The Bar Exam in a Nutshell
Author:
Darrow-Kleinhaus, Suzanne
Edition:
3rd
Copyright Date:
2016
19 chapters
have results for bar exam
Chapter 2. Bar Exam Basics 113 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Depending on the law school, bar preparation may begin as early as the first year where bar-simulated or even actual, released bar exam questions are integrated into the curriculum. While the primary goal is not actual bar preparation, working with bar-type questions presents an opportunity for both faculty and students to become familiar with the structure, language, and content of the bar exam. It’s just as easy to develop effective analytical skills when working with bar-type questions for exercises, assignments, and exams as it is with other questions—but with the added bonus of learning about the bar exam.
- As a bar candidate, you need to be aware of changes to your bar exam. While your bar review course will provide you with the most current law tested on your bar exam to study during the formal bar review period, knowledge of what will be on your exam should inform your course selection during law school.
- At the moment, however, our primary concerns are the two major changes in legal education and the bar exam that have taken place since 2008 because they directly affect your entry into the profession: first, the changes in the American Bar Association (“ABA”) standards that allow a law school to offer bar exam preparation courses for academic credit without restriction ; and, second, the arrival of the Uniform Bar Exam (“UBE”) in 2011. your legal education directly since your law school may provide courses to prepare you for the bar exam while the steadily growing number of jurisdictions adopting the UBE means that this might be your bar exam. If so, then it will factor into your bar preparation in different ways and we will be sure to address them as they arise.
- It is important to note, however, that there are significant changes to the bar exam in addition to the arrival of the UBE. While some changes are specific to individual jurisdictions, others involve the national components to the bar exam—the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE). Perhaps the most significant change is to the California Bar Exam which will go from a three-day exam down to two days. Effective with the July 2017 administration of the exam, the number of essays will be reduced from six to five and instead of two three-hour Performance Tests, there will be only one 90-minute Performance Test. The weighting of the components will change as well: the written and MBE portions of the exam will be weighted equally at 50% each.
- The State Bar of California, California Bar Exam, Past Exams, http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Examinations/Past Exams.aspx#esqasa (last visited December 13, 2015).
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Chapter 8. The Multistate Questions 44 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Similarly, the bar exam is not the time or place to become “practical” and consider what you think would happen in actual practice. Many candidates have defended their incorrect answer choices by explaining “I know it couldn’t happen like that in practice. That’s why I didn’t choose that answer.” This isn’t “real” life. It’s the bar exam! This is not to say, however, that bar exam questions have nothing to do with the practice of law or the “real rules.” It’s just that on the bar exam, as in law school, we are studying and working with the theoretical rule of law and what should be, not necessarily what is. The bar exam is no time to worry about the great divide between theory and practice—simply apply the rule of law as you’ve
- Preparation for the MBE requires that you combine your knowledge of the theoretical with the practical. Your goal is twofold: to acquire a detailed understanding of the substantive law and to master the specific manner in which it is tested. This chapter will show you how to practice questions for the multistate portion of the bar exam, a major component of nearly every jurisdiction’s bar exam. Although the examples and explanations use “retired” MBE questions, the suggested approaches are applicable as well to preparing for multiple choice questions that may be part of the state-portion of your exam.
- It is important to recognize that there is a major difference between taking the MBE on bar day and preparing for that day. On the actual exam, you’ll work at optimum speed and efficiency because you’re in the “exam zone.” This is uniquely true for MBE questions because there is a rhythm to answering them that can be cultivated through practice.
- As this example demonstrates quite nicely, you must prepare for the MBE by mastering the black letter law with a level of detailed sophistication. The bar exam is meant to weed out those with anything less. This is not to say, however, that you must walk into the bar exam expecting to know every single rule of law and its fine distinctions. Even if you had all the time in the world to prepare and the memory of an elephant, this wouldn’t be possible or necessary to pass the exam. And that’s all you need to do—pass. You’re not aiming for an “A” or to be at the top of your class. You get the same license to practice law whether you pass by 50 points or just a few.
