Be Calm, Be Confident, Make Stuff Up.

Most of you begin the bar on Monday or Tuesday, so I want to leave you with just a few last minute words of wisdom.

First and foremost, if you do not know it by now, you do not know it. This is not an exam that you can cram for, and you should not be pulling all nighters. You need to approach Tuesday or Wednesday well rested, both mentally and physically.  This means that while you should be reviewing, doing some studying, cementing knowledge, it is not the time to do 200 MBE on Monday.

Speaking of MBE…

Do not second guess yourself. Most of the time wrong answers come from changing your answers. You think you know, you second guess yourself thinking “it can’t be THAT easy”, and you change a right answer to a wrong answer. You’ve graduated law school, you’ve been studying for months, so trust me, you know some law! Don’t doubt that you do!

On Essay….

There will be at least one essay question, or issue in a question, where you read the essay and have no idea what is going on. That is fine, but you still need to write. Trust yourself that you know 

SOMETHING and write. Maybe you won’t recall the law with 100% accuracy, or maybe you won’t remember every element, but put SOMETHING down on the page! Do not skip over issues because you are worried you won’t get it right – at least show the readers that you recognized an important issue.

Last but not least, get some rest. Eat well. Take today and tomorrow to plan your route, know where you will park, investigate if there are delays on public transportation, figure out what you’re doing for lunch. And relax. Go into the exam with confidence and calm, and do your best!

Don't panic! Or How to Effecitvely Memorize.

You have a week left before taking the bar, now is the time to really focus and make the most of your studying time. It might feel like an overwhelming task to learn everything you need to learn by the end of the month, as well as master the skills you need.

I often stress that memorization is not the key to succeeding on the bar exam, and I still stand by that. You need to know the law, and ANALYZE it, in order to pass. However, there are still some things you need to memorize. Memorizing rules of law is not easy for everyone, but sometimes it’s necessary. Hopefully I can impart some memorization tips!

1. Understand the things you memorize: First and foremost, strive to understand the things you need to memorize. Not only will you remember things with greater ease when you fully understand what you are memorizing, but you can not analyze something (remember, the most important part!) until you understand it!

2. Memorize in short time bursts: Plan your memorization time in short bursts of 5 or 10 minutes. Perhaps take some time out to memorize in between MBE questions, or in between practice essays. Bust out your flashcards in line at Starbucks. Sure, people will give you funny looks, but you won’t care after you pass! If you spend too long trying to memorize something, your brain just shuts down and you cease to be effective. No point in studying if you’re not being effective!

3. Memorize in short material bursts: See, your brain tends to remember the first and last things it takes in. If you shorten the amount of information you are taking in, it’s more likely to “stick”. This means pick one subject, and even one subtopic, to memorize at a time. For instance, you know you need to memorize the scrutinies for constitutional law. Start with strict scrutiny, and know that you will memorize JUST that first, and save the other scrutinies for the next memorization session. This tip goes well with the short time bursts; pick one scrutiny per commercial break!

4. Be vocal: Teach rules of law to your significant other, your roommate, your mom or your cat. Trust me, your cat needs to know what all the hearsay exceptions are, and will thank you later. Vocalizing something, even if you are just talking to yourself, helps with memorization.

Employing these techniques will not only help you spend your time memorizing effectively, but will also help you with your analysis. And remember, the analysis is the most important part! Good Luck!

Last Minute Advice on Essays

There is less than a week before the bar, so I thought I'd share a few brief tips on essays.  There are certain mistakes that all of my students tend to make, and it matters not what state you are in!

The point of the bar, besides torturing you and taking away your summer or winter, is to test whether you can be a lawyer. Not whether you know the law, that is what your Juris Doctorate signifies.  So how does one prove that you are capable of practicing law? 

First, issue spotting. The bar overseers want to ensure that when a client comes to you, telling you about their no good very bad day, you don't skip over some of their problems. Your first job as a lawyer is to identify the claims, or legal problems, since your clients aren't going to do it for you.

Next, lawyers analyze. Or, if you listen to lawyer jokes, we argue.  Yes, you need a conclusion, but it's not the most important part of your essay.  Focus less on the conclusion, and more on how you get there. Look at it as a "it's the journey not the destination" type of cliché!  In addition, remember that we all have a different perspective, and we all might view facts differently, so explaining how you get to a certain conclusion is going to help you gain points. It also shows the examiners that you can advocate for a certain point of view, which is what they are looking for.

Last, don't be afraid to write simply and use plain language. This isn't a law review article, and you're not going to win a Pulitzer. Ditch the flowery and overly verbose language. Think "how can I get my point across and move on", especially since the graders are reading your essay VERY quickly. You want your essay to be easy to read, because that makes them happier! It also makes things easier on you. It's ok to be repetitive, or to use a formula. I can assure you that if an English teacher would be horrified by your writing, you are likely on the right track!

Most importantly, this weekend do something  relaxing and nice for yourself. The bar exam is not something you cram for. You need to be well rested, both physically and mentally, for this marathon of an exam.  Get some sleep, clear your head, eat well......and then go kick butt!