Five Tips for Success on the New York Bar Exam for Foreign-Trained Attorneys

For foreign-trained attorneys, the keys to success on the New York bar exam are setting aside the time to prepare for the exam, understanding the nature of the exam, and ruthlessly prioritizing and strategizing.

The New York bar exam is challenging. In July 2007, the pass rate for first-time takers who had graduated from ABA-approved law schools in New York State was 88.2 per cent, an all-time high. The pass rate for first-time takers who qualified to take the New York bar based on foreign legal credentials was 46 per cent. Studying for the exam while working is inadvisable. Not taking a full bar-review course like BarBri or Pieper virtually guarantees failure.

Here are five tips for success.