Books that teach and books that drill
Others are subject outlines.
Attack outlines and checklists
An attack outline turns a subject into a list of questions to ask about a fact pattern, in the order a grader expects. It helps on essays because it prompts issues you would otherwise forget. Build yours from a course outline or use the ones on our attack outlines page. Rewriting it yourself is useful once, after you have learned the subject.
Flowcharts, mnemonics and rule statements
Flowcharts help where a doctrine has steps, such as personal jurisdiction or the Erie analysis. Mnemonics help with lists you cannot skip. Do not rely on them for reasoning. Practice writing rule statements in your own words and checking them against your outline.
Flashcards: paper, digital, Anki
Paper cards are portable and good for a commute. Digital cards can schedule reviews for you. Anki and Brainscape both use spaced repetition, and homemade decks work if you have time to build them. Whichever you choose, the important thing is answering from memory, not flipping and rereading.
Study planner and error log
A planner needs only three columns: what you will do, when, and whether you did it. An error log needs more: the question, the rule you should have used, why you got it wrong, and a fix. Review the log weekly. It becomes your personalized review sheet in the last month.
Subject-frequency charts
Charts of which essay subjects appeared recently can guide the order of your review, but they do not predict the next exam. Since NCBE removed four subjects from the MEE effective July 2026, older charts that list them are out of date for the MEE. Treat frequency as a tiebreaker.
Editions and dates
Confirm the edition and publication date of any outline or book. If it predates changes to your exam, use it only for doctrine that has not changed. This is the most common way a cheap used book costs more than a new one.
Common questions
How many outlines do I need for the bar exam?+
One primary outline per tested subject is usually enough, plus an attack outline or checklist for the written subjects. More than that tends to add confusion rather than knowledge.
Should I make my own flashcards or buy them?+
Making cards forces you to process the law, which helps retention, but it takes hours you may not have. Pre-made cards save time if they are accurate and current, so check the edition.
Are old bar exam books still useful?+
For doctrine that has not changed, yes. For anything about exam format, scope or subject lists, older books can be wrong, especially after the July 2026 MEE changes.
What to do next
- 1
Pick one main outline and one attack outline per written subject.
- 2
Set up an error log before you start practice.
- 3
Check the edition date of every material you buy.