Shemer's Essay Techniques

Shemer's Essay Techniques is the oldest and the most successful course of its kind in Maryland. Through a combination of interactive lectures, supervised writing practice in small groups, face-to-face feedback about your answers and one-to-one meetings with faculty, Shemer’s Essay Techniques™ will improve your essay writing skills to meet the unusual demands of the Maryland Essay Test.

Each individual section of Shemer’s Essay Techniques is limited to 12 students to ensure personal attention. Classes meet on a Saturday or Sunday, for five, four-hour sessions. In addition, you meet twice after class with your instructor for one-on-one critiquing.

We begin with an introductory lecture about special skills needed for the Maryland Essay Test. Then, we break into sections of no more than 6 students to tackle the first subject. Throughout the classes, we devote time to each of the subjects tested on the Essay Test. For every subject there will be a short lecture to discuss recurring legal issues, fact patterns, useful mnemonic devices, and essay tips for that specific subject.

The remaining class time for that subject—and by far the bulk of class time—is spent writing answers to real bar exam questions and getting face-to-face feedback about your answers from an experienced faculty member. Your answers are read aloud and you get specific instructions from our experienced faculty on ways to save time and maximize your points.

We tell you what you did well, what you can do better, and most important, how to do it better. Then, another question and more feedback. We repeat this process for each subject tested. This cumulative skill-building is the real key to your improvement.

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