Bar Exam

Should I Write my Own Michigan Bar Exam Appeal—or Have Someone Write it on My Behalf?

Before you ask the question of whether you should write your own appeal or have someone write it for you, you should ask the question: Should I appeal my bar exam score? If you arrive at the conclusion “yes” then you have to decide whether you want to hire someone to write it for you or whether you want to write it yourself.

This question, “Should I write my own Michigan bar exam appeal” does not have one right answer. In fact, to answer this question, you will need to ask yourself a few more questions, listed below.

Update 1/1/23: Michigan no longer allows examinees to appeal their bar exam score! We will no longer be writing appeals for Michigan Bar Exam takers. Read more

July 2014 Michigan Bar Exam Results Have Been Released

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Important announcement: July 2014 Michigan Bar Exam results have been released. Those who passed the Michigan bar exam are now listed by seat number on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners website.

Official results of the July 2014 Michigan bar exam have been mailed and applicants can expect to receive those results in a couple of days. We generally recommend that you wait until you get your official results before you publicly announce whether you passed or failed. So tell your mom , dad, and significant other or whoever, but perhaps wait until you have your official results in your hand before posting it on Facebook or telling the world otherwise. There has been no problem in Michigan that we know of (either now or in the past) in terms of accuracy of posting results, but it is probably the wiser route just in case. Posting by seat number is new. Read more

My New Favorite Way to Monitor the Board of Law Examiner’s Website

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If you are the kind of person that cannot sit back and relax and feels the need to constantly hit the “refresh” button on the Michigan Board of Law Examiner’s website – join the club. However, you may also find it getting in the way of your productivity or simply get sick of it.

So if you want to try a new method to monitor the Board of Law Examiner’s website: you might want to try this neat little tool called “page monitor” that I have just started using to monitor the Board of Law Examiner’s website (Note: The link will go to the chrome page monitor but you can find one for most browsers – just Google “page monitor”).

The page monitor is free and it takes five seconds to install. Simply click “Monitor this page” on the Michigan Board of Law Examiner’s website and then go to your settings and ask it to check back to the page every five seconds. I made it “chime” so that a chime goes off whenever changes are made. (Note: some page monitors only check pages once a day or once every couple hours – so make sure you get one that can check the page frequently!). Read more

A Description of Swearing-In Ceremonies in Michigan for those who Pass the Bar Exam

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A picture of the Macomb County Swearing In Ceremony.

A Description of Swearing-In Ceremonies in Michigan for those who Pass the Bar Exam

To be admitted to practice law in the state of Michigan, after you pass the bar exam, you will need to attend a “swearing-in” ceremony. You may attend the swearing-in ceremony in any county. It doesn’t make a difference in terms of where you can practice law. Some counties offer different programs or advantages than others, but most students choose which swearing-in ceremony they are going to attend based on location and convenience. Read more

What is a Michigan Bar Exam Appeal and How does it Work?

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We don’t mean to be discouraging by posting this before Michigan bar applicants find out about results. However, you’ve probably heard about the possibility of “appealing” a failing Michigan bar exam essay score and you may be curious about how it works – for your own sake (if you’re nervous about your score!) or the sake of your friends that will decide to use the appeal process. This blog post will try to clarify what a Michigan bar exam appeal is and how it works.

Update 1/1/23: Michigan no longer allows examinees to appeal their bar exam score! We will no longer be writing appeals for Michigan Bar Exam takers. Read more

Are Michigan Bar Exam Results Always Released on Wednesday or Thursday?

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Are Michigan Bar Exam Results Always Released on Wednesday or Thursday?

There is a rumor that goes around every May and October that Michigan bar exam results are always released – (in the past, mailed) – on a Wednesday. Recently, I’ve heard students say that “Michigan bar exam results are always released on a Thursday.”

It is true that Wednesdays and Thursdays are the most common release days (with Wednesday being more common than Thursday). However, the announcement that Michigan bar exam results are out has also been made on Tuesday and Friday in the past as well. If we look at the most recent result release announcements for the July Michigan bar exam, we see the following:

A Note to Those Who Fail the Bar Exam

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A Note to Those Who Fail the Bar Exam We just wrote a post for those who pass the bar exam, so here is a note to those who fail the bar exam. Several states have already found out results but many have not yet found out results. It is better to read this post, […]

A Note to Those who Pass the Bar Exam: Congratulations!….But Still Mind your Bar-Exam-Results-Have-been-Released Manners

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Bar exam results should be out soon! Many states have already found out and some states are still waiting for results. (We have a massive post on when results are released, whether a state offers regrades or appeals, if you’ll see your score, etc. here if you are interested!)

