The BarPrepHero Approach: Proprietary “Legal Analysis” Case Citations

Traditional bar prep programs often include multiple-choice questions. It provides familiarity with the style of questioning of the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a collection of 200 multiple choice questions taken by all applicants during the bar examination. Most bar review programs provide simulated (made-up) questions and answers to give the user a repetitive mode of learning how to confront multiple-choice questions. BarPrepHero’s MBE study program goes further than most other programs. First, it uses official, real NCBE questions from the MBE sections of prior bar examinations. BPH’s legal experts then write a smaller portion of the MBE practice questions to cover the missing topics. Secondly, BarPrepHero includes its proprietary legal analysis for each question in the MBE series. This analysis tells the user, within a legal analysis framework, why the correct answer is correct and why the incorrect answers are the wrong choices.

Relevant Case Citations

BarPrepHero goes even a step further – it adds case citations to case law relevant to the issue in contention. It also takes precise quotations from the majority opinion and inserts them with the citation reference.

What are the benefits to the user having descriptive legal analysis, with case citations and court quotations related to the same issue in the practice exercise? The BarPrepHero’s “legal analysis” explanations contain extensive references to real case citations and relevant verbatim quotes from the majority opinion.

• The user may turn to the case reference mentioned in the explanation for its presentation of the black letter law pertinent to the hypothetical.
• The user also can choose to access the entire case and analyze its components for a deeper view of how the courts handle the whole panorama of procedural and substantive issues that emerge in a typical appellate case.

In sum, this learning technique lets the user decide which components to choose and enables the user to determine how far s/he wants to analyze the selected case.

Benefits of the “Case method,” as reported by BarPrepHero users

• The “legal analysis” explanations themselves are written in understandable language and are user-friendly to facilitate learning the main points of the exercise.
• Consideration of real-life situations livens up the arduous study process.
• Users can evaluate how a court applies the law to the facts to make a decision.
• Case references increase an understanding of the development of legal precedent.
• Memory is more easily engaged when learning broad legal concepts and principles of law.
• The technique increases retention and recall (users remember the legal principles more quickly).
• Seeing how the legal system works to resolve actual disputes brings a deeper understanding and a stronger memory to similar situations.
• The user gains considerable knowledge of the appellate process and civil procedure.
• The user’s ability to better work out similar problems in the future on his or her own is enhanced.
• Case references dramatize abstract or theoretical concepts.
• It helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and focus on the problem as more “real” or “authentic.”