There are seven subjects tested on the multistate bar exam. And in addition to those seven subjects, another five subjects are fair game to be tested on the multistate essay exam. Considering the number of rules each subject has, that’s a lot of law! And it’s unrealistic to retain every rule that could possibly be tested on the exam. So, what do you do on test day, when you realize that an essay question is trying to test you on the excited utterance hearsay exception, but all you can think about is how you don’t want your essay to read like an excited utterance? [Read more…] about Survival Guide to Forgetting the Law
About Mallori Thompson
Studying for the Bar While the World is on Fire
In 2020, examinees were gearing up to study for the bar as protests against the murder of George Floyd and police brutality swept the country. This year, protests against the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ensued nationwide nearly one month out from the July administration of the exam. From widespread poverty and the devastating effects of crippling healthcare costs, to rapidly progressing climate change and global outbreaks of highly virulent diseases, disaster does not rest while we are studying for the bar. And everything going on around us can pose serious mental and emotional health challenges at the time we need our minds to be the clearest.
Although the world may not literally be on fire, studying for the bar during social or political upheaval can add to what is already an arduous task, making it feel like your world is on fire. Those feelings of doom and existential dread can replace the feelings of motivation and purpose you may have started with, and that is the last thing you need while studying for the bar exam. So how do you cope?
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Studying for the Bar Exam as a Black applicant
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the push for diploma privileges prompted another look into the origins of the bar exam. Examinees learned, or were reminded, that many sources claim that the bar exam began as an intentional tool to exclude women, religious minorities, immigrants, and Black applicants from the legal profession.
Although racial exclusion may no longer be the goal of the bar exam, racial disparities have persisted. In 2021, the national first-time pass rate for white bar applicants was 85% while the pass rate for Black applicants was 61%. From access to resources to the psychological impact of negative stereotypes, there are numerous reasons as to why the current licensing structure prevents Black applicants from entering the profession at rates comparable to their counterparts.
Frustratingly, although there is an abundance of ideas on how to reduce the achievement gap, few to none of those measures have been implemented. [Read more…] about Studying for the Bar Exam as a Black applicant