The Essentials for the UBE and MBE

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Sean Silverman’s UBE and MBE Essentials

Sean Silverman of Silverman Bar Tutoring is a friend of ours here at the Bar Exam Toolbox. He has written some really helpful posts on the MBE that you can check out in your free time (ha ha):

MBE Trouble? Tips for Studying Again

Bar Study Tips: Preparing for the MBE

I learned recently that Sean had published some books to help students learn the law covered by the UBE and the MBE, and I asked him to send me a copy so I could share my thoughts with readers. He was nice enough to do so, so here you go!

What are the Essentials Books?

These books are another way to review the law tested on the UBE and MBE. Each chapter relates to a subject tested on the UBE or MBE (depending on which book you purchase). Instead of reading like a typical commercial outline, these books are written in a question and answer format.

For example, instead of just giving the rule for “mutual mistake” as most commercial outlines do, the books present the question, “How does unilateral mistake differ from mutual mistake?” and give a narrative response. The narrative responses are clear and easy to understand and often call out the distinctions heavily tested by the bar examiners on the essays and MBE.

Who would find these Books Helpful?

If you are studying for the exam and finding outlines to be frustrating when it comes to learning the law, these explanations may be your key to understanding the law and better appreciating the distinctions between legal rules. Personally, I never found outlines easy to study from. I always did better when I had a narrative explanation of the law (probably why I loved the Examples and Explanation series of supplements in law school). I would have much rather read the explanations in these books than just reviewed outlines for hours on end.

Also, if you are a foreign attorney studying for the exam, you might appreciate these books, as they can give you a bit more of an explanation of the law and how rules differ from each other than many outlines. Sure, you could google some of these answers, but who has the time?! Sean has presented them to you in an easy question-and-answer format.

If you Love Making Flashcards…

I think these books would also be handy to use if you love flashcards. Going through each chapter and creating a flash card for the questions you don’t know would be a helpful form of studying. The one downside is that there is no index to help you quickly find where a given rule is discussed. So, you do have to flip through the chapter to review all of the law or look for a given question that handles the law you are struggling with.

In summary, these books help you identify the heavily tested law and note distinctions that are often highlighted on the MBE and/or MEE. If you are looking for a study aid that is easy to read, has a more narrative style and could be easily converted into helpful flashcards, we recommend you check out the books! They are also reasonably priced, so you can give them a try without breaking the bar exam bank (eek, we know how expensive everything gets).

You can purchase MBE Essentials and UBE Essentials and Volume 1 and Volume 2 of MEE Essentials on Amazon. You can also learn more about Sean here.

Have you used these resources to study for the bar exam? If so, share your experience in the comments.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that we may be (minimally!) compensated if you purchase after clicking the link.