If you are reading this before you find out your results, perfect. It is best to read this when your mind is not as clouded by excitement (and maybe too much wine…)

This post is geared toward people who just found out they passed or will soon find out they pass the bar exam. We also have a post for those who fail the bar exam. We have a couple of celebration tips for people who pass as well as tips to help you keep your friends. Read more

It’s October!! When Will the July 2014 Michigan Bar Exam Results Be Released?

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There is nothing I enjoy more in mid-to-late October than clicking the “Refresh” button on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners website to see if they have released Michigan bar exam results. If you are like me and find yourself holding a pumpkin spice latte in one hand while clicking your mouse with the other, you might wonder when to start this madness…We give you our best guess on when the July 2014 Michigan bar exam results will be released in this post. Read more

Why Smart People Fail the Bar Exam

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Check out the new article published by Ashley Heidemann in the National Jurist called “Why Smart People Fail the Bar Exam”.

The article details six common reasons that smart people fail the bar exam.

A brief summary of these reasons is as follows:

Which Law School Classes Should I Take to Prepare for the Michigan Bar Exam?

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Have you been thinking about which classes you want to take your remaining semesters of law school? Do you want your classes to have the added bonus of preparing you for the Michigan bar exam?

If you are taking the Michigan Bar Exam and you want your classes to double as a good source of bar exam preparation, you might wonder which classes are worth your time and which classes are not. We will explain which classes will be the most helpful to you – and why – in this blog post.

Should I start studying early for the bar exam?

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Who should start bar prep early?

There are many reasons that it is a good idea to start bar prep early. We’ve talked about it in prior posts and we will talk about it in more depth here. If you are planning on taking the bar exam this coming February or July, you may want to consider preparing for it early.

Why do students choose to start bar prep early? Some students feel that they need the extra time to learn and internalize the massive amount of material that needs to be learned for the bar exam. Other students do not need the extra time, but feel much less anxious knowing that they will be one step ahead by starting on bar exam preparation earlier than their peers. They feel less anxious going into the exam and more secure about receiving a passing score.

We have helped several students get a head start on bar prep and we can say that without exception, those who start bar prep early virtually never regret the decision.

“The Biggest Bar Exam Debacle in History” brought to you by ExamSoft.

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What some have claimed is “Barmaggedon” are the issues with ExamSoft, an exam software company, which have left hundreds of students up late at night trying to upload their exams to the server. Read more

A Note of Encouragement to the July 2014 Michigan Bar Exam takers

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I was not planning on writing a blog post about this July 2014 Michigan bar exam because I almost never do. But let’s face it, today’s essay exam was an especially difficult bar exam! So here are a few thoughts on it:

First of all, it was a long exam. Too many long fact patterns and too many essays that required three-part answers. If you even made it through the exam and were able to address all of the issues, you should feel good about that. (If not, no worries, you are in good company!).

Second of all, it’s okay if you missed major issues. Let me repeat that: It’s okay if you missed major issues. It’s okay if you weren’t 100% prepared for No Fault or Secured Transactions. It’s okay if you got back in the room then beat yourself up when you remembered what you were SUPPOSED to say for that Personal Property question (Let’s admit it, we only prepared for Bailments). It’s okay if you had no idea what the hell to say for Corporations (I mean, really, Board of law examiners?) or some of the weird hearsay issues they threw your way (What, you mean you didn’t read the rule on when it’s possible to allow an “attractive staffer” to read deposition testimony in court in lieu of the declarant testifying…?). Why is it okay? Because you do not need to get an “A” to pass. You do not need to get a “B” to pass. You do not even need a “C” to pass. You need a whopping 135 out of 200, which comes to a 67.5% or D+. Read more

How to Get 10 Extra Points on the Michigan Bar Exam

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How to Get 10 Extra Points on the Michigan Bar Exam

The Michigan bar exam is almost here! Here are a few ways to score higher on the Michigan bar exam essays.

Your score on the essay portion of the Michigan bar exam will mostly be determined by how well you know the law and how well you are able to apply it. But to make sure that you are applying the right law and discussing the right issues (and getting the maximum amount of points!) when you write an essay answer, keep on reading. After all, you can know all of the law in the world, but you will not be earning yourself any points if you do not address the specific issues that the Board of Law Examiners wants you to address, and discuss the law the Board of Law Examiners wants you to discuss. Thus, here are some ways to score higher on the Michigan bar exam essays: Read more