Bar Exam - California - Ontario Convention Center Forum

[maureenwct]

Hello,

I am an attorney-applicant sitting the February Bar - I have been in practice in CT since 1990.

Can anyone comment on the organization of the room where the exam is taken? Is each applicant given his or her own desk? Is there an electric outlet for the laptop? Are we allowed to have water? Leave the room between essays if we need to use a rest-room?

Thank you for your feedback.

M-

[bacillusanthracis]

Hello,

I am an attorney-applicant sitting the February Bar - I have been in practice in CT since 1990.

Can anyone comment on the organization of the room where the exam is taken? Is each applicant given his or her own desk? Is there an electric outlet for the laptop? Are we allowed to have water? Leave the room between essays if we need to use a rest-room?

Thank you for your feedback.

M-

I took the February 2018 exam there. They push desks together that are meant for e.g. 2 people, so unless you sit on an end, you'll have a person on each side, but you'll have plenty of room in which to work, and I never felt cramped there. The setup was the same in Oakland, where I took this past July bar, so I think it's SOP for the California bar.

There are outlets for your laptop.

You can't have anything to drink while at the desk. You can use the restroom. There are proctors all over the place including inside and outside the restroom. I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to leave the actual testing room though.

Oh, it can get pretty cold in there, so bring a hoodie jacket or something like that.

[maureenwct]

Thank you so much!

Silly question, but, when you do essays on the computer (when I took the bar in 1990 no such use), can you backspace and use the text area in the same way you would in word? I tend to write with spaces between my thoughts and then go back and fill in areas as I go. I have been practicing writing essays en masse so far, to brush up on the format, and the manner of stating rules required for the exam.

Thanks for your answers. I really appreciate them.

And, as an aside, if you're from the Ontario area, do you know any dog-sitters? I will have my dog with me at my hotel, and I will need someone to watch him during the exam.

[FinallyPassedTheBar]

The hall is huge. It could take a couple of minutes just to walk to the bathroom or get a drink of water depending on your assigned seat.

[rcharter1978]

Hello,

I am an attorney-applicant sitting the February Bar - I have been in practice in CT since 1990.

Can anyone comment on the organization of the room where the exam is taken? Is each applicant given his or her own desk? Is there an electric outlet for the laptop? Are we allowed to have water? Leave the room between essays if we need to use a rest-room?

Thank you for your feedback.

M-

I took the February 2018 exam there. They push desks together that are meant for e.g. 2 people, so unless you sit on an end, you'll have a person on each side, but you'll have plenty of room in which to work, and I never felt cramped there. The setup was the same in Oakland, where I took this past July bar, so I think it's SOP for the California bar.

There are outlets for your laptop.

You can't have anything to drink while at the desk. You can use the restroom. There are proctors all over the place including inside and outside the restroom. I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to leave the actual testing room though.

Oh, it can get pretty cold in there, so bring a hoodie jacket or something like that.

This is all true, especially the part about it being v. cold. I wore a velour tracksuit all three days. It's nice to have something you can take off. Because it can get warm outside.

PRO TIP - when I was at the convention center the clocks we're wonky and there were very few of them. Bring your own and thank me later!

[MBernard]

One thing I'll add; there are no lockers outside the Convention Center and the proctors will not let you put your lunch inside the building. The second day I had to put my lunch box in bush so it wouldn't be exposed to direct heat (J-18 test). Also, no restaurants around the area. Hopefully you have a car and can store your lunchbox in a ice chest in the trunk.

Other than that, everything about the convention center was fine.

[rcharter1978]

One thing I'll add; there are no lockers outside the Convention Center and the proctors will not let you put your lunch inside the building. The second day I had to put my lunch box in bush so it wouldn't be exposed to direct heat (J-18 test). Also, no restaurants around the area. Hopefully you have a car and can store your lunchbox in a ice chest in the trunk.

Other than that, everything about the convention center was fine.

As I remember it there is a jack in the box nearby and a little cafe in the convention center. I also feel like there is a gas station that has an am/pm.

But I think going to any of these places would be frustrating because you'd be around so many other people and you'd have to wait in lines and it would be annoying.

Target has these things called "gopicnic" boxes that are like a little meal in a box with non perishable items (link below). I brought one of those a day with me and a fruit, and water. It seemed like bringing anything refrigerated might be a pain.

https://www.target.com/p/go-picnic-humm ... A-14774124#

[longwait]

I suggest getting a sandwich at the cafe inside--long line but went fast.

[MBernard]

One thing I'll add; there are no lockers outside the Convention Center and the proctors will not let you put your lunch inside the building. The second day I had to put my lunch box in bush so it wouldn't be exposed to direct heat (J-18 test). Also, no restaurants around the area. Hopefully you have a car and can store your lunchbox in a ice chest in the trunk.

Other than that, everything about the convention center was fine.

As I remember it there is a jack in the box nearby and a little cafe in the convention center. I also feel like there is a gas station that has an am/pm.

But I think going to any of these places would be frustrating because you'd be around so many other people and you'd have to wait in lines and it would be annoying.

Target has these things called "gopicnic" boxes that are like a little meal in a box with non perishable items (link below). I brought one of those a day with me and a fruit, and water. It seemed like bringing anything refrigerated might be a pain.

https://www.target.com/p/go-picnic-humm ... A-14774124#

Huh, wish I would’ve known about the Jack in the box. As for a cafe, they locked us out of the convention center during breaks so I’m not sure if that’s still an option. I remember the location being isolated aside from hotels but maybe I’m wrong.

[rcharter1978]

One thing I'll add; there are no lockers outside the Convention Center and the proctors will not let you put your lunch inside the building. The second day I had to put my lunch box in bush so it wouldn't be exposed to direct heat (J-18 test). Also, no restaurants around the area. Hopefully you have a car and can store your lunchbox in a ice chest in the trunk.

Other than that, everything about the convention center was fine.

As I remember it there is a jack in the box nearby and a little cafe in the convention center. I also feel like there is a gas station that has an am/pm.

But I think going to any of these places would be frustrating because you'd be around so many other people and you'd have to wait in lines and it would be annoying.

Target has these things called "gopicnic" boxes that are like a little meal in a box with non perishable items (link below). I brought one of those a day with me and a fruit, and water. It seemed like bringing anything refrigerated might be a pain.

https://www.target.com/p/go-picnic-humm ... A-14774124#

Huh, wish I would’ve known about the Jack in the box. As for a cafe, they locked us out of the convention center during breaks so I’m not sure if that’s still an option. I remember the location being isolated aside from hotels but maybe I’m wrong.

The jack in the box is like on the southeast corner where the gas station is. BUT, I cannot begin to imagine the lines, because there aren't a ton of fast food options in walking distance. So weird, I remember passing the cafe and there was a super long line. But, I think I have some form of bar exam PTSD where I try to block it all out, so they may have shut everyone out.

Nope, other than the hotels (which maybe you can get a quick sandwich from?) its not a super hip area.

I always think bringing lunch is the best option. Everyone is on edge, everyone is going to the same places, there are long lines for food. No matter what you want to do on your lunch break (squeeze in some review, just sit alone and think, stare directly into the sun and wonder why you went to law school) none of it is enhanced by standing in a long ass line with other stressed out people.