Essay Exam Writing for the California Bar

Essay Exam Writing for the California Bar Exam

From beginning to end, it's all here!

The elements of a passing essay: Format, Issues, Rules, Analysis, Conclusion

How to spot the issues and cite the rule correctly

How to use the facts to craft effective analysis

Making it easy for the exam grader to locate your analysis of the issues

Practice Essays and Answer Gridsbased on analysis of previous California bar exams

Sample essay answers that provide a model of a passing answer

Self-assessment and strategyhow much time to spend on each issue in light of time constraints

Troubleshooting tips to improve exam performance

An efficiently condensed, user-friendly review of substantive law

Focusing on the relationships among the rules

Prioritizing most-frequently-tested topics

Issues Tested Matrix--a detailed graph that analyzes the questions asked in each subject over the past 25 years, broken down by sub-topic frequency

Issues Checklist--a one-page list of the issues tested in each subject, organized to aid issue spotting

Memorization Attack Sheet--a bulleted list of the rules that apply to the Issues Checklist--a tool for memorization that also reinforces issue-spotting skills

Annotated Rule Outline--a more complete version of the rules, in grammatically correct language--annotated with fact triggers , where helpful, to assist with issue spotting