ProfessorTommy.Tips

If you've followed sports headlines this week, you've probably seen the discussion surrounding Alyssa Thomas' foul on Caitlin Clark and the WNBA's subsequent one-game suspension. This post isn't about whether the officials got the call right, whether the suspension was appropriate, or who was at fault. I'll leave those debates to sports analysts. Instead, the play provides a timely opportunity to revisit one of the classic cases many first-year law students encounter in Torts

One of my former students recently asked a great question that I suspect many Legacy UBE examinees have been wondering: I know that Choice of Law is no longer tested on the Legacy UBE beginning with the July 2026 exam. Does that also mean Erie doctrine is gone? The NCBE outline lists Erie under Conflict of Laws, but [my bar review course] still teaches it in Civil Procedure. Should I keep studying it? My answer is an emphatic "YES." I would absolutely continue studying Erie d

If you've been watching the FIFA World Cup over the past couple of weeks, you've probably noticed something unusual: Mandatory hydration breaks. Traditionally, soccer (or football, depending on where you are) is a sport with very few interruptions. The clock keeps running, and players are expected to continue competing through long stretches of play. Yet FIFA recently decided that player health and performance justify stopping even the world's biggest sporting event so athlet

Lionel Messi added another accomplishment to an already legendary career by breaking the World Cup scoring record yesterday. For more than two decades, Messi has dazzled fans with his vision, precision, and ability to make difficult things look effortless. He sees opportunities before others do and consistently puts himself in position to succeed. But while Messi may be brilliant, a messy bar exam essay response is not. Photo source: www.messi.com Yes, it's a groan-worthy pla

One of the most common concerns I hear from bar examinees is some variation of the following: "I'm struggling with the essays. I keep running out of time, and I really want to improve my scores." The good news is that essay performance is often one of the most improvable portions of the bar exam. While there is no magic solution, there are several practical steps that can help you become more efficient and earn additional points on the essay portion of the bar exam, like the