Several studies, surveys, and articles discourage working while studying for the bar exam. Experts see working while studying for the bar exam as a major risk factor for not passing the exam. Some articles and studies that highlight these determinations include:
For those who intend to work while studying for the bar exam, the following are sources that do discuss tips for balancing work and bar prep.
GSU provides students access to several sets of digital study aids available online. Bar prep is a topic covered by the several of the aids.
The Bar Exam in a Nutshell by Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus
This edition walks you through the entire bar preparation process from getting a head start during your last year of law school to taking the exam. It features comprehensive coverage of the Uniform Bar Exam, including an explanation of each component and how to prepare for it, to the larger question of what “portability” really means for the bar candidate. This edition also provides guidelines for selecting a bar review course, bar planner checklists, advice on how to manage the material you cover in bar review courses, and advice on how to learn the law so you can remember it and use it to answer exam questions. It identifies the basic skills the exam tests and the precise manner in which these skills are tested, showing you how to target your study efforts to maximize results. An Appendix provides practice materials for the MPT and essays, including the MEEs, with “answer de-constructions” to explain why bar examiners chose those answers as “better than average.”
Acing the Bar Exam by Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus
Acing the Bar Exam provides candidates with a complete guide to the bar exam — from pre-planning considerations through bar review and sitting for the exam. It features comprehensive coverage of the Uniform Bar Exam, including an explanation of each component and how to prepare for it. Every aspect of the process is explained in detail and by example. The bar exam is de-constructed, section by section, where candidates are led through the steps they need to follow to succeed. Approaches for learning the black letter law, setting study schedules, and answering essay and multiple-choice questions are combined to maximize the likelihood of success. Each of these tasks is then configured into checklist format to help candidates navigate each step. This approach puts the candidate in control of the bar exam and not the other way around.
The Essential Rules for Bar Exam Success by Steve I. Friedland, Jeffery Scott Shapiro
This book presents a method for teaching students to pass the bar that is easy to learn and implement. Topics covered include learning to study actively rather than passively; choosing study partners who will help, not hinder, your studying; learning to think, read, and write critically; dissecting multistate exam questions; coping with pressure; making the most of the weeks before the bar exam; and preparing for the day of the exam.
Exam Pro Bar Prep Workbook Revised by Steve I. Friedland
Based on the premises that the bar exam essay is often different in style, length, and scoring from the law school exam essay and that organization and issue identification can best be achieved by a structured, strategic approach rather than "winging it," this book uses frameworks as a guide to writing a top-notch essay. The opportunity to practice techniques allows students to further improve their writing.