2019 July California Bar Forum

[nappingwolf]

OP here. Overjoyed to share that I passed!!! I was a repeater with a huge gap since my last bar. I self-studied and hated every second of prep but I promised myself that that I’d move on from it completely if I didn’t pass. Tried to really learn stuff instead of rote memorizing but ended up panicking the last month and basically memorized again but some kind of magic happened because I passed. Congrats to everyone who sat for the exam and to those who passed!

[nappingwolf]

Hello, nappingwolf. How did your July exam go?

I am new to this forum and am planning on taking the Feb. 2020 exam. I have similar, if not exact, concerns, fears, etc. that you posted about. I'm a repeat taker; this will be attempt number five. As such, I no longer have the luxury of taking time off and work full-time. Did you continue to work full-time during your studying? If so, how did organize your studying? I feel like this is my biggest hurdle. I, too, used Barbri the first couple of times and I, too, felt overwhelmed. It was too much information. I've inherited resources from friends from other box prep companies; my outlines, friend's outlines, outlines from the web and even a box of the infamous Critical Pass flash cards (should I really use them?) I'm drowning though I'm going to look up Mary Basick's book right after I hit the "Submit" button on this message.

Any input and advice would be appreciated. Thank you and I hope you get some good news in November!

Hi, thanks! Evidently the exam went fairly well because I passed

I didn’t take any time off but I was able to work from home a few days here and there and took exam week off (tho I worked a little the night after test day one, ugh). During weekdays I tried to wake up earlier to fit in 25 Qs, then a few more during lunch (10-15). After work/dinner (so about 8-11:30pm) I did 10-15 more, then reviewed all of my MBE answers, read essay answers, and reviewed outlines. Since MBEs were my weakness in prior tests, I made sure to do at least 3000 practice Qs with Adaptibar and S&T. My overall stats were only 62% by game day but I felt relatively confident about the MBEs during the exam, which was a new feeling. I read through a good portion of the Basick essay book and outlined only 2 PTs. I didn’t have the patience to really answer any essays in full but reading answers was helpful. Since it’s been so long since law school, I spent most of my time re-learning the law.

Since I knew I was battling for study hours I made sure to give it my absolute best for 3-5 hours a day. Tbh it was more like 3, with the remaining 2 usually spent regretting the whole decision to take it Weekends were ramped up to 8 hours or so.

I had an anxiety attack and slept about 30 minutes the night before day one, then panicked about it and almost burst into tears when I walked into the exam room. That said, the 2-day format was (dare I say) pleasant compared to the 3-days of hell back in the day. I also didn’t even finish the PT and my organization on two of the essays was a complete shit show. I felt like I did so much worse than previous exams, yet here I am. Hasn’t sunk in yet. Hope some of this helps, good luck!

[Anonymous User]

For all of you who were unsuccessful this time, don't give up! Give it a good go on the next go around. The results of the past few years have not been particularly good, so don't feel discouraged!

I speak as a practicing attorney who was already barred in two jurisdictions without issue and then promptly failed California twice before passing on the third go around. And for you folks who are close on points, believe me you, I feel your pain. I would have passed on the second attempt if I would have just taken the attorney exam instead of thinking the objectively scored MBE was the way to go.

I will offer one thought that isn't necessarily the most favored around TLS. Take an honest assessment of what works for you. It seems the majority of folks on TLS do a mix of self-study, Adaptibar, LeanSheets, Basick's essay book, etc. I tried that for my first two attempts. On my third, I ended up paying for Barbri and treating it like I was a fresh graduate from law school with the video lectures again. Different strokes for different folks. We are all different, so find what works for you and know that you have the ability inside of you!

[ReasonablePersonSSC]

Pass. For future reference, slightly above 70% raw scores on the MBE section, but stubbornly low scores on the graded essays (averaged probably slightly below passing), although I felt like I usually did pretty well when self-grading. Will believe for the rest of my life that my essay grader was intentionally low-grading me since I got a really good score on my first essay which I literally never equaled...

Congratulations on passing!
Your post indicates you know your score. Has California changed its long-standing rule of not disclosing scores to passers?

