JFK School of Law Resource Center Home

Hello Future Attorneys!

The JFK School of Law Bar Coach Program has many resources to help you get started NOW!

This page contains an abundance of content to help you prep for the bar, including "Bar Coach on Demand" videos from Jess Khachiyants, Kimberly Rice, California Bar documents, model answers, and announcements, with more added frequently as they become available.

The California Bar Exam has a reputation for being notoriously difficult, but possible to pass. Many have done so, and you can too! While there are NO shortcuts, there are skills and strategies that you can learn to take your performance to a higher level. That’s where we enter.

The JFK Bar Coach Program is an alternative, one on one program designed to focus specifically on Bar Exam Skills, Strategies and Self-Care. While we can’t take the place of your traditional substantive bar exam program,  we can provide you with tools to enhance your performance, while focusing on your well-being.

We offer individual appointments for skills or strategy sessions which cover every portion of the California Bar Exam. 

Look at our "Menu of Offerings" (below) to see what we have to offer! 

Please contact Jess Khachiyants at jkhachiyants@ncu.edu and Kimberly Rice at krice@ncu.edu for additional questions

Be sure to check out our page on the left menu: Bar Prep On Demand Video Series for all bar prep recordings and videos

Important update - Posted June 24th 2022

After conferring with Barbri, a universal statement was sent out to all Applicants in light of today's Supreme Court decision. Please review this IMPORTANT message below:

For Non-UBE states

You may be wondering whether the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions will affect the July bar exam. The answer is no. The NCBE has said that MBE takers will not need to be familiar with recent Supreme Court decisions. Your state essay questions were drafted and finalized before this week’s decisions. In our experience state essay examiners avoid testing topics that are before the Court. In the unlikely event you see one of these issues on your state essay exam, the examiners will accept a well-reasoned answer applying either the new or prior rule or standard. 

If you are taking Barbri, please continue to use their materials.

In regards to the MBE, here is a universal statement sent to ALL Applicants now and in the future:

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) recently announced that examinees taking the NCBE-developed July 2022 MBE, MPT, and MEE will not be required to be familiar with this term's US Supreme Court decisions.  Please see the announcement here: https://www.ncbex.org/news/ncbe-statement-on-scotus-decisions/

If you have specific questions for the State Bar of California, please contact them at admissions@calbar.ca.gov

You should be receiving emails from ADMISSIONS every Friday. If you are not, please check your spam folder for any updates on the issue above and general Bar Exam FAQs.

Hello July Bar Applicants and Future Applicants (this will be helpful for you too): 

In one week, you will get to show the bar graders that you’re practice ready!  To decrease the stress associated with the exam, make sure you have a “To Do” list so that you can walk into the exam focused on ONLY the exam. 

Here is a sample: 

1. Double check all administrative items associated with the State Bar and make sure they are complete 
2. Review the FAQ list (attached) so that there are no surprises when you arrive 
3. Confirm your hotel reservations if you have those 
4. Do a dry run to the exam site if you are close enough 
5. Make sure the vehicle you will use or travel in has enough gas, the oil has been changed, the tire pressure is good, and any other maintenance items that need attention 
6. Know what you are going to eat or where you will go to eat 
7. MAKE A PLAN TO AVOID TALKING ABOUT THE EXAM DURING ANY BREAKS 
8. Create a plan for taking care of pets, plants, mail, or any other personal items 
9. DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MASK YOU WILL WEAR, IF YOU PLAN TO WEAR ONE 
10. CHECK THE STATE BAR WEBSITE AND YOUR EMAIL FOR ANY COVID UPDATES (If you are flying into CA, yes there is a surge here) 
11. Think about how you will spend your time in the evening (No, you will not study!) 
12. Decide whether you will engage with social media (not a good idea, especially reddit!) 
13. Check out your laptop if you are using one, to make sure it’s good to go 
14. Choose all pencils, pens, highlighters, and any other items you are allowed to use during the essay, MBE, and PT portions of the exam 
15. Have a plan for your Scantron and how you will note any MBE questions that you need to come back to (attached) 
16. Remember, this is YOUR bar exam. You are in control 
17. What will you do when the exam is over? (Have some fun!) 
18. Decide whether you will discuss the exam prior to results (you have the right to remain silent!)

Most important of all, decide when you will STOP studying this week or weekend. Your brain will need rest to avoid burnout! 

We hope these tips are helpful to you! Check the State Bar website for any updates here: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination/July-2022-California-Bar-Exam

Here is the website link:  https://jdadvising.com/

You can count on Professional Responsibility being on the Bar Exam in some form or another!   Here is a special notice from the State Bar of California:

"Applicants are expected to know the California Rules of Professional Conduct in effect at the time the exam is administered (current law). The rules were substantially revised effective November 1, 2018. Minor amendments were made subsequent to that date. The latest amendments, amending Rule 1.1 [Competence] and Rule 5.4 [Financial and Similar Arrangements with Nonlawyers] were amended by the Supreme Court effective March 22, 2021. These rules are within the scope of the upcoming July 2022 California Bar Examination." [Emphasis Added].

