Update - Free Bar Preparation Scholarship Program

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Academic Success
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Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:30 am

Update - Free Bar Preparation Scholarship Program

Post by Academic Success »

If you are planning to take the bar exam for the first time in July 2022, you still have until December 30, 2021, to submit your application for a scholarship award of a free Bar Preparation course. To apply: go to https://law-buffalo.12twenty.com/job-po ... 6701345301 , download the Application, and either upload it to LOCK or email it to me.

If you have not applied yet, we have some new information that may be helpful:

- Why are we distributing bar prep scholarships now, when you haven’t even started your final semester in law school?
  • The timing of this scholarship program is driven in part by the schedule requested by our generous donors, but there are other good reasons to attend to this now.
  • Selecting and obtaining a bar preparation program can be a major source of stress for students in several ways, including financially. In the past, some graduates have put off the expense of enrolling in a bar prep course until the spring semester was over, and some have even felt they had to settle for a suboptimal compromise (such as a cheaper, non-comprehensive course, or having to work during bar study period to afford their course). We would very much like to help our students avoid those outcomes by providing them with the peace of mind of having a good, reliable bar preparation course in hand before the spring semester begins.
  • At this point, the single biggest determinant of bar exam success that you can control is completing your bar preparation course. Many graduates are able to complete their bar preparation in the ten weeks between graduation and the bar examination – the typical bar study period during which most courses offer the bulk of their programming. But with extra time, your chances of being fully prepared increase. This is particularly true for examinees who have ongoing responsibilities (like child care) that lessen the time they have to study during the summer, and for examinees who need extra practice and study in particular subjects or test-taking skills. By distributing these bar course scholarships in January, we will be enabling you to begin your bar preparation as early as possible. Every provider offers supplemental practice material you can access as early as January or February, and several offer a flexible schedule so that you can start the traditional summer intensive program in April or even March.
- What kind of courses are we offering?

Every course we distribute will be the kind of comprehensive bar preparation course (from BARBRI, Themis, Kaplan, JD Advising, and Helix) that we recommend every UB Law graduate complete before taking the bar examination, including:
  • Comprehensive outlines and other written materials that cover all the legal rules needed in all MBE and MEE subjects;
  • Structured and/or scheduled remote or recorded lectures by experienced professors to explain how to approach legal analysis in each of the MBE and MEE subjects;
  • Abundant practice materials (including actual MBE, MEE, and MPT questions) allowing you to develop your familiarity and skill with different exam tasks;
  • Supplemental learning materials available months in advance of the formal preparation course, so that you can get a head start.
- Does an applicant need to provide a resume with the application?
  • No. The Application form has been posted to LOCK (at https://law-buffalo.12twenty.com/job-po ... 6701345301 ) for ease of access and submission, and the LOCK system does require submissions for *any* opportunity to include a resume. However, the resume is not intended to be a part of the Scholarship Application, so there is no need to tailor your existing resume for the Application. You can submit whatever existing resume you have in your LOCK account. If you are still waiting for a pending resume to be approved, you can contact Julie Jones at CSO (jajones3@buffalo.edu ) and ask her to do so. Alternatively, you can simply download the Application from LOCK, complete it and save it locally, and then email it directly to me at wmacdona@buffalo.edu .
- Does having already made a deposit on a bar preparation course affect an applicant’s chances of receiving a scholarship award?
  • No. There is neither a benefit nor a detriment. There is a question on the application about deposits made, only because some providers do not wish to provide free scholarships to students who have already made deposits on their own programs. Since there multiple providers, though, applicants would remain eligible for an award for a scholarship for a different course.

- Do I have to be taking the bar examination in New York, or am I eligible for a scholarship if I am testing elsewhere?
  • Since New York is a UBE jurisdiction, the courses we have for distribution are all UBE prep courses, which means that they are appropriate not just for NY but also for any of the other 37 UBE jurisdictions. They would not be appropriate for a non-UBE jurisdiction. We have a single exception – one course that can be used either for a UBE jurisdiction or for California – so if you are planning to take the California bar examination, please feel free to mention this in your Application.
I hope this answers your questions, but if you have any more, please feel free to email me at wmacdona@buffalo.edu .

Again, to apply: go to https://law-buffalo.12twenty.com/job-po ... 6701345301 , download the Application, and either upload it to LOCK or email it to me. Happy holidays!

Very truly yours,
Professor MacDonald
Bill MacDonald
Assistant Dean of Academic and Bar Success
O'Brian 515
wmacdona@buffalo.edu
(716) 645-5130
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