NJ Bar study plan
NJ Bar · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects
Map the MBE subject list against your own baseline by taking a timed 33-question mixed set and logging accuracy per subject
Build a one-page rule skeleton for Civil Procedure (jurisdiction, venue, Erie, joinder) from scratch without consulting outlines
Drill 40 Civil Procedure questions in sets of 10 and write a two-line rule statement for every miss
Set up a spaced-repetition deck with one card per missed rule, capped at 60 cards for the week
Your checkpoint
A subject-by-subject accuracy table for the 33-question diagnostic plus a 60-card deck seeded from your misses
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects
Rewrite the Civil Procedure skeleton from memory, then patch gaps against your notes
Complete 60 Constitutional Law questions covering individual rights and structural limits, tagging each miss by doctrine
Draft a flowchart for levels of scrutiny that you can reproduce in under three minutes
Convert every Constitutional Law miss into a hypothetical fact pattern you write yourself
Your checkpoint
A reproducible scrutiny flowchart plus 10 self-written Constitutional Law hypos with answer keys
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects
Work 70 Contracts and Sales questions, separating common-law and UCC Article 2 rules in your notes
Memorize the Statute of Frauds categories and the UCC gap-filler defaults by writing them from memory twice
Complete 50 Torts questions and build a duty/breach/causation checklist for negligence and strict liability
Review all cards due each day and retire any rule you have answered correctly three times
Your checkpoint
A one-page Contracts/UCC comparison sheet and a Torts elements checklist, both written from memory before checking
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects
Finish the remaining MBE subjects (Evidence, Real Property, Criminal Law and Procedure) with 40 questions each
Write the hearsay exemptions and exceptions list from memory and self-grade it
Build a future-interests and landlord-tenant rule sheet covering the tested variations
Take a timed 100-question mixed MBE set under exam conditions and score it
Your checkpoint
A scored 100-question mixed MBE with a written diagnosis of your three weakest subjects and a repair plan for each
Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) subjects
Convert each MBE subject into a 12-minute essay outline template with issue-spotting triggers
Write four timed MEE essays across different subjects and self-grade against the rubric categories (issue, rule, application, conclusion)
Practice writing rule statements in full sentences rather than bullets to build speed
Identify the MEE-only subjects (agency, partnerships, secured transactions, family law, trusts, conflicts) and build a minimum-viable rule sheet for each
Your checkpoint
Four timed essays with self-scored rubrics and a one-page rule sheet for every MEE-only subject
Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) subjects
Write six more timed MEE essays, at least two in MEE-only subjects
Cut each essay outline down to a five-minute pre-write skeleton you actually use under time pressure
Drill issue-spotting on ten past-style fact patterns without writing full answers, listing issues only in 90 seconds each
Review and consolidate your rule sheets into a single indexed document
Your checkpoint
A single indexed rule document plus ten issue-only drills with a written accuracy count
Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
Learn the MPT task types (memo, brief, letter, contract provision) and the standard library-file organization method
Complete two timed 90-minute MPTs, one objective memo and one persuasive brief
Practice converting a closed-universe file into an outline in the first 20 minutes without drafting prose
Self-grade both MPTs on organization, use of authority, and adherence to the assigned format
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed MPTs with written self-grades and a personal 90-minute time-allocation plan
Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects & Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) subjects & Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
Take one full simulated exam day: 100 MBE questions plus two essays, timed and uninterrupted
Complete one final timed MPT under strict 90-minute conditions
Re-drill only the rules you have missed twice or more across all eight weeks
Write a one-page exam-day protocol covering timing checkpoints, essay ordering, and MPT file triage
Your checkpoint
A full simulated exam score report and a one-page exam-day protocol you can follow without notes
Milestones
Week 2: You can reproduce the Civil Procedure skeleton and the scrutiny flowchart from memory in under five minutes each, and your mixed-set accuracy has moved above your week 1 baseline.
Week 4: Your timed 100-question MBE score is recorded, every subject has a logged accuracy figure, and no subject sits below 50 percent without a written repair plan.
Week 6: You have written ten timed essays total, your self-scored issue-spotting rate is at least 80 percent on issue-only drills, and the indexed rule document covers every MEE subject.
Week 8: You have completed two timed MPTs and one full simulated exam day, and you can state your exam-day protocol from memory.