Those who passed California Bar

[neon]

What preparation course did you use, if any? When did you start preparing?

I am a 3L now, and considering how hard CA bar is, I want to start studying now. I have books for MBE section (barbri, kaplan, flemings), but I am not sure what material is good for the essay part, and I am not sure if the books I have are enough. Is BarBri the best course for the Bar? I heard some students complaint its practice questions are easier than the real ones on the test.

I would greatly appreciate any advice and suggestions.

Thank you

[disabilitylaw]

I used BARBRI.

I also bought the PMBR CDs and flashcards and used them all the time.
Strategies and tactics for the MBE is also a useful book for practice questions.

People will say BARBRI isn't worth the cost, but it worked well. I found the daily schedule, the "homework" and the tips from the lecturers very helpful. It also helped me focus on what mattered the most on the bar. Most of the things you learn in law school aren't on the bar, and many of the bar questions will cover things that you did not learn in law school.

In addition to the BARBRI questions and answers I studied questions and model answers on the Calbar website.

I started studying right after graduation in May and took the July bar.  I don't think you need to start actually STUDYING now, but it would be useful for you to know what the essay questions look like.

[neon]

Thank you, disabilitylaw, very detailed answer.

what calbar website are you referring to? Is that calbar.ca.gov one? Also, did you use baressays.com? They claim to have real essays graded by CA bar graders.

Thanks!

[tacojohn]

For something specific to the CA Bar, I found Bar Breakers to be extremely helpful. The book gives you a writing approach for each subject tested on the California essays. It's not as substantive a review as a bar course will be though. I would think of it as PMBR for the essays.

And I agree that you don't need to study right now. If you're still in law school, everything you're studying for your classes will get mixed up with what you're studying for the bar. Enjoy your 3L year, focus on those classes, graduate, and then work your ass from May-July.