CUNY Law Professor Allie Robbins recently published an accessible resource for law students studying for the Bar exam entitled: Passing the Bar: A Quick Reference Guide For Today’s Law Student through The Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI).
This book is different from other Bar preparation tools, as it focuses on those who aspire to be public interest or social justice attorneys, first-generation law students, law students who do not come from families of lawyers, and those who come from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession. Allie mentioned that in comparison, most Bar review resources are created for heavily resourced, traditional law students who have lawyers in their families who they can consult on past experiences. These students, by contrast, want to work at big firms and said firms will often pay for their bar review courses.
Allie notes: “The Bar’s essays, multiple choice questions, and performance tests do not accurately simulate attorney skills. It’s not about representing people or interviewing clients, but at the same time, our students have to pass it in order to become licensed. That is why I feel okay about doing the work that I do.
“I want our students to be able to go out there and change the world and live their dreams and so they have to take this test.” Allie wants to meet students “where they’re at” and provide them with an easy to use guide that isn’t an additional burden during Bar study preparation.
Dean Mary Lu Bilek and other prominent legal scholars argued for diploma privilege amid COVID-19 concerns surrounding the administration of the July Bar exam. The argument presented supported Allie’s note that the exam is not a useful measure of lawyering aptitude.
This book shows burgeoning lawyers how to create a strategic study plan, employs tips for attacking each portion of the exam, and discusses ways to take care of the mental health of and you and your loved ones during preparation. The quick reference format affords students easily accessible advice for whatever is most pressing to them at a particular moment. There is even a section in the appendix on preparations for the exam during COVID-19.
Allie surfaced additional considerations in light of the Bar exam being moved from July to September.
“There are now an extra few months of finance students need to figure out. In addition, some students have work start dates that are in August, which means they would be starting a new job during Bar preparation. People have to study at home, which is especially difficult in NYC where apartments are small. There are also concerns about sitting for the Bar in September while COVID is still very much a concern. Even if you are willing to sit for the exam, sitting for six hours a day over a few days in a mask during a strenuous exam can’t possibly be comfortable.”
Even beyond the scope of COVID-19, students who spent three to four years studying in law school often don’t understand why they need to take the Bar. Studying for ten hours a day all summer seems wildly disconnected to what students are pursuing in the legal field. Allie remarked that “there is no immigration law, housing law, or labor law on the Bar. Everyone on the Bar exam seems to have a great deal of money and multiple properties, and this is very divorced from the lives our students come from, the communities they come from, and the communities they want to serve.”
Allie further remarked that this book would be especially helpful if you don’t see yourself or the communities you serve reflected on the Bar in terms of tips and motivations provided. She made it a point to note that this was the kind of resource you could pick up and find answers to particular questions as you came upon them. In other words, it is a well-organized, practical guide that will not bog you down when you are already stressed out from studying.
When asked if Allie had any advice for students approaching the Bar exam test date, she said:
“The legal profession is putting way too much pressure on recent graduates to take the Bar to get their first legal job right away. It is not the end of the world if you wait the few months until the next test.”
If you are planning on taking the Bar this coming September, definitely check out Allie’s book Passing the Bar: A Quick Reference Guide For Today’s Law Student, available for download in several formats or for purchase in paperback. You can also check out Allie’s blog, from where she draws inspiration for this book and deep-dives into specific topics surfaced in this publication.