Welcome… The purpose of this blog is to share tips, strategies, tactics, and information about the upcoming Washington D.C. February 2009 bar exam. Anyone who has taken, or is planning to take the DC bar exam will hopefully find contribute in the comments and find value in this blog.
Quick background on myself, I graduated law school about 8 years ago, and am taking the bar exam simply to be bar certified. I embarked on a different career during my last year of law school and have not looked back, so I am not planning to switch careers now (I currently work in negotiations, not in a legal capacity) but want to take the DC Bar exam now while my workload is not too heavy. I work full-time and will not be taking any time off to study. Only 2-days to actually take the exam.
Now, on to the materials I will be using. Most of these I purchased used locally… I am going to use only self-study means, so no in-class lectures. I have purchased the following materials:
PMBR – Earlybird
PMBR – Red Book
PMBR – Blue Book
PMBR – 32-CD Audio Lectures
BarBri – MEE Review Book
BarBri – Simulated MBE Book
BarBri – Conviser mini-review Book
MicroMash – MBE Books (Condensed Outline, Reference Vol I & II)
MicroMash – MEE Books (Reference Vol I & II)
MicroMash – MPT Book
Rigos Bar Review Series (Emanuel) – MEE Book
Rigos Bar Review Series (Emanuel) – MPT Book
Waton (Emanuel) – Strategies and Tactics for the MBE (2006)
Baroutlines.com – MPRE + Audio Lectures
Baroutlines.com – MBE + Audio Lectures
NCBE – All Released MPTs
NBCE – All Released MEEs
NBCE – Annotated Preview 2006
NBCE – All free outlines/subject matter outlines/practice questions
I am going on vacation tomorrow for the next 10 days, but when I get back I am starting my official study schedule as I am very rusty on all the subjects that will be tested on the bar. Honestly, rusty is putting it too lightly as I have not done anything law related in almost a decade… I will post my plan for studying for the bar exam when I am back from vacation.
Also, I am registered to take the MPRE this November. So, if anyone is taking the MPRE and wants to chat about that, I’m game. For the MPRE I have the following:
Barbri – MPRE book
baroutlines.com – MPRE
NBCE – Outlines/practice questions
Everyone tells me how easy the MPRE is but still, I cannot help but be apprehensive… I plan to spend 1 week studying for the MPRE, hopefully that’s not overstudying…
15 replies on “Washington DC February 2009 Bar Exam – 100% Self Study – Welcome Post”
I’m trying to figure out whether I should take the DC bar this Feb. or repeat the Texas bar exam. I have no desire to practice law, but feel the need to get licensed (somewhere….anywhere) just so that my parents don’t feel that law school was a complete waste of their money. I’m enticed by the idea of simply taking the essay portion (because I scored above a 133 on the MBE in TX). The thought of sitting through the entire 3 day long Texas bar again brings me to tears. I’m a little bit worried, however, about the MEE. If you have any advice, tips, etc.,I would really appreciate the help. Good luck studying!! Also, I used AdaptiBar to study for the MBE and it really helped. It’s a web-based program and it keeps track of the areas you need to work on and your scores on practice questions. I thought it was great, because you could just log on and do 5-10 questions whenever you had a chance. Anyway, good luck!!
Hi Meg,
I too am taking the bar just to have a license, not to practice. However, I live in DC, so that makes it a no-brainier for me to take the DC exam. Do you still live in Texas? Do you have any plans/reason to be in DC in late Feb? I guess it’s not too long of a flight to fly up for the exam, but it’s an additional cost/time factor to consider…
I would not worry about the MEE, from what I have heard, it is not that bad (30 minutes per essay is so short you don’t have much time to screw things up, lol), and it’s only 25% of the score (or 50% if you take just the essays). And keep in mind the other 25% (or 50%) are the 2 MPT questions which are supposedly “gimmie” points.
