July 11, 2010, 4pm – 6pm

This workshop will offer the following:

1. An opportunity to meet our attorney instructor that provides one-on-one instruction for the MPRE.
2. The chance to review some of LawTutors’ MPRE materials.
3. Work on practicing exam questions and answering them the LawTutors way.
4. Cover FAQ’s such as:

• How often is the exam offered?
• What is considered a satisfactory score?
• How is my composite score determined?
• How similar is the exam to my Professional Responsibility course in law school?
• What other commercial materials do you recommend?
• What should I focus on?
• How is it that my score dropped twenty points from the last time that I took the exam?

To attend this workshop please RSVP by July 8, 2010 to officeadmin@lawtutors.net. This workshop is intensive and small group, so there are limited spaces – RSVP today to reserve your spot!

We have an answer!

Join us for a FREE LawTutor’s Bar Exam Workshop.

When: Saturday, May 22, 2010   12 noon -2pm

Where: LawTutor’s Brookline Office (1674 Beacon St)

Who: Anyone who is a bit curious about what they can do differently for a second bar, or first time takers that want to make sure they study effectively.

What: Get tips and advice on how to how to study differently than you have before, how to study more effectively, how to apply the law and not just memorize it and much more!  For instance, learn how to tackle MBE questions by learning from your mistakes, how to “track” MBE questions, and the benefits of learning from your past essays!  Also, learn how to look at the law through a “Big Picture” so you do not get overwhelmed!

For more information or to sign up call 617-738-4800 or email info@lawtutors.net

This seminar is FREE, but will not be held if less than 8 people RSVP. You MUST RSVP to attend.

Seminars are considered the base program and all bar review students should take them, which are taught by the LawTutors founder Tania Shah , or Vice President Instructor Melissa Gill , and covers the seven core subjects on every bar exam as well as Federal Jurisdiction (MA and NY specific) and MA Practice (MA specific). This will serve as your “Base” for bar review study and will guide your through a strict and intense review. The Base Program consists of 13 seminars: 6 MBE and 7 Essay seminars, which includes Federal Jurisdiction and MA Practice.

Our students also have four optional courses available to them, including an intensive Massachusetts specific Essay Seminar, a New York specific seminar and a Multistate Performance Test workshop. LawTutors students can also take advantage of a reduced price enrollment in the Emanuel Bar Review, an intensive MBE program.

Each seminar is small group [no more than 8 students], interactive, and intense. Seminars run three hours long and include all materials. The Base Program is extremely cost effective and you may even choose to only take the Essay track or to only take the MBE track. These seminars are excellent students taking the bar in any states. These seminars are only offered in Brookline , MA . Please see our pricing guide to see how much you can save! Please note that even though you can choose to take only the Essay track or to take only the MBE track, the course is most effective when taking them both together.

to sign up call the office at 617-738-4800, or email info@lawtutors.net for more information

For dates, go here

Myth Buster: You Are Not Stupid

Trust me on this. I have had so many students come to me stating that they are stupid due to the fact that they failed the bar. Maybe they missed it by 25 points, maybe by 2. Either way, they are not stupid. And you have to trust me, since I WILL tell students when they are performing below expectations. I am not a “rah rah you can do it” if I feel you are not performing, but I am going to tell you that it is a MYTH, a downright dirty one, that students who fail the bar on the first try are somehow less able to practice law than their colleagues who passed on the first try.

The thing is, the bar exam does not test intelligence. In part, it tests your test taking ability. That is NOT the same as intelligence, as many really smart people just don’t take tests all that well.

Please remember that many successful attorneys did not pass the bar on the first try, and it does not impact their performance as a lawyer. The important thing is that you can’t let this affect your confidence. (I know, easier said than done, right?) But I’m quite serious when I say that if you think you are stupid, if you think you will fail, if you think you will do less than your best, it really DOES hurt your chances of success. Instead, pick yourself up after this and tell yourself you are going to go kick the butt of the bar exam. Fake the confidence if you have to, but you NEED to begin the study process with that confidence. You can not start out from a place of defeat. Wipe the slate clean.

The pass rate in Massachusetts this past February was 62% overall! That’s down a considerable amount from what it normally is, so if you were not successful this time, that is something else to consider – you are not alone. In fact, 38% of test takers are in the same boat!

After you tell yourself you are going to kick butt – find a NEW way to study, don’t fall back on the same old habits. And then go pass the second, or third, or fourth time around – I’ll be happy to welcome you as a colleague!

