How Squeezing Your Fingers Can Help You Survive the Bar Exam

By Melany Friedlander
Archived Article April 2008....

A Survivor’s Story
When Joe came into my office last February, he was very distraught. He had already failed the Bar once and his confidence was at an all time low. Each time he took a practice test, he would just freeze up. Joe had all of the classic symptoms of test anxiety.  Since there were only two weeks left before the exam, I suggested we try a quick technique called anchoring. I assured Joe that with this simple tool, he could learn to instantly change his anxiety state into a more resourceful state in a matter of seconds. Joe picked an anchor (finger squeeze) that instantly transported him to a time in his past when he felt calm, collected and confident. Every time he fired off the anchor, he was able to quickly access those positive states. Armed with the right tools, Joe managed to tame his anxiety and pass the Bar! Just imagine having access to your most resourceful states - confidence, relaxation, focus, etc. - in a matter of moments. The tools are literally at your fingertips.

What is Anchoring?
Anchoring is the process by which an internal feeling is linked (or anchored) to an external trigger. It is a natural process of association. The most famous example of anchoring is described in the experiments of Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov noticed that every time his dogs encountered food, they would get excited and salivate. As an experiment, he decided to ring a bell every time the dogs were fed. Pretty soon, just hearing the sound of the bell alone stimulated the same salivary response, an artificially induced state of excitement. The bell became an auditory anchor.

Anchors can involve any of the five senses. The following are examples of anchors in everyday life:

• Seeing a traffic light change to green and pressing on the gas pedal (visual)
• Hearing an old love song and immediately feeling nostalgic (auditory)
• Being pat on the back and interpreting it as a sign of praise (kinesthetic)
• Smelling apple pie and instantly being transported to childhood (olfactory)
• Tasting chicken soup and associating the taste with a sense of comfort (gustatory)

Whereas most anchors occur naturally, they can also be set up deliberately. Intentional anchoring is commonly used as a therapeutic tool by hypnotherapists and practitioners of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a technique for reprogramming the mind to produce desired results. By using an anchor, the practitioner can help move a client very quickly from one state of mind to another, enabling the client to reach desired goals and outcomes.

How can Anchoring Help You Pass the Bar Exam?
Most students experience some level of anxiety during the Bar exam. While it is perfectly natural to feel a little bit anxious, some students experience test-related anxiety to such a degree that it can seriously impede their performance. In fact, severe test anxiety can be quite debilitating. Physical symptoms associated with this condition include heart palpitations, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Psychological symptoms include difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts that seem impossible to control and complete blank-outs. The key to conquering test anxiety is to become aware of the negative thoughts that may be cluttering up the mind and to replace them with positive, clear directional thinking. That is where anchoring comes in. When correctly installed, a powerful resource anchor provides instant access to the most optimal frame of mind for taking the Bar.

Where Else is Anchoring Useful?
Think about the last time you were interviewed for a job. Were you as confident as you wanted to be? What about the last time you gave a presentation in front of an audience? Most people can recall at least one or more scenarios in their lives where they wish they had possessed a greater degree of confidence, motivation or focus. Anchors are useful in the professional setting (e.g., depositions, court appearances, trial), the social realm (dating, sports, hobbies) and basically anytime you want to feel more resourceful.

Creating an Anchor in 5 Simple Steps

• Identify a desired state of mind (e.g., confidence, calmness, focus).
• Recall a specific time in your past when you felt the desired state. If you can recall a few strong experiences, select the most powerful one. Put yourself back into that experience as if it is happening in this moment. Notice what you see, hear what you were hearing, feel what you were feeling in the moment. Try to vividly imagine being there. When you notice the feeling come back, intensify the feeling as much as you can. Try to double the feeling.
• When the feeling is at its strongest, “anchor” it in by making a unique physical gesture with the fingers or hand as you say a word or phrase to evoke the feeling. (e.g., clench your left fist as you softly say to yourself COOL & CALM). Hold the state for a few moments; release the anchor and then break state (change your emotional state by thinking about something completely different).
• Repeat the process about five times in order to build a strong anchor. You can use the same memory each time or a different memory that is equally powerful. Repetition is key!
• Test the anchor by firing it (i.e., make the unique gesture, say the word/phrase). Check that you actually experience the desired state. You should feel the anchored state within 5-10 seconds. If the feeling is not satisfactory, choose a different memory that is more powerful.

