Photo by Hernan Pauccara on Pexels.com I have recently speaking with people who will retake the bar exam in February, and here are a few thoughts it might be helpful to share more widely. First, I am sorry you didn’t pass this time. I know it is painful. It’s a grieving process. You can be sad, angry, disappointed, etc. It can come and go like waves. The pain may continue to wash over you at various times, including particularly inconvenient ones like when you are about to sit down to do some practice. It’s ok to feel. It can be particularly frustrating to experience these feelings if you beli ..read more

Yesterday, the ABA released data on bar pass by race, ethnicity, and gender. You can see the Law Journal article about it here. The ABA also released its data to law school deans. You can find the raw data here. Although nothing in the data is particularly surprising, it is helpful to have the actual numbers. For their part, NCBE wished us all a happy pride month this week, so it seems like they’re really getting it ..read more

To everyone taking the bar exam tomorrow, I know it’s cliche, but you’ve got this! Whether this is the first time you’ve taken the bar or not, take the exam with confidence. You have put in the work. You have the skills. Talk to yourself throughout the exam. Be encouraging and calming. Breathe deeply before each session, and try to breathe deeply throughout the exam. Rest today. You have done enough. You will prevail ..read more

The Association of Academic Support Educators‘ Bar Advocacy Committee released its best practices guide for online exam administration. It is definitely worth a read for anyone who cares about the integrity of the legal profession. 2020-AASE-Best-Practices-FINAL-signedDownload ..read more

Photo by Řaj Vaishnaw on Pexels.com To my fellow academic and bar support teachers, Congratulations and thank you! Congratulations on getting through the longest bar season ever! We’re used to long hard summers that lead into tough fall semesters. But, having to continue to support all of our bar studiers while welcoming 1Ls and teaching our other courses took things to a whole new level this year. We also had to respond to the increased emotional, physical, and financial needs of our bar takers while trying to figure out how to navigate our own lives in a COVID-19 world. It hasn’t been easy ..read more

Congratulations to everyone who took the bar this week. You did it! You got through the most grueling and horrendous bar season in history. You pushed through and you took the exam. You should be very proud of yourself! Give yourself a chance to rest and to celebrate. You are amazing ..read more

You may not be sleeping very well at this point. The bar exam is only a few days away and you may not have the healthiest routine. That’s ok, but now is the time to try to get yourself ready for exam day. If you’ve been staying up late studying and sleeping late, try to get yourself on your bar exam day schedule. Gradually begin to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier so that your body gets used to it. You will probably not sleep well the night before the bar exam. That’s ok, but it can be disastrous if you also haven’t slept for several days before. Sleep is not only important for focus, it ..read more

I’ve heard from a lot of people in the past day or so who are very concerned because their practice MBE scores are going down. Unfortunately, this is very common. It does not mean that you are forgetting everything, or that you are going to fail the bar. It happens to plenty of people, and they go on to pass. There are a number of potential reasons for this decline, but the important things to remember are 1) you’re in good company, and 2) you’re still going to pass the bar. Keep pushing forward. Try switching the source of your MBE questions. Try focusing on essays. You want to see as many fa ..read more

You’ve only got two weeks left. Don’t try to master everything in a subject before moving on. You’re better off seeing everything more times, than spending 3 days on contracts/sales and never getting to wills and family law. Move through the subjects quickly, practicing to break up the memorization throughout the day. Follow the method of spaced retrieval. Here’s an article about it. Most importantly, just keep going. You don’t have to know everything, and indeed it’s impossible to know everything. You will know most of it, and that will be enough. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com ..read more

To my bar studiers and students, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died tonight. The country lost a shero. There is real fear about the days, months, and years ahead. But we can look to her life as an example of what we should do now. She would want you to keep going. Justice Ginsberg fought and led for you to be where you are. I know it may feel absurd to pursue a law degree or license right now when it feels like everything is being dismantled. But that is exactly why we need you right where you are right now. I know everyone needs to cry tonight. She deserves to be mourned. But tomorrow, pick up ..read more