What To Do Before the California Bar Exam
This is the test that will make or break your career.
Here’s what to do before the California Bar exam.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re studying for the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) or the notoriously difficult California Bar exam, bar prep is never easy.
The lectures are long and boring. You’re getting no guidance on how to outline or spot issues. And you’re not even getting any feedback on the work you’re doing. It’s no wonder things are falling apart!
Luckily for you, I have a way to jumpstart your study sessions to get you ready to take (and pass!) the bar, no matter how much time you have left.
Whether you have two months left or two days, here’s what to do before the California Bar exam so you’re prepared.
Why Traditional Bar Prep Doesn’t Work
Bar prep courses have been around for decades. Yet despite their popularity, most people don’t pass the bar exam on their first try. What are these courses teaching again?
Every program (and every student) is different, but there are a few common reasons why your bar prep fell apart.
Not Enough Time
Most traditional bar prep courses are at least two months long. But how is this supposed to help if you only have a couple of weeks until exam day?
Maybe you thought you had everything under control, so you became your own tutor. Or your girlfriend dumped you. Or you caught the flu. Now, you only have three weeks until exam day and it’s painfully obvious how behind you are.
Lectures Are Too Long
Lectures Are Too LongEven if you have all the time in the world, do you really want to sit through a 12-hour lecture?
After a few hours, you’ll either be bored out of your skull or so overwhelmed with information that you’ll never be able to sort through it all.
And what if you only have a couple of days until the exam? Having to lose an entire day to hear a lecture is hardly the “smart studying” process your professors keep talking about.
Outlining Nightmare
Outlining essays is one of the most daunting tasks you’ll come across in your bar prep. And so far, law students have had three (equally distasteful) options:
- Read a 300-page hornbook;
- Use a prior student’s outline; or
- Spend hours creating their own outlines.
The problem is that each of these methods involves reading hundreds of pages of incredibly dense information, analyzing it, and distilling it down to fit the three lines you’ll be given in the bar exam.
Luckily for you, I’ve found a better way.
What To Do Before the California Bar Exam
I’ve been in the business for the past 21 years, both as a law professor and a tutor for the California Bar.
I failed the bar exam (twice!), but I wasn’t content to simply keep studying. I meticulously analyzed that test and figured out exactly what I needed to do to pass.
Eventually, I passed the bar exam. Then—more importantly—I passed that information on to you.
1. Take My Lectures
You shouldn’t have to sit there for 8-12 hours to get the substantive law details you need. You have a life!
My MBE subject lectures are 3-5 hours instead of 8-12. My California subject lectures are 1-1.5 hours each, instead of 4. Think of it as condensed learning. All of the necessary information, none of the time wasting.
You may not need every lecture, but you probably need one. And if it’s the exact one you need, that one shorter lecture that can save your entire exam.
Not to mention each lecture has a corresponding PDF, in case you’re more of a “visual learner.”
2. Read My Books
2. Read My BooksThe Holy Trinity of Essay Writing includes:
- Triggers
- Rules
- Presentation
My books, WINNIN’ TIME! and The Trigger List, help with all of these.
Issue spotting is arguably the most important part of the California Bar exam. Now, you can either take your professor’s advice (“Just look at enough essays and you’ll be fine!”) or you can read The Trigger List and learn how to systematically use words and phrases to find the issues you need to pass.
WINNIN’ TIME!—my most popular book—is your go-to guide for outlining like a champ. But this isn’t your average study guide. This is bluebook-ready content here, designed to help you learn the rule, apply the facts, and move on.
Other programs will get you conversational in the language, but at some point, you need to be fluent. My lectures and books will get you there.
3. Take One Of My Webinars
I want to make it as easy as possible for you to pass the bar exam (preferably on the first try!), so I’m offering a series of free webinars related to your most pressing questions and concerns.
You’ll not only get expert advice from me, you’ll also get the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session afterwards to make sure you’re on the right path with all the relevant information.
Jumpstart Your Bar Prep
Success isn’t just knowing what to do before the California Bar exam, it’s also about taking those steps and getting it done.
I’ve helped dozens of people from all walks of life prep for (and pass!) the California Bar exam and they’ve all told me how much of an impact I made on their passing grade.
Obviously, my lectures, webinars, and books are great, but if you really want to maximize your bar prep, I also offer completely customized 1-on-1 tutoring sessions to help you overcome any limitation, obstacle, or setback.
With lectures for all 15 subjects, personalized calendar/coursework, comprehensive tutoring on all three phases of the bar exam, and feedback on areas of improvement, this is the single greatest step you can take to crush the bar.