- Learning the black letter law is one activity; practicing with it in preparation for the bar exam is quite another. It’s not enough to memorize and understand elements and rules of law without some idea of how the issues present and will be tested. Unless you know what to expect and practice applying what you’ve learned in the format in which it will be presented, you will not be able to perform as well as you should on exam day.
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Preface and Acknowledgments to the Second Edition 6 results (showing 5 best matches)
- If you used Mastering the Law School Exam during law school, you may find some familiar sounding passages in the sections on forensic IRAC. I have adapted these sections into the Nutshell. I have also incorporated some material from Acing the Bar Exam, specifically the sections on getting a “Head Start” on bar preparation and the Bar Planner, as well as the material on de-constructing the bar exam and some of the additional jurisdiction-specific information. Although there has been some “borrowing” of material, much has been re-written to comport with the Nutshell’s more conversational style and approach. However, if you find that checklists help you focus on the task at hand, then I would recommend Acing the Bar Exam. It complements the Nutshell with a “checklist approach” to the process of studying for and taking the bar exam. Mastering the Law School Exam and Acing the Bar Exam are Thomson-West Publications.
- The additions to this book were stimulated by learning what my students needed to help them through this challenging time. Consequently, this edition adds some very practical information absent from the first edition: suggestions on how to get a “head start” on bar preparation, guidelines for selecting a bar review course that suits individual learning styles, bar planner checklists for the entire bar preparation period, from the initial planning phases to the actual days of the bar exam, advice on how to manage the mountains of material you cover in bar review courses, and how to learn the law you need to know in a way that you can remember it and use it to answer exam questions. I have also included a greater range of examples from additional jurisdictions.
- I have learned a lot in the five years since writing the first edition—most, if not all, has been from my students. Perhaps because of the intensity of the experience, but the time I spend working with students in the crazy weeks before the bar exam are the best of my teaching times. The hours are insane and the pressure is intense—almost as much for the teacher as the student—but the feeling that comes from sharing such an experience is without equal. It’s not the same as what happens in a regular classroom. The dynamics and the stakes are so different. Everything is heightened—the highs, the lows, and the “gotcha” moments. For many students, it finally comes together when studying for the bar exam and I get to be there when it does. It doesn’t get much better than that—except when I learn that they passed the exam.
- I have also had the delightful and unexpected pleasure of making new friends as a result of writing this book. I have had emails from around the country and around the globe, including Japan and Korea. It has been my pleasure to correspond and get to know Masi Takeda and Thomas Song. I never would have believed that a book about the bar exam would bring me together with such hard-working, fascinating, and talented individuals.
- The Multistate Essay Examination (“MEE”) has been “Reprinted by Permission” from the February 2001 MEE. Copyright © 2001 National Conference of Bar Examiners. All rights reserved. The Multistate Bar Examination (“MBE”) questions have been “Reprinted by Permission” from the following NCBE publications: Sample MBE February, 1991 (© 1991 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners), Sample MBE 1996 (© 1996 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners), Sample MBE III July, 1998 (© 1998 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners) and the 2006 Information Booklet (© 2005 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners). The Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”) has been “Reprinted by Permission” from Test 2 of the July 1997, MPT, State v. Devine (©1997 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners).
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Chapter 12. Advice for the Re-Taker 38 results (showing 5 best matches)
- It often helps to speak with someone about your experience. It may not be easy for you to talk about it, but it can be incredibly helpful to speak with someone who has experience with the bar exam and can be objective. Consider contacting someone from your bar review course or the bar examiners from your jurisdiction. They are the experts on the bar exam and are in the best position to offer useful advice.
- There are any number of reasons candidates don’t pass the bar exam: the reasons are almost as varied as the test takers themselves. There are always a small minority of candidates who walk into the exam unprepared, knowing that they’re unprepared. But this isn’t typical. The vast majority work hard in preparing for the exam but working hard is not the same as working smart.
