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Working While Studying for the Bar Exam

GUEST BLOG by Brian C. Pike, Esq.
Passed the July 2015 New York Bar Exam
Automation Architect at Riverview Law

Do I work during the Bar Exam?  Should I work while I study? What a dreaded question.  If you have ever asked a practicing attorney this question they fall into two heavily defended camps: (1) in moderation; or (2) none at all. My take? I think it is entirely a personal decision.

During the summer of 2015, I had the tremendous opportunity to work with an amazing group of people at BARBRI while studying for the bar exam as a social media intern.  I had connected with BARBRI’s social media manager, Melody Maleitzke, while she judged a social media competition at my law school.  It truly was a wonderful experience to learn from an industry veteran and I’m honored to pass-along a few of the tips I learned along the way.  I’ll give a series of lessons with examples of how it worked for me before asking you to ask yourself: should you work while studying for the bar exam?

  • Be honest with yourself. I think this is the hardest lesson learned and is the reason why I listed it first.  As BARBRI will tell you, studying for the bar exam is a mental beat down. I describe it as boot camp for your brain. However, don’t let that discourage you. You should listen when your instructors say it is an honor to take the bar exam —you’ve worked really hard to get where you are.  And along the way you’ve made habits that work for you. Don’t give into peer pressure to abandon those habits. This goes double for when it comes to subjects. You want to be bad in an area that you don’t know because BARBRI will give you wonderful tools to help you improve in that area.

    For me:     I’ve always been the type of person to overload myself and burn out.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful girlfriend who helped me realize when I needed to take a break.  But I didn’t always put it on those around me.  I built into my schedule a number of breaks for me to unwind and refresh my brain.  If you study for an hour, take a 10-minute break to watch a cat video or, even better, get up and enjoy some fresh air.

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  • Make a schedule.  No matter what your study habits are, making a schedule is important. BARBRI will give you a great outline of what topics you will study and when, but get into the habit, especially if you are balancing work, of planning out your week.

    For me:     I made a rough outline for the entire process of studying for the bar.  On Sunday, I would sit down and see what needed to be moved around and also to make myself aware of what deadlines for work I had that week.
  • Be honest with those around you.  This goes for both your employers (if you should choose to work), and your friends and family.  Share your schedule with your boss(es) and your loved ones so they have an idea of what you up against.  If your boss wants you to take on a new assignment, don’t feel shy in saying that it might not be a good idea because you have property coming up this week.

    For me:     I shared my weekly plan with my bosses and also those I spent a significant amount of time with.  This allowed me to stick to my schedule and not to over-commit in any one area.  Plus, if something really interesting came up in work, I could use my breaks to tackle it as a mental refresher.
  • Don’t be your own worst enemy.  This is my last tip.  The bar exam is entirely a mental game, and the game begins when you study.  It is completely possible to have a full-time job and study for the bar exam, but you have to know when to turn it off for the night.  Studying for the bar exam is about being honest with yourself on what works for you, and what doesn’t; what areas you really know, and which ones you need to spend more time on.

    For me:          I’m the type of person who thrives on lists.  I completed between 95-100% of the assigned work from BARBRI.  Now, many of those assignments are given as guidelines.  You might need to spend the full 3-4 hours reviewing your notes on a topic area you really aren’t understanding.  Or you might need even less in another area.  What I can recommend and what I did is to really crank it up in the last two weeks.  I toned my actual work down to 0 and turned my studying up to 100.  Find the balance that will leave you feeling satisfied at the end of the day when you call it a night.

So, weigh my tips and decide for yourself: is it right for me?  Will I let one area slip more than another?  Do I not feel comfortable sticking to such a tight schedule?  Am I afraid of disappointing those I work with?  Then maybe you should consider working less, or on a project-basis.  At the end of the day, I believe anyone can work and study for the bar.  The question for you is how much you think you can work and still feel happy with your study progress.

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#The2Llife: Managing Your Time

GUEST BLOG by Lauren Rose,
2L at University of Detroit Mercy 

One of the keys to being successful (really, I’m just equating success with not losing your mind) during law school is time management.  While arguably this is a key to being successful in life, it is really, really necessary during law school.  Mastering time management during my second year has been essential to my overall plan.

I am involved in two school organizations and I have two jobs.  While I’m not on moot court or law review, I felt the need to push myself into finding two different jobs.  I work better when I am busy because I am forced into managing my time.  While this is often stressful, it is what helps me find balance.

Vector01424-[Converted]I live by my Google calendar and I use it for everything.  I use it to track midterms, reading assignments, finals, meetings, my work schedules, and outings.  If an online calendar is not your thing, I would suggest getting some type of calendar or agenda to keep track of your life.  I even write down my workouts.  As law students, we are expected to remember the facts and holdings of cases so make it simpler on yourself and write down the date your paper is due instead of trying to remember it.

As horrible as this sounds, I try to avoid watching T.V.  Really, I do this because I don’t have time.  However, I also avoid T.V. because I have been sucked into a binge where I don’t move for four hours.  I will try to watch an episode of How To Get Away With Murder or another show, but I usually record it so that I can watch it when I actually have time.

