California Bar Examination - Essay Questions and Selected Answers - July 2025

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

July 2025 California Bar Examination publication containing the five essay questions and two selected answers for each question. It explains that the selected answers are not model responses and may include inaccuracies or extraneous details because they were written under time constraints without outside resources, though they received high grades. The document includes essay instructions requiring analysis of material vs. immaterial facts, identification of the controlling points of law and fact, and logical application of legal principles. It provides Question 1 on trusts, torts, business associations, constitutional law, and professional responsibility/criminal law and procedure, followed by a selected answer.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages74

Reading Time3 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Essay Question Instructions

Question 1 - Trusts

Selected Answer A - Betty's Petition to Dissolve Farm Trust

California Bar Examination Essay Questions and Selected Answers July 2025 OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS ESSAY QUESTIONS AND SELECTED ANSWERS JULY 2025 CALIFORNIA BAR EXAMINATION This publication contains the five essay questions from the July 2025 California Bar Examination and two selected answers for each question. The selected answers are not to be considered “model” or perfect answers. The answers were assigned high grades and were written by applicants who passed the examination after the First Read. They are reproduced as submitted by the applicant, except that minor corrections in spelling and punctuation were made for ease in reading. These answers were written by actual applicants under time constraints without access to outside resources. As such, they do not always correctly identify or respond to all issues raised by the question, and they may contain some extraneous or incorrect information. The answers are published here with the consent of the authors. Question Number 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Subject Trusts Torts Business Associations Constitutional Law Professional Responsibility / Criminal Law and Procedure ESSAY QUESTION INSTRUCTIONS Your answer should demonstrate your ability to analyze the facts in the question, to tell the difference between material facts and immaterial facts, and to discern the points of law and fact upon which the situation turns. Your answer should show that you know and understand the pertinent principles and theories of law, their qualificationsand limitations, and their relationships to each other. Your answer should evidence your ability to apply the law to the given facts and to reason in a logical manner from the premises you adopt to a sound conclusion. Do not merely show that you remember legal principles. Instead, try to demonstrate your proficiency in using and applying them to the facts. If your answer contains only a statement of your conclusions, you will receive little or no credit. State fully the reasons that support your conclusions and discuss all points thoroughly. Your answer should be complete, but you should not volunteer information or discuss legal doctrines that are not pertinent to the resolution of the issues raised by the call of the question. Unless a question expressly asks you to use California law, you should answer according to legal theories and principles of general application. QUESTION 1 In 2020, Grandma died, leaving a valid will. The will created two trusts, the Farm Trust and the Ancestry Trust, and divided her residuary estate equally between them. The will stated, “Should either trust fail, for any reason, all assets of the failed trust should be given to the children of my granddaughter Betty.” The Farm Trust left Grandma’s large farm to the City for the general benefit of the City. The trust stated Grandma preferred that the farm be used in perpetuity as an active organic-certified farm, on which no chemical pesticides were to be used. Bank was named as trustee of the Farm Trust. The Ancestry Trust directed the trustee to distribute all income from the trust annually in equal shares to Tom, Betty, and Carol, Grandma’s grandchildren. Tom was named as trustee of the Ancestry Trust. In 2023, Betty’s only child, Darcy, was born. In January 2024, for reasons beyond Bank’s control, Grandma’s farm lost its organic certification but continued to operate as a farm. As a result of this loss of certification, Bank intends to allow City to use pesticides on the farm. In March 2024, Tom unexpectedly incurred a large debt for medical expenses. As trustee, Tom wrote a check from the assets of the Ancestry Trust to pay off the debt. Tom planned to repay the Trust but was unable to before he died a few months later. A successor trustee was not named. In January 2025, Betty petitioned the court to dissolve both the Farm and the Ancestry Trusts and to order Tom’s estate to repay the Ancestry Trust the money he

FAQs

Are the selected answers intended to be perfect model answers?

No. The publication states the selected answers are not to be considered “model” or perfect answers.

What is the stated basis for why the selected answers received high grades?

They were assigned high grades and were written by applicants who passed the examination after the First Read.

What must an essay answer demonstrate under the instructions?

It must analyze the facts, distinguish material from immaterial facts, identify the points of law and fact that control the outcome, and apply the law to the given facts with logical reasoning.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

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