The Bar Exam Toolbox podcast is an entertaining, useful weekly show which can help you prepare for and pass the bar exam.
You can always access current podcast episodes on the website, on Apple Podcasts, or on many other streaming services. (If you’d like to browse a complete list of all episodes, click here for an archive.)
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Enjoy!
Introductory Episodes
- Bar Exam Toolbox Episode 1: Welcome to the Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast! We are excited to have you join us to talk about the bar exam (everyone’s favorite topic). The goal of this episode is to give you an idea of who Lee and Alison are, what the Bar Exam Toolbox is, and why we think it is important to talk about the bar exam as much as we do.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 53: What to Do If Your Jurisdiction is Adopting the UBE As we are seeing more and more jurisdictions switch to the UBE instead of a state-specific bar exam, many bar takers are being put in the position of taking a new bar exam, even if they are repeat takers. So, what does this mean for folks taking the UBE for the first time?
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 100: Anniversary Episode! The Top Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episodes This is a special milestone episode today (number 100), where we recap some of the most popular episodes and a few of our personal favorite episodes we have recorded during the past two years.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 168: 10 Things to Think About if You're Taking the Bar in July 2022 We’re talking about what you should be considering in regard to your bar prep if you’re planning on sitting for the July 2022 exam.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 189: How to Prepare for the Biggest Closed-Book Exam You'll Probably Ever Take - The Bar Exam! We’re discussing what to think about to be successful on the bar, especially if you haven’t taken many closed-book exams in law school.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 198: The NextGen Bar Exam (w/Doretta McGinnis) We have one of our law school and bar exam tutors, Doretta McGinnis, joining us on the podcast to talk about the upcoming NextGen Bar Exam.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Episode 200: Milestone Episode! Our Top 10 Most Popular Episodes So Far Check out our special milestone episode today (number 200), where we run down a list of the top 10 most popular episodes with the listeners of the podcast.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 248: Considerations for the NextGen Bar Exam (Plus Questions We Still Have!) We’re talking about the format and scope of the NextGen Bar Exam, which will eventually replace the UBE. The first administration of the new bar exam format is scheduled for July 2026.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 273: Quick Tips - Mastering the Bar Exam as an ESL or Foreign-Trained Student We highlight the unique challenges that ESL and foreign-trained attorneys face while studying for the bar exam, and we provide tips to address and overcome these issues.
Bar Exam Scores and Expectations
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 25: How to Interpret Your Bar Exam Score Report We’re discussing what you can learn from your score report if you failed the bar exam. Don’t just put it in a drawer!
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 56: What Are the Bar Graders Looking For? We’re discussing the specific things bar graders are looking for as they are going through stacks of student answers in a limited amount of time.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 277: California is Outsourcing the Bar Exam to Kaplan?!? We’re talking about California’s surprising recent decision to outsource the development of part of the next bar exam to Kaplan.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 284: Reflections From a California Bar Grader - Part 1 (w/Jennifer Barry) Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a California bar exam grader? Today we have Jennifer Barry — a member of the Bar Exam Toolbox team and a former California bar grader — to shed some light on the bar exam evaluation process and what graders are looking for in essay answers.
Lessons We've Learned
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 69: 5 Things We Have Learned From Writing Bar Exam Sample Answers We are sharing five lessons we learned from drafting sample answers for California and MEE essay questions as part of our Writing of the Week program.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 80: Lessons From Learning a New Language That Apply to Bar Study We’re sharing five lessons we’ve learned while trying to study another language, that could be applied to bar exam study as well.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 118: More on Memorization for the Bar Exam We’re revisiting the best memorization techniques for long-term retention of material. There are many different ways to memorize, and you have to test them to figure out which ones work best for you.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 142: The Worst Bar Exam Advice We've Ever Heard We’re sharing some of the worst bar exam advice we’ve heard over the years, and what we think you should do instead to prepare for the exam.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 285: Reflections from a California Bar Exam Grader - Part 2 (w/Jennifer Barry) We’re sharing Part 2 of our conversation with Jennifer Barry — a tutor on the Bar Exam Toolbox team who’s a former California bar exam grader. This time, we’re focusing on avoiding common mistakes that examinees make.
- Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 300: Milestone Episode! Top 5 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam Tune in for a special milestone episode today (number 300), where we share our top 5 tips for passing the bar exam.
Just getting started?
Bar prep goes better when you have a plan before you begin. Take a look at our courses and workshops, or set up a free consult to talk through your situation with someone who has seen it before.
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