Interesting. As someone who also does a fair bit of grading (in a completely different discipline), I'd be curious to hear how you deal with people who are really far behind/struggling with basic issues. Do you try to point out every error/issue they need to address, or do you just try to focus on the big issues? Are you able to tell people that they aren't likely to pass given the work they've submitted, or would that be going too far outside the remit of your grading?
I try to focus on this bigger concepts, definitely. This is in the context of a self-directed class, so my role is limited to feedback on their practice essays. They get a model answer as part of the process, so a lot of times if it's a lot of substantive issues, I'll just refer them to that. Otherwise I just say what they need to work on most, be it organization, issue spotting, etc. I definitely wouldn't say that they aren't likely; so much of passing the bar exam is not psyching yourself out and/or panicking, so I don't want to be counterproductive. I will say though that while every once in awhile I'm wrong, I usually know pretty quick who will pass and who won't. Pass lists get posted on the internet, so I always make it a point to go through the list of students I had and see who passed.