Whether you are taking the bar exam in three months or three years, the bar exam is one of life’s big events. You need to plan ahead.*
What the bar exam tests is whether you know basic law and can do basic analysis. Retakers have more trouble. My company BarWrite, specializes in helping another group who too often have trouble passing the bar exam, namely, foreign-trained lawyers.
If you won’t be taking the bar exam for a while, enroll in your school’s bar-prep course. If you are taking the bar exam soon, and you are determined to pass, then the two or three months of bar prep must be an intense period when you are totally focused on preparing for the bar exam.
Relying on my company's more than 20 years of experience offering large-group courses and coaching for bar candidates, here are my five top tips.
1 Have You Eliminated All Distractions? Are you the one who walks the dog? Hire a dog-walker. Do you have little children? This may sound callous, but the best thing you can do for them is to send them away. They will thank you later, when you are a member of the bar. One of my students came to New York to prepare for the exam and left her 15-month-old baby with her parents. She visited the child once a week on Skype. And she passed the bar! Do I need to tell you that you can’t plan your wedding while you are preparing for the bar exam?
2 Do You Have a Dedicated Study Space? Your place to study can be at home or in a library. You must be able to work without being disturbed. Does the place look like a junk heap? Clean it out while you still have time. As soon as you buy your bar exam study aids, store them neatly in your study space, and stay organized. Speaking of distractions, toss out anything that beeps or flashes. No television, no telephone, no email.
3 Are Your Finances in Order? Failing the bar exam is a financial catastrophe, but preparing is also expensive. You can’t study effectively if you’re worrying about making the rent. You also can’t prepare well if you’re just looking for the cheapest fix. The cheapest set of bar-prep courses is not necessarily the best set of bar-prep courses. Figure out how much you will need. Know where your money will come from for the entire two or three-month period. If you need to ask for help, do it early. Get loans if you need to.
4 Have You Arranged to Take Two Months Off From Work? If you are a first-time bar taker with a job, you will need at least eight weeks away from the office. Watch out. Sometimes my students’ employers have suggested that the bar candidate can come to the office, spend a few hours a day or a few days a week working, and then study. Don’t fall for it. As long as you are working even a few hours a week, thinking about your job will take space in your head that ought to be full of hearsay exceptions. Do you have paid or unpaid leave available? Sick days? Find a way.
5. Have You Persuaded Your Family and Friends to Support You? This can be a tough one. Explain to your family and friends that you love them, but right now you need to be alone. You will not be able to go to parties on Saturday night or to Uncle Bert’s house for dinner on Sunday. Tell them you need their support. Remind them how proud they will be when you are a lawyer.Finally, get prepared for an emotional ride. While you are studying intensively for the exam, expect highs and lows. Denial says: “The bar exam is going to be really easy, so I can go to the movies tonight.” Despair says: “Mom was right, I should have become a dentist/gone into the family business/married Harry.” Expect that while you are preparing for the bar exam, you will not be quite a normal human being.
You can do it! But you have to plan for it.*
*This white paper by Dr. Mary Campbell Gallagher appeared as a Guest Blog post on The Lawyerist blog on April 28, 2012. http://lawyerist.com/five-tips-for-early-bar-exam-prep/
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