Regent University School of Law continues to forge ahead in its mission to produce practice-ready graduates and superior bar passage rates. Thanks especially to the efforts of Professor Ben Madison, Director of Bar Passage Initiatives and Co-Director of the Center for Ethical Formation & Legal Education Reform, the Law School continues to develop and implement student-centered initiatives to help students optimize their Bar Exam preparation. Recently, Regent University School of Law invited several recent law graduates to address current students on “How to Pass the Bar.” The panelists described their experience preparing for the Bar Exam.
A common theme emphasized by the speakers was that bar prep should be treated like a full-time job. They recommended avoiding working at home, instead watching the lectures at school (if offered at Regent by the course provider). They suggested studying at the law library, which has a variety of study areas and reserves certain study rooms for bar takers during the prep period. Finally, our alumni stressed that, for the Virginia Bar Exam, Bar Takers cannot wait to begin preparing for the twenty-four subjects tested on the Virginia Essay day (60% of the exam) until their Bar Preparation company begins review of Virginia topics. Most bar review course materials providers focus on the Multi-State Bar Examination (MBE) before devoting time on Virginia subjects, meaning that a student who relies on the scheduled material may spend only a few weeks on certain Virginia subjects. The consensus of the Bar Takers was that a prospective Virginia examinee must start reviewing past Virginia essays and studying Virginia subjects far earlier than demanded by standard review courses.
The panel was well attended and received positive feedback. “I found the Bar Taker Panel to be very eye-opening," said law student Maricris Real-Prendingue, adding that the alumni panelists "consistently emphasized the need to treat Bar preparation like a full-time job. I have already begun to think of ways I will be able to make arrangements for child care so that I can put in the time necessary to be prepared for the Bar.”
(Photo, from left to right: Regent Law Alumni Christian Embry (JD, '18), Hannah Hempstead (JD, '18), Michael Castillon ('16), Samantha Graham (JD, '18), and Bryan Peeples (JD '18))