2017 February California Bar Exam Forum

[LockBox]

Great post, LockBox. I'm glad you brought up the non-"feel good" perspective. I think giving up the culmination of what you worked for the last several years will take some psychological reframing.

And yet, being an attorney is such a taxing position. Non-legal jobs still value your JD and work ethic. You don't have to bill every 6 minutes (while cutting your own hours and looking for more work to do), pay yearly bar fees, track MCLE, feel stuck in one state, address people who think you can handle all sorts of issues whenever they have landlord problems, address people think you're rich, be held to a high standard of conduct (maybe), etc.

No, thank you for your great posts. These are tough times for a lot of people but you and Rcharter are consistently here giving feedback and thoughts on this process. If there ever is a TLS all-star list, you two would be on it.

Keep it up as I know I benefitted from it.

[rcharter1978]

Great post, LockBox. I'm glad you brought up the non-"feel good" perspective. I think giving up the culmination of what you worked for the last several years will take some psychological reframing.

And yet, being an attorney is such a taxing position. Non-legal jobs still value your JD and work ethic. You don't have to bill every 6 minutes (while cutting your own hours and looking for more work to do), pay yearly bar fees, track MCLE, feel stuck in one state, address people who think you can handle all sorts of issues whenever they have landlord problems, address people think you're rich, be held to a high standard of conduct (maybe), etc.

No, thank you for your great posts. These are tough times for a lot of people but you and Rcharter are consistently here giving feedback and thoughts on this process. If there ever is a TLS all-star list, you two would be on it.

Keep it up as I know I benefitted from it.

Thanks, you too. I guess we all know the heartbreak of failing and the joy of success. It's really hard to see that there will be a rainbow at the end of the tears.

[CaliBoy157]

Hello,

Ive always read comments on this site but never posted. I wanted to thank all of your for your advice through the years and wanted to give my advice on how I passed the February 2017 California Bar as a repeater. I failed the July 2016 exam by 15 points and passed this Feb exam.

My background - I graduated from Loyola Law in Los Angeles, last year, with a good GPA. Ive done well in the majority of classes ive taken, and learned alot from Loyola. It was a great school to go to, people were nice and friendly, and they give alot of help to their students. The price tag for a law degree is ridiculous, but other than Loyola was a great school to go to.

July 2016 Exam
Because of mostly costs, I took the Themis Bar Review since it was only $1300 and Barbri was like $4700. Themis is a legit bar review course. The videos were informative and since I hadn't taken any classes in Ca Civil Procedure or Trusts and Wills, their videos and outlines were great on all those subjects I missed.

I completed about 85% of the course, finishing all the videos, completing all the graded essays, the majority of the MBE questions. I thought i was in good shape for the Bar.

My results from the July Bar indicated that I passed the written section, but my biggest issue was the MBE...I did poorly on that...with a 1325 score on the MBE i think.


February 2016 Exam
Themis allow you to repeat the course a 2nd time for free if you don't pass, however I wanted to try something new since I didn't think using the same program twice would be beneficial. This time around I contacted Bar Bri, and they gave me a price of $1995, which was some type of Repeater price since i used a competitor and failed with them. I took that.

Barbri is ok in my opinion. I would have to say I like Themis alot better, who explained the subjects much better. The advantage i will give to Barbri is that theyre outlines are very very thorough...and they're practice MBE questions are better and more difficult too than Themis.

I also bought Critical Flash Cards too. This was a great help since i didn't have to waste time writing the flash cards, and could start memorizing from day one.

I also signed up for AdaptiBar. I completed about 775 questions out of the 2000. After i did all my Bar Bri videos and assignements, I would be tired by the end of the night, and could only do about 50 adaptibar questions a night...but I would say that adaptibar was a good help at just getting more practice at MBEs, which in my case what my biggest problem.


In Conclusion

1. For a Bar Prep Course I would say i preferred Themis over Bar Bri, but the combination of both of them helped me alot...Themis gave me a great general picture of how to write and what they are looking for on writing for the Bar. Bar Bri helped with little distinctions here and there which may have helped me pass the 2nd time. The MBE questions were must better on Bar Bri than they were on Themis. And the Books and outlines that Bar Bri sends are much more thorough. Bar Bri at $4700 is not worth it though...Themis is much better priced

2. Get Critical Flash Cards and AdaptiBar its helps.

3. Dont do MBE questions on the computer. Do all of them in the book and on scantron since that how the exam will be. Trust me it makes a difference.

