Welcome to the land of all things bar exam. Here, you’ll find some of our favorite posts in different topic areas, along with links to lots more content. From when to start studying to detailed tips for the bar exam essays, it’s all here.
For a full list of available topics, please visit the Bar Exam Toolbox Resource Hub. Enjoy!
We also offer a variety of courses and tutoring options, including:
- Writing of the Week (WOW) Workshops to improve your bar exam essays and performance test answers
- The Brainy Bar Bank to streamline your bar exam preparation
- The Bar Exam Self-Study Program, which provides motivated self-studiers with the tools they need to pass at an affordable price
- Private bar exam tutoring in a variety of jurisdictions
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Selecting a Bar Review Provider
- Things to Consider When Choosing Your Bar Prep Course While choosing a course can be daunting, there is truly no one “right” course while all the others are wrong. It’s simply a question of which course will work best for you. With that in mind, here are some things to consider.
- Comparing Tools for Bar Exam Essay Success Several internet tools have been created to help law students prepare for the essay portion of the bar exam. We compare your options.
- Can I Take a Bar Course Without Breaking the Bank? There’s no secret that there are now a variety of bar prep courses that offer deals that serve to benefit the diverse pockets of bar exam takers, but the idea of paying any additional cost to actually become a certified attorney is enough to agitate any law school graduate. If you’re frustrated, you’ve come to the right place. We've put together a list of money saving ideas for choosing a bar study provider.
- Does Your Bar Prep Plan Fit You? 5 Questions to Consider When you are deciding how to prepare for the bar exam, you will be bombarded by programs, plans, and methods that will all claim to guarantee success. They probably all have some value, but your goal is to pick the approach that will give you the best chance at bar exam success. Here are five questions to consider when evaluating which approach to bar prep will best suit you.
- Why the End of Your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) To Start Thinking of Bar Prep At the start of law school, there is a lot of pressure to commit to one of the various commercial bar-prep programs.. However, making a commitment too early has drawbacks, and once you sign that contract, you’re stuck. Is it likely you can know what you need in a bar prep course in your 1L year?
Selecting a Bar Exam Tutor
- Why I Hired a Bar Exam Tutor In this post we welcome an attorney who shares his story about failing the California bar exam and his decision to hire a bar exam tutor for his second studying attempt. He offers some great advice about the benefits of working with a tutor and how it can help you pass the exam.
- Winning the Bar Exam Game: Should You Consider Getting a Tutor? For many law school graduates who are studying for the bar exam, navigating the study process throughout law school and beyond can feel like you’re playing a game for which you haven’t read the rules. It’s no wonder you start to feel overwhelmed! Can a bar tutor help you with this?
- Winning the Bar Exam Game: 5 More Reasons You Need a Tutor A bar exam tutor can be the difference between success and failure for may students. If you'r not sure whether to hire a tutor, here are five more reasons that may convince you to get some help with the bar exam.
- How Do You Pick a Bar Exam Tutor? As students around the country have been getting bad news about the bar exam, we have been getting more and more emails and phone calls wanting advice on how to pick a bar exam tutor. Here's our advice for making this important decision!
- How to Get the Most out of Your Bar Exam Tutor Bar exam tutors can be a great resource to help you study for the bar exam because they structure your program to your needs and give you individualized feedback. Nevertheless, just hiring a tutor is not enough to pass the bar exam. In this post, we discuss how to get the most out of your bar exam tutor.
Self-Studying for the Bar Exam
- Self-Study - How to Survive People decide to “go it alone” for bar prep for a number of reasons or circumstances. Whatever reason you have, consider the following suggestions to help you enhance your experience and increase your chance for success.
- Do I Need to Make My Own Study Materials for the Bar Exam? Law school was all about making your own outlines and study guides, but students typically pay for outlines from a bar course when preparing for the bar exam. Read our thoughts on whether or not you should be making your own study materials for the bar exam.
- Self-Studying for the California Bar With "Be a Goat"! (Part I) Yes, you read that right: being a goat actually has something to do with self-studying for the California bar exam. We talk to Jessica Klein, attorney and author of "The Goat’s Guide: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide To Preparing for the California Bar Exam On Your Own," for some expert advice.
- Self-Studying for the California Bar Exam With "Be a Goat" (Part II) As a follow up to our first post on the Goat's guide to self-studying for the California bar exam, we continue our conversation with attorney and author, Jessica Klein. Read more of her expert advice!
