Bar Exam Prep and Planning

Lawyers Who Launch

Congratulations to all of the 2023 law school graduates!

In honor of this huge milestone, we are sharing our tips to help you prepare and plan to study for the bar exam this summer.

Tip #1 - Celebrate your J.D.

Law school is a huge accomplishment all on its own. Take some time to put the bar exam out of your mind, as well as wherever you are in your job search and just celebrate your J.D. You’ve worked hard. You deserve to take the time to celebrate this major accomplishment before focusing on what will be your next accomplishment–passing the bar.

Tip #2 - Make a plan for how you will study.

Whether you use a bar exam prep class or use a self-study method, you should begin with your study plan. Doing the practice exams were probably our least favorite part of study but they were absolutely necessary.

Definitely schedule some time for practice exams. Do your best to simulate what those actual testing conditions will be like. Towards the end of your studying, take a full practice exam.

While you can’t control everything around you, you can do your best to stick to your plan and minimize distractions. At this point you should consider whether you can carve out time for events that will happen during your study period. Will you be able to attend a friend’s wedding? How will you do that? What does your study time look like around that specific event?

If you are looking for some additions planning support for your bar exam planning, please check out our Bar Exam Study Planner on Etsy. These eight templates will help you plan your entire study schedule, track your progress, and stay motivated to reach the finish line.

Tip #3 - Prepare your family and friends.

Unless they are lawyers themselves they will likely have no concept of what is before you or the work that needs to go into it. It is definitely worth the time spent now to prepare them for what is ahead, rather than having to justify your time later when you are in the midst of studying.

Since you have already planned out your summer and prioritized obligations you are able, if you so choose, to give them an insight into what your study schedule looks like. You can choose to share what the materials are you are studying and what the exam looks like. Chances are these people closest to you will at least give you the benefit of the doubt, even if they don’t understand completely, that this is what you need to do to make it to the finish line.

Tip #4 - Make a plan for post-bar fun.

You will definitely deserve some down time after taking the bar. It will be something to look forward to and you will be happy to have something fun after the bar.

Let us know how your study planning goes!

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Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.