- Hopefully, this discussion has demystified the bar exam for you and at the same time provided you with a solid work plan to follow as you prepare. If you follow the advice and strategies offered in this book, seize the opportunity to practice from previous exams, and take advantage of the guidance your own jurisdiction provides, you’ll be in a most favorable position on exam day.
- Of all bar-takers, it might be said that you face the most daunting task of all: overcoming your fear of failure. My heart is with you. But I know that you can pass the bar exam because I’ve worked with so many re-takers to know that it’s possible. It’s possible because you’re going to follow the plan this time.
- Bar review courses continuously update their materials so candidates have access to the current law in preparing for the exam. Generally, your notes from one bar administration to the next will be timely, but you should not take chances with study materials older than that.
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Chapter 6. Learning the Black Letter Law 41 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Just as you studied from your professor’s old exams to prepare for law school finals, you’ll review released exams from the National Conference of Bar Examiners and your state’s bar examiners when you study for the bar exam. While your bar review course includes a good number of simulated practice tests and essay writing exercises, there is no substitute for the real thing. It is essential that you become familiar with the structure, style, and content of the test questions you can expect to see on bar day. Since the ultimate authority on the bar exam are the bar examiners, their questions should be the primary source for your practice questions.
- While you must practice questions in all subject areas tested on the bar exam, you can focus your energies in two ways: where you need the most work and where it will do you the most good. How do you know which subjects require the most work? All subjects are not created equal—not with the bar exam and not with you. This means that you can target your energies where you need them the most.
- First, you need to internalize the law. A solid knowledge of the black letter law is required to answer bar exam essays and objective short answer questions. Preparing for the bar exam simply by attending lectures and reading through bar review outlines, even if read several times, does not allow for the type of internalization of the material necessary to respond to these questions. “Knowing the law” means that you internalize the material in such a way that you truly “own” it. This is not the same as thinking you know something because a term or concept seems familiar. There’s a big difference between recognizing something because you’ve seen it before and really knowing it. The bar exam requires you to know the rules with precision and specificity: it also requires a solid understanding of those rules.
- There is a method to learning from practice exams and you may be surprised to discover that it’s not just about sitting down and answering the questions. That’s what you’ll do on bar exam day but not when you’re studying. The difference is between answering the questions and using the questions to learn.
- Memorization is essential to success on the bar exam. As you proceed through your bar review course, make it a priority to memorize basic definitions and the elements of rules. Here are some suggestions:
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Chapter 4. The Bar Planner 153 results (showing 5 best matches)
- For example, if you are planning to graduate in May and sit for the July bar exam, then you would take the bar review course offered the previous December—which is the course typically taken by candidates sitting for the February bar exam. In this case, you would be taking a bar review course
- “Making the time” you need to study for the bar exam is the first step in your study plan. You must plan ahead to give yourself enough study time. To a considerable extent, success on the bar exam is a function of the actual time spent in concentrated study. And concentrated study requires a mind free from distraction and worry.
- Admittedly, the bar exam is a challenge and candidates do fail. This is not a secret: jurisdictions publish their pass rates so these numbers are readily available. What is not so readily available, however, are the reasons candidates fail the bar exam. While the explanations tend to be as varied as the candidates themselves, some factors are identifiable and thus useful for our purposes.
- 3. Are there workshops about the bar exam? Even if formal classes are not offered, many schools provide information about the bar exam. Look for the following:
- Are you acclimating yourself to the “time zone” in which you’ll be taking the bar exam by getting up in the morning and beginning your studies at the same time in which you’ll be taking the bar exam?
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Preface and Acknowledgments 12 results (showing 5 best matches)
- The bar exam looms large in the mind of every law student from the first day of law school and sometimes even before. But it need not. The bar exam is a practical exam that requires a practical approach. It’s meant to test the candidate’s basic competency to practice law—to see whether the law student has mastered the legal skills and general knowledge that a first year practicing attorney should possess.
