Students frequently ask us “Should I delay taking the LSAT?” Sometimes the answer is yes – and sometimes it is no! There is not a “right” answer to this question. Therefore, we always make a recommendation to students on a case-by-case basis.
If you are reading this post, you may be wondering whether you should delay taking the LSAT Below we list a variety of factors which we suggest you consider. If you do choose to delay taking the LSAT, we also have a few recommendations for how to spend your time wisely during the delay.
Alright, my law student friends, time to stop briefing cases! (And start outlining…)
Fact: I forgot how to brief cases. I have to re-learn how to brief cases every time I teach law students or prelaw students how to brief cases. Why did I forget? Because I hardly ever briefed cases in law school!
However, briefing cases is not a bad skill to have . . .
Briefing cases can be helpful, especially in the beginning of the semester. Briefing cases helps you become detail-oriented and it is helpful for dissecting somewhat complicated fact patterns. It helps you to remain focused when you read. Perhaps it makes you less nervous if you’re called on. Briefing cases also helps you get comfortable with legal language if you regularly put the facts and law into your own words when writing your case briefs.
But there are two major downsides of briefing cases:
Somm is an excellent documentary about four Master Sommelier candidates who try to pass the Master Sommelier exam.
The Master Sommelier exam is an extremely difficult exam − similar to the bar exam except with an even lower passage rate. Anyone who has taken the bar exam will appreciate the enormous pressure that Master Sommelier (MS) candidates are under. Read more
If you failed the bar exam, it is okay! There are a lot of famous people who failed the bar exam, overcame it, and still went on to do fantastic things.
We know that failing the bar exam can be an awful feeling. But we recommend that you do not look at failing one exam (a very hard exam, at that!) as a statement about who you are—look at it as something that can (and will) make you better. Please read this note to those who failed the bar exam if you haven’t already.
Now, for our list of famous people who failed the bar exam . . .
Do not be deceived by the cute-sounding name “baby bar.” The baby bar is neither easy nor cute nor something you want to encounter more than once. Unfortunately, many students do find themselves taking the baby bar more than once as there is only an approximate 20 percent passage rate. That is why it is worth it to get a baby bar tutor the first time you take it! (If you want to learn more about what the baby bar is, please read this post.) Read more
Topic 8: Become Familiar with the Key Words and Phrases on the MPRE
Some students answer several MPRE questions incorrectly simply because they are not familiar with how the question is asked. Learning exactly what a question is asking is a critical first step if you want to maximize your MPRE score. Here, we tell you the key words and phrases you should be familiar with on the MPRE. We also tell you how to become familiar with them.
What is the percentage of Michigan bar exam appeals that pass on appeal?
Note: This post was updated in February, 2016.We get asked this frequently – and the answer is: We don’t know! We have heard a lot of statistics – “20 percent of Michigan bar exam appeals pass.” We have also heard this statistic: “1/3 of those who write their own appeals are successful” The problem is, we have no idea where these statistics come from (besides a lot of people repeating them!). . . Read more
September 7-13, 2015 is National Suicide Prevention Week. Given the high rate of depression among law students and lawyers, we felt compelled to write a post increasing awareness about suicide and depression.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15 and 34. Last year, CNN reported that the proportion of lawyers that were committing suicide was much higher than in the past. In fact, lawyers rank fourth (behind dentists, pharmacists, and physicians – in that order) in the highest per capita suicide rate. CNN also reports that lawyers are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than non-lawyers. Read more
How do I create a law school outline? (an in-depth guide)
Writing your law school outlines (and starting early in the semester!) is one of the most important things you can do to maximize your chances of graduating at the top of your class. Many students struggle with outlining because they do not know where to begin.
Below is a step-by-step process on how to write a law school outline. To do so, you will need to gather your materials together. We recommend you have the following on hand:
Syllabus
Class notes
Casebook
Any supplements you use
Laptop
We also recommend you have a cup of coffee in hand since outlining can be grueling! (But it can also be fun!)
Michigan Bar Exam Appeal Attorneys: How to Choose One.
Looking for a good attorney to write your Michigan bar exam appeal? Out of all of the Michigan bar exam appeals attorneys that are out there, how do choose one? In this post, we delineate the questions you should ask the Michigan bar exam appeals attorneys that you talk to. Asking the below questions will help you make an informed decision about who should take on the task of writing your Michigan bar exam appeal. The stakes are high so it is worth it to spend time making sure you choose wisely! Read more
When Will July 2015 Michigan Bar Exam Results be Released? #KnowFirst
Curious as to when the July 2015 Michigan bar exam results will be released? (Don’t miss this post on when we predict July 2015 Michigan bar exam results will be released! In that post, we tell you our exact predictions as well as exactly when and how results come out, and where you can find out if you passed the Michigan bar exam!)
If you want to know right away when the July 2015 Michigan bar exam results are out, we understand! We are constantly refreshing the BLE page, and have also developed this strange obsession with a page monitor. Read more
Should I Wait to take the July 2017 California Bar Exam?
California recently announced that it was changing its bar exam from three days to two days. The “old” (current) scoring structure of the California bar exam is detailed here. The California bar exam is currently kind of brutal – with the grading as follows:
200 multiple choice questions (MBE) worth 35% of your overall score (maximum number of points you can receive is 700)
Two three-hour performance tests (MPTs) worth 200 points each or 26% of your overall score (maximum number of points you can receive is 520)
Six one-hour essays worth 39% of your overall score(maximum number of points you can receive is 780)
Should I Apply for Jobs While Waiting for Bar Exam Results?
It is tough to get a job when you are in the “in between” space of taking the bar exam and waiting for bar exam results. The economy is already not at its best, and having a JD (with a question mark as to whether that will turn to “Esq.” in the next couple of months) is an additional hurdle.
Many employers will not hire you as a paralegal or a clerk because they are afraid that you will leave as soon as you pass the bar exam. (Note: we have known students who do not list their law degree on their resume in an attempt to get hired — we do not recommend this! Employers will ask what the prospective employee did for those years that are unaccounted for, and feel deceived when finding out that the person attended law school!)
Further, many law firms are too afraid to hire you as a prospective lawyer, just in case you do not pass the bar exam.
That can make this in-between period difficult (you don’t know your future, you don’t know if you passed, you don’t have a lot to do besides think about these things!). However, it can also provide you with a great opportunity to relax, reflect, and plan for a career moving forward. Read more
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Students frequently ask us “Should I delay taking the LSAT?” Sometimes the answer is yes – and sometimes it is no! There is not a “right” answer to this question. Therefore, we always make a recommendation to students on a case-by-case basis.
