The pass rate for the July 2016 California bar exam was only 43 percent. If you did not pass, you are not alone. Right now, you’re probably frustrated and feeling like you did a whole lot of work for nothing.
But there are plenty of enormously successful people who have failed a bar exam. It didn’t stop them, and it doesn’t have to stop you. You can pass, but you have to adjust your approach.
“I took Barbri/Kaplan/Themis and followed the lessons exactly. What else can I do?”
Big-box companies like Barbri and Kaplan can’t offer you more than they already have. Taking the course again may not do the trick. If you didn’t hit the mark this time, you need a skilled professional to work with you one-on-one. You need detailed feedback on your essays. You need a person who can reinforce your strengths and target your opportunities for improvement.
“I’ve memorized all the material, but I can’t seem to apply the law during the exam.”
This is one thing big-box bar prep companies don’t teach at all—analysis. Whether it’s on the MBE, the essays, or the performance test, most of the time students are left in the dust.
It’s not enough to memorize the information and just spit it back out onto the page. When grading your essays, bar examiners are asking themselves one question: Can this person be a lawyer?
If you didn’t pass the bar, it’s time to find help with digging deep into every question, spotting the issues, and analyzing like a pro. It’s time to show the bar graders that you’re ready to achieve your dream of being an attorney.
(Check out these tips for retaking the California Bar Exam, then learn our 5 proven tactics to help you pass.)
BarMD Can Help
BarMD ensures examinees enter the test with the skills they need to craft the ideal bar essay or performance test. Students complete numerous practice exams, all of which are reviewed by a staff of experts—legal writing professors, honors graduates of top law schools, and practicing attorneys. Every time, students receive a wealth of individualized comments. And these are designed to push them to the next level of essay writing.
BarMD’s revolutionary method of teaching takes students beyond the “memorize and regurgitate” formula. You’ll learn how to issue spot like never before—a skill crucial to both MBE and bar writing performance. Your analysis will be pristine. Your structure will be perfect. You will maximize your score.
BarMD’s faculty members have already cured numerous students’ exam ailments. Be the next student to get the help you need.
Learn about BarMD’s courses in San Diego and Los Angeles.