Reviews of Bar Prep Options
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: Smart Bar Prep The number of different bar prep programs, commercial outlines, and study aids available to test takers has grown considerably in recent years. If you’re weighing your bar prep options, here’s another resource to consider. Smart Bar Prep is an essay-focused set of study guides available in both UBE/MEE and California formats.
- How to Use the Brainy Bar Bank to Raise Your Essay Scores We're hearing from one two time bar exam taker who used the Brainy Bar Bank to significantly raise her essay scores (and pass) the second time around.
- Tools for Bar Exam Success: Smarter Review Smarter Review claims to help you study for the bar in less time and for less money than a regular review course. Does it work? Read our review here!
- Using AdaptiBar to Prepare for the MBE on the Bar Exam AdaptiBar is an online application that can help you prepare for the multiple-choice Multistate Bar Examination (or “MBE”) portion of the bar exam. In addition, rather than static sets of practice, MBE questions from a workbook, AdaptiBar uses a proprietary, adaptive algorithm to tailor sets of online practice questions to each user’s particular strengths and weaknesses.
- Can Bar Prep be Quicker, Easier and/or Cheaper? While you may be looking towards the big names in test prep for your bar studying, Smarter Review promises you better value for your time and money. We talk to the Smarter Review's Managing Director to find out more about this exciting new test prep company.
Should You Study Early?
- When Should You Take Bar Exam Electives in Law School? The bar exam is an inevitable box you must check off before earning the right to be called Esquire. Recognizing this, many students often wonder whether they need take course covering subjects that may appear on the bar and, if so, when. Fortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the “When” and “Why” questions of taking Bar-elective courses.
- How Early is Too Early to Begin Bar Prep We think the important question is, how exactly do you go about early bar preparation?
- Bar Exam: Starting Early vs Starting Late - The Tale Of Two Law Students This is the tale of the two law students and what the difference is in preparing for the exam.
- Why the End of Your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) To Start Thinking of Bar Prep At the start of law school, there is a lot of pressure to commit to one of the various commercial bar-prep programs.. However, making a commitment too early has drawbacks, and once you sign that contract, you’re stuck. Is it likely you can know what you need in a bar prep course in your 1L year?
- Rome Wasn't Built in a Day and Neither is a Passing Bar Exam Score Preparing early for the bar exam gives you the confidence that you will excel. Confidence which is key to maintaining focus and ultimately passing. So take the practical step and begin preparing early.
Study Tips for Different Learning Styles
- Studying For the Bar as a Kinesthetic Learner While there are no real tricks or shortcuts to preparing for the bar, you can and should study in a manner that will best help you obtain that passing score. One way of doing this is modifying your study habits to best align with your preferred learning style. If you wished bar materials were presented in a way geared towards kinesthetic learners, then this article is for you!
- Studying For the Bar as a Visual Learner While there are no real tricks or shortcuts to preparing for the bar, you can and should study in a manner that will best help you obtain that passing score. One way of doing this is modifying your study habits to best align with your preferred learning style. If you wished bar materials were presented in a way geared towards visual learners, then this article is for you!
- Want To Set Yourself Up For Bar Exam Success? Take Control of Your Own Learning! No bar prep program can guarantee success, regardless of how many of the assignments you complete, if you are not actively engaged in the learning process. Consistently completing assignments is crucial, but it’s not always sufficient. To set yourself up for bar exam success, you not only have to put in a lot of study hours, you also have to take control of your own learning.
- What Can Your Academic History Tell You About Studying for the Bar Exam? At this point in your career you're experienced at studying the law — and at taking law school exams. But thinking about your past academic history should still be part of getting ready for the bar.
- Reading on Screens - Where Will You Encounter It? Reading online poses difficulties, but we are also encountering it more and more, including on the bar exam. Are you prepared to push through them to be an effective digital reader?
How to Memorize for the Bar Exam
- Using Peg System Mnemonics to Remember Rule Elements If you’re studying for the bar exam, you've probably heard of mnemonics. They work great, but what if you have a lot of elements you need to remember, like on the bar exam, and mnemonics aren't helping? In this post we talk about peg systems, variations on mnemonics that can help you memorize bar material!
- Memorization as Simple as 1, 2, 3 Memorization is the easiest and hardest thing about the bar exam. In this post we welcome back Brian Hahn, founder of Make This Your Last Time, to share a few memorization tips when it comes to the bar exam.
