CLE Entrance Exam study plan

Define in your own words at least 60 core legal terms spanning contracts, torts, property, and procedure, and record each definition in a personal glossary

Distinguish civil from criminal concepts and identify the burden of proof that applies to each

Classify 20 short fact patterns by the legal concept they turn on and justify each classification in one sentence

Build a spaced-repetition deck covering every glossary term so week-1 material is reviewed through week 8

Explain the hierarchy of court systems from limited-jurisdiction courts through appellate courts, naming the type of case each hears

Differentiate subject-matter jurisdiction from personal jurisdiction and identify the facts that establish each

Apply venue and removal rules to 10 scenarios and state which court properly hears each case

Diagram the federal and state court structures from memory, including the path of an appeal

Sequence the stages of a civil lawsuit from pleading through judgment and post-trial motions

Draft a complaint caption, parties section, and jurisdictional statement that satisfy basic pleading requirements

Identify the deadlines and purposes of the answer, counterclaim, and reply

Map each procedural stage to the discovery tools typically used at that stage

Draft interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission that are narrowly tailored and objection-proof

Explain the scope of discovery and articulate three grounds for a valid objection

Summarize the rules governing depositions, including notice, subpoenas, and the role of the litigation support professional

Describe the mechanics of summary judgment and identify what record materials support or oppose it

Distinguish the elements of major offense categories and identify the mental state each requires

Trace a criminal case from arrest through initial appearance, bail, charging, and trial, noting constitutional rights at each step

Apply the rules of professional conduct to 8 ethics scenarios involving confidentiality, conflicts, and candor to the tribunal

Identify the boundaries of the unauthorized practice of law and describe what a non-lawyer may and may not do

Construct Boolean and field-restricted searches that retrieve relevant authority from a legal research database

Evaluate secondary sources and case authority for currency, jurisdiction, and precedential weight

Cite at least 10 authorities in a consistent, correct citation format and verify each citation against its source

Design a document review workflow covering collection, processing, review, and production, and explain the purpose of a litigation hold

Apply metadata, deduplication, and privilege-screen concepts to a sample document set

Explain chain of custody and document each transfer of evidence in a sample matter

Distinguish admissible evidence from excluded evidence and state the rule that governs each exclusion

Identify hearsay and apply at least three recognized exceptions

Describe proper handling, storage, and spoliation-avoidance practices for physical and electronic evidence

Draft an evidence log that would withstand authentication challenges

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions and score each domain separately

Identify your three weakest domains from practice results and re-drill those areas until accuracy improves

Review every missed question and write the correct rule and reasoning for each error

Recite from memory the key rules for jurisdiction, civil procedure, ethics, and evidence without notes