Out Law Bar Tutoring
A private bar exam tutor for people the big prep courses leave behind.
One-on-one bar tutoring, online, with Helen Marsh, Esq. She has spent years helping repeat takers, non-traditional students, and learners with ADHD pass the bar exam.
How bar exam tutoring with Helen works
Helen reviews and gives detailed feedback on every piece of writing you produce. Sometimes she will ask for a short "mini-essay" to get started; sometimes you write an essay together. On multiple choice, she works through questions with you so you learn to spot the hidden clues that point to the right answer. Every session is adjusted to what you need that day.
A routine for every question type
Helen teaches an approach that fits each kind of multiple-choice question. Having a routine eliminates wrong choices faster, lowers anxiety, and improves your speed.
Write for the grader, not the professor
Bar essays are different from law school essays. Helen talks as much about the grader as about you, the writer: how to structure an answer so it is easy to award points. Bar writing is technical writing, and technical writing can be learned by everyone.
An approach that works every time
No memorization is required, but unfamiliar topics can be intimidating. There is a method that works every time, and after a half dozen practice runs it becomes automatic.
What Helen believes about bar prep
Students worry that they will not be able to succeed, when in fact the fault lies with the test, not the test taker. Yet to practice law, you must pass the test. That is where Helen can help.
Practice tests come first
Research shows the best way to prepare for any test, from a third-grade spelling quiz to the bar exam, is to take practice tests. The bar adds one more demand: a substantial amount of material to memorize. The plan has to make room for both.
A study plan built from your first sessions
Using what she learns in the first few meetings, Helen builds a study plan with each student, with an early and continued focus on practice tests rather than passive review.
Experience with learning differences
Helen has worked with students with disabilities, including ADHD. As a parent and grandparent of children and adults with learning and physical challenges, she understands the many ways people can access material and reach the outcome they want.
Real life gets a seat at the table
Last-minute schedule changes happen. Helen is reachable by text, phone, and email, and can adjust sessions as your week requires.
Bar tutoring rates
Private sessions, priced by the hour, with no package you have to buy up front.
Why one-on-one tutoring?
- Adds an element of accountability
- Lets the study plan change as you go
- Skips skills and content you have already learned
- Puts laser focus on what is still challenging
- Chooses support materials based on experience, cost, and what appeals to you
- Adapts to your schedule, not the other way around
Private 1-on-1 sessions
- Free one-hour consultation to start
- Discount for multiple sessions paid in advance
- Detailed written feedback on every essay and performance task
- Sessions built around your individual needs
About Helen Marsh, bar exam tutor
Helen grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from Hamline University before earning her law degree from UC Berkeley, where she was co-chair of the Moot Court Board.
She practiced law in state and federal courts around the country. Out of a passion for education, she has focused her tutoring on non-traditional students and repeat bar takers, and has worked extensively with students with disabilities.
Accolades and achievements
Helen has spent her career teaching other lawyers, writing for practitioners, and serving her courts and community. Highlights from her practice at The Law Office of Helen Marsh:
Teaching and presenting
- Guest lecturer, UC Hastings College of the Law
- Instructor, online e-discovery course for the Organization of Legal Professionals
- Chair and presenter at continuing legal education programs on electronic discovery for trial attorneys, solo and small firms, and legal departments
- Panelist for the International Legal Technology Association and IQPC; moderator, Stanford E-commerce Best Practices Conference
Publications
- Co-author, "Understanding Electronic Evidence," Matthew Bender Practice Guide: California E-Discovery & Evidence (LexisNexis, 2009)
- "Here Comes the Judge: The New Federal Rules on E-Discovery," The Practical Litigator (2007)
- "Defending the Deposition of the Elderly Former Employee," The Practical Litigator (2006)
Court service
- Mediation Panel, Sonoma County Bar Association
- Discovery Facilitator Panel, Sonoma County Superior Court
- Discovery Facilitator Panel, Marin County Superior Court
Community leadership
- President and member, Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, 2004 to 2014
- Ongoing support for local non-profits and community initiatives
From bar students who passed
It is a great honor to help you.
Helen is responsive and very clear in her explanations. I would hire her again without hesitation. I am not the traditional learner and she was able to adapt to my needs.ND Former student
I hired Helen and she was so flexible, so easy to understand, and taught me some really great tools for my eventual success.CG Former student
I am incredibly grateful for your guidance and support during my bar prep. Your tutoring was instrumental in helping me pass.AE Former student
Questions bar students ask
Do you tutor online or in person?
Sessions are one-on-one and held online by video, so you can work with Helen from anywhere. Between sessions she is reachable by text, phone, and email.
Which bar exams do you tutor for?
Helen is admitted in California and Colorado and has practiced in state and federal courts around the country. Her approach to multiple choice, essays, and performance tests applies across jurisdictions, including the UBE.
I have failed the bar before. Can you help?
Yes. Repeat takers are the students Helen has focused on most. The first sessions are spent finding exactly where points were lost and building a study plan around practice tests.
How much does bar tutoring cost?
Private sessions are $120 per hour, with a discount for multiple sessions paid in advance. The first one-hour consultation is free with no obligation.
Can you work alongside my commercial bar prep course?
Yes. Many students use Helen alongside a course like Barbri, Themis, or Kaplan. She helps you choose support materials based on experience, cost, and what works for you, and focuses your time on what is still hard.
Do you have experience with ADHD or other learning differences?
Yes. Helen has worked with students with disabilities, including ADHD. As a parent and grandparent of family members with learning and physical challenges, she understands the many ways people can access material and reach their goals.
Let's talk.
Your first hour with Helen is free. Bring your score report, your study schedule, or just your questions, and leave with a clear sense of what to work on next.
Call, text, or email Helen directly. She replies personally, usually the same day.