Also, depending on how high above a 133 you scored on your MBE, you may want to consider taking the whole DC bar exam again, including retaking the MBE. Because, to pass you need a total of 266 points. So, you could theoretically get a 106 on the essays, and a 160 on the MBE and pass. Then again, if you barely squeaked out a 133 on the MBE in TX and are only so-so on the essays, I’d just stick the the MEE/MPT (essays) on the DC Bar.
Hi Folks- I too did not pass my first round of the bar. I missed the passing Virginia score by a mere THREE points. As you can imagine, it was heartwrenching. The good news though is that I got a high enough score to not have to take the MBE again for DC. Im debating at this point whether or not to take the VA bar since I will most likely not need that state’s particular license. Ahhh…decisions decisions. However, at this point I think I’ll be taking DC.
So I read above that the MPT section is known as the “gimme.” Thats wonderful news. Where did you guys here that? Is there any way to prepare for that? Also, do you all know where we can get the barbri essay books for dc? I dont think barbri sells them individually do they?
Good luck my friends…i feel your pain!
To Anonymous:
1a) Sorry to hear you did not pass on your first attempt. As for taking the DC bar instead of VA, it’s up to you… If the MBE is your strong section, I’d recommend taking the ENTIRE DC bar, not just the essays, since DC averages the score of the MBE and Essays (each is weighted 50%)… So, if you do good on the MBE, you can do poorly on the essays and still pass… Virginia is the same way, except they weigh the essays more heavily, and they don’t have an MPT (60% essay / 40% MBE). Remember, the essays on the DC bar are only 25% of your total score, as the MPT is the other 25%. So if you can do great on the MBE and MPT, then 75% of your score is good to go!
1b) Also, I thought you had to PASS another state’s bar exam to use your MBE score on the DC bar exam? (i.e. – I didn’t think you could NOT pass the VA bar, but still use your MBE score in DC)
1c) Have you not registered yet for the DC bar? The late deadline is Dec 31, so you better hurry! :-)
2) As far as the MPT goes, I wouldn’t say it’s a “gimmie”, but it’s probably the “easiest” since you don’t need to memorize any law for it… Barbri has an MPT book, and there are a few other books out there on studying for it. Look at my list of materials I am using, I have the Rigos and micromash books for the MPT, as well as the newly released 2008 MPT questions.
3) There are no “DC Essay books” per se, since DC uses the MEE. All you need is any MEE book, such as barbri or Rigos. I’d also get the 2007 and 2008 actual MEE’s from the NCBE.
4) Barbri DOES sell the books individually. Just call their office and they will give you the prices. However, I recommend ebay or craigslist to get the books used unless you have the extra cash to buy them brand new from barbri, but you’ll save hundreds of dollars getting them used, and most of the time the used books are in like-new condition. All of the used books I bought had, literally, zero markings in them. They were for all effective purposes, brand new. And I saved thousands of dollars (but I bought tons of materials)…
I am taking the July 09 DC Bar Exam (I currently live in LA) and have not been part of the legal world since 1993, when I graduated from law school in NYC and never took the bar exam there. I need to know a number of things. 1). What bar review courses should I consider taking? Which ones are the most popular and why? 2.) Should I sit for all 3 states, eg., VA, MD and DC? Do most test takers in the DC area take all 3…common practice? 3). Tutor.. I need a 1 on 1 tutor but do not have any recommendations as to where I can find a reputable tutor. Also, not sure at what point I’d use the tutor..after the bar review course is over? while taking the bar review course?
As you can probably tell, I’m a bit overwhelmed but really need to make up my mind which bar review course I should take because the deadline for most of them is April 2nd so time is of the essence. If anyone can help, please respond or send your input directly to me at dgunnells@gmail.com. I really appreciate any constructive insight you might be able to offer. Thanks!