[bbyattyj]

Pass. For future reference, slightly above 70% raw scores on the MBE section, but stubbornly low scores on the graded essays (averaged probably slightly below passing), although I felt like I usually did pretty well when self-grading. Will believe for the rest of my life that my essay grader was intentionally low-grading me since I got a really good score on my first essay which I literally never equaled...

How do you know this?

[ReasonablePersonSSC]

Hello, nappingwolf. How did your July exam go?

I am new to this forum and am planning on taking the Feb. 2020 exam. I have similar, if not exact, concerns, fears, etc. that you posted about. I'm a repeat taker; this will be attempt number five. As such, I no longer have the luxury of taking time off and work full-time. Did you continue to work full-time during your studying? If so, how did organize your studying? I feel like this is my biggest hurdle. I, too, used Barbri the first couple of times and I, too, felt overwhelmed. It was too much information. I've inherited resources from friends from other box prep companies; my outlines, friend's outlines, outlines from the web and even a box of the infamous Critical Pass flash cards (should I really use them?) I'm drowning though I'm going to look up Mary Basick's book right after I hit the "Submit" button on this message.

Any input and advice would be appreciated. Thank you and I hope you get some good news in November!

Hi, thanks! Evidently the exam went fairly well because I passed

I didn’t take any time off but I was able to work from home a few days here and there and took exam week off (tho I worked a little the night after test day one, ugh). During weekdays I tried to wake up earlier to fit in 25 Qs, then a few more during lunch (10-15). After work/dinner (so about 8-11:30pm) I did 10-15 more, then reviewed all of my MBE answers, read essay answers, and reviewed outlines. Since MBEs were my weakness in prior tests, I made sure to do at least 3000 practice Qs with Adaptibar and S&T. My overall stats were only 62% by game day but I felt relatively confident about the MBEs during the exam, which was a new feeling. I read through a good portion of the Basick essay book and outlined only 2 PTs. I didn’t have the patience to really answer any essays in full but reading answers was helpful. Since it’s been so long since law school, I spent most of my time re-learning the law.

Since I knew I was battling for study hours I made sure to give it my absolute best for 3-5 hours a day. Tbh it was more like 3, with the remaining 2 usually spent regretting the whole decision to take it Weekends were ramped up to 8 hours or so.

I had an anxiety attack and slept about 30 minutes the night before day one, then panicked about it and almost burst into tears when I walked into the exam room. That said, the 2-day format was (dare I say) pleasant compared to the 3-days of hell back in the day. I also didn’t even finish the PT and my organization on two of the essays was a complete shit show. I felt like I did so much worse than previous exams, yet here I am. Hasn’t sunk in yet. Hope some of this helps, good luck!

Congratulations! It may not sink in for awhile so savor your time on cloud nine.
I agree with your study plan. I credit Basick’s book and S&T for my passing the July18 bar.

[Atmosphere]

Pass. For future reference, slightly above 70% raw scores on the MBE section, but stubbornly low scores on the graded essays (averaged probably slightly below passing), although I felt like I usually did pretty well when self-grading. Will believe for the rest of my life that my essay grader was intentionally low-grading me since I got a really good score on my first essay which I literally never equaled...

Congratulations on passing!
Your post indicates you know your score. Has California changed its long-standing rule of not disclosing scores to passers?

I believe Necho is talking about their MBE/Essay scores on their practice tests/prep questions.

[a male human]

Pass rate goes up to 50.1%!

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/News- ... am-results

How'd y'all do?

Wow! Is it the highest pass rate ever?

Congratulations to all those who passed!

I don't think so, but it's on par with 2017's pass rate.

[ipsares]

I Passed!!! Congrats everyone!!!

[Necho2]

Pass. For future reference, slightly above 70% raw scores on the MBE section, but stubbornly low scores on the graded essays (averaged probably slightly below passing), although I felt like I usually did pretty well when self-grading. Will believe for the rest of my life that my essay grader was intentionally low-grading me since I got a really good score on my first essay which I literally never equaled...

Congratulations on passing!
Your post indicates you know your score. Has California changed its long-standing rule of not disclosing scores to passers?

I believe Necho is talking about their MBE/Essay scores on their practice tests/prep questions.

Bingo, sorry that wasn't clear.

[rcharter1978]

Congrats to everyone who passed!

