LA BAR Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield LA BAR facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Under the Louisiana Business Corporation Act, when does a corporation's legal existence begin? → When the articles of incorporation are filed with the Secretary of State
2. A usufructuary's primary obligation at the termination of a Louisiana usufruct is to: → Return the property in the same condition as received, normal use excepted
3. In Louisiana, 'fruits' of property are best defined as: → Revenues and products derived from a thing without diminishing its substance
4. Under Louisiana law, a person who acquires immovable property by inheritance: → Acquires ownership at the moment of the decedent's death
5. To alienate or encumber community immovable property in Louisiana, the transaction requires: → The joinder or written consent of both spouses
6. In Louisiana civil proceedings, a plaintiff must typically establish their claims by: → A preponderance of the evidence
7. Under the Commerce Clause after Lopez and Morrison, which of the following can Congress NOT regulate? → Non-economic, purely local activity based solely on attenuated effects on commerce
8. What is the residency requirement for filing a divorce in Louisiana? → The petitioner must meet state-specific residency requirements before filing
9. In Louisiana, which of the following best describes "community property"? → Property acquired during marriage, excluding those gifts and inheritances.
10. The personal servitude of habitation in Louisiana grants its holder the right to: → Inhabit the house of another and use it as a dwelling for oneself and family
11. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 490, ownership of a tract of land extends: → Above and below the surface within the limits fixed by law
12. According to Louisiana law, which of the following best describes the principle of double jeopardy? → A person cannot be tried again for the same offense after acquittal or conviction.
13. What is specific performance as a contract remedy? → A court order requiring the breaching party to perform their contractual obligations
14. A Louisiana landowner discovers a neighbor's fence encroaches 2 feet onto his property. The most appropriate Civil Code remedy is to: → File a boundary action to fix the boundary and demand removal of the encroachment
15. Following Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024), when a federal statute is ambiguous, federal courts reviewing agency interpretations of the statute must: → Exercise independent judgment to determine the statute's best meaning
16. Under Louisiana law, which of the following typically requires a warrant for a search to be lawful? → Searching a private residence without consent or exigent circumstances.
17. Under Louisiana's Rules of Professional Conduct, when is a lawyer permitted to disclose confidential information about a client? → When the lawyer has obtained the client’s informed consent.
18. What is the purpose of filing a UCC financing statement? → To perfect the security interest and establish priority over other creditors
19. Under Louisiana law, a witness may be impeached with a prior criminal conviction when the crime: → Involved dishonesty or false statement, regardless of the grade of the offense
20. Under Louisiana law, co-ownership of immovable property gives each co-owner: → An undivided interest in the whole property
21. What is an agency's enabling statute? → The law enacted by Congress that creates the agency and defines its authority and powers
22. In Louisiana, the 'but-for' test for establishing actual cause in a negligence case asks whether: → The plaintiff's injury would not have occurred but for the defendant's negligent conduct
23. Under Louisiana law, what is the primary effect of a testamentary disposition that does not meet the formal requirements for a valid will? → The disposition is void and has no legal effect.
24. Under the Louisiana Products Liability Act (LPLA), which of the following is NOT a recognized theory of recovery against a manufacturer? → Absolute strict liability for inherently dangerous products regardless of any defect
25. Under Louisiana law, an apparent servitude such as a right of passage may be acquired by: → Title, destination of the owner, or acquisitive prescription
26. According to Louisiana's Rules of Professional Conduct, how should a lawyer handle client funds that are to be held in trust? → Keep them in a separate trust account designated for client funds.
27. Under Louisiana's duty-risk analysis, a negligence plaintiff must establish not only that the defendant breached a duty but also that: → The particular risk that caused harm fell within the scope of the defendant's duty
28. The Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress the power to: → Choose any means rationally related to executing an enumerated power
29. What is relevance in evidence law? → Evidence that has any tendency to make a material fact more or less probable
30. What are prior inconsistent statements used for? → To impeach a witness's credibility by showing contradictory earlier statements