4. Do all the Practice Exam sessions and the Practice MBEs under timed conditions. Unfortunately I didn't do that the first time around, so i think i had a false sense of how well i was doing. The second time around I did all the practice sessions under timed conditions and I had a better gauge on areas i needed to improve on.

5. Have good outlines. A good outline can produce a good written answer.

6. Don't give up. Do whatever it takes. Seriously Whatever it takes.


I never really posted on this site before but these are the things that have helped me this time around to pass. Let me know if you have any questions and hopefully I can help.

Wishing you guys all the best

[barexaminerssuck27]

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me. I was crying but I am okay now.

I have SHUT my family out of my life in order to pass this exam.

SEE YOU ON THE PASS LIST IN NOVEMBER 2017

[rcharter1978]

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me. I was crying but I am okay now.

I have SHUT my family out of my life in order to pass this exam.

SEE YOU ON THE PASS LIST IN NOVEMBER 2017

Good! It used to help me to visualize what success would look like...like what would I do when I found out I passed. How would I feel, how amazing would it be to share my joy with everyone....how proud would I be.

Those visualizations got me through some rough patches.

[9xSound]

Thank you to everyone who wrote to me. I was crying but I am okay now.

I have SHUT my family out of my life in order to pass this exam.

SEE YOU ON THE PASS LIST IN NOVEMBER 2017

You have a winning attitude, Anne. You'll get there.

[CalBar3Day]

For those who provided words of encouragement, thank you. @LockBox I also appreciate you providing a different perspective although I would respectfully disagree that I want to "rail against the bar and California." I am one who consistently scored within 25 points of passing, 14 points during one examination, and who did reflect on myself and what I could do to pass this test. This was the reason I hired a well respected former bar grader in addition to why I chose to leave my job for a few months to study day-in and day-out every single day until that exam in February. I completed the entire Adaptibar program - scoring in the 70% range at the end, as well as countless practice essays - also scoring in the 65-70+.

The point of my post was that for someone who has consistently come so close and chose to make hard decisions to try and pass this test, I am defeated in having to satisfy the subjective minds of one grader to another. My overall scores have been satisfactory in almost every other state. California's arbitrary cut score has made this the most mentally, emotionally, and financially draining and degrading experience I've ever had to endure. It is taking a toll on not just me, but also my family. Not sure if you have others to worry about in your household, but I do. It would be different if I were living a solo life. But taking time off of work (unpaid) and repeatedly subjecting family members to my absence for months on end is wearing. I absolutely take responsibility for my failures, not just with this test, but in any other aspect. I just have hit my limit with the unreasonable grading expectations in California. Maybe one day, if given an opportunity to live elsewhere, I'll consider another state. But that's not an option for me at the moment. Like I said, there are other people I am responsible for. For the sake of others who have to take this test in July as well as any other future administration, I can only hope that the California bar makes some changes.

[maxmartin]

For those who provided words of encouragement, thank you. @LockBox I also appreciate you providing a different perspective although I would respectfully disagree that I want to "rail against the bar and California." I am one who consistently scored within 25 points of passing, 14 points during one examination, and who did reflect on myself and what I could do to pass this test. This was the reason I hired a well respected former bar grader in addition to why I chose to leave my job for a few months to study day-in and day-out every single day until that exam in February. I completed the entire Adaptibar program - scoring in the 70% range at the end, as well as countless practice essays - also scoring in the 65-70+.

The point of my post was that for someone who has consistently come so close and chose to make hard decisions to try and pass this test, I am defeated in having to satisfy the subjective minds of one grader to another. My overall scores have been satisfactory in almost every other state. California's arbitrary cut score has made this the most mentally, emotionally, and financially draining and degrading experience I've ever had to endure. It is taking a toll on not just me, but also my family. Not sure if you have others to worry about in your household, but I do. It would be different if I were living a solo life. But taking time off of work (unpaid) and repeatedly subjecting family members to my absence for months on end is wearing. I absolutely take responsibility for my failures, not just with this test, but in any other aspect. I just have hit my limit with the unreasonable grading expectations in California. Maybe one day, if given an opportunity to live elsewhere, I'll consider another state. But that's not an option for me at the moment. Like I said, there are other people I am responsible for. For the sake of others who have to take this test in July as well as any other future administration, I can only hope that the California bar makes some changes.