Interesting news about the improved pass rate.

The CBX will likely use these numbers for years to justify not lowering the pass score.

[Animal_Activist]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

[a male human]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. Must have been a shock.

How many times have you taken the exam? I also gave it my all my first time. I failed. I think I was being too much of a tryhard, rather than trying to be an overachiever.

I passed the second time (2014). It turns out it's not just about hard work but also smart work. Not going by the default, but thinking more deliberately about the things you're doing. Not just cramming information, but connecting the information and being able to use the information.

The graders don't care how much more you know than the candidate next to you. They care about what you can do with what you know.

As it also turns out, my second attempt was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not just because I had the first attempt under my belt but also because I was doing what was actually helping me learn, not forcing myself to go through the stock course curriculum that I forget 99% of anyway. Once you abandon Big Bar Prep, you'll also realize it doesn't have to be expensive.

As for jobs, there are (apparently many) JD-advantaged positions. Personally, I took a $15/hr job part-time that was good for my resume. I did whatever work I could (including having my own client as a patent agent, which doesn't require CA bar membership).

Did you do internships during summers? Try reaching back out to them. They already know who you are. I've either done work for or gotten a request to do some work for ALL of my past bosses. (Uh, well, technically not the one guy who ghosted me in the middle of my remote internship. Good thing I had another one...)

FYI for everyone, I made a 2020 Feb thread here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=303600

[jc9812]

Would they take points off? It would be not following the exam's instructions, not the instructions of the PT.

I can all but guarantee they will take off points. And judging by the way they grade, it won't be a little amount. I know that for the UBE's MPT they will start you off at 50% from the start. I know it's harsh, and I'm really sorry, but it's the fact of the matter.... Do you by any chance remember the name of the associate you were writing to?

Thank goodness the CBX isn't the UBE because failing someone for a simple error that really doesn't have anything to do with their ability to practice law or write a memo is fantastically ridiculous. As the California Bar has recently shown .......everyone is subject to making bonehead "inadvertent mistakes."

I'd take it with a grain of salt that it's an auto fail for inadvertently writing your name on the memo. I'll Google it later but I'm positive that there are people who have made this mistake and ended up passing.

And it's kinda crazy to say something is the "fact of the matter" if someone has no idea if something applies to the OPs situation at all.

A large component of the bar exam is whether the candidate demonstrates sufficient attention to detail that he or she can be safely turned loose with a license to practice law on an unsuspecting public. A candidate who so carelessly — or just plain stupidly — writes his or her real name on any portion of the test doesn't deserve a law license.

Very sorry to report to perfect lawyer and infallible human being 9xSound that their worst nightmare has been made manifest: I passed the bar.

To anyone who makes this same mistake in future administrations and happens upon this thread via frantic Googling: I called the bar a few days after the exam. They said that all identifying info is redacted before exams are sent to graders, and that they do not take points off when people accidentally write their name on the PT.

[Animal_Activist]

This was my 3rd attempt. However, I consider it my second because I was having complications from my gallbladder surgery during the July 2018 bar exam so did not really get to study hard. Every test I have improved but I don't understand how my best subjects on practice became my worst on the MBE. I must be a poor test taker. As far as connections with jobs, my connections are all in Oregon because I went to law school there. Should I just try to find work there and then fly back to California for next year's bar? I really do not know what route is best.

[Animal_Activist]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. Must have been a shock.

How many times have you taken the exam? I also gave it my all my first time. I failed. I think I was being too much of a tryhard, rather than trying to be an overachiever.

I passed the second time (2014). It turns out it's not just about hard work but also smart work. Not going by the default, but thinking more deliberately about the things you're doing. Not just cramming information, but connecting the information and being able to use the information.

The graders don't care how much more you know than the candidate next to you. They care about what you can do with what you know.

As it also turns out, my second attempt was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not just because I had the first attempt under my belt but also because I was doing what was actually helping me learn, not forcing myself to go through the stock course curriculum that I forget 99% of anyway. Once you abandon Big Bar Prep, you'll also realize it doesn't have to be expensive.

As for jobs, there are (apparently many) JD-advantaged positions. Personally, I took a $15/hr job part-time that was good for my resume. I did whatever work I could (including having my own client as a patent agent, which doesn't require CA bar membership).

