So obviously this post is written with a dash of humor because the bar exam has earned its reputation. That being said, if I had to pick one, I enjoyed studying for the bar exam more so than for the LSAT. Struggling with the LSAT does not (by any stretch of the imagination) mean that you are not cut out for the bar exam. Here’s why:
1. You can actually study for the bar exam. On important exams, I prefer to know exactly what material will be tested. While you understand that there will be three different sections on the LSAT, you can never really be sure what material is going to pop up. For example, you will have to solve the “games” in the Analytical Reasoning section. Yes, the leading LSAT prep companies have sorted games into various helpful categories. However, every once and a while, you could get a type of game not covered in your prep course because it has not been tested in twenty years. My year had the honor of being that captive audience, it was not pretty. Moreover, the reading comprehension sections can be about anything. The passages could discuss something as mundane as hay. You will still have to maintain focus and use what you have read to answer the questions correctly. On the other hand, the NCBE tells you exactly what is going to be tested on the UBE. On the MBE section for example, there is a list of seven topics (including Civil Procedure, Torts and Real Property), with twenty-five questions per subject. I found comfort in this transparency and the ability to prepare accordingly.
2. Your bar prep course will hold your hand. Most students working towards the bar exam enroll in prep courses. Examples of popular bar prep companies are Barbri, Themis and especially in New York, Pieper Bar Review. On the Barbri course home page for instance, you are given a daily punchlist of tasks such as studying outlines and completing practice questions. If you consistently adhere to the list for the duration of the course, you are almost guaranteed to pass. LSAT courses provide a similar schedule with homework assignments and practice questions. However, because the LSAT tests abstract reasoning skills, test prep companies can only provide so much structure and guidance.
3. For the most part, the MBE tests information you already know. Many of the subjects tested on the bar exam were covered during your 1L such as Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law and Torts. While this may feel like forever ago, you do have a strong foundation and studying for the bar exam should not be the first time you are learning about vicarious liability. Hopefully, getting back into the 1L groove is like riding a bike.
This is all to say that the LSAT is not the only useful metric for your future competency as a law student or attorney. While still challenging, law school and the bar exam at least come with more certainty. Don’t give up!
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