For more tips on how to create a powerful anchor or to learn more about how hypnosis and NLP can help you maximize your potential in any area of your life, please contact the writer.

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Can Professor Jeff Fleming Help You Get the Elusive Law School “A”? Answer: Yes!

Archived Article April 2008......

Professor Fleming, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. The main focus of today’s interview will be the Fleming’s Exam Solution product, but we would like to first ask you a few questions about the beginning days of Fleming’s Fundamentals of Law (FFOL). Please tell us a little bit about the beginning days of your company.

In 1979-1981, I began tutoring law students during my second and third year of law school. My focus was teaching law students how to analyze and write essays in preparation for their final exams. Brian Siegel, a Bar Review provider at that time, hired me directly out of law school. He wanted to expand his Bar Review business to assist law students while in law school. In addition, when I attended Bar Review, I was fortunate to attend Dr. Wallace Frank’s Bar Review in Culver City. He taught me the critical skills necessary to succeed both in law school and on the Bar Exam.
In 1982, I created the first Legal Writing Workshop course for law students as well as the first full service Long Term Bar preparation course in California.

Did you see the general need for FFOL while you were a law student or an attorney? What made you think such a need existed?

Yes, I saw a need both as a law student and as an attorney. In 1982, there were no courses or material on the market that focused solely on law students’ needs. Bar Review companies were mainly focused only on bar preparation. I believed then and still do today, a law student with test-taking skills translates into a bar candidate with test-taking skills.
I never understood why law school preparation did not include the teaching and refining of test taking skills. The attitude when I went to law school was to let the students “sink or swim” when it came to exam preparation. I was actually offended by such an attitude. In the past and still today, there is a standard grading curve in law school. The majority of students do not get A’s. There are more B’s than A’s and more C’s than B’s.
I realized very early on that learning and memorizing black letter law was not the key to high grades but rather its application to fact situations. Further, learning how to write a law school exam under timed conditions is a skill that takes constant practice. Learning how to analyze and organize ones thoughts and express them in a manner acceptable to a law professor is critical to achieving success in law school.

Turning our attention to the Fleming’s Exam Solution product, how long has this product been an offering of FFOL?

I created the Exam Solution product in 1982. The Exam Solution product was designed to teach students the law in the context of its application to exams. The Exam Solution includes a Checklist system on how to spot issues. Individual Approaches focusing on how to write each major area. I provide model answers for the students to use for practice to help them prepare for their final exam.
The Exam Solution series started with one subject and now the series includes fifteen subjects. It has become one of our most popular products.

You can either attend an Exam Solution lecture or purchase an Exam Solution outline and/or CD, is that correct?

Yes, that is correct. I present approximately 12 live lectures per year, generally, in those areas where the law tends to change. All Exam Solutions are available year around by mail order.

What do you say to a law student who thinks their professor’s final-exam review is enough? In other words, what edge can be obtained by attending an Exam Solution lecture?

Law Professor’s rarely if ever give anything away in a final-exam review. The main reason they do not is that it will impact on the grading curve. The Exam Solutions were designed to give students the keys to success not covered in class. I have hundreds of testimonials I have collected over the last twenty-six years from my students expressing their gratitude for the Exam Solutions. Many have been invited on to law review and received the American Juris Prudence Award in many of their classes. Theses students have attributed their success to the Exam Solutions.  

Lastly, any words of wisdom to law students who find themselves on Academic Probation? Is there anything extra that such a student should be doing to ensure that they are not academically dismissed?

Yes. Any student on Academic Probation should immediately seek a law school tutor to assist them in identifying their test-taking weaknesses.  Once identified, the student should begin to practice exam skills on a daily basis and incorporate them into their weekly study schedule. I believe that test practice should begin after the student’s fourth week of the semester. Remember, perfect practice makes perfect!

Actually, one more question. After all these years of being in business, what keeps you going, what keeps you enthused?

Teaching is extremely rewarding. It is like no other profession. I truly feel that I have had a positive impact on thousands of students regarding their academic life. Years from now, students will still remember Fleming’s. That is what keeps me going!

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