Did you do internships during summers? Try reaching back out to them. They already know who you are. I've either done work for or gotten a request to do some work for ALL of my past bosses. (Uh, well, technically not the one guy who ghosted me in the middle of my remote internship. Good thing I had another one...)

FYI for everyone, I made a 2020 Feb thread here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=303600

My score was a 1386.7

Civ Pro: 57.5
Con Law: 60
Crim Law: 60
PR: 55
Contracts: 62.5
PT: 65

MBE Scaled at 1347

I would also like to ask if it is better to just find selected essay answers and learn those rule statements rather than the ones that courses provide? Even after 3 attempts, I have yet to earn a 70 or 75 on an essay. There must be something I am doing wrong and I believe my rule statements might be incomplete. I cannot figure out what I am missing.

[rcharter1978]

This was my 3rd attempt. However, I consider it my second because I was having complications from my gallbladder surgery during the July 2018 bar exam so did not really get to study hard. Every test I have improved but I don't understand how my best subjects on practice became my worst on the MBE. I must be a poor test taker. As far as connections with jobs, my connections are all in Oregon because I went to law school there. Should I just try to find work there and then fly back to California for next year's bar? I really do not know what route is best.

Is there a particular reason you want to be in California? It sounds like Oregon would be a better fit, but that seems like an obvious question so I'm sure you have a good reason.

Someone smarter than me may have a better analysis, but it seems like you may have an issue with black letter law.

I only say that because the MBE scores don't seem super high and the essay scores aren't always particularly high either.

I knew I had a problem with writing because my MBE score was fairly good but my essay scores were just terrible - much worse than yours.

I worked with a writing tutor and passed the second time.

If the issue is black letter law I think thats probably not a hard fix.

[rcharter1978]

Would they take points off? It would be not following the exam's instructions, not the instructions of the PT.

I can all but guarantee they will take off points. And judging by the way they grade, it won't be a little amount. I know that for the UBE's MPT they will start you off at 50% from the start. I know it's harsh, and I'm really sorry, but it's the fact of the matter.... Do you by any chance remember the name of the associate you were writing to?

Thank goodness the CBX isn't the UBE because failing someone for a simple error that really doesn't have anything to do with their ability to practice law or write a memo is fantastically ridiculous. As the California Bar has recently shown .......everyone is subject to making bonehead "inadvertent mistakes."

I'd take it with a grain of salt that it's an auto fail for inadvertently writing your name on the memo. I'll Google it later but I'm positive that there are people who have made this mistake and ended up passing.

And it's kinda crazy to say something is the "fact of the matter" if someone has no idea if something applies to the OPs situation at all.

A large component of the bar exam is whether the candidate demonstrates sufficient attention to detail that he or she can be safely turned loose with a license to practice law on an unsuspecting public. A candidate who so carelessly — or just plain stupidly — writes his or her real name on any portion of the test doesn't deserve a law license.

Very sorry to report to perfect lawyer and infallible human being 9xSound that their worst nightmare has been made manifest: I passed the bar.

To anyone who makes this same mistake in future administrations and happens upon this thread via frantic Googling: I called the bar a few days after the exam. They said that all identifying info is redacted before exams are sent to graders, and that they do not take points off when people accidentally write their name on the PT.

Congratulations! I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that there is no point penalty at all. That's great news!

[onemoretimenow]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. Must have been a shock.

How many times have you taken the exam? I also gave it my all my first time. I failed. I think I was being too much of a tryhard, rather than trying to be an overachiever.

I passed the second time (2014). It turns out it's not just about hard work but also smart work. Not going by the default, but thinking more deliberately about the things you're doing. Not just cramming information, but connecting the information and being able to use the information.

The graders don't care how much more you know than the candidate next to you. They care about what you can do with what you know.

As it also turns out, my second attempt was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not just because I had the first attempt under my belt but also because I was doing what was actually helping me learn, not forcing myself to go through the stock course curriculum that I forget 99% of anyway. Once you abandon Big Bar Prep, you'll also realize it doesn't have to be expensive.

As for jobs, there are (apparently many) JD-advantaged positions. Personally, I took a $15/hr job part-time that was good for my resume. I did whatever work I could (including having my own client as a patent agent, which doesn't require CA bar membership).

