Sign up for Bar Review course before law school? Forum

[dakatz]

I asked multiple people who graduated law school for advice, and a few people mentioned that its a good idea to sign up for a bar review course such as Barbri early in order to lock in the price and take advantage of the study materials they give you. Is anyone else doing this? Also, in the registration portion, it asks what state's bar exam I will be taking. I'm guessing that info can be updated as time goes by? Just want to make sure they don't send some book wayyy in advance that I might end up not even needing, and then be unable to switch it out.

[lishi]

You can order it your 1st year and lock in the price.

You can also switch states, but be aware that the price may increase. I originally was signed up for the NC one but switched to CA and CA costs much more. But I still locked in the price that was 2 years ago.

[dakatz]

What about if you switch to a state with a lower price? For example, I'm thinking of putting down NY, but may very well end up in NJ instead, which has a much lower cost. Perhaps I should wait on booking this until I give Barbri a call and confirm what the terms are.

[ChattelCat]

What about if you switch to a state with a lower price? For example, I'm thinking of putting down NY, but may very well end up in NJ instead, which has a much lower cost. Perhaps I should wait on booking this until I give Barbri a call and confirm what the terms are.

You put down a deposit (usually $50-100) your first year to lock in that year's price. You won't be required to pay the balance until your third year a few months before graduation and hopefully by then you know which state bar you are taking. Long story short, doesn't matter where you're taking it, you'll lock in the price for the year you sign up even if you switch states (e.g. you won't be required to pay NY prices for the NJ test, you'll get the NJ price for the year you signed up even if you originally registered for NY and switched to NJ).

[dakatz]

What about if you switch to a state with a lower price? For example, I'm thinking of putting down NY, but may very well end up in NJ instead, which has a much lower cost. Perhaps I should wait on booking this until I give Barbri a call and confirm what the terms are.

You put down a deposit (usually $50-100) your first year to lock in that year's price. You won't be required to pay the balance until your third year a few months before graduation and hopefully by then you know which state bar you are taking. Long story short, doesn't matter where you're taking it, you'll lock in the price for the year you sign up even if you switch states (e.g. you won't be required to pay NY prices for the NJ test, you'll get the NJ price for the year you signed up even if you originally registered for NY and switched to NJ).

Ah ok, so then I guess I might as well sign up now.

[jay115]

Do we sign up online, or will we be solicited (information table/etc at our law school) by bar review companies once the semester actually begins?

[ChattelCat]

Do we sign up online, or will we be solicited (information table/etc at our law school) by bar review companies once the semester actually begins?

Doesn't really matter. Don't know how other schools do it but at my school each bar review company has a table that is set up once a week in the main pavilion area of the school. Usually the BarBri $50 price is a promo thing - you'll probably get emails about it. Our school has BarBri reps for each section and if you do that for three years (it's really not a lot of work) you get a free review course - which can be a huge savings in certain states... I think all the other companies do the same thing if you're a school rep for them as well. They usually recruit 1L's the first few weeks of school for these positions.

[Blindmelon]

What about if you switch to a state with a lower price? For example, I'm thinking of putting down NY, but may very well end up in NJ instead, which has a much lower cost. Perhaps I should wait on booking this until I give Barbri a call and confirm what the terms are.

You put down a deposit (usually $50-100) your first year to lock in that year's price. You won't be required to pay the balance until your third year a few months before graduation and hopefully by then you know which state bar you are taking. Long story short, doesn't matter where you're taking it, you'll lock in the price for the year you sign up even if you switch states (e.g. you won't be required to pay NY prices for the NJ test, you'll get the NJ price for the year you signed up even if you originally registered for NY and switched to NJ).

Ah ok, so then I guess I might as well sign up now.

You don't have to. BarBri is going to bug the shit out of you during the school year. They do give free candy though.

[BobSacamano]

"Oh awesome, our BarBri reps are at the front of the class again, they must have another important announcement to make! Let's all listen and carefully file away the flyer they handed out!"

- Everyone in my 1L section, about once a month.

[Blindmelon]

"Oh awesome, our BarBri reps are at the front of the class again, they must have another important announcement to make! Let's all listen and carefully file away the flyer they handed out!"

- Everyone in my 1L section, about once a month.

HAHA. Pretty much.

[nealric]

If you are going the biglaw route, your firm might pay anyways. I avoided barbri until the last possible minute out of principle.

[dakatz]

I signed up to lock in my price early. Seems like you get some useful resources for 1st year classes. Many current students told me that they are very helpful. There are long outlines of each class, tons of practice exam questions, hours of lectures from prominent professors in the various areas of law, etc.

[nealric]

I felt like the barbri materials (and the bar exam stuff) was very different from what I was learning in my 1L classes. I don't think they are necessarily very helpful.


YMMV of course

[Blindmelon]

I felt like the barbri materials (and the bar exam stuff) was very different from what I was learning in my 1L classes. I don't think they are necessarily very helpful.


YMMV of course

Agreed. I thought the books were crap. Outlines for your specific classes/professor are better than commercial outlines 9 out 10 times.

[nealric]

Agreed. I thought the books were crap. Outlines for your specific classes/professor are better than commercial outlines 9 out 10 times.

I don't think they are crap, per se. Rather, the bar exam stresses different things from what law school classes do. For example, on the bar exam, you might be asked about the requirements for witnessing a will (how many witnesses, etc.). In law school, they are unlikely to test you on something so simple- so it's pointless to read a book talking about it.

[270910]

No.