Pass The California Baby Bar Like Kim K!
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
In this post, we cover how you can pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Pass The California Baby Bar Like Kim K!
As you probably know, in 2019, Kim Kardashian announced she was studying law with this Instagram post.
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
She later announced at the end of 2021 that she passed California’s Baby Bar Exam (after failing it three times).
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
Not only did she pass but one of her answers was chosen as a model answer on the State Bar of California’s website! (Unsurprisingly, this was an answer to a Criminal Law question, which is Kim K’s area of specialty.)
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
What you may not have known about Kim K is that she has the legal field flowing in her veins! She is the daughter of Robert Kardashian, who was on the defense team during the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial. So, it seems that the interest in the law has passed down to Kim!
There is no “easy” route to being a lawyer. While most students in the United States take the traditional approach of graduating from an undergraduate program, taking the LSAT, and attending and graduating from law school, there are other pathways to becoming a licensed attorney. Kim Kardashian is taking an alternate route to attorney licensure by participating in a four-year apprenticeship program led by licensed attorneys. One of the requirements for this pathway is that Kim K must pass the California Baby Bar Exam. In this post, we will discuss how you can borrow some of Kim K’s techniques to pass the baby bar exam or even the full bar exam. You can pass the baby bar like Kim K!
The Baby Bar Exam
For some background and context, the baby bar is only required in very certain situations. The baby bar is officially known as the First-Year Law Student’s Examination. According to the State Bar of California, the baby bar is required for those who study at a State Bar-unaccredited registered law school, those without two years of college work, or through a law office study program with lawyers or judges. Passing the baby bar does not mean you are a lawyer. Kim will still have to take (and pass) the “real” California bar exam to become a lawyer.
Robert Kardashian became a lawyer through the traditional route, obtaining his Bachelor of Science from University of Southern California and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, but Kim chose the law office study program.
This post will show you techniques that we know Kim K used and techniques that we can assume Kim K used to pass the baby bar exam, as well as some additional helpful tips for your study journey. Ultimately, you can study for and pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Understand the Law!
Tutors
Understanding the law is a fundamental requirement for passing the baby bar exam (and the full bar exam!) There are no shortcuts to this requirement, though there are plenty of tips on how to study efficiently and how to learn more. Traditionally, students accomplish this by attending law school—so how did Kim do it? In addition to her attorney mentors, Kim worked with tutors to help her learn and understand the law. She discussed getting tutoring several hours per day.
Kim K. even gave JD Advising a shout-out on her Instagram story!
Working with a tutor can offer immeasurable benefits. First, your study plan with a tutor is completely flexible and customized based on your needs. For example, a tutor will be able to determine your strengths and areas of improvement and then pivot your study plan accordingly. Beyond the tailored approach, tutors offer a one-on-one experience, which can be extremely useful for students needing more detailed explanations, examples, or guidance. You can use this approach to pass the baby bar like Kim K! JD Advising offers tutoring services for the baby bar exam, the full bar exam, and for law school.
Prep Courses
Kim K also likely used a preparation course for the baby bar exam. Prep courses offer several benefits, and we recommend them for all students—for the baby bar, the full bar, and even other lawyer-related exams. First and most importantly, prep courses provide students with the materials used for study, simplifying the studying process immensely. Additionally, it’s important to remember that everyone can benefit from the structure and accountability that a prep course provides. Due to these factors, students who use prep courses tend to pass those exams more frequently than a student who prepares only on their own. The ultimate takeaway here is that to pass the baby bar like Kim K., you should take advantage of all the resources available to set yourself up for success!
Understand the Exam!
Kim K also had to understand the exam itself. We know you may be thinking that this point is the same as point one above, but we promise it is not! Here, we are talking about the need to understand the structure of the exam. Crucial to your success is being familiar with the structure of the exam, both in terms of question formats, time allotted, and subject matter actually tested.
First, unlike the full bar exam, the California baby bar only covers three subjects: Criminal Law, Contracts, and Torts. Knowing this fact allows you to focus your attention when studying for the California Baby Bar on these topics. We recommend that you prepare a study schedule for each of these subjects, specifically noting when and how you will study for this piece. To track your learning and progress, you could also take a set of practice law questions for a subject before you really begin to study and then a secondary practice exam once you have spent a few weeks preparing.
Second, unlike the full bar exam, the baby bar is taken in one day. It is a one-day seven-hour exam. The exam is made up of 4 one-hour-long essay questions and a 3-hour multiple-choice section comprised of 100 questions. Notably, the California baby bar only covers general legal concepts and does not require California-specific legal knowledge. Knowing these crucial tips will help to maximize planning your study strategies and help you pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Memorization!