Exactly, this is what I mentioned in http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=277659
But I still think you should wait for the result to see how much you get in MBE. If you scored above 150 in MBE, and in previous administrations you were only within 25 points. The chance of passing in July with 50/50 format is very high!

[SUPERFEVER]

Is there any way to get your scores if you passed?

[ur_hero]

Is there any way to get your scores if you passed?

Nope. You can see if you exceeded certain scores on MBE by doing a score request on NCBE. It will tell you if you MBE is HIGHER than certain thresholds required by certain states.

[ManoloM]

Hello everyone I have been a long time lurker and I decided to register to share my news.

I passed the bar exam. It was my 2nd try. For those who are wondering I took Kaplan, used their essay graders, used Kaplan's MBE questions and used Adaptibar. Honestly after reading a lot of the posts on here as to each essay question and PT and who wrote what on which essay I honestly thought I was going to fail. But when I saw my name I was elated and I still can't believe it days later.

But for those who failed, I definitely understand what you guys are going through. I was seriously depressed when I found out I didn't pass and spent days moping around and crying my eyes out. But when I got the letter and my scores I analyzed what I did wrong. My essay writing score was fine (1470-something I think) but my MBE score was low (1337). So I took over 2000ish MBE questions using both Kaplan and Adaptibar and I averaged around 64-70% if you combine both programs.

But I said to myself that I was GOING TO PASS. No ifs ands or buts about it. It was going to happen. I didn't care if I took it once, or if I took it 20 times. I had to pass. I had to believe I could pass and I had to believe the exam is doable.

The 2-day bar exam may be easier for the 1 less day alone. I was running on fumes the last day.

[ManoloM]

Is there any way to get your scores if you passed?

I wish. I would really love to know my score for that 2nd essay.

[boxinggirl]

I didn't pass. I'm considering getting a bar exam tutor. Any recommendations? Please PM me. Also, did any of you use Barwinners?

[eki]

boxinggirl do you live in LA or OC? After failing the bar in July I got a tutor, which I think really helped push me and pass this time around. I can give you more info if like.

[gymtanlaw]

Long time lurker and decided to post to share my story in the hopes it may help at least one of you.

I just passed the CA bar exam. It took me two tries. I passed the July 2015 FL Bar on the first try. The difference between the difficulty of the exams is astounding. FL is a cakewalk compared to CA. Two day exam with only 3 hours of essays. When I decided to take the CA exam I was lucky enough to be able to take 2 months off to study for the CA bar. I signed up for Themis, finished most of the course, worked extremely hard, but it was not enough, I was 199 points away from passing. I did not pass a single essay and got a 137 on my MBE.

I decided to self study for the July 2016 exam. I got Barbri books and Adaptibar. I was working full time and studying any moment I got. Come two weeks before the exam I realized I was not ready yet again. In almost tears I decided to cancel and by the stroke of I don't know what I found an amazing bar course, where the professor was so dialed in to the CA bar that I was able to pass this time while working full time. I don't know if I can say his name on a post on the forum, but if anyone wants to know the name of the course please PM me.

The course is on the pricey end (Barbri prices), but you will not learn from a better person. The materials are fantastic and the course instructor is always a phone call or email away. The commercial bar companies just don't have that individual touch, where you can actually discuss with your instructor substantive law, essay writing, and any other question or concern you may have.

The substance of the ourse also blows every other commercial bar company out of the water. While other courses give you books and books of materials and outlines riddled with confusing jargon, the course provides you with the information that you need to pass the bar in PLAIN ENGLISH! The course materials for the essay writing are amazing. The instructor has gone through all the past essays so you don't have to and created concise essay rules that have been tested for each subject and amazing essay answers for previous questions that are flawless. The MBE materials are also amazing, with a program much better than Adapti-Bar that has thousands of real MBE questions and the most accurate Civil Procedure questions that you will see. Since Civil Procedure is a new subject on the MBE, so there have only been a handful of released questions, but this course has created hundreds that mirror exactly the Civil Procedure questions you will see on the exam.

I stand by this course and wish I could scream to every prospective CA Bar taker to take it before they spend their money on Barbri, Themis, Kaplan. If I did not take this course I think the road to passing would have been much more arduous. While the course is not a magic elixer, it does give you the tools and the path to PASS if you put in the hard work and effort.

For those who failed, I definitely understand what you guys are going through. I was seriously depressed when I found out I didn't pass and was depressed for months. Again I don't want to give the name of the course on the forum to not be in violation of any TLS rules, but you can PM me about it if you would like to learn more. I truly stand by this course and how it helped me.

While the course is on the pricey end, the course also has a program where you can just buy the MBE practice questions for about the same price as Adaptibar, but with a much much better question bank and much better explanations. I did both Adaptibar and this course's program and the program for MBE from this course is light years better. I jumped from a 137 MBE to a score that would allow me to waive into North Dakota (150 or better).

I truly hope the best for all of you and hope everyone passes the CA Bar on the next try. It really is a hazing process that you need to get through! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[rosh1005]

For those who provided words of encouragement, thank you. @LockBox I also appreciate you providing a different perspective although I would respectfully disagree that I want to "rail against the bar and California." I am one who consistently scored within 25 points of passing, 14 points during one examination, and who did reflect on myself and what I could do to pass this test. This was the reason I hired a well respected former bar grader in addition to why I chose to leave my job for a few months to study day-in and day-out every single day until that exam in February. I completed the entire Adaptibar program - scoring in the 70% range at the end, as well as countless practice essays - also scoring in the 65-70+.

The point of my post was that for someone who has consistently come so close and chose to make hard decisions to try and pass this test, I am defeated in having to satisfy the subjective minds of one grader to another. My overall scores have been satisfactory in almost every other state. California's arbitrary cut score has made this the most mentally, emotionally, and financially draining and degrading experience I've ever had to endure. It is taking a toll on not just me, but also my family. Not sure if you have others to worry about in your household, but I do. It would be different if I were living a solo life. But taking time off of work (unpaid) and repeatedly subjecting family members to my absence for months on end is wearing. I absolutely take responsibility for my failures, not just with this test, but in any other aspect. I just have hit my limit with the unreasonable grading expectations in California. Maybe one day, if given an opportunity to live elsewhere, I'll consider another state. But that's not an option for me at the moment. Like I said, there are other people I am responsible for. For the sake of others who have to take this test in July as well as any other future administration, I can only hope that the California bar makes some changes.

I'm right there with you. It is not only affecting me, but my whole family. This test is so brutal and I don't think anyone understands what we go through besides repeaters.

[Guchster]

For those who provided words of encouragement, thank you. @LockBox I also appreciate you providing a different perspective although I would respectfully disagree that I want to "rail against the bar and California." I am one who consistently scored within 25 points of passing, 14 points during one examination, and who did reflect on myself and what I could do to pass this test. This was the reason I hired a well respected former bar grader in addition to why I chose to leave my job for a few months to study day-in and day-out every single day until that exam in February. I completed the entire Adaptibar program - scoring in the 70% range at the end, as well as countless practice essays - also scoring in the 65-70+.

The point of my post was that for someone who has consistently come so close and chose to make hard decisions to try and pass this test, I am defeated in having to satisfy the subjective minds of one grader to another. My overall scores have been satisfactory in almost every other state. California's arbitrary cut score has made this the most mentally, emotionally, and financially draining and degrading experience I've ever had to endure. It is taking a toll on not just me, but also my family. Not sure if you have others to worry about in your household, but I do. It would be different if I were living a solo life. But taking time off of work (unpaid) and repeatedly subjecting family members to my absence for months on end is wearing. I absolutely take responsibility for my failures, not just with this test, but in any other aspect. I just have hit my limit with the unreasonable grading expectations in California. Maybe one day, if given an opportunity to live elsewhere, I'll consider another state. But that's not an option for me at the moment. Like I said, there are other people I am responsible for. For the sake of others who have to take this test in July as well as any other future administration, I can only hope that the California bar makes some changes.

As others mentioned, I would wait until you receive your MBE score before you give up completely. As I've mentioned several times ITT, the 3-day format of the CA Bar Exam was completely bullshit. I mean, almost 70% of your score is left to the subjective whim of a lawyer probably too inept to get a real job practicing law, combined with the fact that studies and anecdotal accounts have shown that often times what's a passing essay for some is a failing one for other graders. Reading and dissecting hundreds of essays on baressays during my barprep proved to me that their grading was inconsistent, often illogical and many essays too harshly graded but yet others too leniently graded. A complete scam.

Now that this subjective element is limited to 50%, I'd give it another shot. If your MBE score is still way below the threshold, wait until CA very likely lowers the cut score after it finishes its study. I imagine they'll eventually move to be on par with NY State, which is basically a 1330.

