NY BAR Study Guide 2026

A rejection terminates the power of acceptance; once rejected, the offeree cannot revive the original offer by later purporting to accept it—the original offer is dead.

In New York State, the New York Supreme Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction. This means it has the authority to hear a wide range of civil cases, including those involving significant monetary disputes, matrimonial actions, and equity cases, unlike courts with limited jurisdiction.

A grant 'to A so long as...' creates a fee simple determinable in A, and the grantor retains a possibility of reverter that vests automatically upon the occurrence of the stated condition.

Terry stops are justified by reasonable articulable suspicion—specific, objective facts that criminal activity may be afoot, which is a lower standard than probable cause.

A taking requiring just compensation occurs when the government physically invades property or a regulation denies the owner all economically beneficial use.

In civil cases in New York, the standard of proof required is the preponderance of the evidence. This means that the party with the burden of proof must demonstrate that their version of the facts is more likely true than not, or that there is a greater than 50% chance that their claims are accurate.