- Why Waiting to Memorize Until the Last Two Weeks is a Bad Idea It may seem reasonable to do a lot of memorization closer to the actual bar exam. While some of the big, commercial bar prep. companies take this approach, we would also strongly advise against it. Read why in this post.
- Can Spaced Repetition Help You Learn the Law? SeRiouS (SRS) is on online study tool that applies the technique of spaced repetition to legal study in a simple, engaging format. It promises to help you learn the law efficiently and conveniently by adapting to your level of knowledge and recall, and allowing you to spend as little as five to ten minutes a day reviewing rules on any internet-connected device.
- Memorize This! Five Memorization Techniques that Will Help you Succeed on the Bar Exam So I want you to think back to law school for a second. Do you remember spending countless hours reviewing a case brief, only to find yourself unable to recall anything the very next day during a cold call? Or perhaps you may remember that networking event you attended your 1L summer, where you met several attorneys who you desperately hoped would provide a lead to your 2L job. The bar exam will require memorization, so follow these 5 techniques to master this!
Ways to Practice Effectively
- Benefits of Practice Questions Below are some of the benefits of practice during bar study.
- Study Tips to Help Prepare for the Big Day The bar exam is right around the corner, which means you should be thinking about polishing your test-taking skills. Check out our tips for taking practice exams and handwriting the bar exam.
- Essay Feedback: Why It's Important, Where To Get It, and How to Use it to Improve When you’re preparing for the bar exam, whether you’re a first-time taker or a repeater, you want to use every tool available to you to improve your chances of success. One of the most valuable tools that you can employ in preparing for the written portions of the exam is feedback from someone who is experienced at evaluating bar exam essays and MPTs.
- How to Become Great at Taking the Bar Exam with Deliberate Practice There is not much debate about practice when it comes to learning a new skill or getting better at something. I’m guessing that some of you have heard of Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and the idea of the 10,000 hour rule to achieve mastery in a field. Since none of us have 10,000 hours to study for the bar exam you may be interested in the concept of Deliberate Practice which was introduced by K. Anders Ericsson.
- How to Use MPT Points Sheets and Sample Answers to Prepare for the Bar Exam Practice exams are a crucial component of successful bar prep. While a bar review course may provide feedback on a limited number of practice essays and performance tests, you should do more and assess your own work. We’ve previously discussed how to do this using MEE Analyses. Here, we’ll explore how to use MPT Point Sheets and sample answers. The key is to distinguish form from substance. A Point Sheet will not be in the form required for your answer, but it will contain the required substance. A sample answer should be in the required form, but it may not be complete in terms of substance. Let’s take a closer look.
Study Materials
- ESQYR Review: Resource for Past Bar and MPRE One of the most important strategies for passing a bar or MPRE exam (or any type of exam) is to take lots of practice exams. In order to make taking practice exams effective, you need to make sure the practice exams be as genuine as possible, and you get specific, detailed feedback on your practice exam from a knowledgeable person. We talk to a new online service, Esqyr, which takes care of the first need.
- Podcast Episode 78: Advice for First-Time Bar Exam Takers Today we’re sharing advice for first-time bar exam takers, to ensure you can take the test once and pass. Even if you’re still in law school, and the bar exam is years away, it’s never too early to get informed and chart a course for success, so tune in.
- Memorize This! Five Memorization Techniques that Will Help you Succeed on the Bar Exam So I want you to think back to law school for a second. Do you remember spending countless hours reviewing a case brief, only to find yourself unable to recall anything the very next day during a cold call? Or perhaps you may remember that networking event you attended your 1L summer, where you met several attorneys who you desperately hoped would provide a lead to your 2L job. The bar exam will require memorization, so follow these 5 techniques to master this!
- Take It From the Examiners: Make the Most of the NCBEX.org Along with your jurisdiction’s bar, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a key primary source of information.
- How to Use MPT Points Sheets and Sample Answers to Prepare for the Bar Exam Practice exams are a crucial component of successful bar prep. While a bar review course may provide feedback on a limited number of practice essays and performance tests, you should do more and assess your own work. We’ve previously discussed how to do this using MEE Analyses. Here, we’ll explore how to use MPT Point Sheets and sample answers. The key is to distinguish form from substance. A Point Sheet will not be in the form required for your answer, but it will contain the required substance. A sample answer should be in the required form, but it may not be complete in terms of substance. Let’s take a closer look.
