Day of the Bar Exam: Tips, What's it Like

The July 2018 California Bar Exam had the lowest passage rate in nearly 70 years. This means that practically all practicing attorneys alive today took a bar exam that had a higher passage rate. Many people can theorize why the bar passage rate was so low, but I'm not here to do that. I am here to give you my tips and strategies for passing the bar exam on your first try.
You CAN pass the bar. You just need to know how to study hard and smart.
This video seeks to prepare you mentally for the day of the exam by telling you exactly what it was like.
Subscribe for more videos like this! I make videos every week.
/ @kevinconwaychannel

[@darracohen]

Thank you for sharing your insights! I especially appreciate the gratitude sentiments!

[@KevinConwayChannel]

Of course! Hope it helped!

[@ilhamkhan]

Thank you soo much for this!!

[@ucsdgirl159]

Thanks for this! This really helped quell some of my anxiety about the logistics. I am taking it in San Diego. I will take your advice and go to the site the morning before, go get a massage, then hit the beach.

[@KevinConwayChannel]

Great idea! Just relaxing the day before is the best thing you can do!

[@sdavis435]

Trump are a joke I don't believe nothing this man say I am praying 🙏 for true I am not voteing for him 🙏 or any one it all a big joke i want all you'l pray in only trust my dad Jesus he have all the he answer all trump doing talking trump not going give free money prayer are my vote

[@hyojinlee]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@Rampaigee]

Thank you. I am registered to take the Feb 2020 CA Bar and will be implementing some of your helpful tips 😊

[@KevinConwayChannel]

You got it. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

[@alekshewitt]

Did you mean 3500 words for professional responsibility, not 35000? Hope it wasn't the latter.

[@KevinConwayChannel]

It was 35,000 characters, not words. So for example, the sentence “I can pass” is three words but 8 characters. That is what displayed on my screen, so that’s what I focused on.

[@alekshewitt]

@@KevinConwayChannel thanks for the clarification. I was nervous at first. Great video, BTW. Very informative and the tips are so easy to implement.

[@KevinConwayChannel]

Thank you. That means a lot. Just wanted to help those who were in my shoes not too long ago!

[@jayjb999]

Could you make a video about taking the bar exam on the laptop? We can’t use any scratch paper on the bar exam this year. Any tips would be helpful.

[@kshe040]

Very detailed, methodical and helpful!

[@waterhead001]

If a Lawyer passes the Bar exam in one state and moves to another state later on in his career, does he Lawyer have to take the bar exam again?

[@KevinConwayChannel]

Generally the answer is yes. I passed the CA bar but would not be able to practice in TX, for example. Some states have multistate acceptance, but CA is not one of them.

[@elooney85]

Many states have reciprocity in place but with some requirements. Some of the common ones are: 1) You must have a J.D. from and ABA accredited law school. 2) you must be actively barred in good standing. 3) you must either have practiced for a number of years and have a few recent cases to provide as reference OR you might be required to take a portion of the bar exam again but not the whole thing. The reason CA does not have reciprocity with other states is because you do not need to have a J.D. degree from an ABA accredited school in order to sit for (take) the CA bar. In almost every other state you must prove you have a J.D. from an ABA accredited school to even register for the bar exam which lends itself to reciprocity. (I know this is a year late, but maybe it will help someone)

[@kelseyfarish6150]

Although I'm originally from the US, I didn't go to law school in the States - instead, I moved to London, England, where I studied and became a lawyer. However, for several reasons (including that I have CA-based clients) I've decided to take the July 2019 CBE "for fun". Given that I have no American lawyer friends to ask about their "on the day" experience, this video was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for the level of detail (noted re: the zip-up hoodie!)

[@KevinConwayChannel]

That's great. Good for you. If you have any other questions, please let me know! :)

[@kelseyfarish6150]

​@@KevinConwayChannel Update: I showed this video to my husband... and he's decided to bring me lunch, as your wife did for you! Great idea. :) As for offering to answer questions - thank you, that's very kind! I do actually have two questions as to the practicalities, if you don't mind? (1) Bags. Presumably it's okay to have a backpack/handbag of some sort to hold your laptop, pencils, and other gear? And if so, I assume there's a spot which is secure &/or in view where you can leave it, and that it's possible to access during the lunch break (e.g. for advil if needed)? I just can't imagine carrying everything by hand from my hotel to the test centre, but I could also totally imagine the proctors prohibiting bags! (2) Cell phones. If you have them turned off (like, actually 100% off) and left in your bag (as per the above) is that okay? In any event, is it okay to use them during the lunch break? For example, if my husband brought me my phone during the lunch break, could I use it then? Thanks again.

[@KevinConwayChannel]

Of course. Glad to help. Lunch is key!! As for bags, you can bring in one clear bag if I recall correctly. It can contain earplugs, etc. Not sure if Advil is permitted. If not, I recommend your husband bringing it to you with lunch. As for cell phones, you cannot bring them in to the test center. This is a little strange, I know, since coordianting when/where you will be done is very hard without a cell phone, especially with thousands of people! To avoid confusion, walk with your husband the day before and choose an exact spot to meet up. I am not sure if you are allowed to use your cell phone at lunch if your husband brings it, but I believe you are. I know people studied materials during that time as well to freshen up.

[@legallycurvy]

You are such a lawyer! I love how meticulous you are! Timing your walk...sounds like me :) :D

[@KevinConwayChannel]

You can never be too prepared! 🤓