Your first year of law school was a foundational period in which your courses were largely chosen for you. Now that you have survived 1L year, you have the joy of greater control over your law school schedule. But how do you choose the right classes? While many students focus on future practice areas, classes taught by beloved professors, or GPA boosters, one critical factor often gets overlooked: the bar exam.
The bar exam is the final hurdle to becoming a licensed attorney, and your course selections can significantly impact your readiness. In this guide, we’ll explore the law school classes that will maximize your chances of bar exam success.
Preparing for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE)
The MBE is a multiple-choice test that covers seven key areas of law: civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property, and torts. While many of these subjects are covered in your 1L year, doubling up on these topics with advanced courses can give you a significant edge.
For example:
- Civil Procedure: This can be a challenging MBE subject. To deepen your understanding, try a complex-litigation course. You’ll learn about class actions and review concepts regarding the preclusive effect of litigation, both of which are tested on the MBE.
- Constitutional Law: The MBE also tests federalism, separation of powers, and individual rights like due process and First Amendment freedoms. Beyond the required Con Law course, look for electives on individual rights or the First Amendment.
- Contracts: Mastery of both common law and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) are important. If your basic Contracts course didn’t dive deep into the UCC, an upper-level sales course can fill the gap.
- Criminal Law and Procedure: While your 1L Criminal Law course covered the basics, the MBE also heavily tests criminal procedure, including constitutional protections for the accused. A constitutional Crim Pro course is a must.
- Real Property: Your 1L Property course likely covered some MBE-tested topics, including present estates, future interests, restrictive covenants, and easements. The MBE also tests real estate contracts and mortgages, so it’s a great idea to take an advanced property class, such as mortgage law or real estate transactions.
Note: Beginning in July 2026, some jurisdictions will begin administering the NextGen bar exam, which does not feature the MBE.
Sneak in a Remedies Course
Doubling up on MBE-tested subjects isn’t the only way to get in some early bar prep. There are advanced subjects that incorporate a review of MBE-tested topics. A Remedies course is a prime example.
The course will focus on the bottom-line result of litigation: what a court can do for a plaintiff who has been wronged. You’ll survey remedies such as damages, injunctions, specific performance, and restitution. Studying these remedies will mean reviewing bar-tested subjects you encountered earlier in your law school career, including contracts, torts, real property, and constitutional law. The refresher is beneficial and prepares you to transition into bar prep.
Preparing for Essays + Performance Tests
The written portion of the bar exam often includes essays and performance-based tasks. For the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), this accounts for 50% of your score. The NextGen UBE devotes a good portion of its three segments to short-answer questions as well as a 60-minute performance task.
Consider these course types to maximize your preparedness for the written portion of the bar exam.
1. Essay-Tested Subjects
The essay portion of the UBE tests MBE subjects but also adds business associations; conflict of laws; family law; secured transactions; and wills, trusts, and estates. Taking courses in these areas will prepare you for the essay component.
2. Writing Electives
Courses like advanced appellate advocacy or transactional drafting sharpen your analytical and writing skills, making the written components of the bar exam more approachable.
3. For-Credit Bar Courses
If your school offers for-credit bar prep courses, take advantage of them. These courses provide early exposure to bar-tested topics and practice questions, giving you a head start.
Preparing for the NextGen Bar Exam
Some questions on the NextGen UBE debuting in July 2026 will be patterned after the current MBE, but the exam will also evaluate practice readiness through the application of legal knowledge in situations that mirror real-world legal practice. You will be given fact patterns along with legal authorities, such as statutes, cases, or rules.
The questions will assess your mastery of substantive law alongside practical lawyering skills through an integrated mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions and longer-form written questions. For example, a question might test criminal law and client counseling skills, or evidence and fact investigation skills.
The good news is that the NextGen bar exam will reduce the load of material you must commit to memory. Some concepts will require only general familiarity, not detailed knowledge.
Another key change is the addition of Professional Responsibility to the exam. It won’t feature as broad a reach as the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), and NextGen won’t replace the MPRE. The MPRE will continue to be administered as a separate exam.
If you think your state might be an early adopter of NextGen, here are some course selection tips:
- Cover the MBE Subjects: These still remain essential.
- Take Business Associations: Business Associations will be tested on the NextGen exam, so courses covering agency, partnerships, and corporations are crucial.
- Focus on Hands-On Lawyering: The NextGen exam emphasizes practical skills. Clinical courses, simulation courses, and field placements offer hands-on experience that translates directly into bar preparation.
Prepare for Success Beyond the Classroom
Choosing the right law school classes can set you up for bar exam success no matter the version of the bar exam you will face. BARBRI is ready to help you prepare effectively, with proven course tools for the UBE as well as ones tested and aligned with the NextGen UBE.
With proven strategies, smarter tools, and a deeply personalized approach, BARBRI Bar Review helps you move from where you are to where you need to be.
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