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Hello everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a question out there for collective wisdom.

Up until this point, I've been a C/C+ average student at a pretty decent California school. If you were in my position (having managed to barely scrape by) what would be your approach toward passing the bar exam. FYI I am a second year student. Should I just start studying for the bar right now and cruise through the rest of my classes? At this point that's pretty much all I care about since I plan on being self-employed upon graduation (or possibly working for a decent small firm -- no big law aspirations here).

DiggyHopeful wrote:Hello everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a question out there for collective wisdom.

Up until this point, I've been a C/C+ average student at a pretty decent California school. If you were in my position (having managed to barely scrape by) what would be your approach toward passing the bar exam. FYI I am a second year student. Should I just start studying for the bar right now and cruise through the rest of my classes? At this point that's pretty much all I care about since I plan on being self-employed upon graduation (or possibly working for a decent small firm -- no big law aspirations here).

Protip, there are no decent CA schools where it is possible to have a C/C+ average.

Veyron wrote:

DiggyHopeful wrote:Hello everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a question out there for collective wisdom.

Up until this point, I've been a C/C+ average student at a pretty decent California school. If you were in my position (having managed to barely scrape by) what would be your approach toward passing the bar exam. FYI I am a second year student. Should I just start studying for the bar right now and cruise through the rest of my classes? At this point that's pretty much all I care about since I plan on being self-employed upon graduation (or possibly working for a decent small firm -- no big law aspirations here).

Protip, there are no decent CA schools where it is possible to have a C/C+ average.

Not even the throat-cutting Hastings?

truevines wrote:

Veyron wrote:

DiggyHopeful wrote:Hello everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a question out there for collective wisdom.

Up until this point, I've been a C/C+ average student at a pretty decent California school. If you were in my position (having managed to barely scrape by) what would be your approach toward passing the bar exam. FYI I am a second year student. Should I just start studying for the bar right now and cruise through the rest of my classes? At this point that's pretty much all I care about since I plan on being self-employed upon graduation (or possibly working for a decent small firm -- no big law aspirations here).

Protip, there are no decent CA schools where it is possible to have a C/C+ average.

Not even the throat-cutting Hastings?

Protip #2, no decent law school is cut-throat.

DiggyHopeful wrote:Hello everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a question out there for collective wisdom.

Up until this point, I've been a C/C+ average student at a pretty decent California school. If you were in my position (having managed to barely scrape by) what would be your approach toward passing the bar exam. FYI I am a second year student. Should I just start studying for the bar right now and cruise through the rest of my classes? At this point that's pretty much all I care about since I plan on being self-employed upon graduation (or possibly working for a decent small firm -- no big law aspirations here).

Well you still need to pass your 2L and 3L classes in order to graduate, and it sounds like you were having a tough time doing so even without concentrating on the bar (cumulative GPA below a 2.0, a least at my school, gets you kicked out/can't graduate). I would load up on courses now (course that will be examined on the bar, like community property and stuff) so that you can just cruise by with 2-3 courses (that do not have a final) in spring 3L, during which time you can focus on reviewing your 1L courses and whatnot.

I think employment should be a bigger concern for you than passing the bar.

People here define decent schools differently. The poster attacking the Op likely defines Stanford and Berkeley as the only decent schools in CA as they have a Pass/Honors system rather than a traditional A/B/C grading system. I believe UCLA and USC have a standard grading system and I would define them as decent schools. Not among the elite like Stanford and Berkeley, but decent or perhaps even "good" depending on who you ask.

The Op will have trouble in the current market with a C average even if he was attending an elite school in the Berkeley range. However, the Op defined the school as "decent," and not his job prospects as decent. Thus, one should not focus on his chances of getting a good job and rather look at a decent school without considering his GPA (i.e. UCLA, USC, and perhaps Davis/Hastings). Yes, his chance of getting a job without connections is abysmal. However, we don't have those details (i.e. he might have a job lined up) and even if we did, such comments go beyond his question.

Most of the discussions thus far (mine included) have focused on the kind of school the Op attends or the Op's chances of actually graduating. Neither of the aforesaid answer the Op's question on how he should tackle the bar. Before I offer advice, I wish to offer the disclaimer that I am a 2L.

Take a few bar courses. The California bar is difficult. Most students from decent or good schools pass the bar, but even schools in the upper T1 range in California have a 80% or so pass rate. As a C student from one of those schools, you likely place near the bottom of your class. You have a very good chance of ending up in the bottom 5-10% which places you at increased risk of failing the bar exam. Most law students from decent schools will have no problem taking Barbri courses or something similar and then passing the bar exam without taking the course in the topics. You, however, are a sub-average student. Thus, you should consider taking more bar courses to increase your chance of graduation. Nevertheless, you must also consider your GPA and any impact a heavy load of bar courses might have on your graduation/employment prospects. Don't overload on bar courses if you think you might fail to graduate or do poorly in them. Some GPA increasing/easier courses might make more sense in your position. Basically, you need to consider whether you are more afraid of failing to pass law school or of passing the bar.


Good luck.

hahah good attempt at flame

If the OP isn't a flame and doesn't have a job lined up, s/he should consider dropping out NOW before incurring another $70,000 in student loan debt to acquire a J.D. that will never return enough income to pay for itself.

If the OP wants to go solo in California and is dead set on practicing Main Street law, the most important thing is to keep the costs down as far as possible. Nothing strangles a new business like too much debt. Drop out and finish the J.D. in either a CBE night school or by correspondence. Main Street clients don't care where you went to law school.

This might be a helpful article for OP:

http://www.freakonomics.com/2007/09/24/ ... ly-matter/

Bar exams test for competency, not brilliance. Just take a commercial bar review course with the rest of your class.

True but one solid predictor for failure on the Bar exam is graduating in the bottom third of one's class.

Just don't tell that to any Wisconsin Law grads.

Or Marquette grads, either.