By Alison Monahan Leave a Comment
Memorizing tons of legal concepts and analytical frameworks is no one’s idea of fun (okay, maybe the occasional law professor), but it’s a necessary evil required to pass the bar exam. I’ll admit – I’m not the best at rote memorization and I had almost no closed-book exams in law school, so the memorization required for the bar exam was a shock. If you’re deep in bar prep world, you might be feeling some anxiety over memorization – it’s normal. But don’t flip out – if you start early with effective memorization techniques, you can absolutely master enough of the material to pass! All month, we’ll be here to help.
First, realize that rote memorization alone is not the most effective strategy for the bar exam. You need to fully understand concepts and know how to apply the law, versus just memorizing vocabulary out of context (what we call “legal trivia”). So, step one in memorization needs to be gaining at least a basic understanding of the material. Shorter outlines, along the lines of the Smart Bar Prep outlines, can help achieve this level of understanding for topics you’re less familiar with. As you study, apply the material early on (open book is fine), so you’re learning how to use the law as you’re learning the concepts.
That said, straight up memorization is crucial for some aspects. Many people find mnemonic devices extremely handy for remembering lists or sequences. Examples abound on the internet, but you can also create them yourself, which can be effective for law you’re really struggling to remember. If a topic comes up on an essay, it can be comforting to jot down your mnemonic device as a kind of “attack plan” to help plan your answer.
Flashcards can also help imprint definitions and lists on your brain, if this has worked for you in the past. Write the term on one side and the definition on the other (be careful about much time you spend making these, as it can get out hand quickly), or purchase pre-made cards to save time. Test yourself repeatedly, focusing on the material you’re iffy on. (Using different boxes for physical cards can be helpful. You can sort the cards you’re less confident about and review these more frequently, employing spaced repetition techniques). Alternatively, you can use digital card apps, or our personal favorite, the Spaced Repetition website’s Boost deck, covering all the MBE topics. (Stay tuned for a podcast with the founder this month, or you can listen to his prior episode here.) With any memorization technique, seeing things over time works better than trying to cram tons of material, so start early and do 10-15 minutes a day – every day – for best results.
When trying to memorize long outlines or rules, don’t just read the material over and over. Instead, write rules out by hand, from memory, testing yourself. The physical process of writing imprints the ideas deeper in your mind. You can also create “fill in the blank” versions to test yourself – think of it like training wheels as you ramp up memorization.
It’s also effective to summarize concepts aloud to yourself, as if teaching the material to an imaginary student. We’ve had students teach their pets or stuffed animals, who never get bored listening! These active recall techniques lead to true learning and can help you memorize the material in a usable way.
Lastly, consider studying in focused chunks (25-30 minutes), then taking short breaks (5-10 minutes) to recharge, especially if you’re actively working on memorization (which is hard work!). Cramming for 10+ hours straight is counterproductive as both focus and memory consolidation plummet after a while. Doing more frequent, shorter sessions over time is the key to getting these concepts into your long-term memory. Aim to get plenty of sleep too – memory solidifies as you sleep, so sleep is critical during bar prep!
I know bar exam prep entails loads of straight up memorization, which is not much fun. But using these techniques of mnemonics, flashcards with spaced repetition, active recall, focused intervals, etc. can make memorizing much less intimidating than trying to do it all at the very end. You’ve got this, future lawyers! Now get back to studying!
Ready to pass the bar exam? Get the support and accountability you need with personalized one-on-one bar exam tutoring or one of our economical courses and workshops. We’re here to help!
About Alison Monahan
Alison Monahan is the founder of The Girl's Guide to Law School and the co-founder of the Law School Toolbox. Alison is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she was a member of the Columbia Law Review and served as a Civ Pro teaching assistant. You can find her on Twitter at @GirlsGuideToLS or @LawSchoolTools.
