2. Ace the Bar Exam
Taking the bar exam is one of the biggest days in any aspiring
lawyers life. The exam determines whether or not you can practice
law in the state you live in, and some states only allow you to fail the
test a small number of times before you’re no longer able to take it.
Passing the test on your first try requires intense preparation and
studying. Here are a few tips to help you ace the bar exam.
MICHAEL FOURTE • PAGE 2
3. Create a
personalized study
schedule
Plan out what days and times, and for
how long, you will study leading up to
the test. If you’re taking a preparation
course, they likely provided you with a
schedule. While that is helpful as a
jumping off point, you will want to tailor
that so it aligns with your current
schedule. The course you’re enrolled in
doesn’t know how you learn the most
effectively, so their schedule may not
be one that even works for you. Keep
your schedule flexible so it can evolve
to suit your needs the best. If you find
one technique doesn’t work for you,
then take it out. If you need extra
practice writing real property essays,
add them to your schedule.
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4. Use quality
materials
While it seems obvious, having high-
quality study materials is crucial to your
success on the bar exam. If you are using
low-quality materials, then you won’t have
the information needed to succeed on the
test. Find a guide that presents the
material in a way that makes sense to you.
Also, look for released multistate bar exam
questions and essay questions. These are
questions that actually appeared on bar
exams and will help you to get used to the
wording that the test uses. Some
commercial guides use their own
questions and the wording doesn’t match
up with the test wording, which can throw
you off.
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5. Emphasize
memorization
A lot of law students will go straight
from the lecture into practice problems.
This ineffective studying method will
just result in you feeling overwhelmed
and underprepared. You need to have
the law memorized in order to do well
on the exam. You should be able to
quickly recite the rules and regulations
after reading the fact pattern. The essay
portion will require you to reproduce
the rules for the grader. Be sure to study
and memorize your outlines so you can
apply the law to the given facts.
MICHAEL FOURTE • PAGE 5
6. Communication
Communication is crucial in every field, but
especially so in law. Without strong oral and written
communication skills, you may struggle to be an
effective lawyer. You also need to be a strong
listener to build strong relationships with clients. To
argue a case in court, you have to be confident
speaking in front of others. This requires the use of
persuasive and succinct language. While in
college, get involved with the debate team to
practice this skill. Because you’ll have to draft
letters and legal documents, written
communication is just as important.
MICHAEL FOURTE • PAGE 6
