You’ve seen all the euphoria from people who passed the bar exam.
You’re probably “inspired” and “motivated” when you look at bar exam success stories and accounts of people who excitedly announce they passed the bar exam.
When that happens, we say things like “if they can do it, so can I” (true). Or “I needed this today.”
Today?
That’s some “new year, new me” type energy. I’m not letting you off the hook like that.
Anyone can desire to pass the bar. Anyone can fixate on the goal and SAY they want it.
These are people who come to me desperate and lost… get “inspired” or gain “perspective”… and then return to the same old cycle looking for hits of relief.
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:
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)
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
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:
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:
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
