Failed NY Bar (July 2015). Forum

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abergavenny

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by abergavenny » Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:44 pm

BarTaker wrote:
abergavenny wrote:
BarTaker wrote:
abergavenny wrote:Passed this time with mbe 141.4. I am still waiting for NJ result.
Surely you passed NJ too!
Thank you.... but I am not sure. I know a friend who passed NY but failed on NJ with 150...
As I move to NJ soon, I have been anxiously waiting for NJ result more than anything... No news yet. :(
Wow! Passed NY with 150 and failed NJ? :shock: He wrote any essay or missed that day??? :?

Anyway, good luck for you! I just hope everyone receive his/her grades before Star Wars premiere! :P
Yeah, my friend (from the previously employment) told me so. Other TLS members on the other thread told me he may have lied to me as a score like 150 is 90% pass. Wish I could get NJ pass before Thanksgiving day...
Star Wars premiere!!! Can't wait any longer!

abergavenny

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by abergavenny » Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:55 pm

gottwins wrote:664. Missed it by one point. Could not have worked harder. My essays were actually good and another correct answer on the MBE would have changed everything. Every day it gets a tiny bit easier to accept, though. It's been almost a week since we found out and it feels like this week has gone on for a year. :cry:

Trying to decide if I should stick with the same bar review or not, since I really didn't do poorly, and how to attack it.
I know exactly how you feel. When I took NY bar first time, I took BARBRI but failed 3 points short. During the BARBRI program, I kind of knew it was not for me. It was way too tiring and stressful to me. I am not blaming the failure on barbri, but just saying it was not for me. If you still like BARBRI setting, but you think it was just you who did not put enough time and effort in it, I would try BARBRI again as they allow those who failed to enroll again free of charge. (Right?) You know better than anyone else how you thought about BARBRI during this summer.

I took a break for a few years as I had to work + my husband was hospitalized. This year, I used Themis with which I am 90% pleased.

BarTaker

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by BarTaker » Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:25 pm

abergavenny wrote:
BarTaker wrote:
abergavenny wrote:
BarTaker wrote:
abergavenny wrote:Passed this time with mbe 141.4. I am still waiting for NJ result.
Surely you passed NJ too!
Thank you.... but I am not sure. I know a friend who passed NY but failed on NJ with 150...
As I move to NJ soon, I have been anxiously waiting for NJ result more than anything... No news yet. :(
Wow! Passed NY with 150 and failed NJ? :shock: He wrote any essay or missed that day??? :?

Anyway, good luck for you! I just hope everyone receive his/her grades before Star Wars premiere! :P
Yeah, my friend (from the previously employment) told me so. Other TLS members on the other thread told me he may have lied to me as a score like 150 is 90% pass. Wish I could get NJ pass before Thanksgiving day...
Star Wars premiere!!! Can't wait any longer!
Maybe this week you're going to receive your pass and we're going to celebrate virtually with you! :D

myrtlewinston

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by myrtlewinston » Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:58 pm

BarTaker wrote:
Maybe this week you're going to receive your pass and we're going to celebrate virtually with you! :D
Yes!

gottwins

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by gottwins » Mon Nov 02, 2015 9:16 am

abergavenny wrote:
gottwins wrote:664. Missed it by one point. Could not have worked harder. My essays were actually good and another correct answer on the MBE would have changed everything. Every day it gets a tiny bit easier to accept, though. It's been almost a week since we found out and it feels like this week has gone on for a year. :cry:

Trying to decide if I should stick with the same bar review or not, since I really didn't do poorly, and how to attack it.
I know exactly how you feel. When I took NY bar first time, I took BARBRI but failed 3 points short. During the BARBRI program, I kind of knew it was not for me. It was way too tiring and stressful to me. I am not blaming the failure on barbri, but just saying it was not for me. If you still like BARBRI setting, but you think it was just you who did not put enough time and effort in it, I would try BARBRI again as they allow those who failed to enroll again free of charge. (Right?) You know better than anyone else how you thought about BARBRI during this summer.

