The Devil Teaches Bar Prep

This photo popped up in my Timehop memories recently.

Nine years ago, a former student took a picture of me during class and added devil horns and a tail. With all the early buzz around The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters on May 1, the timing feels about right to turn this photo into a blog post! Apparently, not only does the devil wear Prada, the devil teaches bar prep, too.

At the time, I laughed. Looking back, I still laugh at the photo, but I also understand it a little better.

Because in bar prep, there are moments when students probably don’t like me very much. I get that. Not because I’m trying to be mean, but because I’m asking them to do the kind of work that may feel slow, deliberate, and sometimes frustrating in the moment, like:

• Predicting the answer to a multiple-choice question before looking at the answer choices. (This forces real engagement with the facts and rules instead of reverse-engineering the “best-looking” option.)

  
  

• Outlining before jumping into an essay response. (Even a quick roadmap leads to clearer organization, stronger analysis, and fewer missed issues.)

  
  

• Reading a performance test library before the file. (Start with the law so the facts have meaning, not the other way around.)

  
  

• Slowing down and reviewing the explanation, even for questions answered correctly. (Getting it right doesn’t always mean the reasoning was right. That gap matters.)

  
  

• Discussing rules methodically instead of rushing to a conclusion. (Bar graders reward structured thinking, not just bottom-line answers.)

  
  

• Reading and dissecting the call of the question before reading the fact pattern. (The call frames the entire task. Without it, it’s easy to read facts without knowing what actually matters.)

None of these are flashy. None of them feel fast. And none of them feel necessary ... until they are.

That’s where the tension comes from. These habits interrupt instinct. They replace shortcuts with process. And when that happens, it can feel like the person asking for those changes is being difficult.

But this isn’t about being difficult (or devilish).

It’s about being intentional because bar prep has a way of exposing habits that worked “well enough” in college or law school but won’t hold up under exam conditions. And when those habits get challenged, it can feel uncomfortable.

But understand that discomfort is doing something.

It’s creating awareness. It’s building discipline. It’s sharpening judgment.

And here’s the part that makes this story worth telling: The student who added the horns and tail passed the bar exam on the first attempt.

So maybe the devil horns weren’t entirely wrong. Sometimes bar prep requires someone willing to push, challenge, redirect, and say, “Do it again, but this time, do it with purpose.”

Not to be the villain. But to help students pass the bar exam.