Strategies for Bar Exam Essays
- How to Use the Brainy Bar Bank to Raise Your Essay Scores We're hearing from one two time bar exam taker who used the Brainy Bar Bank to significantly raise her essay scores (and pass) the second time around.
- How to Get Past the Initial Panic on a Bar Essay This post is about how you can get past your panic on a bar essay by planning ahead exactly how you’re going to start any essay that comes your way.
- 5 Easy Tips to Bolster Your Analysis on the Bar Here are five easy to follow tips to make your analysis section strong on the bar exam.
- How to Practice Essays in the Final Weeks Before the Bar Exam This post outlines some tactics you can implement to make the most out of the practice essays you do in the three weeks leading up to the bar exam.
- Write, Read, Rewrite: Using Model Answers to Game Your Essays Do your best to work closed book and within the allotted time for your essay. The MPT essays need to be done within 90 minutes and the MEE essays need to be done within 30 minutes. As your writing journey progresses, here are some things to keep in mind.
Strategies for the Bar Exam Performance Test
- Strategies for Common Performance Test Issues The performance test (PT) section of the bar exam is somewhat of an enigma. It is unique to study for in several ways. The tricky thing about the PT is that there is no material to study. So, what do you need to study? How can anything go wrong?
- Five Common Issues on the Performance Test and How to Fix Them Bar candidates are often intimidated by the performance test because the materials that present the question are so long they consume an entire packet! However, success on the performance test does not depend on how fast you can read, but how well you can read and if you have mastered an approach for each section of the performance test.
- Managing the Clock on a 90-Minute Performance Test Most bar exams require applicants to complete one or two 90-minute performance tests as a component of the exams. A performance test asks you to complete a sample work assignment typically performed by a law firm associate. We discuss how to handle the clock on this part of the exam.
- The Key to the Performance Test: Find Your Approach What's the key to success on the bar exam performance test? Having your approach dialed in beforehand, so you can work efficiently and effectively.
- Three Things to Do to Raise Your Performance Test Scores The performance test is the favorite part of the bar exam for many, given that you don’t need to have any law memorized. But some people still hate and fear the performance test. If you're one of these people, here are three things you can do to raise those scores!
Strategies for the MBE
- 3 Simple Ways To Improve Your MBE Score If you’re enrolled in a bar review course or if you’re studying on your own, by this point you may have already completed a simulated or mock MBE exam. You may have already received the score for this exam and depending on what that score is, you’re probably freaking out and already plotting a career change. Well, if you’re currently experiencing this fear, we're here to tell you, STOP WORRYING!
- How to Approach Criminal Procedure Questions on the MBE Even though Criminal Procedure is a broad topic, you can still adopt an overarching approach to answer these questions. This article provides tips on how to develop that overarching approach and how to tackle those tricky search and seizure questions.
- 5 Reasons To Be a Confident Out-Of-State Applicant For the Bar Exam If the jurisdiction you want to take the bar exam in has state-specific sections, many questions will nag at you – Can I learn the state-specific subjects? How much different is that state’s law? Can I compete with in-state applicants? We have some tips for out of state applicants for the bar!
- Tackling Real Property MBE Questions Real Property questions on the MBE make up 25 of the 175 scored questions you’ll encounter on exam day. We're looking at your overarching approach for Real Property MBE questions, as well as some advice on how to stay collected through the more dreaded Real Property topics (ahem, the Rule Against Perpetuities).
- An Approach to Answering MBE Questions We describe one approach to answering MBE questions.
UBE Basics
- What is the Uniform Bar Exam? The Uniform Bar Exam – or UBE – has been in the news quite a bit recently with respect to bar exam requirements and whether it will replace existing state exams. Wondering about the UBE? In this post we discuss all things UBE and what the UBE means for you.
- Three Reasons You Should Support the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) has been sweeping across the country in recent years, and with the addition of New York, it now seems poised to become the dominant exam. This is a good thing for law students. Read three reasons why in this post.
- Everything You Need to Know About the UBE In this post, we’ll explain what the UBE is and how portable it is.
- Deciding Whether to Take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the California Bar Exam If you’re deciding whether to take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the California Bar Exam, then you’ve come to the right place. Read our advice on what you should be considering!
