Not everyone will be able to start bar prep early. For some, it is just not practical because final exams, work, and life will take up too much time. Others, however, have a little bit of time to get a head start on bar prep. Note that just because you can start bar prep early, doesn’t mean you need to. I recommend that the following students start preparing early (when possible): Read more
Our post, “3 Steps to Improve your Bar Exam Essay Score” appeared on the National Jurist’s website here on January 17, 2014. A summary of what was stated is as follows:
“If you are typing the bar exam, download the appropriate software onto your laptop ahead of time. If you are writing the bar exam, make sure to purchase pens that are easy to write with and easy to grip. Use these pens when you practice writing answers to exam questions. Getting comfortable with the materials that you will be using during the bar exam will likely ease your anxiety during your bar exam preparation. It will also make you more comfortable when you take your exam.” Read more
The bar exam is rapidly approaching. In addition to reviewing multiple choice questions, essay questions, and topics that are not quite cemented in your brain, there is something else that you can do in the days preceding the bar exam: practice visualization.
Wondering what visualization is? Or how to use visualization to succeed on the bar exam? Read more
Tips for Writing Better Michigan Bar Exam Essay Answers The Michigan bar exam requires you to write in a much different style than law school exams. This is, in part, because Michigan bar exam essay questions usually focus on just one subject and two or three issues. Unlike law school exams, where you were expected to pick out 100 issues in an exam fact pattern (and you might even get points for creatively spotting issues that aren’t there), on the Michigan bar exam you are expected to respond directly to the issues presented. If you “find” issues that the writer didn’t intend to insert into the fact pattern, you will likely lose points for being unfocused. Further, unlike in law school, your answer to a Michigan bar exam essay question should not begin with a long, flowery, eloquently written two-paragraph-long overview of the law. Instead, it needs to be concise, on-point, and respond directly to the issues presented.
Because Michigan bar exam questions are so different from law school exam questions, many students struggle when they try to write answers to Michigan bar exam questions. If you are struggling to write satisfactory bar exam answers while you are practicing, here are some tips for writing better Michigan bar exam essay answers: Read more
If you are having trouble learning the law, it is helpful to try new strategies. The best way to revamp your study time may be to figure out what your learning style is and then use it to study in a way that suits you the best. There are plenty of good learning style quizzes out there, including this very good one. Read more
You can improve your bar exam essay score by learning to make the most of the model answers that come with your past bar exam questions.
How do you do this? Each time you draft an answer to an essay question, make sure to spend a good amount of time studying the model answer and comparing it to your answer. This is especially helpful if you grade your own answer with a different color pen using the model answer as your “key.” If you are on the computer, use a different color font. Read more
How should I study for multiple-choice questions on law school exams?
Traditionally, law school exams did not contain multiple-choice questions. However, it has become more popular for law school exams to include a section of multiple-choice questions. Some professors even use exams entirely composed of multiple-choice questions. If multiple-choice makes up a component of your exam, how should you study for it? Read more
Many students feel overwhelmed when they sit down to study for the bar exam. You, too, may find yourself wondering what to do, where to begin, and how to conquer this huge task.
In this post, we tell you a systematic way of making a bar review study schedule so that you can feel confident that you get everything done in a timely manner, and you will have time to review at the end. Read more
Are you traveling somewhere for the bar exam? Wondering what to put on your bar exam packing list?
In this post, we talk about what many students put on their bar exam packing list.
You should always check with your jurisdiction to see what is permitted and what is prohibited. However, this is a nice general bar exam packing list to review prior to traveling to the bar exam to make sure that you do not forget anything important. (If we forgot anything, by the way, please email us or put any suggestions in the comments below!)
Wondering how to write a Michigan bar exam appeal? Thinking of writing it yourself rather than hiring someone to write it for you? This post details tips for how to write a Michigan bar exam appeal. Note that this post does not include detailed instructions such as who to send it to, how many copies of it you need to send, or any deadlines. This logistical information should be given to you when you request your answers from the Michigan Board of Law Examiners.
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
With Michigan bar exam results coming out soon, we thought this was an appropriate time to start a series on appealing Michigan bar exam scores. Many students who have failed the bar exam by just a few points have asked us, “Should I appeal my Michigan bar exam score?” The answer is different for each student and depends on a variety of factors which will be discussed in this post and the posts to follow.
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.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners has announced that there will be changes to the bar exam in 2015. The multistate bar exam will test Civil Procedure. The multistate essay exam will use the same Civil Procedure outline that is used for the multistate bar exam in 2015. Additionally, Negotiable Instruments will no longer be tested on the multistate essay exam. This post provides further detail about these changes. Read more
We tutor mostly repeat bar exam takers – that is, we primarily assist those who have already taken (and failed) the bar exam once, twice, three times, or more. However, we always tutor a handful of first-time takers every bar exam administration, and we have found that they also find our bar exam prep course extremely helpful.
This latest testimonial from one of our students who passed the July 2014 exam on her first try highlights exactly how we help first time takers: Read more
The Michigan bar exam is administered twice a year (the last Tuesday and Wednesday in February and July) in Lansing, Michigan. On the first day you will be required to answer 15 essay questions. On the second day of the Michigan bar exam, you will be required to answer 200 multiple-choice questions. The following post provides an overview of the Michigan bar exam, including who writes it, who grades it, and how grades are determined.
NOTE: Michigan is switching to the Uniform Bar Exam starting with the February 2023 administration! Find more information here.
The February 2014 bar exam is rapidly approaching. Here is a list of things you should make sure that you do in February before you take the bar exam.
