Chapter-by-Chapter Exercises, Tips, and Assessments
| Author | Sara J. Berman |
| Profession | Concord's Assistant Dean of Bar Support Programs and is also the Assistant Dean of Academic Support and Bar Support at Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California |
| Pages | 7-22 |
7
3
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER
EXERCISES, TIPS, AND
ASSESSMENTS
Here I will note selected chapter-by-chapter “teaching moments.” ese points may
be incorporated into a bar support course, extracurricular bar programming, and/or
individual one-on-one bar counseling and support. Some of these points you can
“teach,” and others students can learn by simply reviewing the relevant passage in Pass
the Bar Exam and/or completing the corresponding exercises.
INTRODuCTION TO THE BOOK
[p. xi] Who is this book for? I always try to get students thinking about letting their
family and friends know what they are undertaking, well in advance of the
summer, so that they do not have to battle these distractions while studying.
A student’s support network or lack thereof may be a key component in
determining whether they will bolster success or sabotage passage. Encour-
age students to bring family and signicant others into the fold early on. You
may even want to hold a workshop or reception for families and/or signicant
others, perhaps in 1L, and discuss both law school and bar exam success. (is
point, how to deal with family, friends, and signicant others, made in the
introduction, is expanded in Chapter 6.)
[p.xiv] e Bar Exam is an opportunity for empowerment. e introduction also talks
about the advantages of bar exams and how the bar preparation process can
help students. It is critical to set a positive tone early on, telling students and
meaning it: “is is something good for you. It’s not horrible.” Either in an early
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8 PASS THE BAR EX AM—TEACHER’S EDITI ON
bar planning workshop or in part of one class, you can ask students to brain-
storm about any positives of taking this exam. You can remind them or have
them read portions of the text that talk about the benets of putting oneself
through this kind of rigor and succeeding.
INTRODuCTION TO PART I
[p. 3] Expecting to pass, or not. Question students about whether they expect to pass
or expect to fail, and why. (Conduct a poll or send a questionnaire.) After they
read this section, discuss the dangers of expectations.
Chapter 1
[p. 9] Goal setting. Have students write their goal. Discuss and debunk common
doubts. You can have students turn in/upload their main concerns so that
you can address group concerns in class, without naming names. (You can
also have an anonymous comment box at the front of class for students to
write concerns they do not want others to see.) Be sure to tell stories about
students from previous years who had similar issues and how they carved
paths to success.
You can follow up after you get them to express their concerns, meeting
one-on-one with students who appear to express great worry and those who
express none. (e latter may be overcondent, and if so, you want to nip
that in the bud.)
[p. 11] e bar exam is not a “practice test.” Do an exercise to root out people who are
taking the bar exam “as a practice test,” when they know they are not ready.
Sometimes this comes out clearly when you ask students to say why they
went to law school or to introduce themselves as lawyers. Other times you
have to ask more directly, “Do you believe that it is OK to have to repeat the
bar exam?”
[pp. 12, 63] Why law? I talk about this briey in Chapter 1 and expand upon this in
Chapter 3. Ask students to articulate why they went to law school. In this
rst chapter in the text, I have thoroughly explained why it is so important to
draw on one’s inspiration. Remind them about how much it helps on darker
days. (ey must know early on that they are perfectly “normal” if they nd
themselves frustrated or discouraged, especially in mid to late June.)
[p. 14] Reprogram negative self-talk. Call people out who use phrasings such as “If I
fail . . .” or “If I end up having to retake the exam. . . .”
[p. 16] Camaraderie and accountability within the class. When speaking with a class,
I encourage positive peer pressure. Students need to know that they sink or
swim together. ey must understand that while they may be competing
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