I took a break for a few years as I had to work + my husband was hospitalized. This year, I used Themis with which I am 90% pleased.
I hope your husband is doing much better now. I have three kids and some disabilities so I am proud of myself regardless. Figures the BOLE had to stomp on it.

I took Pieper and was really happy. My scores were fairly even keel across the board, especially my essays. I just needed a little more to put them over the edge. Thinking of re-taking Pieper for the law, doing PMBR for extra MBE questions, and some tutoring for some tips and strategies so this doesn't happen again. I'm trying to figure out what the others had that I didn't since I needed one more point. It's hard because I didn't really have any areas that were really low.

Does anyone know when this "no appeals" thing went into effect? It seems that so many people have told me appeals stories that took place as early as the Feb. 2015 exam. The this system of "automatic review" within 10 points doesn't seem very transparent, nor does it seem to really constitute an appeal of any sort.

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starryski

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by starryski » Mon Nov 02, 2015 2:24 pm

gottwins wrote:
abergavenny wrote:
gottwins wrote:664. Missed it by one point. Could not have worked harder. My essays were actually good and another correct answer on the MBE would have changed everything. Every day it gets a tiny bit easier to accept, though. It's been almost a week since we found out and it feels like this week has gone on for a year. :cry:

Trying to decide if I should stick with the same bar review or not, since I really didn't do poorly, and how to attack it.
I know exactly how you feel. When I took NY bar first time, I took BARBRI but failed 3 points short. During the BARBRI program, I kind of knew it was not for me. It was way too tiring and stressful to me. I am not blaming the failure on barbri, but just saying it was not for me. If you still like BARBRI setting, but you think it was just you who did not put enough time and effort in it, I would try BARBRI again as they allow those who failed to enroll again free of charge. (Right?) You know better than anyone else how you thought about BARBRI during this summer.

I took a break for a few years as I had to work + my husband was hospitalized. This year, I used Themis with which I am 90% pleased.
I hope your husband is doing much better now. I have three kids and some disabilities so I am proud of myself regardless. Figures the BOLE had to stomp on it.

I took Pieper and was really happy. My scores were fairly even keel across the board, especially my essays. I just needed a little more to put them over the edge. Thinking of re-taking Pieper for the law, doing PMBR for extra MBE questions, and some tutoring for some tips and strategies so this doesn't happen again. I'm trying to figure out what the others had that I didn't since I needed one more point. It's hard because I didn't really have any areas that were really low.

Does anyone know when this "no appeals" thing went into effect? It seems that so many people have told me appeals stories that took place as early as the Feb. 2015 exam. The this system of "automatic review" within 10 points doesn't seem very transparent, nor does it seem to really constitute an appeal of any sort.
i also took Pieper. My essays were good (except admin law i got like a 34 wtf). i am retaking it without watching lectures since i have the notes, and will be using his schedule mainly as a guide in order to keep me organized. i really can't wait to get my essays because i dont see how i scored so low on the admin essay. i wrote everything i knew about admin law and felt confident about the subissues. i did run into a computer issue where the software closed on me before i could click submit but the tech guy said it should be fine. im pretty sure i did the MPT last and i did well on it, so maybe my theory that only half my admin essay was submitted is just wishful thinking.

myrtlewinston

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by myrtlewinston » Mon Nov 02, 2015 5:11 pm

Gottwins,
You should be proud of yourself! :)

flashforward2

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by flashforward2 » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:42 am

It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.

NY_Sea

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by NY_Sea » Tue Nov 03, 2015 9:53 am

flashforward2 wrote:It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.
It really is awful how people can seemingly enjoy kicking people while they're down... I don't and won't ever understand how someone gets some sort of satisfaction out of that. Just remember, you got through law school, you studied, you sat for the test. You can pass it. You WILL pass it. It really is true when people say that people who insult or tease people just have zero confidence in themselves. My advice would be to take whatever time you need to take (within reason) to fully buckle down and get started and then hit it hard. Be honest with yourself and assess your weak spots and work them hard. This way, come April/May, this person won't have any ammo against you.

