

“ Issue spotting” has no process to it, and therefore is a less reliable method of getting the points you deserve on the essays.
#Issue checklist pro how to#
(No deep “analysis” required except where appropriate (to discuss opposing legal theories or narrow calls of the question), not as a default!)Īsk a law student how to “spot issues” and see how long it takes to get a coherent answer.

In fact, some bar tutors still advocate for this approach.īut essays on the bar exam are like an inverted pyramid, where issues are the most important, then the rules, then the application. This is super counterintuitive to bar takers! In law school, they were taught that they need to write a giant analysis and look at all the angles. They're your anchors for the ship you're going to ride to fish points out of the water. Having the right issues can make or break your essay. This makes the grading process more objective and more in your favor. You want to score high on the essays, but the grading process is so subjective, and there are often no guidelines as to what will earn you points or how much time should be spent writing different parts of your paper-making essays like taking shots in the dark.Ĭlear issues make it EASY for the grader to check it off as they skim your essay. You may think you know the rules, but you still struggle to write the essay because you don't know the corresponding issues. But how are you going to know where to put down what you memorized? But notice that these heavily focus on the RULES, the "black letter law." Two biggest fears and obsessions of a bar taker: lectures and memorization. But you didn’t know when they were relevant or appropriate to bring up, so you tried to put them somewhere… anywhere.Įven if you know all the law, you still need to present all the relevant issues.
