CO Bar Essays 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which writing structure do bar graders most commonly expect in a high-scoring MEE answer?
- A narrative retelling of the facts
- A single conclusory paragraph
- IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) (Correct answer)
- Bullet points listing every possible rule
Correct answer: IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion)
IRAC organizes the issue, rule, application, and conclusion in the format graders are trained to reward.
Question 2: An examinee cites only Colorado-specific statutes on an MEE essay instead of majority rules. Why is this risky?
- MEE essays are graded on generally applicable law, not one state's law (Correct answer)
- Statutes may not be cited in essays
- Colorado law is never correct on the bar exam
- Graders deduct points for citing any authority
Correct answer: MEE essays are graded on generally applicable law, not one state's law
The MEE tests general principles such as majority and UCC rules rather than any single jurisdiction's law.
Question 3: An MEE fact pattern involves a lender perfecting an interest in a debtor's inventory. Which subject is being tested?
- Contracts under UCC Article 2
- Negotiable Instruments
- Secured Transactions under UCC Article 9 (Correct answer)
- Real Property
Correct answer: Secured Transactions under UCC Article 9
Security interests in personal property like inventory are governed by UCC Article 9, a recurring MEE subject.
Question 4: A single MEE question tests both partnership formation and fiduciary duties. What does this illustrate about MEE design?
- Business essays never test duties
- Each essay tests exactly one legal issue
- Combined questions are unscored experimental items
- One essay can combine multiple issues within or across subjects (Correct answer)
Correct answer: One essay can combine multiple issues within or across subjects
MEE questions frequently bundle several issues, and sometimes several subjects, into one fact pattern.
Question 5: What is the best strategy if an examinee cannot remember the exact rule on an MEE essay?
- Argue both sides without stating any rule
- Copy the fact pattern into the answer
- Skip the question entirely
- State a reasonable rule and apply it thoroughly to the facts (Correct answer)
Correct answer: State a reasonable rule and apply it thoroughly to the facts
Graders award substantial credit for sound analysis, so applying a plausible rule earns more points than leaving a blank.
Question 6: During which session of the two-day Colorado Bar Exam are the MEE essays administered?
- Either day, at the examinee's choice
- The second day, morning session
- The first day, alongside the MPT (Correct answer)
- The second day, afternoon session
Correct answer: The first day, alongside the MPT
In UBE jurisdictions like Colorado, the written day comes first, with the MPT in the morning and the MEE in the afternoon.
Question 7: An essay asks whether a premarital agreement is enforceable. Which MEE subject does this fall under?
- Trusts and Estates
- Real Property
- Contracts
- Family Law (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Family Law
Premarital agreements, divorce, and child custody are core Family Law topics on the MEE.
CO Bar Essays 3
Which writing structure do bar graders most commonly expect in a high-scoring MEE answer?