I'm in the same spot as you are... I can't and won't let this one obstacle define me. Everyone can have a bad day... Cut yourself some slack and know that you can do this.

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chestnutbrowncanary

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by chestnutbrowncanary » Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:31 am

NY_Sea wrote:
flashforward2 wrote:It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.
It really is awful how people can seemingly enjoy kicking people while they're down... I don't and won't ever understand how someone gets some sort of satisfaction out of that. Just remember, you got through law school, you studied, you sat for the test. You can pass it. You WILL pass it. It really is true when people say that people who insult or tease people just have zero confidence in themselves. My advice would be to take whatever time you need to take (within reason) to fully buckle down and get started and then hit it hard. Be honest with yourself and assess your weak spots and work them hard. This way, come April/May, this person won't have any ammo against you.

I'm in the same spot as you are... I can't and won't let this one obstacle define me. Everyone can have a bad day... Cut yourself some slack and know that you can do this.
OMG f*ck your boss, honestly. Remember to take ppl like that off a pedestal and see their actions plainly. A person who lacks kindness and compassion is not an evolved person and probably has some weird insecurities of their own to work out.

Fauxttorney2015

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by Fauxttorney2015 » Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:40 am

flashforward2 wrote:It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.
I failed NJ in February and it was the absolute worst. I was super embarrassed because everyone had passed on their first try, and I felt like such a failure. It didn't help that my boss would make comments saying "had you studied this you would have been fine," or "had you just done a couple more essays maybe you would have passed." I'm still waiting for my results. But one thing I learned about studying again was the only way to get through it is to stop punishing yourself about what you could have done differently the first time around, ignore the people who aren't supportive, and just move forward. Basically, let everyone sip on their haterade...you have a test to crush 8)

JimmyBee

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by JimmyBee » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:40 pm

I can only tell you my experience, which is unique, but you might be able to draw some lessons from it to apply to your next go-round.

I graduated from Harvard Law back in 1991. I just turned 50, and am going through a career transition (not a euphemism for involuntary unemployment) and thought I'd finally take the Bar. I never took it before. While I was in Law School, I started a successful business, and then jumped into a career, started a family, etc. Only now did I take the time to carve out the 8 weeks, 12 hour days it really takes to pass this thing.

I say all of this because I had really forgotten how to study. I am the Michael Jordan of cramming, which is nothing to be proud of, but I was able to do well in school (high school, Brown, HLS) without the diligence and the absorption of massive amounts of detailed, nuanced information required to pass the Bar. I took the Bar partly to challenge myself, but also whether or not I continue to do social justice work, private sector work or a mix (most likely), being able to walk into a courtroom as an attorney would be good to have in my arsenal.

I took Themis. I really liked Themis, but really have no way to compare to the others. I was the only person I knew who was taking the Bar. The only other person I knew who took a recent Bar passed the July 2014 right out of school and recommended Themis. I felt like I got a lot of personal, human contact—calls, emails, etc. I thought their materials were great, and the structure of the class was based on a science of learning (small chunks, frequent interaction, mixing up tasks, doing it at my own pace, etc) that works for me.

I took the February 2015 New York Bar and failed. I had a family emergency three weeks out and just stopped studying. The Themis people wondered why I disappeared and then started experiencing declining scores on the MBE practice tests and then skipping the rest of the practice essays. I forget (and can't find) my scores, but I was not that far off from passing. However, what nailed me is that I just didn't know the law. At the end, I was just running my eyes over the prepared outlines, had not prepared my own, and really had not figured out what worked for me in terms of memorization. I sat for the test anyway because I had already paid for it. Nothing wrong with Themis. In fact, my takeaway was that I should have trusted their system.