Kim K also had to spend a lot of time memorizing the law for the baby bar exam. It’s not glamorous, but it is an essential part of studying for the baby bar exam! There are many techniques for improving memorization and increasing the quality of your study. Kim K. posted photos of herself studying for the exam on her social media.
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
Mnemonics
We’ve all used mnemonic devices to some extent in our schooling. Using mnemonics shouldn’t stop when you’re studying for the baby bar! People find mnemonics useful because they’re catchy and make concepts easier to memorize and retain. In the context of the baby bar exam and its covered topics, one of the most interesting mnemonic devices is for the concept of negligence: Dude Breaks Acting Professor’s DeLorean, which stands for Duty, Breach, Actual Cause, Proximate Cause, and Damages.
For contracts, a useful mnemonic is FOUR, which explains when an offer cannot be revoked: a Firm offer under Article 2 of the UCC, an Option contract, when performance has begun on a Unilateral contract, and when there has been Reasonably foreseeable substantial, reliance on the offer. We prepared a list of helpful mnemonics to implement when studying for the baby bar exam.
Flashcards
There are also images on social media of Kim K. studying for the bar exam using flashcards.
(Image Credit: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram)
While you may not study in a string bikini, you can make use of the same techniques Kim K used – practice problems and flashcards. (Note: those are JD Advising Torts flashcards pictured above!)
Flashcards are a useful technique for studying baby bar exam materials. Flashcards are a very flexible study mechanism and can be customized to fit your needs as a student. One tip we recommend when using flashcards is to make sure you focus on legal terms, concepts, or ideas that you have struggled to memorize correctly. Flashcards will help you to focus on learning and recalling the information you learned, which will help you pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Chunking
It has a funny name, but it works! Many people know the song “Jenny” due to the song’s catchy chorus, which is eight six seven five three oh nine (867 5309). This number has been “chunked” into two sections, and repeating these sections makes it easier to memorize! You can implement this technique when reviewing your topic outlines.
Chunking is a cognitive psychology practice where you take a set of information, which is broken down into individual pieces and then regrouped into a meaningful whole. Studies have shown that the best chunking efforts will hold seven to eight pieces of related information together. With chunking, you break down complex ideas into smaller related issues. For example, in criminal law, the rule for burglary is “the breaking and entering of the dwelling of another at night with the intent to commit a felony therein.” It is most useful to break this down into chunks of the rule:
i. breaking and entering
ii. the dwelling of another at night
iii. with the intent
iv. to commit a felony therein.
Most rules can be broken down into recognizable pieces like this. Implementing this technique will set you up for success to pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Don’t Give Up!
The most important tip to passing the baby bar like Kim K is to not give up! Many people fail their first attempt at the baby bar exam for many reasons. Look at the chart below!
In her Instagram post discussing passing the baby bar in December of 2021, Kim openly discussed failing the baby bar three times over a two-year period. The failures, and the unique nature of her journey to becoming a lawyer have not discouraged her from trying until she succeeded. A failure is not a reflection on you as a person or student but a reality of life. We are not all perfect at everything—everyone who tries something new or difficult often fails at first. What is important is how you respond to that kind of failure, whether related to your journey to become a lawyer or in your personal life. Do not give up—get back up and try again to pass the baby bar like Kim K!
Make It Fun!
Studying for the baby bar exam is not a naturally fun activity. However, you can make it fun (or at least less boring!).JD Advising prepared some specific questions related to Kim K, which she actually used! And yes, not all bar exam questions are fun, but you can incorporate some of the fun ones (including our Kim Kardashian-related questions) into your studying! Further, because the less traditional fun exam questions are unique, you may retain the legal concept and the “why” behind the correct answer more clearly. Kim K. also shared JD Advising’s Tiger King-related prep question!
And just for fun, here are some other baby bar prep materials Kim K. enjoyed!
Find Ways to Destress!
Studying is serious business and can be quite stressful! Like most students, we imaginethat Kim K encountered her own stressful moments while studying for her baby bar exams. Kim likely had some of the same destressing techniques that we recommend: having a morning and evening routine, exercising and moving your body, spending some time with friends and family, and taking some time to attend the People’s Choice Awards. Well, one of those techniques may not be totally applicable to you, but in all seriousness, making sure that you can destress and relax will help to prevent overwhelm and burnout. This is likely to keep you mentally centered during exam preparation. When you take the time to destress and relax during your study journey, you are helping your future self to engage in more efficient studying.
Remember that studying for the baby bar exam is a journey! The baby bar is not something that you can cram for in a week or a few days. It may be called a “baby” bar, but there is nothing easy or quick about it. By spacing out your studying, using a course, creating a study schedule, and being consistent, you too can pass the baby bar!
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