California Bar Exam Basics
- What is the California Bar Exam, Anyway? Not sure exactly what's covered on the California bar exam or how to approach the test? We've got you covered. Here are all the basics you need to know.
- Tips if You Just Found Out You Failed the California Bar Exam California bar results are being released, and the pass rates mean there will be thousands of disappointed bar takers out there. If you're one of those people wondering what to do next, here are some steps for dealing with a bar exam failure.
- Failed the Bar Exam? How to Be the Ultimate Sore Loser (to Pass the Bar Exam Next Time) Methodical and deliberate - these are the keywords for any person retaking the bar exam. In this post we welcome Brian Hahn, founder of Make This Your Last Time and a second-time passer of the California bar exam, who gives his advice on how to pass the bar exam the next time around.
- Are You Kidding Me? The California Bar Exam Is Going to be Two Days in 2017 The California State Bar Board of Trustees recently voted to scale back the state’s three-day exam to just two days. In this post we discuss all the changes to the exam and what they mean for you!
- Should You Apply for Bar Exam Testing Accommodations? We are pleased to welcome back to the blog Dr. Jared Maloff, a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping students who need testing accommodations navigate the California bar exam. In this post he talks about when and why law students should consider applying for testing accommodations.
Studying Smart
- 3 Simple Ways to Stay Motivated During Bar Prep So how is it possible to stay motivated during this period of high stress? Here are three strategies that we use to increase motivation, especially in times when a bar studier feels burned out.
- Working and Studying for the Bar: 5 Reasons to Be Confident The bar exam can intimidate anyone. The law is challenging, the scope is daunting, the prep time is short, and the stakes are high. If you are working while studying, it can be easy to feel sorry for yourself and to feel like you are trying to do the impossible. You have taken a tougher road to bar success than others to be sure, but you can’t let those feelings take too much of a psychological toll. You have to be confident going into the bar or you will not be at your best. Here are five reasons to be confident as you work and study and study and work and study some more
- Bar Exam Stamina: The Long Game Here are some tips for a strong start and to help you make it to the finish line of your bar prep!
- Self Sabotage and the Bar Exam If you're studying for the bar exam, or preparing to study, it’s worth it to think about your default tendencies for self-sabotage upfront, and consider how you might rein them in, and start playing to your strengths.
- Managing Your Time During the Bar Exam During bar prep, you will all face the harsh reality that there are only twenty-four hours in one day. Twenty-four hours goes by pretty quick when you spend each day trying to process tough material during bar review. But there’s no need to worry because I’ve put together, a few time management methods to help you along the way!
How to Make a Useful Study Schedule
- How to Pass the Bar Exam in 10 Days Believe it or not, we know several people who have passed the bar after studying for less than two weeks. While we would never recommend studying for 10 days, people have done this and gone onto pass. So, this post isn’t so much advice about why we think you should wait until the last minute to study, it’s more of an “if you only have 10 days left, this is what you should do.”
- Stop Worrying About Passing the Bar Exam in 10 Days and Get to Work! Should you have waited until 10 days before the bar to start studying? No! Of course not. But, if you did, here are some tips that might help you pass.
- Getting Ready for Bar Prep? Do These 5 Tasks First To help simplify your life in the final days before the bar exam, and to ensure that you’re able to get the most out of the bar prep period, make sure you’ve completed the following five tasks before bar prep starts.
- 3 Simple Ways to Stay Motivated During Bar Prep So how is it possible to stay motivated during this period of high stress? Here are three strategies that we use to increase motivation, especially in times when a bar studier feels burned out.
- Making a Bar Exam Study Schedule - One Size Doesn't Fit All Studying for the bar exam is probably nothing like what you’ve ever done before. It may be hard for you to figure out at first how to approach it. For me, the start of my bar exam prep course felt like a great unknown. All I knew was that I had a little over two months to cram everything into my brain that would allow me to be “minimally competent” to practice law in my jurisdictions. I had no idea how I would achieve it in such a short time, but what I knew is that many have done it before me and were successful.
Working and Studying
- Five Tips for Studying for the Bar Exam While Working Although it's best to study for the bar exam full time, this just isn't a possibility for many bar takers. If you're considering studying while working, here are five things you should take into consideration, especially if you're re-taking the bar exam after disappointing results.