I was also really psyching myself out because of the anxiety of having spent almost 25 years with the phrase "I went to HLS, but never took the Bar." I was convinced I couldn't pass, so that first time, even though I was not prepared, was important to demystify the test. In fact, I realized that it felt very doable, and that there was lots of stuff I knew I could have known but didn't study in the right way. Speaking of human contact at Themis, I got a great email from one of my counselors speaking directly to my fears based on her knowledge of my specific situation.

I went ahead and decided to take the July 2015 Bar. Themis allows a do-over at no charge. Unlike in February, I stopped working so I could really put the time in. I just passed with a 137.6 MBE, so what I'm learning from these forums is that my essays must have been killer. If they had not, I would have been particularly bummed as I am a professional writer and editor, among other things. Admittedly, the ball did bounce my way—I reviewed the Admin Law essays that Themis provided, realized that they were all about Article 78's, and had real world experience filing an Article 78 myself. I was testing between 65-70% raw scores on the MBE assessments at the end, which lines up with my final score, but since it's weighted, it seems like I didn't hit those raw numbers on the actual exam.

OK this is getting too long, but here's the study part.

At first, I tried cards. I got free card catalog cards from the public library since they were throwing them away anyway. Didn't work for me. I wrote my own outlines. I finished 100% of the course only because I had already viewed the lectures and filled in the notes, so I was able to spend my time while re-watching the lectures (very helpful) writing my own outlines, and I found the Themis final outlines very helpful. However, I found myself just running my eyes over the material.

Here's what made the difference. I have a friend who was basically home-bound because of an illness, and needed a distraction. I went over to her place everyday for the last three weeks, and taught her the law. Yes, I actually lectured my way through each subject at least once. I found out I best learn through talking things through and the interaction involved.

I can't speak to waiting for the UBE because I don't even know about it. I do feel like you need to get back on the horse right away, but if the UBE works better strategically more you—more flexibility in where to take it, more states admitted to—it sounds like the move to me.

However, psychologically it was so much easier for me to keep the momentum going and not have this thing hanging over my head for any more time than necessary. Those books and notes were sitting in the corner for almost a year as it is. Another year looking at those boxes sitting in the corner like the tell-tale heart would have just been intolerable.

Plus, you're already three-quarters (at least) prepared for this particular test. Go ahead and retake this version of the Bar in February. You'll feel better being pro-active than sitting around for an additional six months mulling over not passing (don't call it a personal failure because this thing is hard). You'll probably pass, and then it's over. If for some reason you don't, then take the "easier" test next July. I don't think the choice is mutually exclusive, except of course for the cost—no small thing in my case so I'm not dismissing it—but I can tell y'all really want this thing.

So I guess I'm saying take the February Bar. Give yourself a couple or three weeks off, and then go back into it with a full schedule. And those final three weeks of putting it all together 12 hours a day were crucial for me. Think about finding a willing, motivated, interested and smart (not necessarily formally educated) person to whom to teach the law. The verbal thing will work. Teaching is the best way to learn.

And if you have to pay for a Bar service again, take Themis. You get a do-over in case you don't pass in February, and I really was happy with their program. Please believe me: if I can pass, you can pass.

RE MPT: For me, it was useful to practice, even though I initially didn't think it was necessary. The key was time management, and I liked the Themis approach. I had a really hard time with the six MPTs I did—time management, picking out the issues, format. Walking into the Javits Center, I still didn't really feel confident about the MPT at all, although reading the model answers and seeing the range of possible formats helped tremendously. However, the fact that the format on the test was a letter to a client who was a friend of the partner was right up my alley, so the ball bounced my way.

