Ask The Professor: The 10 Most Important Last Minute Tips For Passing The Bar Exam

The July bar exam is two weeks away! This is your two-minute warning. Now is not the time to fumble the ball. You have spent all summer building your legal comprehension and skills. Now is not the time to panic or have a meltdown.

Unfortunately, however, many of you probably are in full panic mode. Fear not, though, this will be my 80^th bar exam I have prepared students for and below is advice I know will be helpful and keep you focused during the homestretch.

1. You pass the bar based on your strengths and fail because of your weaknesses. That sounds obvious, but when closing in on the exam, do not chase your weakness. If Equitable Servitudes has completely eluded you up to now, in the words of Hugh Grant, “Forget about it.”
2. Do not chase some phantom MBE score. There is no “magic” MBE score that you need. Remember, your score is a combination of both the written portion and the MBE. Your father’s old business partner may have told you to only study for the MBE, but what does he know? Plus, he probably dresses funny.
3. Your essay score is based not only on knowing the correct rule of law, but also on proving you can write and analyze facts… like a lawyer should be able to do. Use the facts, and explain them. The more facts you explain, the higher your score will be. As your 4^th grade math teacher would say: “Show your work.”
4. The MPT is worth lots of points. More than you think. So don’t blow it off! The key to the MPT is showing the graders specifically what facts and law are relevant. It is not simply about the assignment (e.g., writing a memo). Use all the relevant information they give you to maximize your score.
5. Memory is a function of repetition. In the last two weeks before the exam, focus on memory by going over the same rules. Do not switch to different documents now just because your friend got some notes from the smart kid in the class. Go over and over the same material until you can recite it back without thinking.
6. While memory may be a function of repetition, recall is a function of association. You want to associate the rules you memorize to the facts that elicit the rule. When you practice, take note of the factual analysis that elicited the rule so that when you analyze the facts on the exam you can associate the correct rule.
7. Divide your study days between memory and practice. Be sure to work on more than one subject each day since the exam doesn’t just test one subject at a time.
8. Write practice essays and MPTs to completion. Do not just issue spot. You get points for what and how you write — so practice doing lots of essays. It’s painful, but it’s worth it.
9. The day before the exam, do not do any MBE practice questions. It takes a lot of concentration which you want to reserve for the exam itself. Your mind is like a snow globe. Let all the snow settle. See a movie. Go shopping. Get a massage. If you don’t know it by now, a few extra hours of studying won’t make or break you. Try to relax.
10. On exam day, do not discuss your answers with anyone! There is always some know-it-all who will breed insecurity if you discuss the test with them. However, the ones most likely to talk are the ones least likely to know the answer.

Bonus: Last, but certainly not least, after the exam, make sure you have something fun planned. You’ve earned it!

Wishing you good luck on the bar exam from the entire team at Marino Legal Academy!

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Professor Joseph Marino has been a fixture in the world of legal education for the past 40 years. Whether you’re just starting law school, about to take the bar, or an attorney in need of CLE, he and Marino Legal Academy are here to help. He is the Director of Marino Bar Review and the Marino Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He writes a bimonthly column, Ask the Professor. Visit the Marino CLE page on ATL, connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook, or email him via info@marinolegal.com.