Highly Recommended Bar Exam Tutor!

I was hesitant about contacting a tutor because I had used several big box study companies for the bar in the past and nothing seemed to work. After my unsuccessful attempts at passing the DC bar, I gave up and went on with my life for about 10 years. In late 2017 – early 2018, I decided to give it one more try but I knew I had to change my study method. One friend suggested a tutor and someone from the admission office at my law school mentioned Wyzant. I read reviews for days before selecting Debbie. Her reviews were consistently overwhelmingly positive. I contacted Debbie and shared my story. From the first visit, Debbie shared that the unsuccessful bar exam attempts do not have to define my life and that I could certainly overcome it. Honestly, I did not believe her because what would be different from her method to what I had done before. So glad I was wrong about this! We started the weekly sessions and in the midst of leading a major project at work, raising two little girls, and being a wife, Debbie gave me assignments that were manageable and doable. I decided I was going to do everything she laid out for me on a weekly basis. Make no mistake – it’s work, but it’s worth it!! As I progressed through the sessions, Debbie would increase the workload and adjust as needed. The aspect that I appreciated the most was the week of the bar exam, Debbie sent me this inspiring e-mail to send me on my way. That e-mail made all the difference – I read it each morning for the exam for encouragement. I can honestly say that there was nothing of surprise on the exam; I recognized the issues being tested and comfortably wrote my essays with ease. In fact, I felt great after taking the exam. I am proud to report that I just received my results and I PASSED the DC bar – 12 years after graduating from law school and about 10 years from the last time I sat for it. Debbie has a gift for this – just follow her instructions. I highly recommend Debbie with absolutely no reservations!

Clarine , 6 lessons with Deborah

Highly qualified and well knowledgable

She taught me about various laws and how they are applied in the court system. I was very confused about them and did not understand the basics. I understand the material thoroughly.

Meena, 3 lessons with Deborah

Great tutor

Deb is a firecracker! If you are looking for someone who will push you & help you be the best you can be, choose her! The bar exam isn’t for about 8 more weeks, but I am confident that with her methods that I have the best chance at passing. She’s tough, but she’s kind, thorough & listens. She really does cater to you. If you put in the work, she’s going to do everything she can to help you.

Autumn, 6 lessons with Deborah

Passionate Experienced Bar Tutor

In February, I sat for the Colorado Bar Exam. I had passed the Minnesota bar 20 years ago and I never thought I would ever take a bar exam again. However life happens, and I found myself in Colorado and unable to "waive-in" to the Colorado bar because I had detoured from law practice for several years. While reactivating my Minnesota license was not difficult, becoming licensed to practice in Colorado meant taking the bar exam again. I thought I could prepare on my own. I was wrong. I spent way too much time trying to learn and memorize the law across the many bar subjects, and way too little time drilling on practice questions. In May I learned that I failed Colorado’s February bar exam. I missed success by 7 points. Mind you, I would have passed Minnesota again, easily. But not Colorado and their higher 276 passing UBE score requirement. After a week of feeling sorry for myself, I regrouped and resolved to pass the July exam, which was only 10 weeks away. At first, I thought my mistake was not enrolling in a traditional BarBri or Kaplan prep course. But then it hit me--what about a tutor? My google search took me to Wyzant's website where I came across Deborah Sanders as a bar prep tutor. I read many of her reviews. Very, very positive. I emailed her. She promptly responded and we had a phone call shortly thereafter. She made it clear that her approach was different. She is very big on practice, practice, practice. Using specific materials, at specific times, in increasing volumes. Deb cares so much about her students' success and the approach, that our sessions were always high-energy, don't-look-back, move-forward, achieve-this-goal mentality. Her passion, her long experience as a bar tutor, and her detailed approach really helped me trust the process! We generally met by Skype once every other week over the 9-10 week period. I knew that I needed to accomplish the goals Deb gave me by our next session. She kept me on pace. If I was confused or had questions, she promptly texted or phoned or skyped--despite her full plate of other students. Deb assured me that my daily and weekly work would pay off. I just had to trust the process. By early July I started getting substantially higher MBE scores on the official NCBE practice tests. And that continued through the exam. From the earliest engagement, I felt a high degree of trust with Deb. I simply couldn't bear the idea of failing again, so I put all my faith in Deb and her process. Not only was she a great tutor, but she held me accountable each session, and her energy and confidence really helped carry me through the long hard hours of prep. Did I feel better about my performance after the July exam? I definitely felt more comfortable on the MBE—but honestly, how can you ever really know whether you did well on an MBE? The only thing I really knew were my practice test results (using actual past exam questions) prior to the bar were consistently much better than the last time. I did feel better about the essay portion of the exam. But less so for the MPTs. I always struggle with spending much time prepping for those. It’s now October and I just learned that I passed the bar! In the months of waiting self-doubt gradually took over and convinced me that I probably hadn't done very well again. But my scores on the Colorado bar exam results letter didn't lie. I didn’t just pass, I crushed it! A 303! Way up from my failing 269 in February. I owe this success to Deb's passion, energy, process, follow-up, and overall commitment to her students. She doesn't boast or puff up her success. But she will tell you that the students that don't pass usually admit that they simply didn't do the work. But if you commit and do the work, she does all she can to help you successfully cross that finish line. So if you're looking for a bar tutor, contact Deb early! She's the best. And she fills up fast! Thanks Deb!

Tom, 6 lessons with Deborah

Deborah helped me pass the IL bar exam!!!