Did you do internships during summers? Try reaching back out to them. They already know who you are. I've either done work for or gotten a request to do some work for ALL of my past bosses. (Uh, well, technically not the one guy who ghosted me in the middle of my remote internship. Good thing I had another one...)

FYI for everyone, I made a 2020 Feb thread here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=303600

My score was a 1386.7

Civ Pro: 57.5
Con Law: 60
Crim Law: 60
PR: 55
Contracts: 62.5
PT: 65

MBE Scaled at 1347

I would also like to ask if it is better to just find selected essay answers and learn those rule statements rather than the ones that courses provide? Even after 3 attempts, I have yet to earn a 70 or 75 on an essay. There must be something I am doing wrong and I believe my rule statements might be incomplete. I cannot figure out what I am missing.

I am unsure about jobs, but maybe you can find a law clerk position at a smaller/mid size firm? I have seen some law clerks at other firms who aren't even attending law school yet. I am unsure of the pay level. Alternatively, working in Oregon until you become CA qualified may be something to be fully considered.

Don't feel disheartened. It took me 3 tries to get it done in California. My essay scores were around your range. My main advice is focus on your PT and MBE questions/black letter law. The PT is worth double points and likely the easiest essay to improve as it requires no knowledge of the law. In my previous two attempts, my essay scores were not much better across the board but 75 PT either got me to a re-read or above 1440 on essays (too bad I flubbed the MBE instead of taking the attorney exam). I went with the advice of others on here and start the afternoon with PT first.

Functionally, my approach to the PT has been:
1) read the memo in terms of what questions you need to answer
2) read the case law - just like law school and actual practice, there are clear rules sentences; find the rules and note the citation; roughly know how the main facts that dictated how the rule applied in that case
3) skim the miscellaneous to make sure you're not missing anything but also avoid the red herring distractors
4) IRAC/TREAT/CRAC the issue
The core of PT is an exercise of finding the made up rule and then comparing and contrasting your case with the prior cases applying the rule. I allocated an extra 15 minutes each time for the PT as any 5 point gain is worth 10 on a different essay.

With your MBE scores, it might be that you need a different approach to learning the black letter law for the MBE. There are a lot of different approaches to studying for the MBE, and each person learns differently. Knowledge of the black letter law and practice can grab a few points here and there. The black letter law knowledge will also translate to the substantive essays. For me, I needed to just do a lot of practice problems.

I know it sucks, but try to keep your confidence up. The bar exam is ultimately just a paper test. Your scores are close to where they need to be and you just need a little more to get over the cusp. Good luck!

[JDJM6215]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. Must have been a shock.

How many times have you taken the exam? I also gave it my all my first time. I failed. I think I was being too much of a tryhard, rather than trying to be an overachiever.

I passed the second time (2014). It turns out it's not just about hard work but also smart work. Not going by the default, but thinking more deliberately about the things you're doing. Not just cramming information, but connecting the information and being able to use the information.

The graders don't care how much more you know than the candidate next to you. They care about what you can do with what you know.

As it also turns out, my second attempt was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not just because I had the first attempt under my belt but also because I was doing what was actually helping me learn, not forcing myself to go through the stock course curriculum that I forget 99% of anyway. Once you abandon Big Bar Prep, you'll also realize it doesn't have to be expensive.

As for jobs, there are (apparently many) JD-advantaged positions. Personally, I took a $15/hr job part-time that was good for my resume. I did whatever work I could (including having my own client as a patent agent, which doesn't require CA bar membership).

Did you do internships during summers? Try reaching back out to them. They already know who you are. I've either done work for or gotten a request to do some work for ALL of my past bosses. (Uh, well, technically not the one guy who ghosted me in the middle of my remote internship. Good thing I had another one...)

FYI for everyone, I made a 2020 Feb thread here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=303600

My score was a 1386.7

Civ Pro: 57.5
Con Law: 60
Crim Law: 60
PR: 55
Contracts: 62.5
PT: 65

MBE Scaled at 1347

I would also like to ask if it is better to just find selected essay answers and learn those rule statements rather than the ones that courses provide? Even after 3 attempts, I have yet to earn a 70 or 75 on an essay. There must be something I am doing wrong and I believe my rule statements might be incomplete. I cannot figure out what I am missing.

