Your law school curriculum is designed to get you thinking, speaking, and writing like a lawyer. But here's what you really need to know: how to choose law school courses that prepare you for the bar exam.
It’s never too early to strategize. By selecting the right courses and understanding the differences between law school exams and the bar, you can build a foundation (long before graduation day) that makes bar prep significantly more manageable.
Which Law School Courses Will Best Prepare Me for the Bar Exam?
Once you move past your 1L year of required courses, you get to choose your path. But before you fill your schedule with niche electives, ask yourself: Which classes will actually help me pass the bar exam?
Essential #1: Courses That Teach Bar-Tested Subjects
Prepping for the bar exam feels more manageable if you’ve previously learned the material in a law school course. Size up the bar exam you plan to take and determine which subjects it covers.
Most bar exams incorporate the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), which tests key areas of law. Learn about the MBE subjects tested.
Sometimes, a single course isn’t enough, however. For instance, Constitutional Law on the MBE covers federalism and individual rights—topics that might be split across several Con Law classes at your school. If you are taking the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), you also need to consider essay topics like Business Associations. Consult with your academic advisor if you’re not sure which courses at your school cover the tested subjects.
Do you have to take a course on every key subject? No. The bar exam isn’t the only consideration that matters for course selection. You may wish to enroll in essential law school courses that pertain to your career interests or feature an engaging professor. If you skip enrolling in a bar-tested course, you’ll learn that subject during your bar prep. Keep in mind that tackling a subject for the first time during bar prep can be stressful, so choose which courses to skip thoughtfully.
Essential #2: Writing Courses
Writing matters on the bar exam, and strong writers tend to do better.
The written portion of the bar, which includes essays and performance tasks, often accounts for a sizable portion of your overall score on the UBE. You must be able to apply substantive law to fact patterns quickly and clearly.
Use your upper-level electives to take writing-intensive courses. Whether it is appellate advocacy or transactional drafting, the specific topic matters less than the practice. These courses sharpen your analytical skills and push you to express legal arguments with precision. These are skills that are non-negotiable on the bar exam.
Essential #3: For-Credit Bar Courses
Many schools offer electives specifically designed to transition you into postgraduate bar prep. Look for titles like Bar Exam Bootcamp, Advanced Bar Studies, or Applied Legal Reasoning.
These for-credit bar courses are invaluable. They allow you to study a subset of bar-tested topics and practice with real bar exam questions while still in school. This preview helps you identify your learning style and memorization strategies before the intense pressure of formal bar prep begins.
Are Law School Exams Like the Bar Exam?
At this point, you’re probably painfully familiar with the typical law school essay exam. You are expected to spot the issue, analyze the facts, and apply the law. Success depends on your ability to analyze each legal issue that comes up in the fact pattern.
Is the bar exam the same? Yes and no.
The Essay Difference
Like law school exams, bar essays use fictional fact patterns similar to those you’ve seen in law school. You’ll analyze each issue tested using IRAC or a similar writing structure. However, the experience is different in three key ways:
- Time Pressure: Many students taking bar essays feel a bigger time crunch than they did on law school exams. The UBE gives you a set amount of time per essay. It is a sprint, not a marathon.
- Breadth: A law school exam tests one subject. The bar exam tests them all, often mixing multiple subjects into a single essay.
- Specific Prompts: Law school exams often ask a general question designed to test your ability to spot a broad selection of issues in the fact pattern. Instead of a general “discuss the issues” prompt, bar essays often ask narrow, specific questions that require precise answers.
Bar essays are tough, but rest assured you can conquer them when the time comes with help from BARBRI Bar Review. With practice and preparation, you can succeed on your bar exam’s essay component.
The Multiple-Choice Difference
Law school multiple-choice questions commonly require you to choose the most likely outcome or most appropriate legal resolution to a matter from the available answer options. For bar exam multiple-choice questions, it’s much the same story.
Even if you’re accustomed to the style of question that will appear on the MBE, the bar exam features some special difficulties. A law school multiple-choice exam will test material from a single course, but the MBE tests multiple subject areas. No question is labeled, so you’ll have to intuit the subject being tested.
Timing is also an important consideration for the MBE. To many examinees, the pace feels quicker than that of a law school exam.
Gear Up for the Bar Exam Today
What else can you do during law school to start preparing for bar exam success? The students who pass with confidence are the ones who prepare early.
BARBRI 1L Exam Success and BARBRI 2L/3L Exam Success are free tools you can begin using now. These foundational resources support your toughest law school courses and build the essential core knowledge you’ll rely on during bar prep.
It’s also important to understand your weaknesses early on so you can fix them promptly. And don’t forget to rally your support system of friends and family, so they understand the commitment ahead. But most importantly, believe in your ability to succeed.
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