090: Getting Ready for the July 2017 Bar Exam (with Ariel Salzer)

Welcome back! Today, we're talking with Ariel Salzer, tutor for the Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox, about the upcoming July 2017 bar exam season! Change is in the air, especially with the new California bar exam format and new MBE scoring rules, so your strategy might shift a bit. But one thing remains constant: you can't get through any bar exam without deliberate, focused, and practical studying—and a lot of it.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Changes to the California bar exam format from 3 days to 2 days
• Potential winners and losers with the new format
• The impact of reducing the California performance test to one 90-minute segment
• Chatter about the exam changes and the debate over lowering the passing score in California—and why you should ignore all of it during your bar exam prep
• Practicing active learning for the MBE and recognizing legally significant facts
• The benefits of, and strategies for, starting your bar prep early

Resources:

• Esqyr (http://www.esqyr.com/) • Esqyr 10% Off Coupon (http://www.esqyr.com/barexamtoolbox/) • SmartBarPrep.com (http://www.smartbarprep.com/) • State Bar of California Notice re: Modification to Format and Grading of the California Bar Examination Effective with July 2017 Administration (http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/4/documents/Examinations/NoticeTwoDay0815_R.pdf) • "California bar exam's passing score should be lowered, critics say." (http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/California-bar-exam-s-passing-score-should-be-10999240.php) • Sample 90-Minute Performance Test Instructions and File (http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/4/documents/specialNotices/2017_Sample_90-MinutePT_File_R.pdf) • Podcast Episode 78: Advice for First-Time Bar Exam Takers (http://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-78-advice-first-time-bar-exam-takers/) • Podcast Episode 52: Bar Exam Tips for Mastering the MBE (http://barexamtoolbox.com/podcast-episode-52-bar-exam-tips-mastering-mbe/) • Please Do Not Spend All of Your Time Studying the Law! (http://barexamtoolbox.com/please-do-not-spend-all-of-your-time-studying-the-law/) • Can Studying Early Help You Pass the Bar Exam? (http://barexamtoolbox.com/can-studying-early-help-you-pass-the-bar-exam/) • How to Become Great at Taking the Bar Exam with Deliberate Practice (http://barexamtoolbox.com/become-great-taking-bar-exam/) • Why I Hired a Bar Exam Tutor (http://barexamtoolbox.com/hired-bar-exam-tutor)

Bar Exam Workshops and Courses at BarExamToolbox.com:

• Writing of the Week (WOW) Bar Essay Workshop (http://barexamtoolbox.com/writing-of-the-week-wow-bar-essay-workshop/) • California Bar Exam Tutoring (http://barexamtoolbox.com/california-bar-exam-tutoring/) • Florida Bar Exam Tutoring (http://barexamtoolbox.com/florida-bar-exam-tutoring/) • Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), MEE, and MPT Tutoring (http://barexamtoolbox.com/uniform-bar-exam-ube-mee-and-mpt-tutoring/)

Episode Transcript: Download the Transcript (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Episode-90-2017-Bar-Exam-with-Ariel-Salzer.pdf)

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd love a nice review and/or rating on iTunes (or your listening platform of choice). And feel free to reach out to us directly. You can always reach us via the contact form on the Law School Toolbox website (http://lawschooltoolbox.com/contact). If you're prepping for the bar exam, be sure to check out our Bar Exam Toolbox website (http://barexamtoolbox.com), too.

Thanks for listening!

Alison & Lee