You are going to pass this test! You are going to pass this test! My results from last Feb., 1387, after second read. If you have the BarBri or Kaplan essay books, do all those essays over, then type the model answer. THEN, look at your rule statements and compare to the model answer rule statements. See the patterns, memorize the correct rule statements. And you are going to pass this test!!! This test is about the rules and applying them. Get a good PT book, I have one by Sara Berman, it is old and addresses the 3 hour PT's but it is still applicable for understanding and patterns. Once again, you are going to pass this test!

[justanotheruser]

I don't know if anyone needs to read this, but sharing my TLS post about my own experience. I went through a long struggle before finally passing the exam on my sixth attempt.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=298888

[hastingsgal]

I don't know if anyone needs to read this, but sharing my TLS post about my own experience. I went through a long struggle before finally passing the exam on my sixth attempt.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=298888

This is a great post! Thanks for sharing.

[jc9812]

Would they take points off? It would be not following the exam's instructions, not the instructions of the PT.

I can all but guarantee they will take off points. And judging by the way they grade, it won't be a little amount. I know that for the UBE's MPT they will start you off at 50% from the start. I know it's harsh, and I'm really sorry, but it's the fact of the matter.... Do you by any chance remember the name of the associate you were writing to?

Thank goodness the CBX isn't the UBE because failing someone for a simple error that really doesn't have anything to do with their ability to practice law or write a memo is fantastically ridiculous. As the California Bar has recently shown .......everyone is subject to making bonehead "inadvertent mistakes."

I'd take it with a grain of salt that it's an auto fail for inadvertently writing your name on the memo. I'll Google it later but I'm positive that there are people who have made this mistake and ended up passing.

And it's kinda crazy to say something is the "fact of the matter" if someone has no idea if something applies to the OPs situation at all.

A large component of the bar exam is whether the candidate demonstrates sufficient attention to detail that he or she can be safely turned loose with a license to practice law on an unsuspecting public. A candidate who so carelessly — or just plain stupidly — writes his or her real name on any portion of the test doesn't deserve a law license.

Very sorry to report to perfect lawyer and infallible human being 9xSound that their worst nightmare has been made manifest: I passed the bar.

To anyone who makes this same mistake in future administrations and happens upon this thread via frantic Googling: I called the bar a few days after the exam. They said that all identifying info is redacted before exams are sent to graders, and that they do not take points off when people accidentally write their name on the PT.

Congratulations! I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that there is no point penalty at all. That's great news!

Thank you. Needless to say, I was also pleasantly surprised by that : )

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any specific information on out-of-state swearing in? Planning to do it before a federal judge out of state, but not sure if I have to submit the affidavit below indicated on the CA bar website. Is a seal on the oath card enough?

When an affidavit is taken before a judge or a court in another state or in a foreign country, the genuineness of the signature of the judge, the existence of the court and the fact that such judge is a member thereof must be certified by the clerk of the court, under the seal thereof. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2015.) Affidavits and oaths made by military personnel are governed by California Civ. Code § 1183.5.

[Mimi0110]

I did not pass. Got a 1386. Starting to think that law is not for me. Never failed something that I gave my all before. Any real advice from lawyers about what to do if I do not have money to retake? What kind of jobs can I get in California? No lawyer wants to hire me unless I do free labor for them. It has happened to me already and I had to leave. I am very lost with what to do.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. Must have been a shock.

How many times have you taken the exam? I also gave it my all my first time. I failed. I think I was being too much of a tryhard, rather than trying to be an overachiever.

I passed the second time (2014). It turns out it's not just about hard work but also smart work. Not going by the default, but thinking more deliberately about the things you're doing. Not just cramming information, but connecting the information and being able to use the information.

The graders don't care how much more you know than the candidate next to you. They care about what you can do with what you know.

As it also turns out, my second attempt was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not just because I had the first attempt under my belt but also because I was doing what was actually helping me learn, not forcing myself to go through the stock course curriculum that I forget 99% of anyway. Once you abandon Big Bar Prep, you'll also realize it doesn't have to be expensive.