1. Equal Protection and Due Process are different.  Sure, they overlap a lot, but you absolutely need to understand the difference. When we classify people, by any classification (race, alienage, hair color, profession) we are in equal protection territory. If, however, you are dealing with something that applies to everyone, and is a “right”, we are dealing with Substantive Due Process (ie, abortion).  Sure, there can be overlap – with the issue of same sex marriage, we have equal protection issues (sexuality) and rights (marriage), but you STILL have to take one issue at a time.
2. Know your scrutinies. Don’t paraphrase them, know them, memorize them, tattoo them on your forehead. Strict scrutiny means that the government has the burden of proving the statute is narrowly tailored to a compelling government interest. Intermediate scrutiny means that the government has the burden of proving that the statute is substantially tailored to meet an important government interest. In rational basis the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the statute is NOT rationally related to a legitimate government interest. Know who has the burden, make a chart to when these apply and memorize it.
3. Don’t dismiss an issue.  A lot of my students fail to bring up certain issues because they think the plaintiff will not prevail. This is not a good idea. For instance, they see someone classified based on hair color, correctly assume that, in that case, rational basis would apply, then never bring up equal protection since the government would most likely win. This may be very true, however, I am almost certain your professor STILL wants you to bring up the claim, and explain WHY the plaintiff would not win.
4. Congress can’t do anything it please.  Know that Congress has limited powers, namely the power to regulate interstate commerce and the power to tax and spend. If you see a fact pattern where Congress is acting, make sure they actually have the power to do so.
5. Don’t invent rights. We honestly don’t have that many, so don’t make them up.  I would make a chart, outlining the rights we DO have (the fundamental rights, like the right to privacy, to marry and to vote) and then highlight those rights with examples from cases you read in class.  Don’t assume we have rights that were NOT mentioned in those cases.

Above all else, do not be afraid to ARGUE. That is mostly the point of training to be a lawyer!

Our instructors set you up with a study schedule (and no, it’s not too late to start, even if your finals are next week!), and go through practice exams and hypos with you, as well as help ensure that you have mastered the necessary substantive law.

Because we know our students are stressed beyond belief right now, LawTutors is offering FREE TUTORING for finals for new students! Between now and May 20th, 2010, get 15 minutes of free phone or email tutoring from one of our qualified Attorney Instructors.

Call the office, 617-738-4800, or email info@lawtutors.net to sign up with a personal instructor, and get your 15 minutes free! (Please note, restrictions apply)

1) Be calm. Hey, I can see you rolling your eyes at me! Stop that. I’m serious, remain calm. Anxiety and stress are yet two more foes for exams, so please do not indulge them. The more anxious and stressed you are, the less likely you are to remember things. Who wants that?

2) Take One Thing At A Time. This is part of the answer to “ok fine Melissa, but HOW do I remain calm? Have you TAKEN law school exams? Do you KNOW what kind of pressure I am under?” Yes and yes. And honestly, If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed; stop, breath, grab some chocolate and make a to do list. Then, tackle one thing at a time. That’s all you can do. Stop stressing about how many exams you have, and how many more cases you have to read, and how you haven’t started outlining and oh my god I haven’t even done a practice hypo yet………and just resolve to tackle all of this one step at a time. That’s all you can do, AND once you resolve to do that, you will feel calmer, and trust me you will get more done. Because stressing about how much you have to do doesn’t ACTUALLY get any of it done.

3) Practice, Practice, Practice. Yes, I know how much work you have to do. Yes, I know that writing out practice exams is not exactly your idea of fun. Well, suck it up. However, please believe me when I say that nothing prepares you for your final exams like practicing for them. You wouldn’t go on stage and sing without first practicing (drunken karaoke aside! And really, let’s not treat exams like karaoke!), if you were on a sports team and had a game coming up, again, you’d practice. So why are exams any different? Some schools have exam banks where professors put up old exams – use them, practice them, love them. If your school does not, seek out upperclassman, or look to books like Examples and Explanations (or LawTutor’s own Big Pictures, Little Essays) for help. But the key is, you have to practice issue spotting, practice writing the rules out, and practice the analysis. There are no short cuts to this.

4) Outlining. There is no perfect outline. You don’t get extra points for completing one, or for color coding it. The purpose of an outline is to help you review. You probably have about 100 pages, give or take, of class notes. You can’t just sit there and re-read them, not only is that boring, but it’s not of any help. You need to DO something with those notes. Outlining is that process; take the class notes and condense them, figure out what is important, etc. You can also use, as part of this process, charts, flashcards, flowcharts. All of those things help you review and condense the information you have. Also, think about what your exam will look like, and what your professor is expecting, and prepare accordingly. For instance, for my constitutional law course I had a professor that really liked it when you argued both sides, and really really REALLY liked when you could compare and contrast her facts to previous cases (in the legal world we call that an ANALYSIS). So, how did I prepare? I made a list of cases, arranged by topic, including a few lines of important facts, as well as the holding. My entire list was about 5 pages long: it wasn’t intended to be comprehensive, but merely to give me a quick reference guide when I was reviewing the night before.

