BAR REVIEW METHODS

By Prof. Abelardo T. Domondon

I. THE BAR EXAMINATION

A. Objectives of the Bar Exam.
B. Why Bar candidates fail
1. No Communication Skills
a. Illegible hand writing
b. Language Deficiency
c. Defective Logic
2. Nothing to Communicate
3. Inadequate Preparation
C. The Bar Subjects
1. How the questions are prepared
2. Types of Bar question
II. PLANNING YOUR BAR REVIEW
A. Resource Analysis
1. Evaluating Knowledge and Skills
a. Adequacy of Legal Knowledge
b. Facility in Written English
c. Legibility of Handwriting
2. Physical Resource Evaluation
a. Your Body
b. Finances
c. Review Materials
d. Others
B. Preparing your plan
1. Workability and Flexibility
2. Determine remaining days before examination
3. Allocation of available days
a. Based on articles, sections or pages
b. Based on subject weight
4. Computing reading hours
5. Determine time for review
a. Psychology of learning
b. Attention Span
6. The Daily Schedule
III. EXECUTION YOUR BAR REVIEW PLAN
A. Studying your Review Materials
1. Marking your review materials
2. Reciting from your materials
3. Taking Notes

B. Maintaining Program Schedules

1. Blocks toward maintaining schedules

a. Distractions
b. Noise
2. Personal Relation
a. Sleepiness
b. Inability to concentrate
c. Failureto recollect
3. Periodic written self test
IV. ANSWERING BAR QUESTION
A. TWO ASPECTS OF ANSWERING
1. Physical Aspect
2. Intrinsic Aspect
B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

PHYSICAL ASPECT
Margins
Numbering
Where to Start Writing
Indention
Spacing
When to Start a New Page
7. Correcting Mistakes

C. INTRINSIC ASPECT
1. Correct Issue- Spotted
2. Proper Statute-Case Identification
3. Application of Law to Facts
4. Legal Reasoning
D. KINDS OF BAR QUESTIONS
1. OBJECTIVE
2. ESSAY
a. Theoretical Discussion
b. Fact Centered
E. ANSWERING OBJECTIVE QUESTION
1. Careful and Thorough Reading of the Objective Question:
DEFINE, WHAT, CITE, ENUMERATE, DISTINGUISHED
2. Visualize Length of the Answer Considering the Available Time
a. How to define
b. How to distinguish
c. How to shorten a long answer
d. How to camouflage an incomplete answer
e. How to exposed a complete answer
3. Your Lead Statement
4. How to review answer

F. ANSWERING THEORETICAL DISCUSSION QUESTION

1. Careful and thorough reading of the question to find out what
you should do: Discuss, answer yes or no then discuss or do
all the above

2. Recall correct legal rule to apply

3. Reflect on and visualize the length of the answer
4. Support your answer through legal reasoning
G. KINDS OF FACT CENTERED QUESTIONS
1. Indicates general direction of answer, including analytical process
involved
2. Role Playing
3. Enumeration of rights, obligation or liabilities of certain parties
4. Gives only general directions
H. ANSWERING FACTS CENTERED QUESTION
1. Read the questions at the bottom of the problem
2. Read the problem thoroughly bearing the relevant facts
3. Identify and if possible underline the relevant facts
4. Identify the legal issues raised by the relevant facts considering the
question raised
5. Recall the correct legal rule
6. Begin your answer with a conclusion
7. Match key facts with each element of the legal rule
8. Appropriate time is available store applicable legal policy/principles
9. Review your answer