- Working While Studying? "Play" Bar Prep Like You're Playing Risk Working full time while studying for the bar: recommended? No. Possible? Yes. Sarah Eli Mattern, founder of “The Student Appeal” online law journal, gives her expert advice on this important topic.
- Warning: Working and Studying Can Cause Sleep Deprivation! It's no secret that working while studying for the bar exam can be a challenge. Depriving yourself of sleep and studying while exhausted can lead to disastrous results. In this post, learn about the consequences of sleep deprivation and the importance of rest!
- How to Study for the Bar Exam While Working So you’ve found yourself having to study for the bar exam while holding down a full-time 9 to 5 job? With our tips on how to organize your time and what material to focus on, you should be able to successfully study for the bar and keep your boss happy.
- Adulting and Studying for the Bar Exam If you want and need to maintain your job, family, and yes, your sanity intact during bar study, follow these few tips.
Exam Logistics
- My Bar Exam Story: Make a Plan and Be Ready for Things to Not Go According to Plan It seems every lawyer, whether seasoned or freshly admitted, has an arsenal of war stories from the bar exam based on their own experience, or that of their friends. Read more about one lawyer's first-hand account of a bar exam day disaster!
- Bar Exam Perspective - What to Do if You Have a Panic Attack in the Middle of the Bar Exam? We're hearing about one bar taker's experience with panic at the exam.
- Managing the Clock on a 90-Minute Performance Test Most bar exams require applicants to complete one or two 90-minute performance tests as a component of the exams. A performance test asks you to complete a sample work assignment typically performed by a law firm associate. We discuss how to handle the clock on this part of the exam.
- 5 Easy Tips to Bolster Your Analysis on the Bar Here are five easy to follow tips to make your analysis section strong on the bar exam.
- Strategies for Bar Exam Week Here are some strategies to consider in the week leading up to the exam.
Exam Pep Talks
- I Don't Know the Answer: Encountering Your Worst Subject as an Essay Topic So here’s the scenario, you didn’t take a certain subject in law school or maybe you went to a law school outside of California and it wasn’t an option. You reviewed that subject briefly as part of your bar exam prep, but it’s not your strongest subject. You are banking on that subject not showing up on your exam but then you open your exam to find your weak subject staring you in the face and your mind goes blank; you have no idea how to answer the question. What happens next?
- Some Perspective on a Disappointing First Day of the Bar Exam Few things in your life will have the same sort of buildup and anticipation as the bar exam. The tension is only increased by the high stakes: you may have a job offer contingent on bar passage, you definitely have years of work and weeks of preparation invested, and you likely have everyone you know waiting to hear if you passed or failed. We have some tips on how to handle a disappointing first day.
- How to Cope If You Forget a Rule on the Bar If you're afraid of sitting down for the bar exam and blanking, we have advice! We're talking about the top three steps to take if you forget a rule when taking the bar exam.
- It's Almost the Week of the Bar Exam! But You Can Stay Sane! You have finally made it. It’s the week of the bar exam. There may not be a discrete set of things each of you can do to maintain sanity in those final days and hours before the bar, but what I can offer are some common-sense tips to keep you healthy and feeling…okay before the big day.
- Bar Exam Tips and Tricks - What to Do When You Blank on Test Day Here are some tips and tricks to get you through your mind blanking on exam day.
Bar Exam Advice for Law Students
- Getting Ready for Bar Prep? Do These 5 Tasks First To help simplify your life in the final days before the bar exam, and to ensure that you’re able to get the most out of the bar prep period, make sure you’ve completed the following five tasks before bar prep starts.
- Easy Steps To Take During Law School to Improve Your Bar Prep Readiness We describe a few easy steps you can take during law school to improve your readiness going into bar prep and help you feel confident about taking the exam.
- Selecting Law School Courses for Bar Success Selecting courses with the bar exam in mind will ensure that you’re in the best position possible when it comes time start your bar exam studies, and that could make all the difference. These suggestions can help you create a class schedule that will satisfy your graduation requirements while also ensuring that you are as prepared as possible for the bar exam.
- Twas the Summer Before 3L - What to do to Prepare for the Bar Exam The summer before your 3L year is an interesting time in a law student’s life. Many rising 3Ls are busy in their summer positions, typically full-time at a law firm or with a judge. However, it is also the last summer before going out into the real world to be practicing attorneys or studying to for the bar exam in July. So, many law students want to enjoy their 3L summer rather than worrying about school and the dreaded bar exam once the semester begins.
- Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered - Bar Prep As you finish up law school, the next step is preparing for the bar exam. We're answering some of the most common questions from law students about bar prep.
Getting Accommodations on the Bar Exam
- Preparing for the Bar Exam with ADHD In this post we welcome back Dr. Jared Maloff to talk about studying for the bar exam with ADHD. Dr. Maloff is an expert on this topic given his work as a clinical psychologist helping students who need testing accommodations navigate the California bar exam.
- How to Proactively Develop Good Mental Health Habits During Bar Prep We will discuss in this section how mental health awareness can help you to maintain your sanity during the bar.
- Mental Health and the Bar: Tips To Maintain Good Mental Health Post Bar Exam and Beyond If you've just finished the bar exam, unfortunately, these factors can certainly bring up some mental health issues, regardless of a predisposition or an overall stable state of mind. Therefore, developing and maintaining good mental health practices is crucial, especially during this starting point of your career.
- Three Tips to Include More Self-Care Into Your Bar Prep During the bar exam in particular, it is very important to incorporate self-care into your daily routine. Below, I’ll outline a few ways to reduce your stress, combat exhaustion, and help boost your mood.
- Why Being on Top of Mental Health is So Important When Studying for the Bar We explore why mental health is crucial for bar exam preparation, especially for repeat takers, and discuss practical strategies to care for your mental health during this difficult period.
Which Exam and When?
- Top Five Reasons Why People Really Fail the Bar Exam It’s probably every law student’s worst fear: failing the bar exam. We break down the top five reasons why it really happens.
- Mentally Preparing to Study for the Bar Exam After a Failure (or Two) We're looking at what you can do to prepare for re-taking the bar exam.
- How to Handle a Bar Exam Failure The unbelievable happened – you failed the bar exam. Now what? While you are entitled to a little “pity me” time, how you move on from this set back will determine whether you can hope for a different result the next time around.
- Five Tips For Repeat Bar Takers If you're taking the bar after a previous failure you need to adjust some things from how you did them last time. We're looking at some advice for changes you can make if you're taking the bar exam again.
- The Five Steps of Mourning a Disappointing Bar Exam Result There are few events in life that seem to carry as much pressure as the bar exam. In other words, the bar exam is a really, really big deal – both personally and professionally – to most students. We cover the five steps of mourning this difficult time.
Bar Exam Prep + Life
- Manage Expectations Before Bar Prep Begins: Keeping Friends & Family On Your Side Everyone who cares about you has a vested interest in your success (and failures). The one part of law school that is truly yours, and yours alone, is bar prep. Now is not the time to succumb to the pressures of family and friends. Be a wolf pack of one.
- Juggling Bar Prep and the Rest of Your Life: Don't Be a Fool! During bar prep you still need to balance your personal life, and we're looking at how you can do both.
- How to Study For the Bar Exam, With a Side of Holiday Cheer We're looking at how you can balance holiday plans with bar study.
- How to Get Your Family Involved in Your Bar Exam Studies Here are some ways to get your whole family involved in your study strategy.
- Bar Exam Postponement Due to COVID-19 Things are up in the air as far as the bar exam goes right now with the global pandemic going on. Many exams are being postponed, and others are waiting. We're looking at how you can deal with this time of uncertainty or postponement.
Stories About Failing the Bar Exam (and Surviving)
- The Question I've Never Been Asked About the Bar Exam In this post we welcome an attorney who shares her very personal story about failing the California bar exam and what she learned from the experience. She offers some great advice for those of you grappling with the same emotions!
- Why I Hired a Bar Exam Tutor In this post we welcome an attorney who shares his story about failing the California bar exam and his decision to hire a bar exam tutor for his second studying attempt. He offers some great advice about the benefits of working with a tutor and how it can help you pass the exam.
- If at First You Don't Succeed...Cry, Whine, and Then TRY AGAIN! Bar exam failure is common! In this post we welcome Ciara Vesey of Confessions of a Law School Nobody Online to share what she learned while re-studying for the bar exam.
- Famous People Who Failed the Bar But Did Okay in the End From Presidents to law school deans, many famous lawyers have not been stopped by bar failure. Here are just a few prominent attorneys who failed their first bar exam.
- Why You Won't Die If You Fail the Bar Exam Failing the bar exam can be an overwhelming experience. We have some advice on handling it from someone who went through the experience herself.
