstances can qualify and practice law. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm one of these crusading individuals. But I'm just trying to find out what I can so I can make an informed decision about where I go from here.

LegallyAbroad

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do. I'm just putting the feelers out there. I chose to study law because it seemed to be a strong degree that could lead me anywhere, and I was genuinely interested in the modules on offer. But I never seriously considered practising law. But that has started to change. I've heard all the horror stories about the cost and time involved, and the near impossibility of getting a training contract or of supporting yourself through devilling. Yet here I am still considering it.

You made a good point about my grades. But that's the least of my worries. I never completed my Leaving Certificate, I'm almost 30 years old and I have a criminal conviction. Now I know what you're thinking, and I'm thinking pretty much the same thing. But I've met a number of people over the past few years that have shown me that it can be done. I've spoken to solicitors that dropped out of college before their Junior Cert, and barristers with surprising chequered pasts. And none of these people were top of the class. They just done enough, persevered, and eventually it paid off. So I know that a person in my circumstances can qualify and practice law. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm one of these crusading individuals. But I'm just trying to find out what I can so I can make an informed decision about where I go from here.

First of all, without being patronising, fair play. Serious going to be where you are now without having done your leaving. I'd imagine it takes guts too.

Secondly, can one actually practice with a criminal conviction? I was under the impression one couldn't.

Right Turn Clyde

LegallyAbroad wrote: »

First of all, without being patronising, fair play. Serious going to be where you are now without having done your leaving. I'd imagine it takes guts too.

Cheers. Yeah it's been tough enough in fairness. But it's been worth it. The chances are I won't be practicing law. But I feel like I owe it to myself to make sure. The worst thing for me would be to look back in 10 years and wonder what if? I can handle the rejection. I just don't want any regrets.

LegallyAbroad wrote: »

Secondly, can one actually practice with a criminal conviction? I was under the impression one couldn't.

I spoke to both the Law Society and King's Inns and both of them said the same thing. Technically it's possible to qualify with a criminal record, but it's on a case by case basis. Fraud, any kind of corporate wrongdoing and offences against the person seem to be the big ones.

Since making those enquires I spent a few days shadowing barristers. I was put in contact with them through a programme that assists graduates in my position, so they knew they were free to talk. Let's just say that the Bar is surprisingly diverse. :P