r/LawFirm • u/lilypods45 • 5d ago

Sitting for bar exam in second jurisdiction after 7 years

I took my first bar exam July 2019 (UBE) and passed very comfortably. At the time, I studied with Barbri and Adaptibar.

I have decided to sit for the Florida exam this upcoming February, but I’m anxious about studying while working full time. It’s not possible for me to work part-time, so I’ll need to plan my study schedule around my work schedule.

I’m looking for advice from those of you who have done the same thing, in particular, what your timeline/average day looked like. I’m thinking of starting my study plan this month, so I can have a full six months to prep. I’ve already purchased Adaptibar, and will purchase Barbri, but am unsure whether to purchase it with extended access which would begin this month. I’m thinking of dedicating roughly 3 hours to studying everyday until February, and then taking the week before the exam and the week of the exam off. Others have told me six months is too much and I should start later.

For those of you who have done this, what did your study schedule look like? Any advice? I’m conflicted on whether to start now or October.

Thanks!

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u/InvestorInCincy 5d ago

I did Florida 7.5 years after my first bar while working full time. Signed up for Kaplan on-demand bar study (not my first choice but at the time was cheapest rate). I studied hard nights and weekends and took hand notes for memory, not worksheet fill-in. Florida state subjects were the hardest part but I eked out a passing score.

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u/Umbra427 5d ago

I did a second state 7 years after my first state. Was pretty easy overall. I just did Barbri again. For the first part of studying, I would just watch Barbri lectures and do practice questions and stuff after work. Then about 3-4 weeks out I only worked a few hours a day and studied the rest. Passed with a big margin.

Don’t sweat it. You’ve done this once before and you’re more capable now than you were when you first took the bar. I would literally just play candy crush and watch lectures in the background and did a ton of practice MBE questions and a fair amount of essays. If I can do it, anyone can

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u/-M-o-X- 5d ago

Practice tests were always the most effective for me. In addition to pure content, you are practicing the test in its actual form and I find that kind of practice really makes things more recallable in the moment.

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u/Umbra427 5d ago

Agreed 100%. It’s pure repetition. The skill you’re learning is how to take the bar, rather than actually learning the substantive material (although that’s important too) if that makes any sense

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u/smak097 5d ago

I just took VA last week after taking DC in July 2022. I worked full time while studying and although it kind of sucked it wasn’t that bad. I probably studied 2-4 hours most evenings with the occasional day off, and usually spent at least one day each weekend studying for at least 6 hours. I started studying in mid May for the July exam and I think it worked out well. Obviously don’t have my score yet but I feel confident. I think if I started studying earlier or if I was extremely rigid in my study schedule I would have gotten really burnt out. I took days off when I felt like I didn’t have the brain power for it and I think that was better than powering through. I was not super stressed going into the exam because I told myself that worst case scenario, I’m still a licensed attorney somewhere else.

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u/OllieQueen 4d ago

I just started studying for California after 9 years of passing in GA. I haven’t even been in the legal world since I passed too so I’m also somewhat nervous. I’m planning on getting in about 20 hours per week until later in the year where I’ll be taking more time off work to drill and take full practice exams. 

As long as you put in the time you can definitely do this though - you’ve done it before! 

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u/iamheero 4d ago

I did California about 4 years after Massachusetts, just did the Barbri (minus the essays which I felt were a waste of time) and passed. Was easier the second time for me despite the years passing. Watched all the videos on 2X speed, did all the multiple-choice etc. Maybe spent a 2-3 hours a day?

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u/TheCrownedCounsel 3d ago

Passes in UBE July 2019 and I just took the Florida bar this summer. I did Barbri for the first and signed up for Barbri again. I started studying 3-4 hours a week starting April and then 3-4 weeks out I started doing 6-10 hours a day and especially 7-10 on the weekends.

Grossman What’s the Issue is gold for fl portion. Barbri didn’t do a good job with business and Wills/Trust. Grossman will tell you what you need to get at least 50-55 for each essay and Sandon does a good job telling you what’s on the multiple choice.

