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Meet Our Founder
Maureen D. MacManus, Esq.
Professor MacManus has spent her life tutoring students, beginning in elementary school. After law school, she continued to volunteer as a USD teaching assistant for Advanced Legal Writing and privately tutored students who had failed the California Bar Exam, diagnosing writing weaknesses and helping students develop their writing skills.
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Testimonials
Understand + experience the BarMD Difference.
- 06/05/2023
My NEW Best California Essays Book for BarMD is here!
Hey there, future lawyers! If you’re gearing up to take the California Bar Exam, you probably know that the Essays..
read more - 11/11/2022
How to Interpret Your Bar Score
Your Bar Score Letter Pass or Fail On a Thursday in November, many California bar exam candidates received a letter..
read more - 07/15/2022
More Performance Test Tips
While it’s the most “lawyerly” part of the bar examination, drafting a winning performance test isn’t easy. After all, the..
read more - 07/11/2022
Performance Test Pointers
Although not all examinees give the performance test its due, the importance of this part of the bar examination can’t..
read more - 07/01/2022
More on Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) Matters
In our last post, we shared that the mean score for the February 2022 administration of the MBE tied a..
read more - 06/24/2022
Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) Matters
Regardless of whether you love it or hate it, the MBE continues to be an obstacle for many bar takers...
read more - 06/17/2022
Answering the Call of the Question: More Essay Question Advice
We previously noted that California’s new lower cut score doesn’t necessarily mean you will make the cut with lower essay..
read more - 06/10/2022
Answering the Call of the Question: California Bar Exam Essay Questions
When the California Supreme Court permanently lowered the passing score from 1440 to 1390, there was some speculation that bar..
read more - 06/06/2022
Bar Exam Foe – The Forgetting Curve
Picture this—you had the rule for express conditions down cold on Monday, but when the rule pops up on a..
read more - 05/06/2022
How to Interpret Your Bar Score Letter
On a Friday in May, unsuccessful California bar exam candidates received a letter from the Committee of Bar Examiners stating,..
read more - 02/17/2022
Excel on Evidence MBE Questions
When it comes to mastering the multistate bar exam (MBE), there’s no substitute for practice. All tactics and no practice..
read more - 02/11/2022
Bring Your A Game For Contracts MBE Questions
Let’s take a look at the Contracts portion of the MBE. Of the 175 questions counting toward your MBE score,..
read more - 02/04/2022
Crush Constitutional Law Multiple Choice Questions on the MBE
Half of the Constitutional Law questions you’ll encounter on the MBE will focus on individual rights. For those of you..
read more - 01/28/2022
Navigate Civil Procedure MBE Questions With Expertise
When it comes to the multistate bar exam, AKA the MBE, Civil Procedure is the new kid on the block...
read more - 01/21/2022
Triumph Over Torts MBE Questions With These Tips
The MBE, also known as the Multistate Bar Examination, comprises 175 questions. Out of the total number, 25 of them..
read more - 01/13/2022
Knock Out Criminal Procedure & Criminal Law MBE Questions
On the Multistate Bar Exam (more commonly known as the MBE), the “Crimes” category includes both Criminal Law and Criminal..
read more - 01/06/2022
Gear Up for California Wills and Trusts Questions: Bar Essay Tips
Although Wills and Trusts are treated as two distinct topics by the Bar Examiners, they are often tested together. In..
read more - 12/29/2021
Conquering Community Property Essays on the California Bar Exam
There is significant overlap between the essay portion of the Uniform Bar Exam (known as the Multistate Essay Exam) and..
read more - 12/23/2021
Battling Business Association Essays on the California Bar Exam
Business Associations is an umbrella term that covers Corporations, Partnerships, and Agency. And when it comes to the essay portion..
read more - 12/16/2021
Ace Professional Responsibility Essays on the California Bar Exam
You can be certain about three things in life: death, taxes, and the fact that Professional Responsibility will appear on..
read more - 07/14/2021
11 Common Errors on California Bar Exam Essays + More (Video)
Before you know it, July 27th will be here… …and all (examinees’) eyes will be on the California Bar Exam’s..
read more - 07/08/2021
Improve on Constitutional Law Bar Questions: 2 CA Essay Tactics
We just celebrated Independence Day. The bar exam is administered later this month. So, it’s the perfect time to—you guessed..
read more - 07/01/2021
How to Not Freeze on Criminal Procedure Bar Questions: California Essays
Certain bar topics might feel more challenging than others. One, in particular, might be the bane of your existence. Whether..
read more - 06/24/2021
Get an Edge on Your Next Criminal Law Essay (Get Going With These CA Bar Strategies)
Cramming day and night for July? Or avoiding California Bar questions as much as possible? Either way, we get what..
read more - 06/17/2021
Keep Pace With Bar Exam Evidence Questions: Start With These Tips for California’s Essays
The starting pistol (or, in the case of the bar exam, your sanctioned timing device) has begun. You bolt out..
read more - 06/11/2021
How to Structure Your Performance Test on the California Bar Exam + More (Video)
If you’re preparing for the performance test on the California Bar Exam, then we have a handy resource to share..
