The bar exam is just around the corner and tensions are high! Where did the bar prep period go?? It feels as though bar prep has dwindled away down to the last few weeks in a matter of seconds! Now you are about to embark on a journey like no other: the bar exam. You have spent countless hours studying and preparing for the hardest exam of your life. I remember how I felt the month before the bar exam… I definitely wasn’t panicking… In all seriousness, the last few weeks of bar prep were very stressful and anxiety-ridden for me. Sometimes I cannot believe I made it through that time in my life! So, in order to make your life better during bar prep, I have curated a list of things to do in the month leading up to the bar exam to help you get through one of the most difficult periods of your life. I hope that this list helps you push through bar prep! [Read more…] about Bar Exam Top 10 – Top Ten Things to do the Month Before the Bar Exam
Bar Exam Toolbox Blog
Podcast Episode 161: Listen and Learn — Contract Formation
Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our “Listen and Learn” series, we’re looking at the conditions that have to be satisfied in order to form a valid contract. We’ll review the concepts and illustrate them with two essay questions from previous bar exams.
In this episode we discuss:
- Determining the applicable law governing a contract
- The conditions that have to be satisfied for a valid contract
- Recognizing when there is a counter-offer
- Applying the mailbox rule to determine the time at which an offer is accepted
- Analyzing two hypos from previous California bar exams involving contract formation
Thanks for listening!
[Read more…] about Podcast Episode 161: Listen and Learn — Contract Formation
Social Media and Bar Prep: Quit or Keep?
Do you need to completely cut out social media during bar preparation? Sounds drastic if you are used to being connected on different platforms. Have you considered how social media can be a useful tool to help you stay focused and committed to your studies? You don’t need to get rid of social media altogether to succeed and remain focused for the exam. However, it is important to strike a balance between time for your studies and your use of social media.
Sticking to your study schedule requires discipline. Here are some ideas for using social media in a balanced way so that it does not interfere with your studies: [Read more…] about Social Media and Bar Prep: Quit or Keep?
Podcast Episode 160: Listen and Learn — Standards of Review (Con Law)
Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re discussing the different standards of review a court will apply when dealing with questions of constitutionality. You may also hear these referred to as “levels of scrutiny.”
In this episode we discuss:
- The three Constitutional Law levels of scrutiny and how courts apply each of them
- Fundamental rights under the Constitution
- Suspect and quasi-suspect classes of individuals
- The Due Process and Equal Protection clauses
- Analyzing two hypos involving the standards of review
Thanks for listening!
[Read more…] about Podcast Episode 160: Listen and Learn — Standards of Review (Con Law)
Overcoming Burnout During Bar Study
Are you burned out from…everything? You went to law school during a pandemic, lived through lockdown and constant uncertainties. Not only was this experience mentally taxing, but you were also trying to succeed as a law student. Despite the circumstances, law school continued along with the expectations to perform and adapt to a different model of learning online or a hybrid model. In these stressful times, 3Ls were proceeding with studying for the next bar exam administration, while feeling on the edge about whether to prep for an in-person or remote exam. If you were maintaining a job, you likely faced a lot of change and stress in a short time as our jobs shifted to remote working and telecommunication. Many of us endured a lot of stress without being able to get the support we needed because of social distancing. [Read more…] about Overcoming Burnout During Bar Study
Podcast Episode 159: Listen and Learn — Evidence: Expert vs. Lay Witness Testimony
Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, in our “Listen and Learn” series, we’re discussing the standards for admitting witness testimony, which are found in the rules of Evidence.
In this episode we discuss:
- Who can be a lay witness?
- The instances in which lay witnesses can offer opinion testimony
- When is expert witness testimony permitted at trial?
- Factors used to determine the reliability of an expert’s testimony
- Analyzing two hypos from previous California bar exams
Thanks for listening!
[Read more…] about Podcast Episode 159: Listen and Learn — Evidence: Expert vs. Lay Witness Testimony