RE BOSS: Sounds sick the way she announced your results. I'm lucky that I am not in an environment where a lot of people around me were taking it, and the kind of environment where my boss would even care. Plus, my passing the Bar has no bearing on my current employment. Yikes. Horrible kind and amount of pressure. Having said that, my wife and Dad (our three children knew I was studying for something but they weren't watching) would have been disappointed if I had failed again—eyes that are as important to me as eyes of coworkers and bosses, even at my age and basic maturity level. Only a couple of others even knew I was taking it. I did that on purpose to reduce/eliminate the how's-it-going questions or unsolicited advice. That's a luxury you don't have. (random life tip: when you are or your partner is pregnant, add two weeks to the due date, which will save you days of where-the-baby, where's-the-baby, where's-the-baby. There's no "on-time" when it comes to giving birth, so save yourself endless conversations/annoying inquiries about being "late" and the attendant concerns/comments/unwelcome and unsolicited advice.) I agree that your boss doing that was more about her failings as a person than about you. I would suggest finding another place to work where there is not the toxicity evident in your workplace. Believe me: life IS short, and spending time with toxic people wastes precious time, so treat yourself lovingly enough to put yourself in a healthy, fun environment.

Don't beat yourself up if you didn't pass this time. This thing is hard. Once the initial sting is gone, you'll realize that no one will care (or has to know) that it took taking it twice for you. What do they call a lawyer who took multiple times to pass the Bar? A lawyer.

Phoenix7

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by Phoenix7 » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:45 pm

flashforward2 wrote:It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.
Word of advice: study hard for February, pass, then switch firms if you can/as fast as you can. Your boss sounds like a toxic person--and if she's indicative of how your entire work environment is--I would advise you to find a better work environment. They don't deserve you.

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AReasonableMan

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by AReasonableMan » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:46 pm

The marketing stuff is terrible. I got nothing before I passed, but some of it is offensive. A few companies offer free CLE classes if you give X number of names and phone numbers of people who failed, presumably so they could hound them with tutoring packages. If I failed the last thing I'd want would be a random telemarketer calling me to say so and so said I failed, and that I'd want to buy overpriced bar tutoring.

starryski

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by starryski » Tue Nov 03, 2015 12:58 pm

Phoenix7 wrote:
flashforward2 wrote:It's been a rough road. Just when I thought I was getting better emotionally and ready to move forward, including telling my coworkers my results since they will be affected when I take off to study, I found out that on the day the results came out, my boss told all my coworkers my results in the tackiest way. Apparently she came into the room where everyone was working and asked if everyone passed the Bar and then said, well I know at least one of you didn't pass. How's she (me) doing? I've been worried about telling everyone and the joke was on me. I know this shouldn't matter right now because in the grand scheme of things, I need to PASS but it still hurts. Going to work every day is already tough as well as dealing with the realization that my life is about to change dramatically while I work and study for the Bar. I'm pretty sure my partner is so over seeing me go through this. People are telling me that I failed because I didn't know the law. I knew a hell of a lot of law! I just keep kicking myself and wondering why I couldn't have been like the people around me who passed.
Word of advice: study hard for February, pass, then switch firms if you can/as fast as you can. Your boss sounds like a toxic person--and if she's indicative of how your entire work environment is--I would advise you to find a better work environment. They don't deserve you.

your boss is an ass. i am the only person at my firm who took the bar and failed, but EVERYONE has been supportive and even gentle around me lol. there is no reason to put you down for failing a VERY HARD exam. This exam does not define you and in 10 years when you are kicking ass in court noone is going to care. i agree w/ Phoenix, study your ass off (can you quit btw?) , pass and peace out. you don't need a boss like that. there are plenty of nice lawyers out there (trust me i know a lot of them!) who love hiring new associates and taking them under their wing. might be an ego boost for them or something, but in the firms i've been in, most lawyers love teaching the young'ins.

flashforward2

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by flashforward2 » Tue Nov 03, 2015 2:22 pm

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement. My boss is an ass but unfortunately, I have a commitment at my job so I have to be there for a few more years. At the end of the day, I need to pass this Bar. I'm deciding between 2 tutoring companies: Marino Bar Prep and a private tutor in FL who helps with the MBE. I'm unsure because Marino specializes in the NY Bar (essays and MBE) but my essays were fine for the bar-my issue is the MBE. The guy in FL helps you figure out why you're selecting certain answer choices and how to seriously prep for the MBE. Any advice?

myrtlewinston

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by myrtlewinston » Tue Nov 03, 2015 3:22 pm

Hi,
Hope you're feeling better today.
Do you prefer in-person contact? If so, that may be one reason for going with Marino.