[sk1130]

Is anyone selling their Critical Pass flashcards? And does anyone have an opinion on whether you need to buy the most recent version of them?

[ylee123]

I've never checked or posted on this site while I was preparing for the Bar. But I feel inclined to give some support to those who were not successful this time around.

I've been there. Multiple times. I understand your frustration, your fears, your heartache. I understand getting kicked in the gut by those you love, those who just don't understand what you're going through. I know the desire to just crawl into a hole and never come out again. I've done Barbri, I've tried other types of bar review courses. Even after I passed, I look back and think about how the whole ordeal was a terrible and truly difficult process.

But you are a fighter. You are smart. You've proven that to the world already. Now all you gotta do is prove it to yourself.

Wipe your tears and tell the California Bar to "Go f*** yourself." And take it to poundtown.

Not even joking. You got this.

Practice, practice, practice. Memorize the big black letter rules. Don't get distracted with legal minutiae. Issue spot right up til the next Bar exam. Some people need a rigid schedule. If that's you, impose such a schedule on yourself. Some people, like me, are working full time. If you are too, don't worry. You can do it when you get home. Do MBEs in your free time. Read and re-read old Bar exam essay questions. Outline the answers. Use short, legible outlines per topic because seriously, just reading and re-reading hundreds of pages of Barbri/Themis outline isn't helping you. Know the big ticket issues front and back. Have a solid game plan for the PTs. Get used to writing a concise essay within the time limit. Do you have a learning disability? Get a (good) tutor. You have no money? Get a flexible job. Do what you have to do.

And don't scare yourself. Some programs like Adaptibar will chart your progress in percentages. You may see 60% one day, 90% another. Screw the numbers. Don't worry too much if you haven't been doing twenty or a hundred MBEs a day. Review the f*** out of questions you missed. You missed a few issues in your latest practice essay? Don't worry--just review the sh*t out of it so you never miss it again.

Personally, I didn't use a set schedule. I did about 500 MBEs to practice and issue spotted every Bar essay I could find. I was doing max 6 hours to review a day. I found a small bar review course near my house to refresh my memory on those pesky little Bar issues I never could truly memorize (rule against perpetuities galore) and to get some feedback on a few essays I wrote without notes. I used ten page outlines and almost never checked the Barbri-level longer outlines I had at my disposal. I didn't memorize rule statements or headings or whatever BS some bar review courses tout. But I knew my sh*t. It all doesn't sound like enough prep work but we all have different schedules and different ways of taking in massive amounts of information.

You can do this.

You are going to pass.

Come July, I'll be expecting you in poundtown as well.

[lawboat]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

[lsatextreme]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

We're in the same boat. Been practicing in VA for two years and just failed this one on my first try. I'm actually quitting my job at the end of this month and moving to CA to focus 100% on prepping for July. Did you receive your letter already on the score breakdown?

[cnk1220]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

We're in the same boat. Been practicing in VA for two years and just failed this one on my first try. I'm actually quitting my job at the end of this month and moving to CA to focus 100% on prepping for July. Did you receive your letter already on the score breakdown?

I think it says a lot about the difficulty of this exam/harsh grading if attorneys in NY and VA with a few years of practice under their belts are failing. Ridic! Hopefully the switch to the 2 day bar makes it easier for everyone to pass, and they raise the pass rate- 34% really??

[lawboat]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

We're in the same boat. Been practicing in VA for two years and just failed this one on my first try. I'm actually quitting my job at the end of this month and moving to CA to focus 100% on prepping for July. Did you receive your letter already on the score breakdown?

I got it today, Monday. The 34.5% pass rate is ludicrous. It's as if they are trying to be the lowest.

To all those out there who did not pass, it does not necessarily reflect your skills as a practicing lawyer. You are still very smart and capable. We will join the CA ranks soon.

[maxmartin]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

Use 50/50 to calculate your score to see if you crossed line. If you do, I would take July again without any hesitation

[lawboat]

My heart is with everyone who did not pass. I am one of the unlucky ones, too. I was 15 points away from 1440. This was my first time taking the California exam.

I've been practicing in NYC for two years, having passed the NY one. This exam is tough for all of us. I'm contemplating the July 2017 one. I have to get over this gutting heartbreak that many are probably going through.

Use 50/50 to calculate your score to see if you crossed line. If you do, I would take July again without any hesitation

I cross the threshold. I hope I move through the stages of grief quickly.