Dealing with Bar Exam Stress
- 8 Ways to De-Stress During Bar Prep We lay out eight things you can do to eliminate your bar prep stress.
- How to Handle Burnout for the Bar Exam Studying for the bar exam may only last a few weeks, but it can sure send you on a roller coaster of emotions. Bar prep will likely subject you to a slew of emotions that will feel particularly intense given the pressure, workload, and shortened time frame. To avoid getting derailed during your study sessions, use these strategies to help you handle the various feelings, moods, and mindsets you might encounter as you prepare to take the bar exam.
- Three Simple Ways to Manage Stress While Studying For the Bar Exam If you are currently studying for the bar exam, there are ways to do more than just outlive the stress you are experiencing. In fact, a few simple practices can help you successfully minimize its impact on your studies, your exam performance, and your physical and mental health. Here are three you can try right now:
- 5 Ways to Combat Stress During the Last Week Before the Bar The stress of studying for the bar impacts you in ways you don’t even realize. But, as we know, too much stress is BAD. Here are 5 suggestions for alleviating stress during that last crazy week before the exam.
- Mental Health and the Bar: Tips To Maintain Good Mental Health Post Bar Exam and Beyond If you've just finished the bar exam, unfortunately, these factors can certainly bring up some mental health issues, regardless of a predisposition or an overall stable state of mind. Therefore, developing and maintaining good mental health practices is crucial, especially during this starting point of your career.
Help for the Bar Exam Significant Other
- Bar Study During Coronavirus with a Cohabiting Partner We’ve recently heard from several bar students and their partners about how stressful the current situation is. We're looking at how you can handle this from both the bar studier point of view, as well as the partner point of view.
- Supporting Your SO While They Study for the Bar Being a good significant other for a bar studier is often a bit different than being a good significant other for someone who chose a less difficult, non-stressful, low-academic path, so here are some considerations if you’re on the hunt for how to help yours.
- Supporting the Bar Exam Studier in Your Life Your child, spouse, significant other, or best friend is studying for the bar exam. Maybe it’s their first time studying, or maybe they’re a repeat test taker. No matter the situation, studying for the bar exam can be incredibly stressful and you don’t want to add to that stress. Here are a few ideas for ways you can make your bar exam studier’s life a little easier.
- So Your Friend Failed the Bar Exam You planned the celebration. You had trepidations, but you knew the results would be good news. Then the time came, and the name was not on the pass list. You felt confused, saddened, and a little scared, but it wasn’t your name in contention, it was your friend’s.
- Dealing with the Bar Studier in Your Life You may think you’re prepared for a little stress after supporting a person all the way through law school, but the bar exam will likely push your bar studier to a new level of anxiety. So how do you deal with the bar studier in your life?
Helping Your Child Pass the Bar Exam
- How Can Parents Help a Child Who Failed the Bar Exam? After someone fails the bar, they need all the support they can get, especially from their parents. In this post we answer an email from a concerned parent wondering how she can help her son after he failed the bar exam.
- Dos and Don'ts for Parents of Bar Preppers After three years of law school, there is still one very big hurdle for your child to jump before she becomes a lawyer: the bar exam. They will usually take all the help they can get, so if your child will be preparing for the bar exam over the next several weeks, here are some dos and don’ts to help you support their efforts.
- Parents of Bar Studiers: How to Best Support Your Child During the High-Anxiety Weeks of Bar Preparation Your adult child has officially graduated from law school. However, as you probably noticed, the excitement and celebrations abruptly came to a close as he or she almost immediately shifted to preparing for the biggest exam of his or her life – the bar exam. Make no mistake about it – even though your child persevered through semester after semester of really tough exams in law school, the bar exam really is the toughest exam your child will ever face.
- How to Survive Studying for the Bar Exam at Your Parents' House If you’re facing graduation and don’t have a job lined up after law school, you might be stretched thin for money. If you can’t afford monthly rent payments near your law school, you might be looking at a move back home to your parents’ house for bar season. Here’s how to survive studying for the bar exam while rooming with your parents.
- Being a Parent During Bar Prep: The Ultimate Test in Multitasking Bar prep is a lot of work, and it can be particularly challenging if you're a parent. We're offering some advice for those bar takers who are parents about how to juggle it all.
Got questions about the bar exam? Please don’t hesitate to contact us!
We look forward to hearing from you.