- Still, the bar exam is a challenge and the candidate cannot simply graduate law school and expect to pass without any additional preparation. But law school was also a challenge and presumably the candidate made it through or he or she would not be taking the bar exam. The truth is that law school prepares candidates for the bar by providing a solid foundation in the skills the bar exam seeks to test and in turning out an individual who knows how to handle the competing demands on his or her time, memory, and energy. When a student has learned how to learn the law, then bar passage is not an obstacle that cannot be overcome, but a requirement for entering the profession which must be met like any other.
- Like the NCBE, the individual state bar examiners make vital information available to its bar candidates. It’s all right there on the internet and I made extensive use of this vital resource. I urge all candidates to do the same. Each jurisdiction administers the exam and determines its own policy with regard to the relative weight given to the scores for each component of the bar exam. As a result, it’s the primary source for such basic information as application materials, test locations and accommodations, test dates, admissions issues, test topics, and more. Even more importantly, most jurisdictions include some examples of past exam questions and sample answers.
- The MBE questions have been “Reprinted by Permission” from the following NCBE publications: Sample MBE February, 1991 (© 1991 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners), Sample MBE 1996 (© 1996 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners), Sample MBE III July, 1998 (© 1998 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners) and the 2001 Information Booklet (© 2001 by the National Conference of Bar Examiners).
- In addition to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, I wish to thank the bar examiners of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut for permission to reprint bar examination materials. The reprinted essay selections and sample answers have all been downloaded from the states’ web sites, in large part to illustrate the accessibility of these materials to bar candidates.
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Chapter 9. The Multistate Performance Test 39 results (showing 5 best matches)
- In a perfect world, there would be no tests and a test like the bar exam would be “outlawed” instead of required for the practice of law. Short of some kind of a miracle, however, tests and the bar exam are going to be around for a while. But what would you think of an exam where the issue is identified and you’re given all the law that’s relevant to addressing that issue?
- The good news, and you’re due for some good news by now, is that the MPT can be the easiest part of your bar exam. Unlike the other portions of the exam where you’re called upon to work solely from your memory, here you’re given the legal issue and all the law you need to resolve the issue. You’re given the law because this portion of the bar exam is designed to test your proficiency in the basic skills you’ve developed in the course of your legal education and not just your ability to memorize. According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the goal of the MPT is to test “an applicant’s ability to use fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation.” Each test, therefore, seeks to evaluate your ability to complete a task which a beginning lawyer should be able to accomplish.
- Like the other parts of the bar exam, preparing for the MPT requires practice. Still, preparation for the MPT is unlike preparation for the other parts of the bar exam. Here you’re not tested so much on your knowledge of black letter law as you are on your ability to extract legal principles from cases and statutes and apply these principles to solve a specific client problem. These are the skills you have developed in law school and these are the skills you must fine tune during bar preparation.
- On August 14, 2015, the California Committee of Bar Examiners announced changes to the format of California Bar Exam effective with the July 2017 administration of the exam. The exam will be administered over two days with the following components: one morning session with three one-hour essay questions; one afternoon session with two on-hour essay questions and one 90-minute Performance Test; and, morning and afternoon sessions consisting of three hours each, for administration of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The weighting of the components will also change: the written and MBE portions of the exam will be weighted equally at 50% each. The minimum scaled score of 1440 will remain the same.
- Still, the MPT remains the most “doable” portion of the bar exam. It’s not difficult “legally.” The challenge is to get through the pile of information you are given and address only that which is required of you as set forth in the task memo. What we’re going to do is develop the strategy you’ll use when taking this exam. Your goal is to make your approach to the material so mechanical that come test day, it’s pure routine.
