No-Cost Themis Bar Review

Details and FAQs

All students at the Sturm College of Law will receive access to the following products and services through Themis Bar Review at relevant points their law school journey.

• First Year Students
  • Law School Essentials First-Year.  This includes concise black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, and mini-assessments in the following subjects: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Real Property, and Torts.  The Essentials program also includes practice multiple-choice and essay hypotheticals. There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.
     
  • Skills for 1L Success.  Videos and resources are available from Themis Bar Review under the “Orientation” materials under Law School Essentials, but the Sturm College of Law faculty will host live skills sessions to help 1Ls obtain and practice the skills they need to be successful in law school.
     
  • Integration of Themis Materials into Courses.  Professors teaching bar-tested subjects will be able to integrate Themis materials into their courses if they would like.  Also, Themis materials will be integrated into the Intermediate Legal Analysis (ILA) and the Legal Analysis Strategies (LAS) courses for optimal bar exam preparation.
• Upper-Level Students
  • Law School Essentials Upper-Level.  This includes concise black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, and mini-assessments in the following subjects: Corporations, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Wills and Trusts. The Essentials program also includes practice multiple-choice and essay hypotheticals There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.
     
  • The UWorld Learning Platform.  This includes over 2,000 practice multiple-choice questions. The vast majority of the questions are licensed MBE questions from the National Conference of Bar Examiners® (NCBE®) released for previous exams. Each question is accompanied by an innovative, content-rich rationale, paired with images, charts, hyperlinks, and/or definitions. These rationales are unmatched in the industry and thoroughly guide students through the legal reasoning for the correct and incorrect answer choices.  There are various questions banks for students and professors.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.
     
  • Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) Review course.  This includes a concise black letter law outline for the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, online expert lecture with assessment questions and accompanying interactive and printed lecture handout, hundreds of practice MPRE questions with detailed answer explanations; and two 60-question practice MPREs with answer explanations.  There is also the capability to create electronic flashcards.
     
  • Integration of Themis Materials into Courses.  Professors teaching bar-tested subjects will be able to integrate Themis materials into their courses if they would like.  Also, Themis materials will be integrated into the Intermediate Legal Analysis (ILA) and the Legal Analysis Strategies (LAS) courses for optimal bar exam preparation.
• Graduates Preparing for the Bar

  Themis Commercial Bar Review course with dedicated counselor. This is Themis’ post-graduation bar review course.  This includes the following: 

  • Engaging and short substantive lectures along with assessment questions for each lecture
  • Adaptive Calendar™ which keeps students on track with a daily, sequential learning path that adjusts based on progress to ensure complete coverage from day 1 to the bar exam.  Students also have access to Themis’s Flexible Study mode
  • Study Pacer™ which provides a visual representation of student progress and works with Adaptive Calendar™
  • Over 3,600 MBE practice questions that closely resemble what is on the actual bar exam, including close to 1,375 licensed NCBE questions.  All questions include full explanations and answers
  • Four simulated exams, including two mini-MBE practice exams and one full simulated MBE practice exam
  • UWorld Qbank which allows students to create personalized practice quizzes and flashcards
  • Electronic flashcards
  • MBE Performance Analytics
  • Licensed Multistate/State-specific essay exam questions
  • Eight assigned graded essays and unlimited essay grading beyond that
  • MBE Skills Workshops
  • MEE Writing Skills Workshops
  • MPT Workshop
  • Dedicated state director, attorney advisor, and essay grader – three-person team dedicated to providing individualized guidance and support throughout the course
  • Printed books (online books available at no additional cost, printed books cost $30 for shipping) containing comprehensive outlines, final review outlines, and practice questions and simulated exams
• How to Use Your Themis Resources
  • Utilize black letter law outlines and on-demand substantive lectures with handouts available at www.themisbar.com BEFORE you read for class to create a big picture framework and increase your efficiency when reading. 
    • Law School Essentials First-Year 
    • Law School Essentials Upper-Level
       
  • Utilize black letter law outlines, on-demand substantive lectures with handouts, digital flashcards, and mini-assessments available at www.themisbar.com AFTER class to help you understand things that still aren’t clear and to help organize and prepare your written outline of your course.
     
  • Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions after reading, attending class, and outlining to test your understanding and fill-in gaps. 
    • Law School Essentials First-Year 
    • Law School Essentials Upper-Level
       
  • Utilize courses for the MPRE and bar exam when the time comes to take these exams. 
• Frequently Asked Questions

  Who is eligible for the proposed program?

  All JD students enrolled at the Sturm College of Law at the outset of the spring 2024 semester will be eligible for the proposed program. Incoming JD students – both 1L and transfer –arriving in fall 2024 will also be eligible. (Master’s students and visiting JD students are not currently eligible.)

  How much will the proposed program cost students?

  There is no cost for JD students to participate in the proposed program.

  Why did the Law School choose to partner with a third-party company?

  At the Sturm College of Law, we seek to support students in their transition from legal education to legal practice in a comprehensive, robust, and equitable manner. The following reasons, among others, supported our decision to partner with a third-party company at this juncture. First, students have historically encountered high prices for bar review courses and limited access to data about comparative performance. Second, law students routinely contract with bar review companies relatively late in their legal studies, foregoing beneficial support that might otherwise be available to them earlier in the process. Third, students destined to work for large law firms often have their bar review programs subsidized, while those anticipating work with small firms, governmental employers, and non-profits do not. Fourth, there are considerable changes under way in legal licensure, as jurisdictions transition to the so-called Next Generation bar examination, and third-party companies are expected to be in a strong position to support law students – and law schools – as part of this transition.

  How did the selection process work?

  In collaboration with campus experts in procurement, the law school issued a Request for Proposals, invited the nation’s leading bar preparation companies to participate, asked each to describe their program and provide samples of their materials, and requested each to furnish their most competitive price. We then elected a limited subset of vendors to participate in follow-up presentations. Members of the Sturm College of Law Administration and the law school’s Bar Success and Academic Achievement Faculty reviewed the companies’ applications, bar success rates, teaching resources, and staff support.

  Why did the law school select Themis?

  Themis distinguished itself for its (1) exceptional track record of success amongst graduates of the Sturm College of Law, which has exceeded 90% in recent years in Colorado for graduates who completed at least 75% of the designated coursework; (2) outstanding course materials, backed by cognitive science and educational psychology; (3) capacity to support students across the entirety of their legal studies; (4) ability to prepare students for the bar in 49 U.S jurisdictions; and (5) strong and collaborative staffing presence in Denver.

  How will the Themis program interact with our existing Academic Achievement and Bar Success Programs?

  The offerings provided by Themis will be designed to complement our own Academic Achievement and Bar Success Programs, as well as the work of our faculty more generally. To harmonize the new offerings that we will be providing to students with our existing programs and curricular offerings, we have hired Professor Chris Engle-Newman to serve as Assistant Director of Bar Success. Professor Engle-Newman is a nationally recognized expert in the field of bar success and an outstanding instructor and advisor, who brings invaluable experience working with third-party bar preparation companies.

  Is participation in the Themis partnership required?

  Although participation in the Themis partnership is not required, participation is strongly recommended based on the caliber of the program and its complimentary nature. If you elect to contract with another company, you will be solely responsible for the costs.

  If I already paid for a bar preparation course from another company and want to work with that company, how should I proceed?

  We will survey eligible students to determine whether they wish to opt out of the proposed partnership with Themis. Students who elect to opt out will not have access to Themis’ post-graduation bar review course.

  If I already paid for a bar preparation course from another company and want to use Themis instead, will I be issued a refund by Themis or the Sturm College of Law?

  No. Some bar preparation companies provide opportunities for partial refunds, and you can find further information on their websites.

  What if I don’t take a Bar exam immediately after graduation but want to take it in a future year. Will I still have access to Themis materials?

  Yes.