In the News, On the Bar Exam: Robbery Lessons from the Seven-Minute Louvre Heist
- Tommy Sangchompuphen
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
A museum. A freight elevator. And a seven-minute getaway.
You read that right. This morning, in a scene that could’ve been ripped straight from Ocean’s 11½, a crew of thieves pulled off a seven-minute heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris. They used a freight elevator bolted to a truck, angle grinders, and chain saws to smash their way into the Apollo Gallery—the home of the French Crown Jewels. They threatened guards, smashed cases, grabbed jewels once worn by queens, and zipped off on motorcycles before most Parisians finished their croissants.
Police later found an abandoned crown (damaged, sadly) and a pile of power tools. Eight priceless pieces are still missing.
Naturally, every lawyer, law student, and bar-exam nerd on Earth just whispered the same thing:
“Is this… robbery?”
And while the Louvre’s case will unfold under French law, it gives us the perfect excuse to brush up on robbery as it’s tested on the Uniform Bar Exam—a crime that blends theft and force in one high-stakes moment.
What the Bar Exam Expects You to Know About Robbery
Robbery is one of those classic bar-tested crimes that seems straightforward until you start breaking it down. At common law, it’s basically larceny with attitude: taking someone’s property with an added layer of force or intimidation.
Or as I tell my students: Robbery = Larceny + Force (or Threat of Force).
To spot robbery—and get every possible point on a bar exam essay—you need to identify and apply each of these five key elements:
A taking: There must be a trespassory taking and carrying away (asportation) of property. Even the slightest movement will do, as long as it shows control over something that isn’t yours.
Of personal property of another: The item must belong to someone else. Robbery protects both ownership and possession, so taking something from a lawful possessor still counts.
From the person or presence of the victim: The property doesn’t have to be literally in hand. It’s enough if it’s in the same room, within reach, or under the victim’s control. If the victim could have stopped the taking but for the threat or violence, this box is checked.
By force or intimidation: This is what separates robbery from garden-variety theft. Any violence or threat of immediate harm that causes fear is sufficient—even the implied menace of a weapon can qualify.
With intent to permanently deprive: The defendant must plan to keep the property or dispose of it so the owner never gets it back. Borrowing or joyriding doesn’t count.
Applying the Law (Bar-Exam Style)
Think of this as a live-action bar exam essay. Every fact in this story helps you practice spotting the elements.
1. A taking?
Absolutely. The thieves removed jewelry from display cases—classic asportation. Even a small movement of the property satisfies this element.
2. Property of another?
Yes. The jewels belonged to the Louvre, which lawfully possessed them. Remember: robbery protects possession, not just ownership.
3. From the person or presence?
The guards were in the same room when the thieves struck. Property is within a victim’s “presence” if it’s close enough that the victim could have intervened but for the threat. The guards saw the cases being smashed—that’s presence enough.
4. By force or intimidation?
This is the big differentiator between larceny and robbery. The thieves used chainsaws and power tools to frighten guards. Even without direct physical harm, the fear of immediate injury counts as intimidation. It’s that fear, not the bruises, that turns theft into robbery.
5. Intent to permanently deprive?
No doubt here. The thieves clearly had no plans to return the jewels—they took off with what they could and left behind only the damaged remnants. Their quick escape and attempts to destroy evidence demonstrate an unmistakable intent to permanently deprive the Louvre of its property.
Together, these five elements transform a daring museum theft into a textbook example of robbery under Uniform Bar Exam standards.
Every once in a while, the news gives us a perfect bar prep moment. The Louvre heist might belong to French prosecutors, but for bar takers, it’s a ready-made reminder that robbery is more than just stealing—it’s stealing that scares.