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Chapter 1. About the Bar Exam 28 results (showing 5 best matches)
- While all the questions on the bar exam require an IRAC analysis, different parts of the exam emphasize different elements of the IRAC equation. Consequently, our techniques will vary according to the skills tested by the particular type of question. Forensic principles are outlined for the essay and MBE portions of the bar exam. They are covered in Chapter 10, Legal Forensics.
- If you’re like other bar candidates, you’ve been bombarded with lots of well-meaning advice on how to prepare for the bar exam. You may even have paid thousands of dollars for this advice. So what could another so-called “bar expert” possibly have to tell you that is not already to be found somewhere in the pile of materials growing like Mount Vesuvius on the side of your bed? Simple: I can tell you what you need to know to make all this guidance work for you and not simply overwhelm you. I can share with you what I have learned over the past fifteen years from working with students to prepare for their first bar exam and with others who failed the bar exam multiple times and then passed after we had worked together. I can spare you what they went through trying to figure out what the exam was all about. Then you can pass the bar exam the first time you take it.
- I can’t believe it’s been so long since I sat for the bar exam. The experience is still fresh in my mind—as it remains for all of us who take the bar. I promise that you’ll never forget the struggle of studying for and taking the bar exam; I also promise that you’ll never forget the moment of joy and exhilaration when you learn that you’ve passed. And that is what this book is all about—getting you to that moment.
- The goal of the bar examiners is to test your competency for the practice of law. To pass the bar exam, therefore, you must demonstrate a firm grasp of the “black letter law” and a solid grounding in basic analytical, reading, and writing skills.
- The problem is that these are practical skills and students spend most if not all of their bar prep time studying only substantive law. Success on the bar exam requires mastery of both.
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Chapter 7. Bar Exam Essays 84 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Just as you studied from your professor’s past exams to prepare for law school finals, you’ll review released essays from your state’s bar examiners. Released exams should be your primary source for practice essays. While your bar review course includes a good number of simulated practice tests and essay writing exercises, there is no substitute for the real thing.
- As we discussed in an earlier chapter, your jurisdiction provides general information about bar admission requirements, exam dates, and the application process. However, it also provides vital information about the bar exam itself, specifically, its composition and subject coverage. Check for the following:
- Before we discuss specific strategies for writing successful bar exam essays, let’s talk about writing in general: I’m sure a good number of you have been very successful in law school and a large part of that success can be credited to your ability to communicate effectively in writing. For you, doing well on the essay portion of the bar exam will be a simple matter of gaining familiarity with the types of essays on the bar and their structure. But for those of you for whom essays posed a bit more of a challenge, I want you to know that you too can do well on bar exam essays. There is a method to scoring points and this is what I am going to share with you.
- Now that you have de-constructed exam questions, it’s time to de-construct exam answers—an equally important part of your preparation. Here, rather than studying past exams to see what can expect from the bar examiners, your goal is to learn what
- You can identify the boundaries of your bar exam by checking with your local bar examiner. Your jurisdiction typically provides a list to bar candidates of the state-specific subjects to be tested. Some provide rather detailed outlines of the covered subject matter which should be used as a checklist to guide your studies.
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Chapter 3. Procedural Matters 35 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Bar passage is only one of a number of jurisdictionally-set criteria you must meet before gaining admittance to the practice of law. While you are probably aware that each state determines the composition and scoring of its own bar exam, you might not realize that there are other requirements for admission besides exam passage. These include age, education, and moral character requirements.
- Security policies have tightened significantly over the years and often change between one administration of the bar exam and the next. Strict adherence to the rules is required. There are no exceptions and a violation can result in your dismissal from the exam site and referral to the bar licensing entity for disqualification.
- Many, if not most of you have been typing your exams throughout law school so this will be nothing new. If you have been typing your exams and find that it works for you, then you should do the same on the bar exam. There is much to be gained from being able to type your answers—if you are a strong typist. Typing is so much faster than writing and easier for the graders to read.
- If you have never typed an exam, however, then now is not be the right time to start experimenting. You do not want to add any stress to an already stressful event by trying something new. On the other hand, if you are reading this book well in advance of your bar review date and have time to practice with typing exams in law school, then you should try it.