As for jobs, there are (apparently many) JD-advantaged positions. Personally, I took a $15/hr job part-time that was good for my resume. I did whatever work I could (including having my own client as a patent agent, which doesn't require CA bar membership).

Did you do internships during summers? Try reaching back out to them. They already know who you are. I've either done work for or gotten a request to do some work for ALL of my past bosses. (Uh, well, technically not the one guy who ghosted me in the middle of my remote internship. Good thing I had another one...)

FYI for everyone, I made a 2020 Feb thread here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=303600

My score was a 1386.7

Civ Pro: 57.5
Con Law: 60
Crim Law: 60
PR: 55
Contracts: 62.5
PT: 65

MBE Scaled at 1347

I would also like to ask if it is better to just find selected essay answers and learn those rule statements rather than the ones that courses provide? Even after 3 attempts, I have yet to earn a 70 or 75 on an essay. There must be something I am doing wrong and I believe my rule statements might be incomplete. I cannot figure out what I am missing.

Hi "Animal_Activist,"

My story is really similar to yours. I signed up for the BAR 3 times, but was not able to attend the first administration because of medical issues. I took the Feb 2019 BAR, but ended up with a score of 1390 and didn't pass. I read a bunch of posts about what I should do and all of these people were suggesting that I change my bar course because "if it didn't work the first time, it is not going to do any good to review the same exact material the second time." I was really broke and I couldn't afford to buy a different BAR course so I just studied off the same material. I cleared my entire course and started studying a new (BARMAX, which is less than $800 if you apply for the public interest scholarship).

Before starting to study I planned my schedule. Not hour by hour, rather, day by day. For example, I looked at the outline of each subject and based on the size of the outline I planned how many days I estimated I would need to cover all the material. For Con Law, for example, I gave my self 4 days. On day 1-3, I worked on reading the outline in its entirety, making flashcards, and memorizing all the black letter law. On the fourth day, I worked on 25-50 Con Law MBE questions and did 2 Con Law essays. For Trusts, for example, which consists of an outline much smaller than Con Law, I gave myself 2 days. Day 1 to read the outline, make flashcards, and memorize the law. Day 2 to do 2 Trusts essays. I focused on all of the topics that appear on the multiple-choice and essay sections first and then moved on to the topics that only appear in the essay section. Also, when I was done with a particular topic for the day, I was done studying for the day. Sometimes I spent 12 hours studying, other days I just spent 6. I found that this fluctuation in scheduled study time allowed me to keep from burning out.

To memorize the law and save time on making my own flashcards, I purchased the Critical Pass Flashcards on OfferUp for $100. I used the Critical Pass Flashcards by comparing them to my outlines and just adding the information from my outline that is missing on the flashcard. I worked my way through all the flashcards, in addition to the ones I created for the Civ Pro (CA), Wills, Trusts, Community Property, etc. I finished memorizing about 3 weeks before the bar exam.

I used 2 of the remaining 3 weeks to do essays on all topics, three per day. I used the last week to do 1 PT and 1 simulated BAR exam, and whatever time I had left I just reviewed the flashcards.

In the end, it all worked out and I passed the July 2019 exam.

I know people don't suggest just "memorizing" everything, but that's what worked best for me. When I was listening to the lectures and waiting until the end to memorize the black letter law, I got completely lost and felt like I had not learned anything. I think I still have the outlines if you want I would be more than happy to send them to you via e-mail.

Then, after the BAR but before I got my bar results, I started looking for jobs on Indeed. I applied for both attorney and Law Clerk positions. If the posting said they were looking for an attorney, I still submitted my cover letter, resume and recommendation letters. However, in those, I included something like, "The fact that I have not received my bar license, is not dispositive. From now until I receive my bar results, I would like to work at this firm in the capacity of a law clerk or conditional associate attorney. In this role, I will prove my value and demonstrate how I can be an asset to this firm. Moreover, this agreement would be mutually beneficial because you will have the opportunity to decide, before hiring me in a more permanent role, whether or not I would be a good fit in your firm." Then thanked them and moved on. I ended up getting hired as a law clerk at a firm that had posted a job posting for an attorney. If you think that seeing my cover letter would be helpful, let me know and I can email you that too.

Anyways, that's the end of that. Hoped it helped a little.