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myrtlewinston

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Re: Failed NY Bar (July 2015).

Post by myrtlewinston » Tue Nov 03, 2015 10:40 pm

JimmyBee wrote:I can only tell you my experience, which is unique, but you might be able to draw some lessons from it to apply to your next go-round.

I graduated from Harvard Law back in 1991. I just turned 50, and am going through a career transition (not a euphemism for involuntary unemployment) and thought I'd finally take the Bar. I never took it before. While I was in Law School, I started a successful business, and then jumped into a career, started a family, etc. Only now did I take the time to carve out the 8 weeks, 12 hour days it really takes to pass this thing.

I say all of this because I had really forgotten how to study. I am the Michael Jordan of cramming, which is nothing to be proud of, but I was able to do well in school (high school, Brown, HLS) without the diligence and the absorption of massive amounts of detailed, nuanced information required to pass the Bar. I took the Bar partly to challenge myself, but also whether or not I continue to do social justice work, private sector work or a mix (most likely), being able to walk into a courtroom as an attorney would be good to have in my arsenal.

I took Themis. I really liked Themis, but really have no way to compare to the others. I was the only person I knew who was taking the Bar. The only other person I knew who took a recent Bar passed the July 2014 right out of school and recommended Themis. I felt like I got a lot of personal, human contact—calls, emails, etc. I thought their materials were great, and the structure of the class was based on a science of learning (small chunks, frequent interaction, mixing up tasks, doing it at my own pace, etc) that works for me.

I took the February 2015 New York Bar and failed. I had a family emergency three weeks out and just stopped studying. The Themis people wondered why I disappeared and then started experiencing declining scores on the MBE practice tests and then skipping the rest of the practice essays. I forget (and can't find) my scores, but I was not that far off from passing. However, what nailed me is that I just didn't know the law. At the end, I was just running my eyes over the prepared outlines, had not prepared my own, and really had not figured out what worked for me in terms of memorization. I sat for the test anyway because I had already paid for it. Nothing wrong with Themis. In fact, my takeaway was that I should have trusted their system.

I was also really psyching myself out because of the anxiety of having spent almost 25 years with the phrase "I went to HLS, but never took the Bar." I was convinced I couldn't pass, so that first time, even though I was not prepared, was important to demystify the test. In fact, I realized that it felt very doable, and that there was lots of stuff I knew I could have known but didn't study in the right way. Speaking of human contact at Themis, I got a great email from one of my counselors speaking directly to my fears based on her knowledge of my specific situation.

I went ahead and decided to take the July 2015 Bar. Themis allows a do-over at no charge. Unlike in February, I stopped working so I could really put the time in. I just passed with a 137.6 MBE, so what I'm learning from these forums is that my essays must have been killer. If they had not, I would have been particularly bummed as I am a professional writer and editor, among other things. Admittedly, the ball did bounce my way—I reviewed the Admin Law essays that Themis provided, realized that they were all about Article 78's, and had real world experience filing an Article 78 myself. I was testing between 65-70% raw scores on the MBE assessments at the end, which lines up with my final score, but since it's weighted, it seems like I didn't hit those raw numbers on the actual exam.

OK this is getting too long, but here's the study part.

At first, I tried cards. I got free card catalog cards from the public library since they were throwing them away anyway. Didn't work for me. I wrote my own outlines. I finished 100% of the course only because I had already viewed the lectures and filled in the notes, so I was able to spend my time while re-watching the lectures (very helpful) writing my own outlines, and I found the Themis final outlines very helpful. However, I found myself just running my eyes over the material.

Here's what made the difference. I have a friend who was basically home-bound because of an illness, and needed a distraction. I went over to her place everyday for the last three weeks, and taught her the law. Yes, I actually lectured my way through each subject at least once. I found out I best learn through talking things through and the interaction involved.

