South Texas College of Law Houston

Exam-Taking Assistance

The Office of Academic Success & Professional Achievement can provide assistance for South Texas College of Law Houston students or alumni preparing to take the Texas Bar Examination.

Programs

Bar Preview: This two-credit study skills course is open to all STCL Houston students in their last semester of enrollment. For a description of the course, students can log in to their STANLEY accounts and go to: Registrar → Bar Exam → Supplemental Texas Bar Examination Information → Studying for the Bar Exam–South Texas College of Law Houston Resources.

Supplemental Bar Review: These free bar review courses are taught by STCL Houston faculty and are also offered free of charge to alumni. They take place approximately three to four weeks before each administration of the Texas Bar Examination. For a description of the program, students will need to log in to their STANLEY accounts and go to: Registrar → Bar Exam → Supplemental Texas Bar Examination Information → Studying for the Bar Exam–South Texas College of Law Houston Resources.

Texas Board of Law Examiners

The Texas Board of Bar Examiners (BLE) is the state judicial agency charged with determining whether applicants seeking admission to practice law in Texas meet the requirements established by the Texas Supreme Court. All law students who plan to practice in Texas should consult the BLE website; it contains information essential for anyone applying for admission to practice in Texas.

Texas BLE Website
Rules Governing Admission
Bar Examination Information (including past questions and sample answers)

National Conference of Bar Examiners

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1931. Its mission includes producing uniform and standardized examinations for testing the competency of applicants for admission to practice law. Texas makes use of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), Multistate Performance Test (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), all of which are administered by the NCBE.

The NCBE website provides information about each of the exams. It also provides access to some sample exams.

MPRE Information: http://www.ncbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/mpre/
MPRE Practice Exams: http://store.ncbex.org/mpre/
MPT Information: http://www.ncbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/mpt/
MPT Sample Exams: http://store.ncbex.org/mpt/
MBE Information: http://www.ncbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/mbe/
MBE Practice Exams: http://store.ncbex.org/mbe/

Commercial Bar Preparation Courses

STCL Houston does not endorse any particular commercial bar preparation course. Nevertheless, the law school has evaluated bar exam performance data for many years, and it is clear that those students who enroll in a commercial bar review course on average perform better than those who do not do so. The law school encourages every student to examine what each of the commercial bar review courses provides to determine which one provides the combination of products, services, and price that best meets his or her needs.

Popular Comprehensive Courses

There are four popular providers that offer comprehensive bar preparation courses in Texas. These courses include coverage of those subjects tested on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) as well as the Texas-specific content tested on the Texas Bar Examination.

BARBRI – BARBRI offers both live lectures in a physical location at a pre-scheduled time as well as online, on-demand video lectures. The course includes written outlines, simulated bar exams, and exam-writing workshops. For information, visit http://www.barbri.com/ or call 1-800-937-2778.

Kaplan Bar Review – Kaplan offers lectures in a physical location at a pre-scheduled time. Some lectures are delivered by a live lecturer or by a live lecture via simulcast. Lectures also are available online. For information, visit http://www.kaptest.com/Bar-Exam/Home/index.html or call 1-800-523-0777.

Reed Bar Review – Reed Bar Review offers both personalized one-on-one coaching and self-study bar review services. For information, visit http://www.reedbarreview.com/complete-bar-review/coached-bar-courses or call 1-800-852-3926.

Themis Bar Review – The Themis Bar Review course is offered in an exclusively online and on-demand format. Students may use a directed study approach, providing a structured and sequential set of daily tasks to be completed in order, or a flex-study approach, allowing those who choose to study at their own pace. For information, visit https://www.themisbar.com/pass-the-bar-exam/texas-bar-exam or call 1-888-843-6476.

Other Courses

STCL Houston is aware of other commercial bar preparation providers. Some offer more limited courses, typically covering only the MBE portion of the bar exam, while others offer private tutorial services.

AdaptiBar (MBE only)
http://www.adaptibar.com/why-adaptibar.aspx
1-877-466-1250

Ameribar.com (comprehensive)
http://ameribar.com/texas-bar-review-course/
1-800-529-2651

Bar Exam Doctor (comprehensive)
http://www.barexamdoctor.com/index.php
1-818-922-5151

Celebration Bar Review (comprehensive)
http://www.celebrationbarreview.com/texas-bar-review/
1-888-720-0010

Southwest Bar Review (comprehensive, one-on-one tutoring)
http://southwestbarreview.com/

Supreme Bar Review (MBE, MPT, and MPRE)
http://supremebarreview.com/
1-216-696-2428

Bar Review Books and Study Aids

Below you will find links to a number of bar review books, study aids, and survival guides that some students may find helpful when preparing to take the bar exam. The books below are organized by author, in alphabetical order. The call numbers are provided for the materials held in the Fred Parks Law Library collection.

NOTE: The content covered and emphasis given to subjects tested on the Texas Bar Examination changes from time to time, so the materials supplied to you by your commercial bar review course provider is likely to be the most current study materials available. Accordingly, you should use them as your primary study aids for the content and the scope of the administration of the Bar Exam for which you have registered.

Pass the Bar Exam: A Practical Guide to Achieving Academic and Professional Goals