Dan,
I will be posting my final thoughts on the DC bar as well as all review materials this week, so stay tuned…
As far as which state to sit for, if you take MD or VA, you can simply waive into DC. The only reason to take DC is if you plan to practice ONLY in DC, or if you live in DC and simply wanted to be a licensed attorney (why I took the DC bar). I have no intent of practicing, but wanted a local area bar exam and didn’t want to drive down to southern VA or Maryland.
As for tutors, check references. Tutors can be VERY expensive and many have had bad experiences. I would use a tutor before, during, and after the bar review course so they can guide you through your studies.
I was wondering if I can borrow Barbri’s DC bar exam study assignment schedule? I’d really appreciate the help. Please email me at jerichor@hotmail.com. I have materials for NV if anyone’s interested. Thank you.
I plan to take the DC bar this next July 09. I am an attorney in Puerto Rico so I am very lost as to the format of the test. I would appreciate any recommndations/tips or thoughts. If anyone is selling their DC materials I would like to purchase them! I haven’t had any luck on Craigslist!! my email is lastorni13@hotmail.com
Hey, its great to see this blog. I too am registered to sit for the DC bar in July of this year. It is not my firt time to sit but neither time was a focused attempt. I plan to take the entire exam, hopefully to benefit from the averaging. I used a past MPRE score to transfer into DC and have not passed the bar, so you can use an old score even if you have not passed the bar. Does anyone know of housing arrangements/hotels close to the testing site? Good luck! Meg, if you live in Houston, let me know.
I saw your comment about a tutor and I am curious about what references to check. References like what? Current employment, bar passage rate, number of bars they have passed, the law school they attended? What? I’m taking the VA bar for the second time and need a tutor, but I do NOT want to be a student who has one of those “bad experiences” you wrote about in responding to Dan’s inquiry.
To Anonymous – May 19, 2009 12:24 PM:
All of the items you mentioned are good starting points, but their current employment and bar passage rate don’t mean that much. As with any good coach, you want someone that knows how to tutor OTHERS… You want someone that has a sound methodology and can pass that knowledge onto you… There are many smart people out there that score high on bar exams and make TERRIBLE instructors…
I’d also check around to see what comparable hourly rates are and what packages are offered. Look for flexibility in your tutor… If they only offer packages where you need to spend lots of money up front, I’d be cautious… Also, trust your instinct (just like on the MBE, lol) when meeting with them… If you have a good feeling, that’s a plus!
Many tutors just want as many students as possible and will tutor via phone, skype, online, etc… I only tutor in person, with RARE exceptions, because I feel that’s the only way to effectively do it…
I’m new at bar exam tutoring, but I’ve already developed what I consider to be a solid playbook… I tutored another bar taker at the same time I was studying for the Feb 2009 bar exam and they passed with a ~30+ point increase on their MBE score as they were a 2nd time taker, so my method worked very well for them… I learned a few things and have incorporated the changes…
Just look for a tutor that seems to care about their students and is not just out to sign people up… Good luck!
If you take the D. C. bar exam, when do you have to submit the bar fitness info — before or after taking the exam? I am not talking about the required ethics exam. I am talking about your arrests, convictions, etc. I have never been convicted of anything but being an older person who works in a labor field, I have been falsely arrested a few times, and I did not want these false arrests to prejudice the bar graders (on the essays). Just curious.
To anonymous of June 26, 2009 11:43 AM:
I realize this is 6 months late, but maybe others who read this will have the same question. To answer, you must fill out the entire character and fitness questionnaire at the same time as your application. This should not prejudice the bar graders and as far as I know the grading is done anonymously so the graders should not even have access to your character and fitness application. Be honest on the application process. Good luck!
Hi,
I am taking the DC bar exam in February, and am very familiar with the MBE, however I am fuzzy on the MEE. Does DC focus more on the MBE subjects or are they more concerned with DC distinctions. Also where is the exam typically held? Thank you for any replies.
DC typically tests 3 questions on MBE subjects and 3 on MEE subjects. There are no “DC distinctions”. The exam is held at Catholic University.