- Typically, the matter of where you will “sit” for the bar exam is determined by where you received a job offer or where you want to live. Often you know the answer to this question—or have a pretty good idea—before you graduate and so selecting the state in which to apply for bar admission is not a major consideration.
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Appendix: Contents and Materials 45 results (showing 5 best matches)
- New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners. New Jersey provides two sample candidate answers for each question. The candidate answers are reproduced . https://www.njbar exams.org/bar-exam-questions-and-sample-answers-july–2015 (last visited December 28, 2015).
- UCC Article 2 issues are common on bar exam essays. They present a fertile ground for bar examiners to assess whether candidates are careful to use the appropriate statutory language. Both candidates include the basics:
- New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, https://www.nj barexams.org/bar-exam-questions-and-sample-answers-july–2015. Copyright © 2015, all rights reserved. (last visited December 29, 2015).
- This question is an MEE question but New York bar exam candidates answered it by applying New York law. This is because New York included an MEE as part of its July 2010 bar administration; if New York had been a UBE jurisdiction at the time, candidates would have applied general principles of law.
- This question is an MEE question but New York bar exam candidates answered it by applying New York law. This is because New York included an MEE as part of its July 2010 bar administration; if New York had been a UBE jurisdiction at the time, candidates would have applied general principles of law.
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- Recent changes in legal education and the arrival of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) are the reasons for this new edition. Increasingly, law schools are adding bar prep courses to the curriculum to prepare their students for the bar exam while the steadily growing number of jurisdictions adopting the UBE means that more and more candidates are sitting for this exam. These changes factor into bar preparation in different ways and this edition addresses them where applicable.
- Nonetheless, much remains the same: bar candidates still need help to get them through the challenge of the bar exam. In addition to such practical information as bar planner checklists, suggestions on how to get a “head start” on bar prep during law school, and advice on how to stay on schedule when taking an online bar review course, I have included information about the UBE and added an Appendix with practice essays, self-assessment rubrics, and MPT exercises.
- The Multistate Bar Examination (MBE®) questions, the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE®) questions, and excerpts from the Multistate Performance Tests (MPT®) have been reprinted by permission from the NCBE®. Copyright© by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. All rights reserved.
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Chapter 11. Taking the Bar Exam 22 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Try to recall past experiences of success. You’ve taken tests all your life and you’ve done well or you wouldn’t be here now sitting for the bar exam. Just think of all the college exams you’ve taken and the LSAT itself. These were tough exams and you managed quite nicely. There’s something to be said about the value of past experience—if you’ve done it before, you can do it again. And remember it’s only an exam. In the general scheme of things, it’s still only an exam.
- No matter how hard you’ve studied and how many practice exams you’ve taken, once you get to the bar exam, you must let go and “be in the moment.” This means that you respond to what the bar examiners ask of you and not want you what to tell the bar examiners you know. Trust me—there’s no better way to ensure a poor grade than to ignore what is asked of you. By answering the question, you’ll be showing what you know.
- Since you know the composition of the exam from your preparation, there’s no need to scan any part of the bar exam except for the essays. Here you may want to get a sense of the general topics before you begin. More than that is not necessary and may be harmful by wasting your time.
- “if so-and-so could pass the bar exam, then so could I.” I’m sure you know someone who can serve as your own negative role model. Just never tell them.
- Everything you’ve been doing during bar review has prepared you for this moment. And, if you’ve prepared properly and you’re willing to surrender to the questions, you’ll find the “exam zone.” Like a “runner’s high,” it’s a feeling that there is only “the now.” It’s where you’re on auto-pilot and your training takes over. You’ve connected with whatever it was you were working to achieve: for the athlete, it’s that connection of mind and body that allows for peak performance; for the law student, it’s that command of the material that lets you see the issues in the facts and allows you to write with clarity and cogency. Your thinking and writing come together—it flows because you flow.
