If You're Feeling Overwhelmed by Bar Review........

A brutally honest fact to begin with - statistics show that the more bar prep course a student completes, the higher their chances of passing. For every single percentage point of your commercial bar course that you complete, your chances of passing the bar also increase.

However, whilst it is true on a general level that you need to be working hard to cover as much of that course as possible, it is also worth remembering that you are not a statistic. Students are unique individuals, not numbers. Most importantly, whilst working hard, you need to ensure that you keep your health and sanity for the end of July.

So, all that being said, here are a few tips if you find yourself getting overwhelmed:

1. One thing at a time. The best thing to do when feeling overwhelmed is to take one step at a time, and DO one thing at a time. Yes, it’s good to have a big picture idea of what you need to accomplish between now and the end of July, that’s what will keep you on target. But, on a day to day basis, you need to focus on what you can do in the next 5 minutes, the next hour, the afternoon. Make lists for yourself, or use the ones given to you by the commercial prep companies (which are usually online) and tick one thing off at a time, even if it’s a small thing.

2. Prioritize active learning. Don’t get bogged down in reviewing outlines, making outlines, making flashcards, etc. Your priority should always be practice essays (especially if you will get feedback) and practice MBE questions, not to mention, practice MPT. As for the law, of course you need to know it, and remember it, but you will remember it better by writing about it, with a unique fact pattern, then you will simply by reading the law, or even putting it on a flashcard. Succeeding on the bar exam is a SKILL, so you need practice. You wouldn’t prepare for a hockey game simply by reading about hockey; you’d get on the ice and run skating drills, you’d have practice games. The bar isn’t really any different.

3. Extra Questions. I often get questions about whether students should be doing MORE, or a good source of extra questions. The right answer to this is going to vary from student to student. I always think more questions are better, in general, and varying the types of questions you are doing can be beneficial. However, you don’t need to pile on extra books and questions for the sake of doing so. Focus on getting through your normal schedule first, if you get through that, and you are not completely exhausted, then consider extra sources of questions.

4. Don’t pay attention to what everyone else is doing. Remember, you are not a statistic, and there is no cookie cutter bar student. Comparing notes with others on what works, or what doesn’t, is fine, but don’t judge yourself by how many hours someone else is in the library, or how many sample questions they are doing, or whether they’ve bought 10 extra books. This is like the first year of law school; everyone is different, and you might be working at a different pace, or in a different way, from someone else. That’s ok!

Remember you still have almost 5 weeks, this is not a sprint, it’s an endurance race. That means pacing yourself. Working hard, yes, but also remember that working smarter is more important than just working harder.

Good luck, you got this!

Bar Season is Upon Us!

Many of you have recently graduated, congratulations! You should be very proud, as you’ve survived 3-4 years of law school! Now, just one more thing – the bar exam!

I know you’re all well aware of the task that you face, so I’d like to offer a few words of advice.

1. Take care of yourself.

I’m being very serious, you are no good to the bar exam if you are not physically and mentally well. Studying for the bar is not a sprint, it’s a 10 week or more process. This means you have to eat well, sleep well, exercise (if you normally do so), and find coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety. Studying for the bar exam is difficult, and time consuming, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have time to keep up with the basic things that keep you well.

2. Schedule study time, and be specific.

Right now, as you begin the process, set up a study schedule and study plan. Set realistic goals about what you’d like to get done. Factor in time to see friends, from time to time, or go for a run. Be detailed in your planning. Don’t just carve out time to “study”; carve out an hour to do 30 MBE questions, or 2 essays. The more specific you are in your planning and goals, the more successful you will be.

3. Practice.

Practice really DOES make perfect, it’s cliché for a reason. Succeeding on the bar exam is a skill, and I can’t stress this enough. Writing an essay in 30 minutes is a skill. Tackling MBE questions is a skill. Completing a performance test in 90 minutes is a skill. Yes, you absolutely need to master the law, and that takes reviewing outlines, making flashcards, creating charts, and so forth. However, you must make practice questions, MBE, Essay, and MPT, a priority. You will not master the skill of writing an essay in 30 minutes merely by outlining, or by reading sample answers. 

4.  Don’t try to master EVERYTHING. 

     You have quite a few subjects to get through, and the more law you master, the better. However, you can’t expect to be an expert on every bar tested subject. That doesn’t mean that you blow off subjects, it means that you study smart. Think about the subjects that are tested more frequently, as well as the subtopics. Spend more time on them.

5. Take care of yourself.

      No, you’re not already losing your mind from study stress, this one is just that important. You have to take care of your physical and mental health, otherwise you will not perform as well as you need to on the exam.

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!