5) Don’t Memorize. Sure, some rules you have to memorize, and some language is important – this is a given. But this is not college or high school – merely memorizing rules or cases will not get you that A exam. What WILL get you that A exam is knowing what to DO with the rules and cases. Again, we call that an analysis. This means you can’t just memorize words, you have to understand them. A little trick I learned – if you can’t explain it to someone else, you don’t know what it means. So, what I would do is take your class notes (which should have applicable rules in them), and rewrite them, in your own words. Or, rewrite them with examples. If you can’t paraphrase something, or think of your OWN example, you probably don’t get it as well as you need to, so this is an area you should focus on. If you can’t “get it” on your own, seek out a professor, a TA, a tutor (like me!) or an upperclassman. Even classmates can help, but be weary, they don’t always know more than you!

So, hopefully that will help you survive until June! Good Luck!

But then stop. And realize this is not the worst thing that could ever happen to you. And realize that there are PLENTY of people in the same boat as you, and ALL of you will do just fine.

I know this because most of the students that come to me for private tutoring are repeat takers. And those students end up passing the bar. And they end up getting jobs, and then no one cares that they failed, or how many times they failed. You just have to pull yourself up by your boot straps, realize that you need to do something differently, and try again. I had a student take the bar 13 times, come to me for the 14th, and finally pass. Talk about dedication! If he can tough it out, so can you!

So, why did you fail and what can you do differently?

1) Didn’t put in enough time. This is rarely why students fail. Trust me. Most of my students put in PLENTY of time the first time, and I’m sure you did as well. But, on the off chance that you feel you just didn’t work hard enough, work a bit harder next time. (but please trust me when I say this is RARELY the case).
2) Did not study effectively. You might have put in HOURS and HOURS and HOURS in the library, on your couch, and everywhere else, but perhaps you were doing the wrong thing. I had a student who literally spent 12 hours a day in the library reviewing outlines her first time. Didn’t pass. Why? She was JUST reviewing outlines. Nothing else. This is not effective studying. You need to be doing something active, and merely reviewing outlines time and time again won’t cut it.
3) Your bar review didn’t work for you. Everyone learns differently. There is no “right” way to learn, and thus, no one size fits all bar review. Maybe you need more hands on, one on one help. Maybe you need live lectures instead of a video, or vice versa – maybe you need a video or dvd you can rewind. Maybe you need to spend more time doing questions and less time listening to lectures.

Those are the common themes I see, and most often it’s #2 and #3 that are the problem. How to change?

1) Capitalize on what has worked for you in the past. No, that doesn’t mean that studying for the bar exam is exactly the same as studying in law school. But you know yourself well enough to know what works.
2) Find our how you study best. Are you a visual learner? Audio? Do you need to draw lots of charts and graphs? Figure this out and then run with it. If you’re not sure, then seek out a private tutor (they can also help you figuring out where you went wrong – one read of my student’s essays, and I can figure out how to direct them)
3) Most importantly – DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY. The definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting different results. No one needs insane lawyers, so do something different! Shake it up – find a new bar review, find a tutor, find a new place to study, find new books, try to do more practice questions and less reviewing of your outline.

Whatever you decide, the important thing is to not give up. You can and will succeed.

So, in the Halloween spirit (because it’s my favorite holiday), I’ve decided to give you some treats. Now, while I can’t give candy over the internet, I’ll give you study tips instead.

1. Use old exams from your professors.  Most professors have these available either online, or through your library. If they are not available, talk to your professor, ask if you can practice with old exams.  There might be a good reason why he or she hasn’t made them available, or, perhaps it slipped their mind and your request may impress them!  Either way, this is the best way to prepare for your exams. First and foremost, you need to practice your writing. Secondly, using your professor’s old exams will give you a good idea of how they write fact patterns and what they are looking for.
2. Use your professors.  Go talk to them. Ask for feedback. It is their job. If they were kind enough to give you a midterm or any practice exams, pay attention to the feedback and even ask them to expand.  I give my students practice essays before the actual exam, and I always give a great deal of feedback.  If your professor does this, thank them and take it seriously. Visit them during their office hours and ask how you can improve. If they don’t give you midterms or practice exams, write something on your own and ask for feedback. They are your best resource, so use them!
3. Do not listen to classmates.  They might mean well, they might not. Either way, everyone is different, and they don’t necessarily know anymore than you.  Just because the guy that sits next to you in Torts spends 12 hours in the library doesn’t mean that will work for you. Everyone has different learning styles, so don’t try to mimic someone else.
4. Practice makes perfect. Just like I said in 1, practicing your writing is the best way to prepare. Reviewing outlines and notes will only get you so far.  If your professor doesn’t have old exams, find something like LawTutor’s Big Pictures, Little Essays or Examples and Explanations.  These are books that have sample hypotheticals and sample answers.
5. Learn to apply facts.  Learning the law is only the first step. Applying it is the most important step.  Take the books I mentioned in 4, or make up fact patterns with your study group, and practice your analysis. The more you do this, the easier I gets.  When I was taking constitutional law, I used to meet with my professor and run different fact patterns with her.  Not only was it actually fun, but it helped me fine tune my skills.  This is what a lawyer does; a client comes in, and gives you facts. You need to then apply those facts to the law.  This is also what you need to do on exams.

So, Happy Halloween, and Happy Studying!