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Chapter 10. Legal Forensics 20 results (showing 5 best matches)
- No doubt these are both very serious problems. However, while the bar exam grader treats both problems alike with respect to the amount of points lost on your exam, we need to figure out which problem is yours. It makes a difference in how we go about fixing it.
- If you find that you become practical on exams and replace the black letter law for what you think would occur in the real world, then you’re going to end up with some incorrect answers. The bar exam is not the time or place to become “practical” and consider what you think would
- Sometime the next day, or much, much later that same day, take out the bar exam question and your essay. Re-read the question and then your answer.
- Here, you’ve decided to show the bar examiners how much time you’ve spent studying so you display that knowledge by writing everything you know. What happens is that you provide far more information than is necessary, often miss the relevant point, and take up valuable exam time without adding to your grade.
- For example, suppose your problem concerns whether Ben and Dylan entered into an agreement for Dylan to purchase Ben’s house and the problem presented in the facts was whether the acceptance was “timely.” If you were to include a lengthy discussion of the Uniform Commercial Code and why it doesn’t apply to the sale of a home, you are way off base. There is rarely a need to discuss non-applicable law. I hate to say “never” because there might be a time when you may need to make a comparison or analogy, but a good general rule to follow is not to discuss non-applicable rules. There’s hardly enough time during the bar exam to write a bar exam essay
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Chapter 5. The Bar Review Course 19 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Here’s where a bar review course plays an integral role: it puts together a master template of all the law tested in your particular jurisdiction. It structures and sequences the material, providing a comprehensive and organized approach to study. But it’s no substitute for what you learned in law school and you’ll need both to succeed on the bar exam.
- Depending on your own strengths and weaknesses, you might want to consider one of the add-ons to supplement your basic bar review course. Typically, these are specialty courses designed to provide additional assistance in particular areas of the bar exam, most notably in essay writing and MBE preparation. Once again, the options are numerous and you can choose from in-class or home study versions.
- It is usually best to take the bar exam as close as possible to law school graduation while the habits of study and the retention of substantive knowledge are at their peak. However, if you found it difficult to concentrate for spring semester exams because you had “spring fever,” then you will find it incredibly challenging to study for almost three months in the summer. For some, it’s easier to study during the winter months, when the days are short and you don’t mind being indoors. After the excitement of the holidays, there are few, if any, distractions. In this case, you might consider sitting for the February exam—if it is offered in your jurisdiction.
- One would think that three years of law school (four if you were a part-time student) would be enough to prepare you for the bar exam. It is and it isn’t: on the one hand, your law school education has taught you the fundamentals of the legal system and “how to think like a lawyer.” On the other hand, chances are your law school professors did not focus on imparting the “black letter law”—even though you learned a lot of substantive law—but rather on developing your analytical abilities and understanding of legal process. Successful performance on the bar exam, however, requires both an expertise in the reasoning skills you developed in law school and a comprehensive knowledge of core substance.
- a. Would a July or February Bar Exam Be a Better “Fit” for You?
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Title Page 1 result
Outline 41 results (showing 5 best matches)
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- Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
- ISBN: 9781634606189
- Subject: Bar Exam Success
- Series: Nutshells
- Type: Overviews
- Description: This edition walks you through the entire bar preparation process from getting a head start during your last year of law school to taking the exam. It features comprehensive coverage of the Uniform Bar Exam, including an explanation of each component and how to prepare for it, to the larger question of what “portability” really means for the bar candidate. This edition also provides guidelines for selecting a bar review course, bar planner checklists, advice on how to manage the material you cover in bar review courses, and advice on how to learn the law so you can remember it and use it to answer exam questions. It identifies the basic skills the exam tests and the precise manner in which these skills are tested, showing you how to target your study efforts to maximize results. An Appendix provides practice materials for the MPT and essays, including the MEEs, with “answer de-constructions” to explain why bar examiners chose those answers as “better than average.”