Deborah helped me pass the IL bar exam!!! I will forever be grateful for her guidance and support throughout the treacherous journey of bar exam studying. I took the July 2018 IL Bar Exam and did not pass. I studied at least 10 hours a day and followed the BARBRI study plan to a T. Still to no avail. I knew that I studied my butt off!! I was so frustrated. I eventually realized that it wasn’t HOW MUCH I was studying, it was HOW I was studying. I needed a more effective study plan, and I found Deborah on Wyzant. Her study plan was my Holy Grail! It was intense yet highly effective. I came out of the bar exam confident I did the best that I could and there was no way I did not pass! I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would feel the slightest bit of confidence walking out of the hardest exam I’ve ever taken in my life. It was all thanks to Deborah! It is basically fool proof if you put your all into it. Deborah can only do so much, it is up to you to pull yourself through! With all of that being said, I have recommended Deborah to a friend and I highly recommend anyone reading this to take that step forward and put all of your trust in her! She will not disappoint! Thank you! Maya

Maya, 7 lessons with Deborah

Excellent Tutor, worth every penny, skilled and knowledgeable!

Deborah is an incredibly experienced tutor. When we first spoke on the phone, she knew exactly what I struggled with because she tutored so many students and was a huge factor to their success. She is not only experienced, she is very comforting and encouraging. She took me on, even though she did not teach my state-specific topics, but she was confident that I was going to pass. Deborah truly cares about her students and I can safely say that she literally takes the exam with each one of her students. She devotes the time and attention to each one of them and truly cares about their success. She helped me conquer my bar exam and I highly recommend her.

Joseph, 3 lessons with Deborah

Miracle Worker!

Great tutor! Her methods were KEY. I am a repeat taker, the first time I took the UBE my score was 242 and I just passed the UBE in NY with a score of 277. Because of her approach I was able to study enough without being overworked. I wasn't studying for crazy long hours, everything was in moderation and I ended up feeling like I knew the material. This has been by far the most effective studying I have ever done. From the beginning she made a study plan for me and week by week she would assess my progress and make the changes I needed to improve my test scores and cover the necessary material. I found this to be very helpful since I needed guidance and to be instructed on how to approach this test. I was scared of failing again but she made me feel confident that I would pass and that I had nothing to worry about. Thank you so much Debbie for making this PASS possible.

Gracie, 6 lessons with Deborah

Best investment I have ever made & Now I’m an attorney!

I came to Debbie after having just found out I failed my first attempt at the bar exam. I was overwhelmed and confused because I had just studied harder than I ever had in my life for bar exam #1. I gave it 100% of my effort and it had not been enough to pass. Nothing changes if nothing changes so I knew something had to change if I wanted to be successful at the bar exam the second time. Enter Debbie, a true expert at the bar exam. It is not by chance that she has all 5-star ratings. I learned that passing the bar exam is more than raw intelligence, it’s being able to perform the specific tasks on the bar in a timed and generally anxiety provoking setting; really a special skill unto itself and much more than simply knowing the black letter law. With her expertise and 10+ years of training law school students to pass the bar, she is able to efficiently guide you through the bar study process every step of the way. Every activity she has you do is applicable to the actual skills you need when you walk into that bar exam room and the clock starts ticking. You will not find endless hours of passively watching lecture videos with Debbie. You will work, and you will work hard, but you will feel prepared when you walk into that room on test day because after working with Debbie; you have become proficient in the law you need to know, but most importantly, you have become proficient in the skill of being able to apply your knowledge of the law in the precise way the bar examiners demand. Not only that, but Debbie was a constant support throughout the whole process which dramatically reduced the anxiety of the bar study process. For me, bar exam #1 was like being lost alone in the woods and with Debbie on bar exam #2, it was like having an expert guide by my side at all times; she kept me focused and always knowing where I was going. On bar exam #2, with Debbie’s expert guidance, I scored a 300+; a much different result than I had the first time around. Do yourself a favor, invest in yourself and in your future, in your dream of becoming an attorney and hire Debbie as soon as possible—her spots fill up quick! Like me, when you’re holding up your right hand and being sworn in as a new member of the bar, having successfully passed the exam, I feel confident you too will feel like it’s the best investment you’ve ever made. -Amanda, 10 lessons with Deborah

Amanda, 8 lessons with Deborah

Worth every penny

Daughter informs me that Ms Deborah was very helpful and knowledgeable. We look forward to utilizing her expertise again.As a parent I am fortunate to have discovered the tutor and grateful that there are people who have patience and the willingness to share their wisdom with others.

Toni, 4 lessons with Deborah

Amazing guide who gets you there!

The UBE Bar Exam is probably the hardest exam your ever going to take. Even if you did really well in law school, which I did, the methods and tactics you used in law school will not apply to this exam. When you study things are going to go wrong, its going to seem overwhelming, and your going to struggle. And worst of all, when you begin to falter, BarBri, Kaplan, etc. will not be there to help. They take your money, throw some materials at you, and then totally wash their hands of the process. But where they fall down on the job, Deborah is there to help you get the job done. She is your guide. She provides you with a foundational program and schedule around which all your studying will revolve. She's efficient, seasoned, and utilizes the best materials from all the providers. And most importantly, you work as a team to correct course and tweak what is not working. The UBE is a hard journey, and for that treacherous journey you need a skilled guide to get you to your destination. If you make the most of her as a resource, Deborah will be the guide that helps you get there.

Adam, 8 lessons with Deborah