Bar Exam Preparation at Washburn Law

At Washburn Law, preparation for the bar exam is a process that begins during the first week of classes and continues through passage of the exam. The Bar Pass Program after graduation, discussed below, is an important component of the services offered by Washburn Law to its graduates.

First Year

First year students begin building a strong foundation in core subjects (e.g., Torts, Property, Contracts, etc.). This provides a head start on bar exam preparation because these areas of the law are tested more heavily on the exam than material from courses taken during the second and third years. During the first week of classes students also learn about the process and timing of applying for the bar, including character and fitness qualifications. First year students attend presentations by the Professional Development Office (PDO) and staff from the appellate courts of Kansas and the Kansas Attorney Admissions Office. Students planning to take a bar exam in a state other than Kansas are also provided assistance from the PDO.

Second Year

Second year students are encouraged to find out which topics are tested on the bar exam in each state where they plan to take the exam and to enroll in as many bar tested courses as possible. Washburn Law also offers upper level courses that contain built-in bar exam preparedness components. Students planning to graduate in December and students who plan to graduate in two years should note that they need to make careful course selections. Second year students are also encouraged to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) during their second year after completion of the Professional Responsibility course. The Professional Development Office assists students who plan to graduate early with a review of character and fitness requirements for attorney admissions.

Third Year

Third year students should continue to make course selections with the bar exam in mind. In their final semester, students are encouraged to take Multistate Legal Analysis to get a head start on bar preparation. Most Washburn Law students also choose to enroll in Barbri's Essay Advantage® program and take part in the Washburn Law Multistate Bar Exam Competition. Both Essay Advantage® and the competition are provided at no charge to students who complete the programs.

December graduates planning to take the February bar exam should begin their application during the summer between their second and third year; May graduates taking the bar exam in July should begin their application by the beginning of their final semester. The Professional Development Office provides advice to students throughout the application process.

After Graduation

Washburn Law is committed to the success of its graduates on the bar exam. This commitment continues after graduation and throughout the bar exam preparation process. Washburn Law's Bar Services Department helps graduates successfully navigate the seemingly daunting world of bar preparation.

Washburn Law's Bar Pass Program is FREE to all graduates. The program runs concurrently with students' commercial Kansas bar review course and offers remote access and a full range of services to graduates who have left Topeka but are planning to practice in Kansas and to those graduates who are taking the bar exam in another state. The Bar Pass Program supplements and complements the commercial bar preparation course by offering a more tailored and individualistic approach to bar preparation than is possible with a commercial bar review course.

Short URL for this page:
https://washburnlaw.edu/barexam