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January 13, 2024March 18, 2024 - No Comments

Lessons Learned from Failing the Bar Exam (Live Workshop Replay)

I did a live workshop + Q&A with Doreen Benyamin (host of “Before You Take the LSAT”) on what I wish I had known on my first attempt at the bar exam.

This was a fire conversation! I’m happy to share that the recording is now available as a podcast episode (links and handout below).

It’s been edited down to 48 minutes long. But you’re not here to dilly dally. So here’s some social proof from other people who already spent the time:

"I found you from Doreen’s Benyamin’s zoom a few weeks ago and I appreciated your insight. I’m in crunch time and I’m hoping your Magicsheets and Approsheets will get be over the hump. I’m obviously very nervous and worried that I haven’t dedicated enough time to this but I look forward to going over your sheets!"

Hopefully this forced a suggestion in your mind that maybe it’s worth a click.

Not sorry in the least. I know it’ll be worth at least a few seconds of your time, so it’s my obligation to share it with you.

If you’re in the middle of preparing for the bar exam, this is a great time to calibrate how you’re doing in your studies.

The episode covers:

Philosophies for effective bar prep
What moves the needle in bar prep
Optimizing for learning vs optimizing for performance
How to spend the last month of studying (including sample schedules in the Handout linked below)
Memorizing
Motivation and confidence
Q&A (tons more Q&A and goodies in the Handout)

Listen on Spotify:

Listen on YouTube:

And a message from Doreen:

Handout linked above. Magicsheets samples here.

I’m eternally grateful to Doreen for making this happen and for her hard work putting this together for us.

Please show her some support:

Play the episode.
Share the Spotify or YouTube link above (or this page) with a bar taker you care about.
Tell us your takeaways or what you want to see in the future, by commenting on the YouTube video or below.

January 13, 2024January 18, 2024 - 12 Comments

Distractions and Passive Learning vs. Active Learning

Dude, I get it… This shit exhausting.

You don’t want to take this exam or SEE another question EVER again. You want nothing more than to pass this stupid bar so that you can move on with your life.

You can see the One Outcome on the horizon. So close yet so far.

So close yet so far to end of bar prep — (Is this reference outdated? Oh well)

But you can’t escape this endless cycle. You’re not allowed to. Not yet.

Wake up, then crash your face into the pillow. Hope and despair, rinse and repeat. It feels like you’ve been preparing for this bar exam your whole life.

It doesn’t even feel real anymore. But this exam is the realest thing in your life right now.

Maybe you turn to unimportant fiction to get your mind off it. All the constant news in bar world, about how many questions other people are doing, whether others are feeling just as behind or panicked as you, whether they’ll abolish the bar exam, remote testing issues…

Feels great to have some drama in your life. Something OTHER than Civ Pro to vent about!

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023 - 1 Comment

Dominating the Essays: Organize Issues and Prioritize Rules to Know on the Bar Exam

Ever wonder how you’re supposed to juggle everything in your head? How do you prioritize the rules to know for the bar exam?

How are you supposed to learn all this when time is tight? How do you tackle the massive body of rules to know?

How do you know you’ve completed the essay in full? Did you even talk about the correct issues? Are the graders going to give you the points? Are they even going to read your prose?!

You’d love to start practicing essays but feel like you just haven’t learned enough law yet. It’s overwhelming to even begin.

At least the answer is right there in MBE questions… If you’re a bar taker struggling with coming up with what to write, essays are the bane of your existence. Your rambling paragraphs start to blur.

Let’s breathe. We can simplify the essays and make them less scary…

Key takeaways:

Issues: Learn not just the rules but also how to present and organize the issues (with examples below)
Rules: Highest-priority issues and rules are those that have appeared in the past (there are two other priorities)
There are efficient and effective ways to hit both of the above at once

May 6, 2023May 6, 2023 - 2 Comments

The 3 Things You Need When Starting Bar Prep (Live Stream Replay)

“What should I know when I’m starting bar prep?”

I did a live stream with Jennifer Duclair to talk about how to take the guesswork out of bar preparation and get a better sense of direction as you start studying for your next bar exam.

It was fun! Japes and nuggets of insights were dropped, and I’m pleased with how this turned out. (Maybe I’ll do another one next year…)

Here’s me throwing Kaplan under the bus:

What to do with your schedule when starting bar prep

Here’s the recording (go to 8:12 where I talk about the study schedule shown above), along with timestamps so you can jump to the parts you’re most interested in:

January 27, 2023December 15, 2023 - 3 Comments

How to Pass the California Bar Exam with a Focused Approach of Discipline and Consistency

Got yet another success story, by a reader who shared with me a very detailed and specific recap of her journey to pass the 2020 February California Bar Exam (26.8% pass rate) on her second try.

It was too good not to share.

Before:

Big bar course made her “dumber,” wasted her time, DRAINED her energy and time. She was too wiped out to memorize or practice
Did not even know how to START any essay
Panic, doubts, insecurities, mind games, pressure

After:

Practical and effective approach
Used the right tools for her
Enjoyed herself because she could see herself getting better

Key takeaways and full story below…