Will My Law Firm Pay for Bar Prep?

Will My Law Firm Pay for Bar Prep?

Will My Law Firm Pay for Bar Prep?: Are you a graduate or 3L gearing up to start studying for the bar exam and wondering how you are going to cover your expenses for the next few months?  Or maybe you are a 1L or 2L contemplating what path you will take for bar prep and you are trying to figure out what makes the most financial sense.  Well, if you already have a job lined up at a law firm (or if you are hoping to land one prior to graduation), you may be in luck.  In this post, we discuss the expenses you should expect to incur during bar prep. We also and the possibility that your law firm will cover some or all of those expenses for you!

Will My Law Firm Pay for Bar Prep?

What Does Bar Prep Cost? 

The expenses associated with bar prep can vary widely depending on your personal circumstances.  There are also a lot of expenses that can add up quickly that you might not have thought of (registration fees, hotel room near the testing site, exam software, the general cost of living while you are studying, etc.).  Check out our breakdown of How Much the Bar Exam Costs for more detailed information.  Some future employers will cover some (or all) of these expenses to help defray the financial burden of not working for 2-3 months while you prepare for the bar exam. This is particularly true if you have a job lined up at a big or midsized law firm.

How to Ask Your Firm to Pay

If you already have a post-graduation job lined up, you may be wondering if the firm will cover some (or all) of your bar prep expenses.  The good news is that many big firms do at least cover a portion (if not all) of bar prep expenses!  So, don’t be afraid to ask if your big firm is willing to cover the cost of bar prep.  We have had many students whose future employer was more than willing to cover the entire cost of a bar prep course.  Even some small firms will cover some (or all) bar prep expenses.  Check out our post on How to Ask Your Firm to Pay for Bar Exam Preparation for more information about how and whether to ask your firm about the availability of this benefit.

How Will Your Firm Pay for Your Bar Prep?

Law firms that do cover all or a portion of their future associates’ bar prep take a variety of approaches regarding how they foot that bill.  For instance, some will simply reimburse you for any out of pocket bar-related expenses you incur.  Others may pay you a signing bonus or pay a salary advance of a set amount and you can put that amount toward bar prep.  Some firms may mandate that you take bar prep through a certain company, while other firms may allow you to sign up for bar prep with any company you choose.  Check out Do Big Law Firms Pay for Bar Prep for more information on how you could expect to see a firm cover the costs of bar prep.

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