Preps Californians for bar exams

What may be the first legitimate $1,000 iPhone app has appeared at the App Store. BarMax CA is meant to prepare Californian lawyers for the state's bar exam, and measures over 1GB. The size is a result of thousands of pages of text, as well as hundreds of hours of audio material. Lawyers are meant to consume the material over the period of a two-month course.

Sections of the app replicate the bar exam, including multiple choice questions, practice essays and a performance test. Users also have access to a course calendar, audio lectures and flash cards. While the current app is meant only for Californians, BarMax says it intends to have versions ready for New York and five other states by the end of 2010. A multi-state app will omit information that is not universal across the US.

While the most expensive iPhone app now available, BarMax CA may be significantly less expensive than in-class preparation from companies like BarBri, which charges between $3,000 and $4,000. BarBri offers a free iPhone app, but only in association with classes.

The very first $1,000 app to be approved was I Am Rich, which did nothing beyond display a red gem. Apple quickly removed it in the wake of media attention and complaints; one buyer claimed to have purchased it accidentally. App Store rules normally insist that programs have an explicit functionality.

by MacNN Staff