6 weeks until the Bar Exam: Where Should You Be Today?

Make sure that you follow your work routine

By this time you should have set a realistic work schedule that allows for lecture time, review time, practice time and relaxation time.

By this time you should know where your strengths and weakness are. While there is still time, try to include more study time for your weaker subjects, but do not ignore your stronger areas.

Maintain your concentration level by varying your study activities, i.e. if you are reading an outline and losing focus, start practicing questions.

Know Your Law

At this stage in your studying, you should be trying to commit to memory the black letter law. You need to master the substantive law presented in the bar review courses but how you go about it is up to you. Knowing the law means that you internalize the material in such a way that you truly “own” it and can spit it out on demand. This does not mean that you recognize the material or it seems familiar to you. The bar exam requires you to know the rules with precision and specificity and to have a solid understanding of the rules.

• If you use flashcards, make them on the major elements of each subject, perhaps with exceptions to go with them.
• Create your own short outline that you can commit to memory.
• Know the vocabulary in each subject area.
• Create a short hypothetical for each rule.
• Continue to do practice questions, essays and performance tests

Know Your State Bar Exam

You should know your bar exam like the back of your hand. Everyone must prepare for the MBE, but you should know the ins and outs of your state exam. What are the length of the essays, do you have a performance exam, what areas are the most tested? You should know all of those questions so you can tailor your studies to your state exam. Don’t overlook this very important component of the exam as it may save you from failing. Too often, students get so overwhelmed by the MBE that they don’t study hard enough for the state portion of their exam.

Start Compiling Your Stuff for the Bar Exam Site

Start to slowly compile the items you need for the bar exam site. Make sure you have all the practicalities set for the bar exam itself. Have you made your hotel reservations? Do you have the confirmation number? Do you have all the things you need put aside so you don’t lose them, i.e. your admission ticket and your personal identification? Have you looked up what personal items you can bring into the exam to give you an added boost – like your favorite pen or watch?

Clear away a spot on your counter to start compiling your necessary items. This way you won’t need to panic at the last minute over those little housekeeping things that you want to bring with you. Put your admission ticket, the mapquest of the drive to the site or hotel, your hotel confirmation number in that spot and start adding the items you want even if you end up not taking them.

Preparing for those necessary little things will keep you focused on the job at hand and you won’t be scrambling around at the last minute.

The importance thing is to keep on your schedule.