Studying for the Bar Exam

[Monkeyslacks]

CA Bar here. Taking Bar Bri classes at GW in DC.

Who else is taking the bar in July? Anyone with any advice who has done it before?

Also, studying sucks...

[FMThe2nd]

I'm taking the bar exam in Washington state. It's all essay. I'm counting on the 80% pass rate for first-time takers to pull me through.

[Monkeyslacks]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm taking the bar exam in Washington state. It's all essay. I'm counting on the 80% pass rate for first-time takers to pull me through.

[/ QUOTE ]

CA had a 50% passage rate for first timers in 2003. Expensive, smog, traffic, crime... why did I pick CA again? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Number4]

Studying in Richmond - taking it in VA.

Sometimes it's hard to figure out what's worse - reading or actually going to class.

Edit - the state practical and all of the unaccredited law schools make the passage rate in CA artificially low, or so one of my friends in CA says.

[pokerstudAA]

I took the Texas bar last summer and passed. My wife is taking the bar this summer. I feel your pain.

[Monkeyslacks]

[ QUOTE ]
Edit - the state practical and all of the unaccredited law schools make the passage rate in CA artificially low, or so one of my friends in CA says.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is correct. However, the figure I quoted(50%) was for ABA takers only. Look at the difference when you add in the others:

......................................Winter '03...Summer '03
All Takers.............................37%..........49 %
First Timers(ABA Schools).....50%..........63%

It's definitely not easy.

[Monkeyslacks]

[ QUOTE ]
I took the Texas bar last summer and passed. My wife is taking the bar this summer. I feel your pain.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would think it would be advantageous to go through school as a couple. Good luck to her.

[somethingstupid]

Do lots of sample tests.

[Monkeyslacks]

anyone else?

[HDPM]

Do exactly what the bar review course says. Study what they tell you and do the practice tests. Study hard but don't panic.

[Oski]

[ QUOTE ]
anyone else?

[/ QUOTE ]

I passed my first time.

I took Bar-Bri, but I went to only a handful of classes. I did use the materials quite a bit, however.

Here is what I did:

1. For a particular subject, I read through the hand out and made a few notes, etc. Then, once that was done, I read the outline and made whatever changes necessary. Finally, I condensed the outline to the bare-essentials (I think Bar-Bri provides condensed outlines). Finally (again, for the subject) I would do one or two practice essays. I didn't bust my ass on the essays, I just wrote the answer in outline form. Then I would correct the "essay" to make sure my "flow" was correct and make any necessary additions to the condensed outline.

2. Each morning, I would begin by going through my condensed outlines. Eventually, you get to the point where you already know what is next in line ... you get it down cold.

3. For the rest of the morning (most people went to class), I would work on completing another subject.

4. In the afternoons, I would practice my performance test and essay (after doing a few performance tests, I never looked at another one ... if you understand the concept ahead of time, there is nothing to really study. HOWEVER, be warned, they may throw in a Professional Ethics aspect to the performance exam which will require outside knowledge. Otherwise, everyting you need is in the "library" which is provided.

One last note on performance exam ... when you get the question, look at it; understand it. You need to be able to discern between what is relevant and irrelavant in the "library" materials. Some of the laws provided are red herrings.

5. Try to go to class for the multi-state. There is a bunch of "technical" or "tactical" aspects to taking the test; substance alone is not enough. You need to learn the timing and how to get inside the head of the test preparer. Finally, don't overlook this ... this is the easiest area to improve, therefore, your competition will improve as well. Points make a huge difference here. Don't let yourself get corn-holed (which is always good advice).

6. Do not study for more than 8 hours per day. Trust me.

7. Do not listen to the a-holes who talk about how they study 16 hours per day. Trust me.

8. After you have all your outlines, try to condense even further. Its a visceral process of the information leaving the page and entering your head. I would have a few empty boxes where I would "pack away" the no longer needed topic books and full outlines.

9. Two weeks' before the test, make a top-10 list of your most troublesome topics. Shore up each topic, then make a new top-10. Do this many times.

10. Eat good, exercise, etc. Make sure all your logistical arrangements are taken care of.

11. (This list goes to eleven). Don't take advice of an OOT poster ... its a sure recipe for disaster.

[Jeffage]

The opportunity for ridiculous 24-hr poker action within minutes of your firm might have been a factor /images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

Jeff