The point of this post is that managing your time, especially with the use of a calendar, is incredibly important.  If you write something down, you will feel more pressure to actually do it.  While that sounds a little harsh, it is true.  Writing it down will hold you accountable.  So, take it from, someone who learned the hard way, that managing your time efficiently will be crucial to your success in law school.

What are your thoughts? What time management strategies do you use? Tweet me @The2LLife!

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#The2Llife: Outlining — Start Early

GUEST BLOG by Lauren Rose,
2L at University of Detroit Mercy 

Outlining is not fun but it is a key component to exam preparation.

We are officially halfway through the semester (eeek!) and now is the time to start outlining. You should start now, and by now I mean you probably should have started a few weeks ago. December will be here sooner than we know it and if you have your outlines started or finished, you will be way ahead of the game. You will have more time to devote to learning and memorizing everything in those outlines, instead of trying to figure out what you should put in and what you should leave out.

During 1L year, I tried to make my outlines as comprehensive as possible. That worked pretty well for the fall semester but didn’t work out so well for the spring semester. I was bogged by details and random facts from cases. This year, I’m trying something new.

Fotolia_84370456_Subscription_Monthly_MFor my midterms, I tried to make my outlines short, simple, and to the point.  Instead of focusing on all of the details from each case, I focused on the important plot pieces from the case. Also, I focused on learning the rules instead of the random details about the opinion. Memorizing and understanding the black letter law from cases will be essential to success on your exams!

Even if you do not have midterms, I suggest that you start outlining now.

As I stated earlier, this will put you ahead during finals time.  Instead of creating your outline, you will be able to review it.  Also, by starting early, you will have enough time to consult supplements, professors, and your classmates if you have any questions. If you are having difficulty creating your outline, consult a commercial outline, like BARBRI.  BARBRI saved me during 1L year.

What are your thoughts on outlining early? Tweet me @The2LLife!

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#The2Llife: Get Involved!

GUEST BLOG by Lauren Rose,
2L at the University of Detroit Mercy

You will hear this time and time again, but it is so very important to get involved while you are in law school!  Not only are you in law school to learn the law, you are there to network and to meet other people.  By getting involved in organizations while you are in school, you will be able to form bonds with your peers and with attorneys.  Here are some reasons to consider as to why you should get involved.

  1. You will feel more connected to the law school community. Being involved with organizations at your school is a great way to meet your classmates.  Not only will you interact with students from your year, but you will also meet students who are not in your year or section.  For example, I participated in a community service event a few weeks ago and had a blast talking to 3Ls and 1Ls.  If I had not participated in this event, I would not have met these wonderful people.
  2. Your connections to the legal community will grow. Many lawyers are involved in law school organizations or volunteer in the legal community.  The more you put yourself out there, the more people you will meet.  You never know, but joining an organization could lead you to a future job!
  3. You will find a sense of belonging. Law school is tough because it is pretty much like high school but with older people.  Cliques are present and everyone is competing to be on top.  Joining an organization will make you forget all of that nonsense.  Why?  Everyone joined that organization to fulfill the common purpose of the organization.  You will feel a sense of belonging because everyone is devoted to a set of goals and driven to meet those goals.
  4. You will have new experiences. When I look back on 1L year, some of my most cherished memories are from activities I participated in with a student organization.  I went to a bowling fundraiser at the beginning of 1L year and had a blast.  By joining an organization, you will be able to experience things you otherwise would not experience.  Also, you may even gain some new skills – like party planning for Barrister’s Ball or creating a symposium!
  5. Important skills will carry over into your professional career. The skills that you learn from being involved, like networking and time management, will carry over into your professional life.  Being involved as an attorney is a great way to maintain relationships and form new connections with the legal community.  I suggest that you start this in law school so that you are dedicated to being involved once you graduate.

What are your thoughts about being involved in organizations while in law school?  What organizations are you involved in?  Tweet me @The2LLife!

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#The3Llife: Using Your Resources

GUEST BLOG by Harrison Thorne,
3L at UCLA Law

Fotolia_61764632_Subscription_Monthly_XXLThis past week, I asked a question, and my teacher singled me out in a class of well over fifty students.

She said, “Harrison is always prepared, and always thinks about the material before coming to class.  I know this because he often emails me asking for the answers to the coming week’s readings on the weekends.”  Everybody laughed, and we moved on.

After class, she apologized for “putting me on the spot.”  I laughed and responded, “Don’t worry about it.  I’m embarrass-proof after three years of law school.  And also, why would I not ask a million questions?  I’m taking out literally thousands of dollars for the opportunity!”

I tell this story because it reflects a huge shift in my thinking.  When I first began studying law, I thought of professors as demigods that were to be admired but not spoken to.  I never asked questions or emailed, for fear they would judge my question as dumb.

After a few months, I realized that I was seriously shortchanging myself by taking that approach.  I drastically changed.  My professors essentially know me as the guy who asks forty questions a week now!

Overall, I have learned to use all the resources available to me.  I delegate tasks when I can, I ask questions when I don’t understand something, and I use office hours to gain clarity.

In fact, I’m doing something new tomorrow: a professor had to cancel office hours because of a scheduling conflict, so I pressed him to come up with a time to meet.  When no alternative time was mutually acceptable, he agreed to speak to me over the telephone tomorrow evening.  Tomorrow will be the first time I have ever spoken to a law professor on a Friday night . . .

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