Making The Bar

Time and Passing

Bar Exam #1: Colorado

UBE jurisdiction

6 essays, 2 PTs

MBE

Worked as drilling Navy Reservist (enlisted)

Married with a two-year-old

No formal childcare

Limited friends and family nearby

Study StrategyBARBRI in the evenings

Husband watched our daughter in the evenings

I studied en route (public transit), in class, and for 30-60 minutes after class before heading home

Practice exams on the weekends

Daughter stayed with mother-in-law for exam evenings

Bar Exam #2: California

General Exam (3 days)

12 essays, 4 PTs over two days

MBE

Active-duty Judge Advocate

Divorcing with a three-year-old

Care through the CDC

No friends or family nearby

Study Strategy

Self-study from BARBRI outlines

No other strategy

Unsurprisingly, I failed

Bar Exam #3: California

Attorney Exam (2 days)

12 essays, 4 PTs over two days

Active-duty Judge Advocate

Married with a 7-year-old and a 2-year old

Five months pregnant

Care through the CDC

Some friends or family nearby

Study Strategy

BarMax study application

Listened to lectures while PTing or commuting

Read outlines when I needed additional clarification

Husband was my study partner

DisneyPixar was our children’s study partner

Practice exams focused on the essays and PTs, done during lunch hours and after children went to bed

Traveled from DC to California one week before the bar, and family members watched the kids while we studied

Carving Out the Time

Listening to lectures during commuting and PT

Taking practice essays during lunch breaks

Write work assignments as you would write performance tests

BARBRI or other in-person courses force the time block to be reserved for studying

On off-days, go somewhere to study and take practice exams

Carving Out the Time: Parent Edition

IKEA offers free childcare for an hour for customers. Drop off the kids, buy a cup of coffee in the cafe, and study.

Many gyms offer child care. If you have an app you can listen to or an outline to read, take the kiddos to the gym and and study while you sweat.

Make peace with screentime. Movies and games will buy you anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Make peace with asking for help. Most friends were willing to entertain my daughters for an hour or so, even if they weren’t “kid people”.

Available Options

Live, either in-person or online (BARBRI, Themis, private tutors)

Recorded lecture (BARBRI, BarMax)

Practice exams (BarEssays, Kaplan, BARBRI)

Prepared outlines (LeanSheets, BarMax, BARBRI)