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Soldier On: Boot Camp to Law School—Aced the exams. Thanks, Checklist! Thanks, Captain America!
By Julie Cummings • February 04, 2016 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Law School, Pre-Law, Other Law School Issues, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
Flying across the Alabama countryside, just above the treetops, balmy breezes blow into the helicopter cockpit. Puffy white clouds adorn the blue sky. Gently rolling hills and tree-lined river valleys crisscross the landscape. The afternoon is beautiful, the mood peaceful. Suddenly a shrill warning bell screams into my ears. Painful butterflies alight in my stomach. “Simulated engine failure!” calls the instructor pilot as he rolls off the throttle, cutting the power needed to maintain rotor speed and remain aloft. I would like to panic, but there is no time. I try to take a deep breath, but barely manage a…
Dealing with Bar Exam Stress and Anxiety
By Lee Burgess • January 26, 2016 •Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
I know that taking the bar exam is incredibly stressful. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Everyone feels a lot of pressure and anxiety leading up to test day. The problem is that stress and anxiety can affect your bar exam studying, and ultimately, your performance on test day. There is good news. I’ve put together 4 simple steps to help you manage your bar exam stress, power through your practice, and ace the bar exam! STEP 1: Talk to yourself. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but we all talk to ourselves at some point or another, and…
Tips for the Performance Test
By Lee Burgess • January 18, 2016 •Law School, Other Law School Issues, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
The performance test is my favorite part of the bar exam. Why? Because you don’t need to know any law! Great, isn’t it? But I still frequently see students struggle with this part of the bar exam. In this post, I’ve put together a list of my top tips for students who are studying for the performance test. If you have a great study tip I haven’t mentioned, let me know in the comments! Familiarize yourself with the performance test. Read the instructions for the test and make sure you’re comfortable with them. It will help you save time in…
The Importance of Bar Exam Practice
By Lee Burgess • January 08, 2016 •Law School, Other Law School Issues, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
The biggest question on every bar taker’s mind: how do I pass this exam? Whether they’re first-time examinees or repeat takers, the answer boils down to many of the same essentials. The central underpinnings of these is practice. In order to do well on the bar exam, you have to practice the tasks you’ll be doing on exam day! Now, I’m not talking about just “issue spotting” essays and outlining them but never really getting around to writing them out in full, under timed conditions. Doing lots of MBEs on your computer at your leisure also won’t prepare you as…
Bar Exam Supplemental Study Materials
By BarExam Insider • October 01, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Careers, Legal Academia, Law School, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
“How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.” - G.K. Chesterton Do not put too much weight on a bar prep program’s pass lists. The pass lists are misleading because most bar examinees are not loyal to use only one bar prep resource. The reason for why a person passes may be because of another resource the person used at the same time. It is not recommended to use only one resource. Each resource is limited by the experience and knowledge of the author. Use several resources to learn the tips of…
How to Deal with Anxiety While Studying for the Bar Exam
By BarExam Insider • September 29, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Careers, Law School, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
“We cannot enjoy life if we spend a lot of time worrying about what happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow. We worry about tomorrow because we are afraid. If we are afraid all the time, we cannot appreciate that we are alive and can be happy now.” - Thich Nhat Hanh Luck The bar exam creates anxiety in people because there are a lot of unknowns. The scoring is based on the population of test takers so whether someone passes or not depends on who else is taking the exam. An examinee does not know what subjects the questions…
Specific Intent Crimes
By BarExam Insider • September 16, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Careers, Legal Academia, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
Specific Intent Crimes “EA CL1FF BARS” 1. Embezzlement-intent to defraud 2. Attempt-intent to complete the crime 3. Conspiracy-intent to have the crime completed 4. Larceny-intent to permanently deprive the other of interest in property taken 5. 1st Degree Murder-premeditation 6. Forgery-intent to defraud 7. False Pretenses-intent to defraud 8. Burglary-intent to commit a felony in the dwelling 9. Assault-intent to commit a battery 10. Robbery-intent to permanently deprive the owner of interest in property taken 11. Solicitation-intent to have the person solicited commit the crime Engage a former California bar grader for California Bar Exam to help with memory techniques:…
Time Management
By BarExam Insider • September 11, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
Each section of the bar exam is allotted a specific time to complete. For instance, in California, an applicant must finish three essays in three hours. Some applicants wonder how they can possibly read the interrogatories and fact patterns, and then outline and write their answers or choose the best choice on a Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) question within the time allotted. Applicants who worry about not finishing may rush to analyze fact patterns, or go directly to drafting the answers to performance tests or essays without outlining. Finishing the bar exam is key to passing, but do not sacrifice…
Bar Exam is Like a Hocus-Focus Game
By BarExam Insider • August 05, 2015 •Ms. JD, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Law School, Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics, Features, Advice on Passing the Bar Exam
One of the reasons why people fail the bar exam is because they do not READ CAREFULLY. Henry Boltinoff was a cartoonist who drew Hocus-Focus puzzles involving two similar panels with six differences between them. The bar exam is like a Hocus-Focus game. Reading for the bar exam requires attention to detail, concentration, and observational skills. To improve in identifying the differences between the two panels in Hocus-Focus, a player has to split the photos into smaller parts, such as drawing a cross to turn the photos into four squares, and then comparing the differences between each of the corners,…