read more - 06/07/2021
Perform Your Best on the Online MPT: Bar Exam Workshop for Objective PTs (Video)
Studying for the MPT on the bar exam? Since it’s coming up next month, we wanted to share this workshop..
read more - 06/03/2021
Exclusive Workshop: Insights into MBE Questions from Mary Basick + Tina Schindler
Get access to a recording of this MBE Workshop, as its live sessions have concluded. Purchase the video ⇢ It’s..
read more - 05/29/2021
Experience EssayRx: Our New Database of Bar Exam Essay Questions
When you’re studying and it’s time to focus on bar exam essay questions, where do you turn? Do you comb..
read more - 05/25/2021
Trounce Torts in Your California Bar Exam Essay: Start With These Tactics
Whether you find Torts terrific… …or torturous… …there’s a good chance you’ll come face-to-face with Torts when writing your California..
read more - 05/12/2021
Retaking the Bar Exam? Read This If You’re Repeating the CA Bar
If you’ve failed the California Bar, don’t feel discouraged. The CA Bar Exam is notoriously challenging. Just last week, examinees..
read more - 05/07/2021
How to Interpret Your Bar Score Letter
On a Friday in early May, unsuccessful California Bar Exam candidates receive a letter from the Committee of Bar Examiners..
read more - 05/06/2021
Contracts Essay Questions on the CA Bar Exam: 3 Quick Tips
Signing a contract in real life is often exciting. It can signal all sorts of joyful occasions: New home, new..
read more - 04/30/2021
5 Proven Tips to Help You Pass the California Bar Exam
While any bar exam is difficult, California’s is notoriously difficult. In our state, you must maneuver challenging California-specific laws—and face..
read more - 04/27/2021
Develop Your Confidence on Real Property MBE Questions With These Tactics
As you dive into another study session, you can revitalize your routine with a few BarMD tips and techniques. Follow..
read more - 04/19/2021
Civil Procedure on the Bar Exam: Our Essential CA Essay Pointers
Just like sharpening your pencils to a precise point before an exam, sharpening your Civil Procedure bar exam skills is..
read more - 04/07/2021
3 Keys to Constitutional Law MBE Questions
You, as a student, and myself, as faculty, know this truth: For each topic of the MBE, examinees need solid..
read more - 08/14/2020
Attack Evidence MBE Questions Like a Bar-Exam Expert
At BarMD, we like to say that bar-exam training—and success—are twofold: one part practice + one part the right strategy...
read more - 07/31/2020
Answering MBE Criminal Procedure & Criminal Law Multiple-Choice Questions
Knowing how to approach Criminal Law multiple-choice questions, as well as Criminal Procedure, is pivotal to doing well on the..
read more - 07/02/2020
How to Approach Civil Procedure MBE Questions: 4 Tips for Success
When it comes to the Multistate Bar Exam, Civil Procedure is relatively new. The topic first appeared on the MBE..
read more - 06/26/2020
4 Ways to Tackle Torts MBE Questions—and Win
Everything’s leading up to it. It’s a burden on your shoulders throughout law school: Passing the bar. The moment you..
read more - 06/19/2020
Rock Your MBE Score: 2 Expert-Level Tips for Contracts Questions
The moment you get your bar exam results, whether or not you rocked the MBE will be apparent. Whether you’re..
read more - 06/15/2020
How to Improve Your MBE Score in 3 Simple Steps
No matter which state or territory you’re in, if you’re taking the bar exam in 2020, the date is looming...
read more - 04/09/2019
Free MBE Sample Practice Questions Based on Past Bar Exams
If you’re struggling to outsmart multiple-choice bar exam questions… If you never want to shut your eyes, cross your fingers,..
read more - 12/29/2019
California Western Recognizes BarMD as California’s Best Bar Prep Program
BarMD is celebrating a new opportunity! Recently, California Western School of Law (CWSL) hired us to provide a modified bar..
read more - 11/02/2018
San Diego Business Journal Features BarMD’s California Bar Prep Course
The California Bar is the most difficult bar exam in the country. In fact, the latest round’s average pass rate..
read more - 03/08/2019
California Bar Pass Rates by Law School & What You Can Do About It
You’re nearing the time you’ll sit for the California Bar Exam. You grow curious about how your law school peers..
read more - 11/20/2017
Study Smarter (Not Harder): 2 Test Preparation Strategies to Help You Pass the Bar
Isn’t it about time that you passed? We hear from students, like you, who study hours upon hours (even 12..
read more - 11/21/2016
I Failed the Bar. Now What?
The pass rate for the July 2016 California bar exam was only 43 percent. If you did not pass, you..
read more - 10/16/2016
With One Less Day, Now Your Writing Matters Even More
Over a year ago, the California State Bar announced that it was altering the structure of the bar exam, beginning..
read more - 10/12/2016
Writing Wake-Up Call: Changes to the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) recently announced two significant changes to the MBE beginning February 2017. Are these..
read more