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The Master Essay Method

 

Watch a short video on this topic, or go to frequently asked questions:

 

There is no mystery about what constitutes a passing answer to an essay question on the California Bar Examination. Good answers are well-organized, cover the issues presented, and reach logical conclusions. Perhaps most importantly, passing essays on the California Bar Examination analyze the facts with attention to detail.  

 

Our on-line video California Master Essay Method bar review course presents a separate lesson for each subject on the exam, including separate lessons for remedies and crossover questions. We present a written approach and written model answers to over 100 past bar exam essay questions. It's worth noting that there's no one right way to write essay answers for the California Bar Exam. There's no magic formula. Even so, everybody agrees that the best answers are well-organized, complete, and rational. Through guided practice, it's possible to sharpen or develop the skills required for success on the written section of the California Bar Examination.

 

The basics of our approach to essay writing are spelled out below. But first, here are four examples from the on-line video course offered exclusively through this web site:

  • Contracts, February 2002  pdf  -  video

  • Criminal Law and Procedure, February, 2001  pdf  -  video 

  • Community Property, February, 1996  pdf  -  video

  • Corporations, February, 2002  pdf  -  video.    

 

A Quick Summary of the Master Essay Method

1.  READ THE CALL OF THE QUESTION FIRST

This gives you a chance to identify what is at issue. You also should make as much of an outline as possible out of the call of the call of the question. The goal is to be as well organized as possible, as fast as possible.

2.  READ THE FACT PATTERN CAREFULLY

Note issues in the margins next to each paragraph. Circle parties and key facts. Annotate the basic outline you made from the call of the question. Make a time line if there are several dates mentioned in the question.

3.  CREATE A DETAILED OUTLINE

Once you have spotted the issues, split them into elements. The elements of rules or of prima facia cases usually will provide a good structure for your answer. When necessary, you can use the basic structure of the subject being tested as a way to organize the answer.

4.  WRITE A WELL-ORGANIZED, THOROUGH ANSWER

Your analysis of the facts is worth more than elaborate definitions! Don't waste time writing boilerplate. Keep the definitions brief. Sometimes you can leave out the definitions entirely, and use the elements as headings for separate paragraphs in your answer. Nobody will think you don't know the law, and this technique will give you a chance to score points by connecting the facts to the correct elements of the analysis. Of course, if you have "found a home for the facts" with time to spare, you can afford to make your definitions more elaborate.

5.  DON'T PANIC

If you get a horrible question, don't lose your sanity and "choke." A question that's hard for you probably is hard for everybody. If you remain calm and rely on the basic techniques you'll practice for each subject, you'll be able to "fly by instruments" through the fog of a dreadful question and either pass it outright or come close to passing it. When you get a more straightforward question, these techniques will help insure that you pass it by a wide margin that will more than make up for any deficiencies in your job on the hardest question.

Conclusion

California Bar Examination Essays test your ability to do legal analysis on specific fact patterns. They require complete, well-organized answers. Practice is the only way to develop the skills you need.

Guided practice is what our on-line writing program and tutorial services are all about. Check out our free seminars to see these techniques in action. 

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The newest edition of the Master Essay Method includes over 100 hypothetical essay questions with full model answers, on-line video instruction and tutorial time.

Master Essay Method Options

 

The Most Common Mistake is to Study Too Much and Not Practice Enough!

 

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