I can't speak to waiting for the UBE because I don't even know about it. I do feel like you need to get back on the horse right away, but if the UBE works better strategically more you—more flexibility in where to take it, more states admitted to—it sounds like the move to me.

However, psychologically it was so much easier for me to keep the momentum going and not have this thing hanging over my head for any more time than necessary. Those books and notes were sitting in the corner for almost a year as it is. Another year looking at those boxes sitting in the corner like the tell-tale heart would have just been intolerable.

Plus, you're already three-quarters (at least) prepared for this particular test. Go ahead and retake this version of the Bar in February. You'll feel better being pro-active than sitting around for an additional six months mulling over not passing (don't call it a personal failure because this thing is hard). You'll probably pass, and then it's over. If for some reason you don't, then take the "easier" test next July. I don't think the choice is mutually exclusive, except of course for the cost—no small thing in my case so I'm not dismissing it—but I can tell y'all really want this thing.

So I guess I'm saying take the February Bar. Give yourself a couple or three weeks off, and then go back into it with a full schedule. And those final three weeks of putting it all together 12 hours a day were crucial for me. Think about finding a willing, motivated, interested and smart (not necessarily formally educated) person to whom to teach the law. The verbal thing will work. Teaching is the best way to learn.

And if you have to pay for a Bar service again, take Themis. You get a do-over in case you don't pass in February, and I really was happy with their program. Please believe me: if I can pass, you can pass.

RE MPT: For me, it was useful to practice, even though I initially didn't think it was necessary. The key was time management, and I liked the Themis approach. I had a really hard time with the six MPTs I did—time management, picking out the issues, format. Walking into the Javits Center, I still didn't really feel confident about the MPT at all, although reading the model answers and seeing the range of possible formats helped tremendously. However, the fact that the format on the test was a letter to a client who was a friend of the partner was right up my alley, so the ball bounced my way.

RE BOSS: Sounds sick the way she announced your results. I'm lucky that I am not in an environment where a lot of people around me were taking it, and the kind of environment where my boss would even care. Plus, my passing the Bar has no bearing on my current employment. Yikes. Horrible kind and amount of pressure. Having said that, my wife and Dad (our three children knew I was studying for something but they weren't watching) would have been disappointed if I had failed again—eyes that are as important to me as eyes of coworkers and bosses, even at my age and basic maturity level. Only a couple of others even knew I was taking it. I did that on purpose to reduce/eliminate the how's-it-going questions or unsolicited advice. That's a luxury you don't have. (random life tip: when you are or your partner is pregnant, add two weeks to the due date, which will save you days of where-the-baby, where's-the-baby, where's-the-baby. There's no "on-time" when it comes to giving birth, so save yourself endless conversations/annoying inquiries about being "late" and the attendant concerns/comments/unwelcome and unsolicited advice.) I agree that your boss doing that was more about her failings as a person than about you. I would suggest finding another place to work where there is not the toxicity evident in your workplace. Believe me: life IS short, and spending time with toxic people wastes precious time, so treat yourself lovingly enough to put yourself in a healthy, fun environment.

Don't beat yourself up if you didn't pass this time. This thing is hard. Once the initial sting is gone, you'll realize that no one will care (or has to know) that it took taking it twice for you. What do they call a lawyer who took multiple times to pass the Bar? A lawyer.

Thanks for sharing your story. I too graduated a while ago. Aside from 1 year, I have not worked in the law. I was in an abusive marriage and had to deal with its consequences. Before this summer, I was in no shape to even study.

When a lawyer acquaintance heard that I did not pass the July Bar, he reamed me out for being unrealistic. He said that, given an absence from an academic environment, there was no way anyone could have passed it. You are a counter-example and give me hope.

I am pressing on. I know where I went wrong -- lack of practise -- and can remedy that. For me, finishing the July exam is already an accomplishment.

P.S. I haven't told a prospective employer (waiting till I see her next week). She thinks of the Bar as just another hoop and I trust she'll be understanding.

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