You can expect the Bar Examiners to test these rules solo or with another subject. PR has been combined in the past with Evidence, Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Community Property, Remedies, and Corporations.

If you need additional resources for Professional Responsibility, we are attaching an UPDATED CA BAR EXAM ESSAY GUIDE shared by our colleagues from JD Advising.  The updated version has illustrations and pictures to help you learn the law!  Chapter 12 focuses on Professional Responsibility.  [Bar Grader Tip: "Split conflict of interest into potential and actual. Begin with potential. Duty of loyalty means the same as conflict of interest."] A copy of the Rules of Professional Conduct for California is also attached.  We hope you find this content helpful!

Website: Jdadvising.com 

Important Reminder: Documents must be complete and submitted online or received in the San Francisco Office of the State Bar, Office of Admissions 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 by the deadline listed on the California Bar website.  Early filing is strongly encouraged, as deadlines will not be extended.   For complete information about the Accommodations process, please review the following link: 

Requesting Testing Accommodations (ca.gov)

If you need information about your accommodations at NCU, please contact Disability Services at disabilitiesservices@ncu.edu.

For July 2022 Bar Applicants and Potential Applicants:

The deadline to request Accommodations for the JULY Bar is June 1, 2022. Documents must be complete and submitted online or received in the San Francisco Office of the State Bar, Office of Admissions 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 by the deadline listed on the California Bar website.  Early filing is strongly encouraged, as deadlines will not be extended.  For complete information about the Accommodations process, please review the following link: 

 https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/Legal-Specialization/Becoming-a-Certified-Specialist/Exam-Information/Testing-Accommodations
 

This is an important reminder that you will need to stay abreast of all updates from the California Bar Examiners. This includes:

• Checking your email regularly, from both the California Bar Examiners and the JFK Bar Coach Team
• Checking the updated FAQs at the link below
• Adhering to all stated deadlines on the California Bar website below

Studying for the California Bar Exam takes an extraordinary amount of time and energy. It is way more than a test. The kind of focus required over the next several months will need cooperation from those you love the most! Setting boundaries is not easy, but here are a few tips to get through this bar season: 

• Chances are some people in your life do not have a legal background.  Explain the significance of the bar exam early and what it will require from you. True friends will understand as well as those who really care about you! 😊 
• If you plan to hold on to socializing with friends and family, schedule it into your calendar. This applies whether you intend to do it face to face or via social media. Ideally, it should be a consistent time every week set aside to “socialize” however you choose. Caveat: be careful not to invite unnecessary drama or stress if you choose to communicate. It may feel selfish, but you need to prioritize yourself and your success during this time. 
• If you plan to go “off grid,” create voice/text messages or email auto responses to let everyone know that you’re “away” and will not be responding to communication quickly!
• • CAUTION: Starting six weeks before the exam, expect weekly Friday emails from the Office of Admissions. Make sure that you have added @calbar.ca.gov and @examsoft.com to your safelist.
• If you want to go full blown “radio silence” or create“ A Quiet Place” that’s perfectly acceptable. If there is someone in your life who cannot respect your wishes, consider taking a time out in that relationship. If they truly care, they will be there when you walk out of the bar exam!

Those who care about you will have a vested interest in your happiness and success! This part of your journey may feel like a party of one. Only you can take the bar exam. Stand firm on your decisions and thank your support system when you’re done!

Hello JFK Bar Applicants:

We recently received an article from our colleagues at Bar Exam Toolbox that we think would be helpful for you.   The article is called: "Why Do We Have to Write Out Practice Answers?"  It gives sound advice as to why this is a crucial component to passing the bar exam. "Active learning" is critical to your preparation for the California Bar Exam to get and stay on the passing side of the curve.

Here is the link to the article:  https://barexamtoolbox.com/why-do-we-have-to-write-out-practice-answers/?utm_source=Bar+Exam+Toolbox&utm_campaign=9fb1ec836d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_10_22_02_37_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c410c18780-9fb1ec836d-139357571

JFK School of Law has arranged for discounted access to BarEssays.com for students taking the July 2022 bar exam.

If you need an additional resource, BarEssays.com is an excellent supplementary study tool for your bar review course, featuring a database of over 3,000 authentic graded and returned essays from prior California Bar Exams. Through BarEssays.com, you can practice any essay from the past decade, then view real high scoring and low scoring answers to that essay, graded by the actual bar examiners. By examining the answers, you can not only calibrate your study progress, but you can also gain a deeper appreciation of what the bar examiners value in an answer.

For more information and to obtain your discounted account ($30 discount), go to www.BarEssays.com and enter coupon code "JFK" on the payment screen.

If you need more information on these upcoming webinars, please contact info@baressays.com