“Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time.” Salarino – from The Merchant of Venice
Janus is the ancient Roman god of endings and beginnings – transitions. Not surprisingly he is often depicted as having two faces. This past July, the State Bar Board of Governors invoked Janus when it announced that the California Bar Examination is changing in a big way, but not for two more years.
Janus looks back at the three-day Exam as it’s been formatted for over 25 years – three hour-long essay questions each morning and a three-hour afternoon performance test on Days 1 and 2, and the 200 multiple-choice question Multistate Bar Exam on Day 2.
He looks out at a future Exam that, beginning in July 2017, will be a day shorter, with one essay gone along with four-and-a-half hours of performance testing time. Day 1 will feature three hour-long essays in the morning with two more in the afternoon, followed immediately by a 90-minute performance test. Day 2 will remain the 200 multiple-choice question grind.
Committed February and July 2016 takers can anticipate that their preparation will remain unchanged. What has worked in the past will continue to work. Commercial bar preparation courses will continue to operate as they have in the past. ALW: Bar Examination will be offered in the Spring 2016 for all June graduates.
Takers preparing for July 2017 and should anticipate a changed study regimen. With the “closed universe” performance test drastically reduced, essay preparation will be even more important and, since the MBE will count for half of the final grade (it’s been counting for one-third) placing more emphasis on multiple-choice preparation will be essential.
For all other takers though, there is some thinking to do. The big question, among others, will be whether to take the present form of the exam, or wait. That’s another discussion for another entry, one that is on its way.
