Thursday, May 31, 2012

Your Study Plan for the Bar – Read, Learn, Recite, Memorize, Test, and Move On

In addition to putting in the study time, you need to learn how to maximize your study time. How do you go about getting the biggest bang out of your study time?

First, build a good, solid foundation of the black letter law. In order to have a good foundation, you must review each bar exam subject. Go through each subject, one by one and absorb each subject as best you can. As you go through the subject, make sure you understand the basic law before you move on.

To build a foundation of the law, you need to break the subject areas into more manageable components. Break your subject into topics. And go through the elements of the topics of each subject.

What I mean by that is to take a subject, like Torts. Then break the Tort subject down to topics, i.e. Negligence. Do you know all the elements of negligence? Do you know the elements of battery? You can outline it and/or make sure you know it by heart before you move on. You can do that memorization by reciting it or writing it down without looking at your notes or outlines.

Once you feel you know that topic, do a few essay questions and some MBE on that topic just so you know you have it.
Don’t scatter-shoot your studying. Learn the topic thoroughly before you move on to your next topic in the subject area. Don’t go through the topics of the subject areas all at once, i.e. don’t go through battery, assault, false imprisonment and not know each one by heart. Stop at battery, recite it, do some MBE and then move to assault, and false imprisonment and the other topics of Torts. Do this for every topic in every subject. You do not want to read your subject outlines like a novel.

Read, learn, recite, memorize, test yourself and move on.

Friday, May 25, 2012

It’s Time to Begin Preparation for the July Bar Exam

Congratulations to all the law school graduates and the families that supported you through your law studies.

Why a study plan? In order to pass the bar, you need two things: time-management and discipline. Sticking to a study plan will conquer both requirements. Thorough preparation is the key to passing the exam and having a plan in place will allow you to manage your time and using your discipline to stick to the study schedule. For a plan to work, you have to address your learning style as well as the substantive areas you will be tested on.

What do I mean by learning style? Ask yourself, how do you learn? What worked for you in law school? Some people like reading outlines, some like to do practice questions and then read the answer explanations, some like to do their own outlines, or make up flashcards. You should know the answer to this question by now. How do you best learn or memorize the substantive law? Also, ask yourself, when do you best learn? I personally am a better morning learner. As the day goes on, I start to lose focus. I also like to do my work in blocks of time. My colleague is like a sprinter. He focuses on his work in short bursts. I’m like a marathon runner. I like to do my work, and, not be disturbed for a few hours at a time. While practicing law, I tell my secretary to hold all calls for a stretch of time until I’m ready to take a break. What works for you? Do you like the evening hours to study, do you take frequent breaks. Know all of that before you write your study plan. Also, just prior to the bar, switch over to the bar schedule. Get up early, as if you are taking the bar, and work for those 3 hours as if you are sitting for the bar, break for lunch and do another 3 hour stretch to mimic the bar.

For your study plan, you should first start with relearning and reviewing the outlines with some practice questions thrown in and as you pick up the pace, you’ll reverse it and do more practice questions and essays and only use your outlines for clarification on questions you get wrong or confused about.
In the beginning, you are going to struggle with the voluminous materials, but keep at it and keep pushing the pace. It’s like training for a race. You first have to struggle through the repetition until it starts feeling right and you start performing at your optimal level.

Be realistic with your goals and your study habits. For example, you can’t go throughout the entire day with no lunch or no exercise or no breaks because you were unrealistic in the time aspect of your plan. You have to write a study plan that suits you and your personality without slacking off.

Don’t ignore your weak areas or your strong areas. You may not need to schedule as much time in your stronger subjects, but review them as consistently as you do all the other subjects. You may not need to read or reread the outlines of your strong subjects, but during those time periods, practice your questions. You may need those extra points on the bar. For your weaker subjects, don’t spend too much time obsessing on your lack of knowledge or take away from other subjects you also need to study; and do not ignore your weak subjects. All bar examinees have weak subjects. Again, spend time on those subjects as you would other subjects and just keep practicing. You’ll be surprised at how much you really do know in those weak subjects.