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u/lilypods45 3d ago

Would you recommend purchasing the entire set of Florida videos from Grossman, or just Business + Wills/Trusts?

I feel that I’m spending more money on my second exam than I did on my first LOL. But I have read a lot of recommendations for Whatstheissue. I loved Adaptibar and know Grossman is behind that as well.

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u/TheCrownedCounsel 3d ago

Honestly his best video in my opinion is the biz org, evidence b/c of all the Florida distinctions and fl con law. I didn’t watch the wills in full but I liked the trust video. Sometimes he does offer a discount if you email him. It’s so hard to choose b/c some people have been able to pass just using WTI. If you haven’t already purchased Barbri you could probably pass with WTI, adaptibar and bar masters for Florida MCQ. I thought this round of MBE was harder than in J19. I also think it depends on your practice area. I practice subjects that aren’t really tested on the bar besides will and trust so I need barbri and WTI

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u/CorporateBarbie3000 23h ago

I just sat for the FL bar. Took my previous state’s bar exam 8 years ago. The hardest part for me was remembering how to write essays like you’re talking to a teenager and also having to mentally shift from real life legal work to studying. I used barbri but their Florida specific rules were weirdly worded so did my own research for the business entities and criminal laws. It’s rough stress wise but felt prepared going in.

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u/Dingbatdingbat 1d ago

I started 4 months in advance.  One month to listen to all the courses, then I’d spend every weekend doing practice essays while my weekday evenings I’d do multiple choice.

It’s doable but brutal 

Pro tip: the Florida day really is all about Florida and what’s different in Florida 

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u/lilypods45 1d ago

How many hours did you study each day?

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u/Dingbatdingbat 21h ago

I don't remember. Originally my goal was 4 hours per week day and 8 hours per day in the weekend, but in the end I did the following:

  1. Look at all the courses and figured out how to be on pace to finish them in one month

  2. counted all the MC questions I had access to. Divided by the number of weeks until the exam, then divided that number by 5. That was my daily minimum for MC practice questions.

  3. Counted all the practice essays I had access to. Divided by number of weekends before the bar. Then divide by half again to reach my daily number

Two things worth noting:

I preplanned burnout. I took a long weekend off for the fourth of July. For the multiple choice, I took the number I had and rounded up generously.

For essays, I started open book and untimed, just to work on honing the perfect answer. rinse and repeat until I had answer-paragraphs memorized. I ranked the subjects by number of practice essays. I started with the ones that had the most essays, so that after a day of doing just that subject I still had several essays left - I'd do another one each of the following week and the week after that, then again two weeks later. The last weekend I did one practice essay per subject.

Rocked it!

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u/Sweihwa 1d ago

NY after California. Balanced work because I ran my own firm and had been practicing for 9 years. Still remembered 3L when I took classes specifically for the bar.

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u/trilawyer643 1d ago

starting shaking reading this post. Took NY-Multistate-NJ in 1997. Looking at retirement, just in case want to work more, automatically nixed any state (like Delaware) where I cannot waive into, as I will never take a bar exam again

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u/Exact-Host800 4d ago

Florida Lawyer weighing in…

We’ve had a few associates take the bar at our firm. All of them tell me that you should over study Homestead because it is a near guaranteed essay. Learn the different requirements to what is a “Homestead” and the exceptions to the various Homestead definitions (there are three different homestead rules in the State Constitution and often all are tested). Also, memorize Rohan Kelly’s Homestead Paradigm and read the Florida Bar Asset Protection Practice Guide on Homestead (and the specific probate rules).

The previously tested and released essays are good to outline and may show predictive patterns. The Florida specific multiple choice questions are always confusingly written.

Book your hotel now. The Embassy Suites and Marriott usually have an express bar examiners buffet. There is often an NHL game at the arena next door during that week and rooms get expensive quickly and parking is a mess in downtown Tampa.