ProfessorTommy.Tips

The 2026 Masters is underway. If you’ve been watching the tournament, you may have noticed something unique. The people walking the grounds at Augusta National aren’t called spectators . They’re called patrons . That choice of words isn’t accidental. A patron isn’t just someone watching from the outside. A patron is part of the experience. A patron is someone who belongs, someone who carries themselves with a certain level of respect for the tradition and the moment. That su

If you've been watching sports on television lately, you may have seen the Eli Lilly commercial centered on the scientific method . It's a memorable ad because it presents progress as a process rather than a single moment. The commercial focuses on observing, questioning, testing, analyzing, and then beginning again. Its core message is simple: Sometimes progress requires you to start over. That idea is especially useful in bar preparation. One of the biggest mistakes student

It is sad to learn today the passing of Chuck Norris , man whose name became bigger than movies, television, or even martial arts. For many people, he wasn't just an action star. He was a cultural icon whose toughness became the stuff of legend, and whose persona somehow managed to be both admirable and fun at the same time. That is what makes him such an interesting bar exam tie-in. The bar exam has a way of making people feel small. It can feel overwhelming, unpredictable,

It didn’t take long. Day one of the NCAA Tournament , and my bracket was already done. Not “in trouble.” Not “hanging by a thread.” Done. I had BYU winning it all—an unorthodox pick, a little bold, definitely outside conventional wisdom. And within hours, it was over after the AJ Dybantsa -led Cougars lost to the University of Texas 79-71 . That’s the appeal of March Madness. A bracket pool isn't usually won by simply picking every favorite. If you want to separate yourself f

I recently saw a comment on a Pacers post that said, “Every loss is a win in disguise.” In this context, the comment was not just generic motivation. It reflected something much more specific about where the Pacers are right now. The thinking is simple: a loss in the short term may improve the team’s lottery position in what is expected to be a talented upcoming draft. Add the possibility of Tyrese Haliburton returning healthy from his Achilles injury, and a frustrating seaso

If you’re not a basketball person, this is going to sound backwards: Sometimes fans root for their own team to lose. That’s where some Indiana Pacers fans found themselves this season. Last year, Indiana made a surprise run all the way to the NBA Finals and pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7, but ultimately lost the series. And in the gut-punch moment that made it feel even crueler, Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles early in that Game 7. It was an inju

At 48 hours out, you’re not building new knowledge. You’re protecting what you’ve already built. Rest is strategy. Composure is power. 🎥 Watch the short video below and give your brain the reset it deserves.

The Lunar New Year begins today, and it ushers in the Year of the Horse (specifically the Fire Horse). If you’re taking the bar exam next week, that timing feels almost too perfect. Horses don’t win by darting all over the track. They win by staying controlled, conserving energy, and moving forward with purpose. That’s exactly what the bar exam rewards too, especially at this stage. Here’s the theme for the remaining few days of your bar preparation: Stay in your lane . And

As the NextGen UBE gets closer, I'm seeing a very common misunderstanding about the star symbols in the NCBE’s NextGen UBE Content Scope Outline . The NextGen UBE is the NCBE’s redesigned bar exam, created to better measure foundational lawyering skills (reading, analysis, reasoning, writing, and using legal materials) while still testing a defined set of doctrinal concepts. The exam is designed to feel more like the work lawyers actually do, often with a mix of what you know

Yesterday, the National Conference of Bar Examiners released a new document: " NextGen UBE Constructed Response Guide ." It's touted as the "NCBE’s Official Resource for Understanding and Responding to the Written Components of the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination.” The document is attached for your reference. If you're taking the NextGen UBE in July 2026, I highly recommend that you review this new document and the previously released resources found at the end of the documen