Where should you study? Again, that depends on your learning style. Can you get work done at home or does the distraction of the television or the computer or the phone make you turn it on? Does studying at your school make you study more or do your fellow students distract you and make you chatter rather than study? Make sure wherever you go that it is quiet. Turn off the phone, the text messaging, and the internet. This is too important for you and your career to be easily distracted. Let’s face it – none of us what to spend the next 6 weeks in constant study – it’s torture. As the holidays go by, the warm weather beckons you outside, you are stuck inside studying, studying, studying and having absolutely no fun at all. Just remember this is your career you are talking about. You sacrificed to go to law school, you can sacrifice for the next 6 weeks and you’ll be a lawyer for the rest of your career.
Should you have study partners? I am not a fan of them, myself, but I have changed my mind as I’ve seen many a successful pair that have pushed and pulled each other, with both coming out successfully in the end. I would not advise more than 1 other study partner except on rare occasions. For those who like to study alone, maybe once a few days, studying with someone can help keep you focused. I also think that knowing you are not the only one studying away is helpful to keep up your morale.

BarProfessors provides tutorial services for Florida, New York and California for repeat takers. Contact us at pass@barprofessors.com

Sunday, May 20, 2012

The California Bar Exam Results for February 2012 Public Lookup

The public lookup for the California bar exam results for February 2012 is now posted.



BarProfessors provides tutorial services for Florida, New York and California for repeat takers. Contact us at pass@barprofessors.com

Friday, May 18, 2012

The California Bar Exam Results for February 2012 Are Now Out

The Californai bar exam results for February 2012 are now out for private lookup. Congratulations to all who passed. The public lookup will be released on Sunday.


BarProfessors provides tutorial services for Florida, New York and California for repeat takers. Contact us at pass@barprofessors.com

The California Bar Exam Results for February 2012 Will be Released Today

The California bar exam results for February 2012 will be released today. Good luck to those waiting for results.

BarProfessors provides tutorial services for Florida, New York and California for repeat takers. Contact us at pass@barprofessors.com.

Monday, May 7, 2012

What Should I Do if I was Unsuccessful on the Bar Exam: Important Advice for Repeat Bar Takers

First, let the shock of failing the bar subside with a few days of reflection. Clearly, this may be one of your greatest disappointments, but don’t let it control or define who you are. You can pass the bar exam in July 2012.

Ok, now let’s start. Do not repeat the same class, study plan or approach you used the last time. It did not work. Coming close on the bar is good only in horse shoes. One size does not fit all. Get a private tutor and/or enroll in a “small” individualized bar review with contact and essay evaluation from your instructor. This structured, personalized program is the key to passing the bar for repeat takers. Above all, never give up.

Please visit barprofessors.com for Florida, New York and California for private tutoring Send inquires to pass@barprofessors.com.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The New York Bar Exam Exams for February 2012 Public Lookup

The New York Bar exam results for February 2012 is now available for public look-up on the site. See if your colleagues passed.

Please note that BarProfessors provides private tutorial for the Florida, California, Texas and New York July 2012 bar exams. Please go to barprofessors.com or send an e-mail to pass@barprofessors.com

The New York Bar Exam's Pass Rate for February 2012

The Board examined 4,011 candidates during the two days of testing conducted on February 27-28, 2012. Graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association who took the bar examination for the first time
achieved a passing rate of 69%.

The number of foreign-educated candidates sitting for the New York bar examination was 1,677, which accounts for 42% of all candidates that took the February examination. The passing rate for all foreign-educated candidates was 31%, resulting in the passing rate for all candidates, including U. S. domestic-educated candidates and foreign-educated candidates, first time and repeat takers, being 44%.

The public lookup of names will be released on May 3rd.

Please note that BarProfessors provides private tutorial for the Florida, California, Texas and New York July 2012 bar exams. Please go to barprofessors.com or send an e-mail to pass@barprofessors.com

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The New York Bar Exam Results Are Out for February 2012

The New York Bar Examination Results for February 2012 are now out for private lookup. Good luck everyone.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The New York Bar Examination Results for February 2012

The New York Bar Examination results for February 2012 will be released tommorrow, May 2nd. Good luck everyone!!