The Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast: Pass the Bar Exam with Less Stress

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! What are the most common reasons people fail the bar exam? Today, two of our Bar Exam Toolbox tutors (Hoang and Adam) join us to share their perspectives on this topic. In this episode, we discuss: The most common reasons for failing the bar exam What is the most important thing someone should consider when re-taking the bar? What is the one thing our...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're discussing how to approach preparing to retake the bar after failing the first time, or even multiple times. We talk about some common reasons why people fail the bar exam, and share tips on how to avoid study habits that generally do not serve students well. In this episode, we discuss: Using past exam results for feedback Evaluating and...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! This is the second installment of our episodes on partnerships. In part one , we covered the creation of the three main types of partnerships – general partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. Today we will focus on the power and liability of partners in a partnership.  In this episode, we discuss: Authority of partners i...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're talking about California's surprising recent decision to outsource the development of part of the next bar exam to Kaplan. In this episode, we discuss: Recap of the changes to the California bar exam starting in February 2025  How is a completely remote bar exam going to work? When to expect prep materials to be released? Potential legal i...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're discussing general, special, and quitclaim deeds, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series. We explain the role of these deeds in property transfer, focusing on the protections they offer to grantees, and go through sample questions to see how these topics can show up on the bar exam. In this episode, we discuss: Present and future covenan...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we discuss how foreign-trained students can overcome the hurdles they face when it comes to the bar exam, including language barriers, differences in laws and legal systems, and adapting to American testing formats. In this episode, we discuss: Challenges faced by foreign-trained attorneys taking the bar exam Understanding U.S. laws an...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode from our "Listen and Learn" series, we're talking about the expectation damages of sellers and buyers of goods under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). In this episode, we discuss: Sellers' expectation damages Buyers' expectation damages Hypothetical scenarios dealing with remedies for breaches of contract Resources: "Liste...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we highlight the unique challenges that ESL and foreign-trained attorneys face while studying for the bar exam, and we provide tips to address and overcome these issues. In this episode, we discuss: Main challenges for ESL and foreign-trained bar takers When to start studying for the exam How to practice for the different exam componen...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're speaking with therapist Angela Corbett from TrueCandor Behavioral Health about handling anxiety when studying for the bar exam and on test day. In this episode, we discuss: Understanding anxiety and its manifestations Tips for coping with anxiety during the bar prep period Managing anxiety on test day Determining whether you should postpon...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we talk through how to diagnose your MBE study difficulties, how to resolve them using tried and true methods, and the ways in which platforms like AdaptiBar and UWorld can help with your bar prep.  In this episode, we discuss: Common issues bar exam studiers tend to have How platforms like AdaptiBar and UWorld can enhance your bar prep routine...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode, we're talking about the multiple-choice portion of the bar exam, and we're doing a walkthrough of three real MBE questions. In this episode, we discuss: The structure of the Multistate Bar Examination Strategies for effective MBE preparation Real MBE questions walkthrough: Contract Law Property Law Constitutional Law Resources: Practic...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this episode from our "Listen and Learn" series, we cover the formation and characteristics of three types of partnerships – general partnership, limited partnership, and limited liability partnership. To illustrate these concepts, we also analyze two questions from previous California bar exams. In this episode, we discuss: Formation and characteri...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have Kelsey Lee with us -- one of our expert tutors from the Bar Exam Toolbox team. Join us as we discuss the most common pitfalls in bar essay writing, and share our top tips for mastering this portion of the exam. In this episode, we discuss: Kelsey's background and work in the legal space Five common mistakes that students ma...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this week's episode, we're talking about using past bar exam essay questions as part of your study process. In particular, we talk about when to start practicing, how to practice, how much of your study time to spend practicing, and how to self-evaluate your answers. In this episode, we discuss: When to start practicing essay questions and how to pr...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Quick Tips" series, we're talking about the importance of taking time to outline or otherwise plan your bar essay answer before you start writing. In this episode, we discuss: Why should you spend time pre-writing at all? Best practices for pre-writing Different methods you can use to outline your answer How long to spend on your...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Quick Tips" series, we're talking about time management on the bar exam. Specifically, we share tips on what to do if you run out of time when writing an essay answer. In this episode, we discuss: What happens if you run out of time on an essay or miss one completely? Fighting the urge to keep writing How to quickly wrap up your...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're talking about concurrent ownership of property. For a discussion on the related topic of present and future estates, you can check out episodes 250 and 251 of the podcast. In this episode, we discuss: Concurrent estates versus present and future estates The three major forms of concurrent ownership...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this week's episode, we have AJ Link joining us on the podcast. AJ is the president of the National Disabled Legal Professionals Association and today we're talking about accommodations and advocating for yourself in the legal profession. In this episode, we discuss: AJ's background and legal career path The mission of the National Disabled Legal Pr...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this week's episode, we're focusing on a topic from Civil Procedure -- specifically, motions for judgment as a matter of law and motions for new trial, where the moving party is asking the court to take certain issues away from the jury. In this episode, we discuss: The two types of motions for judgment as a matter of law The standard for granting a...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today we're talking about using accommodations for the bar exam due to disabilities or other conditions. In this episode, we discuss: Why accommodations are important Various types of accommodations available for the bar exam Applying for accommodations if you haven't had them in the past A step-by-step guide for securing accommodations Tips for effect...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we're focusing on the basics of Criminal Law – that is, the elements of a crime. Specifically, we're going to spend some time diving into the two most important elements: causation and mens rea.  In this episode, we discuss: The four elements necessary to prove a crime The defendant's state of mind and criminal intent when they commit a crime Ac...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today we are excited to speak with Jesse Mecham -- a personal finance expert and founder of You Need A Budget -- about ways to decrease spending and borrowing during bar prep and generally in life. In this episode, we discuss: How Jesse got into the field of budgeting and personal finance The YNAB "four-rule method" for managing money Thinking creative...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today we're excited to be speaking with our guest Rebecca Petrilli from Themis Bar Review. We'll share our top 10 tips for using your bar review program to its full capacity to achieve better writing and MBE scores. Note: This episode is brought to you by  Themis Bar Review – the gold standard in bar exam preparation. Right now, Themis has a special of...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, in an episode from our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing an important concept from Contract Law - consideration - which is one of the three requirements of contract formation.  In this episode, we discuss: The three requirements of contract formation What is consideration? The two ways in which consideration can be provided The situati...

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In today's episode, we're discussing just how much it can cost you to sit for the bar exam, as well as some mitigation strategies to try to reduce the cost and help cover any shortfalls.  In this episode, we discuss: Researching the costs and fees associated with the bar exam in your state Choosing a bar prep course Some mitigation strategies to help r...