Bar Exam Essays Should Be Short n' Sweet
Sabrina Carpenter just won Pop Vocal Album of the Year at the Grammys for Short n' Sweet, and that’s exactly the mindset you should have when writing your bar exam essays—keep them short (as in concise) and sweet (as in clear and structured).
Too often, bar takers fall into the trap of thinking that longer responses equal better responses. They don’t. Graders are looking for answers that are direct, well-organized, and easy to follow.
Let’s break it down.
Short: Be Concise, Not Confusing
Time is not on your side in a bar exam essay. You need to get to the point quickly. The best way to do this is:
Use CIRAC (Conclusion, Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion)—this is your song structure, your verse-chorus-verse of essay writing. Stick to it.
Don’t over-explain the law—graders already know the rules. Just state the relevant and applicable rules clearly and move on to the analysis. There's no need to include rules that aren't necessary for developing your analysis.
Avoid filler words and unnecessary facts—every sentence should serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, cut it.
Sweet: Make It Clear and Organized
Graders read hundreds of essays. They don’t have time to untangle complex, rambling answers. Your job is to make it easy for them:
Use headers and paragraph breaks—these signal different sections. A clear structure helps the grader follow your argument.
Write in short, punchy sentences—legal writing isn’t a novel. If your sentence is running on longer than a pop song lyric, cut it down.
Use key phrases that make your answer obvious—“The issue is…,” “The rule is…,” "Under the rule," “Here, the facts indicate…” These are your greatest hits, use them.
Write Like a Grammy-Winning Song
A good pop song is catchy, structured, and doesn’t waste time. A good bar exam essay is the same way—quick to the point, clear in meaning, and structured for impact. If you take anything away from this, let it be this: Write Short n’ Sweet essays, and the graders will love you for it.
