Studying for the Bar Exam......any tips? (1 Viewer)

[Phil_L]

I just started the BarBri bar review course this week, so life stinks. I am interested to know if any of you guys and gals had hints, strategies or tips for the bar. Taking two of them, actually, MA & RI, and of course, the multi-state.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Get plenty of exercise. The CA bar is 3 days all by itself, and you are also doing a 3 day test. The bar exam is mostly a test of endurance.

 

[mark alan]

Step 1 Till the end of June. Eat, sleep drink and watch lots of movies.

Step 2 Till mid July. See step 1.

Step 3 Till exam time. Study

Step 4 Take exam, pass.

 

[Kevin T]

if i were taking a bar exam, i would definitely watch cocktail and coyote ugly. maybe get one of those bartender guides too.

kevin t

 

[Janna S]

I took and passed two bar exams about a hundred years ago (or so it feels) but I think this advice holds true: don't overthink your answers, and don't endeavor to be clever. The exams look for straightforward answers, concrete step-by-step analysis, not trial tricks. That means, of course, that you've gotta have a solid understanding of the underlying material. So stick with the studying, pace yourself and make up a schedule of how you are going to study and review the topics, and just suck it up. Get it done right the first time, and you will never have to hassle with it again (unless you go to another jurisdiction that doesn't have reciprocity). Do it right and the bar exam will matter a whole lot for about six weeks, to the exclusion of everything else in your life, and then it will never matter again . . . .

 

[Citizen87645]

My cousin's husband took her to a movie the night before the exam. She passed.

 

[Leo Hinze]

Some good advice from a well-respected legal blogger:

Scherezade's Bar Exam prep advice

 

[Phil_L]

Thanks for the tips guys! I have finished by first week of Barbri and am taking the PMBR 3-day multistate course as well. I haven't found my groove yet, but I think my strategy will be to load up on lots of multiple choice practice questions (PMBR gave me two thick volumes of questions). It won't be fun, but I'll get through!

 

[Phil_L]

I am DONE!!!! I just made it through three days of hellish bar exams and I am so glad to have my life back. Off to the beach today. It's like I have been living in a cave for two months and now I can see the sun again. Thanks for all the tips guys, they definitely came in handy. I just thank my lucky stars that neither state asked a Commercial Paper question!

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Congrats Phil! I am not looking forward to it in 07.

 

[Phil_L]

Kirk, I was totally ignorant as to how crappy this summer would be. I wish someone in law school would have properly warned us, but I think they were afraid we'd freak out. So be warned, the summer after graduation will totally stink but after it's over you'll fee like a million bucks. You must have just finised your 1L year, which is also pretty bad. Imagine cramming your entire first year into 6 weeks and you'll have an idea of what to expect. Not to scare you, just to prepare you Best of luck!

 

[Joseph S]

Congrats on getting through this hurdle.

Can't stand standardized exams. Finally, got back my results from my step 2 board exams today and it took almost 5 weeks to find out after 2mo prep and near 4y of classes/rotations. It's says "Pass" and needless to say I'm happy.

Is there any sort of work requirement (time/intership) to certification in addition to Bar? My sister passed her CPA exams after college and then had 3y work experience to do which she is finishing up.

Oh yeah, don't sue me next year.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

None whatsoever. We lawyers are perfect, and our stuff doesn't stink either. :rolleyes

The summer after law school I took the 3 day CA bar. Then three weeks later I took the "patent bar" exam, which has even a lower pass rate (about 40%). Needless to say this was even a more stressful summer than that of people only taking a state bar.