What 1Ls Can Do Now to Prepare for Bar Review

As a 1L, it’s too early to begin preparing for the bar exam in earnest, but hard work in your law school courses now will pay off later. Take these simple steps during the first year to get a leg up on bar review. 

The time you spend learning the law and preparing for exams won’t go to waste. Many of the subjects covered in your 1L courses will be tested on the bar exam. The 7 subjects below are tested on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a multiple-choice test that forms part of the bar exam in nearly every state:

Aim for a strong foundation in these 7 subjects. The MBE is used by the vast majority of United States jurisdictions. Forty-nine states administer the MBE; Louisiana is the one exception. If you end up taking the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), these subjects are testable on both the MBE and the essay portion of the exam.

Note that most bar exams test additional subjects in an essay format. It’s a great idea to look into the specifics of the bar exam in your jurisdiction and plan upper-level courses accordingly.

Multiple-choice skills are an important part of bar exam success, but you shouldn’t overlook writing skills. Strong legal writers have an edge on the bar exam’s written portions, which may include essays and a performance test. 

Essays on the bar exam are much like law school essay tests. You’ll receive a fictional fact pattern and draft legal analysis. In addition to an essay portion, some bar exams contain a performance test, which requires you to complete a practice-oriented drafting task. You’ll put to use skills learned in your legal-writing class, including objective and persuasive writing. 

Becoming a licensed attorney takes time and money. You’ll need to schedule preparation time in advance of the exam. Most students need to commit around 400 hours to preparation. Full-time bar prep runs around 10 weeks. Part-time bar prep requires the same commitment of hours, just spread over a longer time horizon. A part-time bar prep course enables you to study alongside work or other responsibilities.

Becoming licensed also entails significant costs, including exam registration fees, a bar review course, and living expenses during the bar prep period. Some law schools and employers cover the cost of a bar review course. Determine what costs you’ll be responsible for, and begin a bar fund now.

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process during both law school and bar review. Don’t let mistakes hold you back. Instead, analyze your mistakes, and use the insights as a springboard toward success the next time. If you can’t figure out what went wrong on an assignment or exam, don’t be afraid to ask a peer or professor for constructive feedback. 

Both law school exam prep and bar prep require hours of intensive study. Make the most of your time and keep yourself sane by scheduling and taking productive study breaks. Plan on a short break (5–10 minutes) once per hour. Take a longer break (about 30 minutes) after roughly 3 hours of study. Scheduled breaks allow you to return to the task with renewed energy and greater focus.

Quimbee has your back in law school and beyond. Check out Quimbee Bar Review+ to explore the features that are helping students across the country pass the bar exam on their first attempt—such as real, licensed questions from past bar exams, unlimited essay grading by real attorneys, and beautifully designed video lessons. With 2 easy-to-follow course calendars to choose between, you can study on your own timeline.