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Bar Admission Preparation

This guide covers: (1) navigating the multitude of steps necessary for applying to practice in any jurisdiction and (2) preparing to meet all the requirements of the bar admission process to ensure that you will be qualified to sit for the bar exam.

Request a Bar Mentor


There are a number of things the Law School can do to assist you in achieving your goal of passing the bar exam and gaining admission to the state bar of your choice, including arranging for alumni to mentor you through the process.  Alumni mentors offer moral support, study tips and time management advice.

To request a mentor, e-mail the Office of the Dean at dhwalker@law.howard.edu
202-806-8000.

Stay Strong!


The Zen of Passing the Bar Exam
Chad Noreuil
Call Number: BAR EXAM KF303 .E45 2011
Preparing for the journey -- Knowing your true self -- Your presence is requested -- Noreuil’s top ten tips for essay writing -- Studying for the multi state bar exam -- Noreuil’s top ten tips for the MBE -- Handling negativity and bumps along the path -- Knowing your universe -- After the exam.

Movie Therapy for Law Students
Sonia J. Buck
Call Number: PN1995.9.J8 B83 2009
Packed with black letter law, dozens of exam study tips, useful Internet links and other valuable resources for law students, legal movie trivia and other interesting nuggets. REVIEWS: Alan M. Dershowitz, Esq., Felix Frankfurter Professor, HarvardLaw: " Reversal of Fortune has been subject to many analyses over the years. This one is the best I have seen for law students and a legal audience. It really gets to the heart of the legal, tactical, and ethical issues in the case. It would be extremely useful for law students who view the film to read this perceptive and insightful analysis." Jon S. Oxman, Esq., "The analysis of Silkwood brings into focus the complex linkages among labor law, workers' compensation rights, and federal and state statutory protections such as OSHA and whistleblower acts. ... Watching Silkwood with the author's insights in mind will deepen the significance of both the movie and the law school experience."

The Value of A Bar Review Course

Why do you need to take a bar review course?  One reason is that it is unlikely you will have taken all the topics tested on your state's bar exam while in law school.  The multistate topics, the primary subjects you will be tested on for your state bar exam, will be the same courses you took in your first year of law school - Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts.  Additional topics vary from state to state.

The New York State Bar exam, in addition to a passing score of 266 on the UBE, requires an applicant for admission in New York to take and complete an online course in New York-specific law, known as the New York Law Course (NYLC), and to also take and pass an online examination known as the New York Law Exam (NYLE).  And, applicants must complete a 50-hour pro bono service requirement.

California Bar exam applicants should be prepared to answer questions that have issues concerning a variety of Business Associations, including but not limited to Corporations, Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships (General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships), Joint Ventures, Limited Liability Companies, and the principles of Agency inherent in business relationships.

The Texas Bar exam tests on 9 additional topics, including Consumer Rights, and Oil and Gas, as well as Texas distinctions for multistate topics.

The Washington State Bar has adopted the UBE, but supplements it with a Washington Law Component which tests on 8 additional topics, including Commercial Transactions, and Indian Law and Tribal Sovereign Immunity.

A bar review course will prepare you for questions which overlap, such as estate and gift tax issues as a component of another topic such as family law or wills, or a bankruptcy issue as an element of wills and estates or real property.

Another reason to take a bar review course is that not all topics are given equal emphasis.  Also, after two years, you will want a thorough review of your first year courses.  Yet another reason is that it is nearly impossible to gather the necessary study materials, prepare a study plan and discipline yourself without a review course.

Additional good reasons can be provided by anyone who has ever taken a bar exam.

Bar Loan Information

A number of private lending institutions provide loans to cover the cost of a commercial bar preparation course and living expenses during the period immediately after graduation.  Approval for these loans is usually based upon your credit-worthiness.

Bar exam loan applications must be certified by the Office of Financial Aid.  The lending institution mails the checks directly to the individual graduating students.  Application should be made prior to graduation.  There may be some lenders that will accept applications after graduation.

For more information about obtaining a bar loan, you should contact your current educational lender or conduct a web search to identify bar loan providers.

 

 

© Howard University School of Law Library. Requests to republish or adapt this guide should be directed to Carmel Henry-Smith.

Updated: January 2023.