Moonwalking Through Law School: A Memory Palace for Bar Prep

Today is Pi Day (March 14), a celebration of the mathematical constant pi. It also serves as a reminder of the incredible power of memory. Japanese mnemonist Akira Haraguchi demonstrated this power when he successfully memorized and recited an astonishing 83,431 digits of pi over the course of 16 hours and 28 minutes. His achievement wasn’t the result of sheer repetition but rather the use of advanced memory techniques—strategies that can also be applied to studying for the bar exam.

Memorizing legal rules for the bar exam can feel overwhelming. The sheer volume of material makes it easy to forget key concepts when you need them most. But what if you could make some of the more difficult rules unforgettable by using the same techniques that memory champions rely on?

One of the most effective ways to enhance memory is through mnemonics and visualization techniques—methods that turn abstract information into vivid, memorable imagery. This is exactly what journalist Joshua Foer explored in his book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, which details his journey into the world of competitive memory.

The title Moonwalking with Einstein refers to a memory trick Foer used in the U.S. Memory Championship to help him memorize a deck of playing cards. As he explains, "Moonwalking with Einstein works as a mnemonic because it’s such a goofy image. Things that are weird or colorful are the most memorable. If you try to picture Albert Einstein sliding backwards across a dance floor wearing penny loafers and a diamond glove, that’s pretty much unforgettable."

Memory champions rely on this technique—using absurd, exaggerated mental images—to strengthen recall.

In Moonwalking with Einstein, Foer describes two key memory techniques. The Memory Palace technique involves placing information along a familiar route—like a home, school, or campus—so you can mentally "walk" through and retrieve it. Separately, bizarre imagery and absurd associations make facts more memorable by making them stand out in your mind. The more exaggerated, vivid, or unexpected the image, the better it sticks.

Foer’s book explains how competitive memory champions use these techniques to recall thousands of digits, playing cards, and names. Their secret? The sillier the mental image, the easier it is to remember.

These same strategies can help with bar exam preparation. By mapping legal concepts onto familiar locations and associating them with silly, story-driven visuals, you create a powerful memory tool that makes recalling complex rules easier.

To retrieve information, you simply “walk” through your Memory Palace and visualize each concept in its designated place. The more bizarre, exaggerated, and emotionally engaging your mental images are, the stronger your recall will be.

Now, let’s put this into practice for bar exam prep.

Imagine walking through your law school, turning each familiar spot into a trigger for a legal concept.

🏠 Entering the Front Doors – Criminal Law (Felony Murder Rule)

As you step through the front doors, you see a masked robber (felon) sprinting ahead of you. Suddenly, he slips on a giant banana peel in the atrium, launching a rolling pin from the café at an innocent bystander, who collapses. Even though the robber never intended to harm anyone, he's charged with felony murder because the death occurred during the commission of a felony.

You shake your head and continue walking.

⚔️ The Atrium – Contracts (Battle of the Forms)

In the atrium, two medieval knights in business suits are jousting with contracts instead of lances. One knight shouts, “I accept your offer for a shipment of enchanted scrolls … but only if delivery is by flying dragon!” The other yells back, “That’s just a minor modification!”

A group of students watches, chanting: “Battle of the Forms!” You laugh at the absurdity but know you’ll never forget UCC 2-207’s rules on contract modifications.

🪜 Climbing the Stairs – Evidence (Dying Declaration)

As you climb the stairs, you hear a dramatic gasp. You turn to see a goldfish in a bowl, dramatically flopping and whispering, “It was the cat who did it!” before going still.

This over-the-top scene cements the hearsay exception for dying declarations, which apply only in homicide and civil cases, in your mind forever.

📚 The Library – Torts (Attractive Nuisance Doctrine)

Inside the library, you find a giant trampoline filled with chocolate pudding. A group of 1Ls dressed as superheroes sneak in to jump on it, but one falls in and gets stuck. The dean knew the pudding trampoline was dangerous but didn’t do anything to prevent students from playing in it. Attractive nuisance doctrine, locked in.

🚽 The Restroom – Constitutional Law (Fourth Amendment Search & Seizure)

As you enter the restroom, a police officer jumps out of a stall, demanding to search your backpack. You object, saying, “You don’t have a warrant!” and he hesitates, realizing that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in a restroom. Instead, he asks for consent, which you refuse.

You suddenly remember Fourth Amendment search and seizure rules, particularly regarding where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy and the necessity of a warrant or consent for searches.

🚪 Exiting the Back Doors – Evidence and Professional Responsibility (Attorney-Client Privilege)

Finally, as you exit through the back doors, you see a lawyer whispering to their client in the courtyard. But instead of using normal words, the lawyer is yelling, “THIS IS TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL, RIGHT?” so loudly that everyone hears it.

This bizarre moment locks in the difference between confidentiality and attorney-client privilege, reminding you that just because something is confidential doesn't mean it’s privileged.

Bar prep doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. By tapping into the Memory Palace technique and embracing the power of silly, location-based stories, you can make studying more effective and even (dare I say it?) fun.

1️⃣ Choose a familiar location (your apartment, law school, grocery store, favorite coffee shop, etc.).

2️⃣ Assign legal concepts to locations along your route.

3️⃣ Make the images as ridiculous and vivid as possible.

4️⃣ Mentally walk through your Memory Palace daily to reinforce recall.

So go ahead—picture a kangaroo negotiating a mirror image contract at the law school café or a professor making an excited utterance after spilling coffee all over a casebook. The wackier the story, the better your recall will be on exam day.

Give it a try, and you might just moonwalk your way to bar exam success.