Skip to main content

Pokemon Go Is the Perfect Bar Exam Study Break, Study Aid

By Casey C. Sullivan, Esq. on July 13, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Future lawyers, are you jealous of all your non-law friends running around catching Pokemon while you cram for the bar? Don't be. Join them.

The summer's biggest light-hearted cultural phenomenon is the perfect thing for J.D.'s studying for the bar. And no, we're not kidding. Here's why.

Go Ahead, Catch 'Em All Some of Them

If you were a 90's kid, you probably dreamt of being a real life Pokémon trainer some day. Then you grew up and settled on just being a regular old lawyer. Now you can have both. Go ahead and start playing Pokémon Go while studying for the bar, interspersing some Catterpie and Doduo hunting in between your torts and civ pro review.

"But wait," you say, "shouldn't I be trying to catch all the black letter laws, not all the Pokémon?" Yes, indeed you should. But Pokémon is a great break from that stress. Here's why: Pokémon Go actually requires you to do something. It's unlike, let's say, spending a few hours playing Game of War or binge watching a whole season of "The Wire" again, where you can drift into passive lethargy.

Instead, to play Pokémon Go, you actually need to go, to walk around your city. And that's why it's a great bar study break. You get a bit of exercise and get to rejoin society for a bit, but you're probably not likely to spend four hours running around under the glaring summer sun.

Pokémon Go has its own "get back to studying" feature: your aching feet and sunburnt neck.

So, blow off a little stress, have a bit of fun, then get back to work. Just be cautious with the game's terms of service.

Pokémon as Study Aid?

If you want to get really adventurous, you could even bring some Pokémon themes into your studying. After all, the game has raised a host of legal issues, from its connection to armed robberies to its use of users' data.

The ABA for Law Students has already compiled a pretty comprehensive list of posts on Pokémon-related legal issues from around the web. For example, if a Pokémon stop opens on a dilapidated and dangerous Blackacre, might a property owner be liable for putting up with an attractive nuisance?

What about Pokémon and the separation of powers doctrine?

You could make a clever practice essay or two out of these issues. And don't even get us started on whether Charmander could be guilty of arson or just reckless burning.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard