The Professional Law School provides a MicroMash , New York State Bar Association Home-Study Programme. This programme provides you with a degree of flexibility unmatched by any other Bar Review provider. This self study course allows participants to study at their own pace and own study timetable.

The benefits of becoming a New York-qualified lawyer
The Irish legal marketplace is very competitive and with increasing globalisation it makes sense for Irish law firms to have staff members who are dual qualified. An Irish lawyer who becomes New York-qualified will greatly increase their chances of employment in the US, or if they want to practice in Ireland it will improve their chances of working for one of the increasing number US companies with in-house legal departments.

Becoming a New York-qualified lawyer
In order to qualify as an attorney-at-law in the state of New York, you must pass the New York State Bar Exam. This exam is administered exclusively by the New York State Board of Law Examiners. the exam is only provided in New York State twice a year - generally on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of each February and July.

Preparing for the New York Bar Exam
Although studying law at a New York or US law school can be helpful, even those who have done so take a bar exam preparatory course in order to help ensure success in the exam. The Griffith College & Micromash Bar course is designed to provide the best possible preparation for the exam to anyone who has studied law in a jurisdiction based on the English common Law system.

Application Deadline for Exam Candidates

• from the 31st of March to the 30th of April 2008 for July examination.
• from the 27th of October to the 26th of November, 2008 for the February 2009 examination.
   

The MBE portion is comprised of software and books designed to work in tandem for extremely efficient preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam. The software contains close to 2,200 practice questions in seven databases; one for each of the six MBE subjects and one simulated exam database. The proprietary software component called, “The MicroMash Way®”, evaluates the individual user’s performance and progress within topic areas, and prompts the user to reference those specific areas of the MBE Reference Volumes when it senses an area of weakness. The Reference Volumes contain in-depth outlines of each of the six MBE subjects. The diagnostic software continually assesses a student’s changing needs and customises study sessions based on those needs as the user progresses through the course. The package also includes a short Introductory Volume detailing the features of the software, with tips on how best to use it, and a shorter volume of condensed outlines for quick review when the exam draws near. Finally, there is a paper-based practice MBE with answers so you can take a practice test using pencil and paper to mimic actual exam conditions towards the end of your study.

In addition to the books covering the New York Bar subjects and practice questions, the MicroMash New York Review also includes a six-week writing workshop, wherein you are paired with an attorney/mentor licensed in New York. You are asked to submit an essay to her at the end of each of the six weeks, in accordance with your reading and writing study schedule. She then hand-grades these essays based on style, organisation, issue-spotting, and substantive law and corresponds with you addressing individual questions and weaknesses for the remaining two weeks.

The MBE, a 200-question, objective, multiple-choice exam published by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) that thests general law on six subjects: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts. The state portion tests state law on a number of subjects, including the six MBE subjects in some states, and is typically made up of some combination of essay questions and/or performance tests.

The full MBE + State MicroMash Bar Review is a complete and comprehensive review for your Bar Exam.

During the period of study , participants will receive 'bar exam alerts', which highlight important topics, items that must be read and test questions along with suggested solutions.

The course fee is €1,400, for which you will receive:

• State Bar Review, Introductory Text,
• MBE Review, An Introduction,
• MBE In Brief,
• Notes on Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, & Evidence,
• Notes on Contracts, Real Property & Torts,
• Multi-State Bar Exam Sample Test & Answers,
• Multi-State Performance Test Review,
• Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam Review Text,
• New York Review Texts, Volumes I, II, III, IV & VI.

In addition to the above, you will be entitled to use the extensive facilities available on campus, including our law library, reading and study rooms, gymnasium and canteen. Free parking is available on-campus. Each student will receive free access to Westlaw, Hein Online and LEXIS-NEXIS, the world’s premier legal search engine.