Themis Bar Prep — All It’s Cracked Up To Be?
By: ELI MATTERN
Themis claims to be tech savvy and yield higher bar passage rates, for a lower price. I decided to test these assertions when several of The Student Appeal readers asked me whether I would recommend Themis. Below, I will discuss what I liked about the program, things I’d like to see from them in the future, things I didn’t like, and why I would recommend this product over other more traditional (aka. more antiquated) bar prep courses.
Short Answer:
(For those of you with no intention of reading this entire review.)
I would recommend Themis to anyone. The price is right*, the program is solid, and the customer service is superb. While I have some critiques of the new bar prep, they have instilled loyalty in me. I pray (fervently) that I will never have to take another bar exam, but if I do I will use Themis.
What I liked:
Real Essay Grader — When I took (and passed) my first bar exam, I used a different bar prep company. This company sold a bonus package in which students who paid for the supplemental course would get their essays grades by a person. Themis gives you everything you need without the used car salesman add-ons. I can only speak from my two bar prep experiences, but with my first bar exam it seemed like my grader only read headings and spent maybe 3 seconds on my essay. With Themis, I received individual feedback AND, when several of my grader’s students missed a particular point, she brought it to everyone’s attention. Our essays were graded with care.
Course Work — As a full-time lawyer, I couldn’t use the schedule that helped me pass my first bar exam. I just didn’t have the same amount of time. So, I used Themis’ Flex Study program to organize my scheduling around my time availability. One thing I particularly liked about Themis was their realistic expectations about bar prep, all they ask is that a bar taker does 75% of their course work to pass. 75%. The online portal also has a nifty percentage completed bar across the top of the screen so that the bar prepper can keep the overall picture in mind.
Customer Service — I received a couple of unsolicited phone calls during my bar prep course just to call and check on my progress. During these phone calls, I was able to address my essay and multiple-choice scores, as well as discuss my overall progress through the bar prep course. These phone calls helped alleviate some of my anxiety and allowed me to continue with my course feeling confident. As I mentioned earlier, I also had a minor meltdown a couple of weeks out from the bar exam (this is pretty standard so don’t be alarmed). I emailed my essay grader a stream of consciousness essay on Virginia having an essay based bar exam and how I didn’t know if my scores were going to be high enough to pass. She calmly emailed me back, reviewed all of my essays again, and offered particular points of law that I should focus on in my last few weeks, as well as some general essay writing advice. Again, this reassuring email helped revive my stability enough to keep on studying.
Things I’d Like To See From Themis In The Future:
Technology — Themis’ founders wanted to change the bar prep game, and rightfully so. The old way is boring, and not efficient. As Themis grows, I would like to see them develop their technology more. I would like to see them incorporate more modern research on how people retain information. They are already starting down this path by shortening the lecture videos from four hours of unending boredom to 20 minute “chapters” videos, but I would like to see them go further. I’m hoping that in the near future they will launch a more user friendly portal and push their program further away from the pack by incorporating more innovation.
Easter Eggs — Is it just me, or did other people want to unlock special surprises by reaching a certain percentage completion or by getting a high score on a multiple choice quiz? In video games, certain actions within the game will unlock hidden features. I think this would be a fun addition to the program and further set them apart from the pack.
What I Didn’t Like:
Server Failure — One day when I was studying, the server (or some other important website functioning thingy) stopped working. I tweeted some other Themis bar preppers and found that they were having the same problem. The issue was resolved in nine minutes. How do I know it was 9 minutes exactly? Because within the hour I had a customer service rep calling to apologize for the inconvenience. If my biggest grievance is a nine-minute delay in studying, I’d say that Themis did a pretty great job.
Why I Would Recommend Themis Over Other Bar Prep Courses:
To pass the bar exam, the taker has to put in the time and actually study. Most of the bar prep courses include very similar outlines and lectures (some entertaining and some boring). A good bar prep course has to prepare you for the bar. That’s it. Themis uses technology to streamline their approach, but retains a human aspect through their graders. It also should be pointed out that I received more human interaction from Themis’ all online course than I did from my first “classroom” style course.
Right now Themis is better than their competition. Their use of technology and low price gives them an edge. If they continue to innovate and retain their founding values, I expect Themis to dominate the market within the next five years.
* Note: Themis provided a single-seat license to the author, to enable her to review the program comprehensively.
