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Title basically says it all. I'll be working at a DC firm post-graduation (fingers crossed) but I'd like to return to California someday, whether as a lateral or a semi-retired solo when i'm an old. I gather the CA bar is crushingly hard enough that I won't want to go through that 10 or 20 years from now, so I'm thinking I get CA out of the way now, waive into DC and go from there. Any reason why that won't work? I know CA sucks for reciprocity in every direction, but that doesn't matter for DC, right?

I did this and had the joy of failing the CA bar exam and loosing a job. I took another jurisdiction and passed first time.

I would take another jurisdiction, maybe a UBE state and then just waive into DC. I would then wait it out and take the July 2017 (two day) version of the CA bar exam. The way things are going there may be some form of reciprocity in CA in 20 years too.

Basically you are more likely to fail the CA bar exam than any other bar exam out there. Take an easier jurisdiction, waive in, and then mess around with CA when the stakes are not as high. Also a two day exam is such a better experience than a three day exam.

Most big law firms will give you a second shot at the bar, but you get like 3 weeks of leave to study. Not fun.

All that matters for DC is that you score above a 133 on the MBE.

If you want CA someday, I'd go for it now. You can never get into CA without taking some version of their bar exam. So you might as well take it once, rather than take a bar and then take CA later.

The downside is it's legitimately harder than other jurisdictions. Pass rates for T14's in CA are like ~85-90% compared to like 95%+ in places like Illinois and New York.

OP here:

Yeah, I'd like to do Cali first for the reasons DF gives, but I'm obviously terrified of failing the bar, and CA magnifies that terror. Do Biglaw offers always vanish if you fail your first try?

Anonymous User wrote:OP here:

Yeah, I'd like to do Cali first for the reasons DF gives, but I'm obviously terrified of failing the bar, and CA magnifies that terror. Do Biglaw offers always vanish if you fail your first try?

My understanding is that nearly all biglaw firms will give you one free fail. Fail twice and you're in trouble.

I've heard that the CA bar exam for practicing attorneys is actually even harder. Famously, Kathleen Sullivan failed her first time when she moved to Stanford. If you're truly intent on returning to CA, I would probably get it out of the way now. But considering a) down the line CA might actually do some kind of reciprocity and b) life events might take you to some other place, it might be worth taking Passachusetts or something and just dealing with the CA eventuality when you have to.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here:

Yeah, I'd like to do Cali first for the reasons DF gives, but I'm obviously terrified of failing the bar, and CA magnifies that terror. Do Biglaw offers always vanish if you fail your first try?

They don't. Usually you get 2 tries.

California going to 2 days is a big change. Most big law associates do not fail. Look at the stats for T1 students, especially Cal or Stanford students is +90% or so.

If you want a lateral option, I think you pretty much gotta take it. CA firms don't want laterals without the CA bar.

If you might want to retire a solo, maybe you can pussy out and take an easy bar.

Desert Fox wrote:If you want a lateral option, I think you pretty much gotta take it. CA firms don't want laterals without the CA bar.

If you might want to retire a solo, maybe you can pussy out and take an easy bar.

I am looking to lateral to CA and I passed the CA bar, but because of a C&F problem, CA put my moral character determination into abeyance until 9/2017.

Do you think its possible to look to lateral sometime around February of 2017? I will be admitted at the same time as those that will take the bar in July, but I have already passed the bar.

Having just gone through the bar process (and in California) last summer, I would say take the bar in CA for sure. After you're done with the bar you'll be happy you did because you'll never want to do it again. It's just stupid stressful, even though logically it probably shouldn't be. At least for me and most of my friends that was the case. It's horrible. You're lucky you're in DC and can take CA. Also it will simplify the lateral process greatly from what I understand. Probably make you more attractive to CA employers.

Its not 100% true that you have to have the CA bar to lateral to CA. But if you don't you will have 3 weeks of leave to study for it.