Tuesday, November 22, 2011

How I Passed the California Bar Exam

I just received an awesome comment by an anonymous person on a blog that I am deciding to delete ("What I Should Have Done the First Time I Took the CA Bar").  I am deleting that video because I recorded it regarding the preparation for my second attempt at the bar, before learning of my results.

Now, that I have passed, I believe I'm in a better position to adequately respond the the kind comment by Anonymous, which stated:

"Hi Jessie, I once read your ask why twice article a while back while I was in law school. Coincidentally, I found you in the comments from Grand Poobah's blog. I really like your writing style. You have a very clear thought process. Congrats on the bar exam. I hope you will tell us about what you did this time around. You should definitely blog about being a practicing lawyer when you get sworn in, too. It's tough out there (in the job market)."

Awwww!  :D

So, without further ado, here is my blog about precisely what I did to pass the California Bar Exam -- the beast that it is.

Note: Yes, there are in fact 3 videos here.  The total investment time in watching these is about 35 minutes.  I believe, however, that (especially for repeat bar takers) this could very well resonate with you, and, similar to my other law blog entries, help clarify the "how" part of the exam.



And why is it, by the way, that all video thumbnails suck so badly???  Ah, well.  Here are some links to the books/products/information that I used and recommend:




Also, one keeper tidbit of info from the blog entry that I'm deleting must survive: Here's the link to a New York Times article about a recent study that just came out in Science in January 2011.  It was conducted at Purdue.  The conclusion of the study is in the  title of the NYT article: To Really Learn, Quit Studying, and Take a Test.

Good luck, everyone!  I know you can do it! :D
Posted by at 2:34 AM
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17 comments:

  1. By the way, if you're looking for a tutor, I used Steve Liosi this time. I took the "CA Bar Online Tutorial I."

    The thing with Steve is that (1) you MUST text him each and every time that you email him something because, otherwise, he does not check that email address, and (2) if you are able to either meet with him in person to go over a practice essay or talk with him over the phone about one, it really helps bring together some of the sticking points.

    The light went on for me after the first week or so, which is when I realized that I had actually written his advice into one of my blogs. If you need further explanation and feedback on practice essays (which goes beyond my blog), I recommend him.

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  2. Glad you gave a shoutout to the Bar Code Cheat Sheets book by Whitney Roberts. I give that book all the credit to me passing on my 2nd time.

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  3. Awesome post. I tweeted it to my followers and did a post about it on my blog. I embedded your videos too. They are great.

    Here is the link to my blog if you want to check it out: http://baradvisor.blogspot.com/2011/11/advice-for-bar-exam-repeaters.html

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  4. Dear Bar Advisor,

    Thank you so much for the shout out! :D

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  5. This is one of the most helpful blog posts videos I have seen. Everything you said just makes so much sense and your experience the first two times is so familiar with my own personal experience with the bar. I am looking forward to implimenting some of your suggestions for my 3rd try in Feb. Thanks for taking the time to share, give back, and mostly give hope that this test can be passed! Congrats on passing!

    Michael -

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  7. This was absolutely great. Thank you so much. And refreshing and hopeful to see we do not need to contort ourselves into human pretzels mentally to pass!

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  8. Awesome sauce!!!!!

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  9. you have no idea how much this inspired/helped me. thanks for giving someone with high test anxiety the courage to face the bar exam a second time.

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  10. Hi...thanks for your advice and time. Do you mind telling me exactly what anti-anxiety you took? I could not understand the name. Thanks.

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  11. Sure thing! I took generics for Celexa (which was the small daily dose) and Ativan (the one I took each morning of the bar). I hope this helps!

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  12. I just wanted to say that I REALLY appreciate you posting your input on passing the bar. I myself am I repeat taker of the California bar (failed July 2011) and am looking to re-take it in Feb. This time around I, like you, work full-time and I have a 7 week old daughter. So, I was hoping that you might be able to provide a little more insight on what you did in order to pass due to time constraints along with some of the tips you got from the tutoring you received in regard to essay writing. I hope I am not asking too much. Any comments will be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

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    Replies

    1. Hi, Brandon. :)

      I'm sorry it's taken me a bit to get back with you (work has been a never-ending series of fires to put out lately). I ended up drafting a response that was so detailed (read: long) that Blogger refused to accept it as a comment. Therefore, I have made it a new blog entry in and of itself.

      The title of that entry is called, "Tips for Working Bar-Takers and Details on Writing Rules & Analyses."

      Hope this helps!

      Jessie

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    2. Jessie: You rock! You are simply too kind! A million thank you's!

      As far as your "never-ending series of fires" is the legal profession everything you hoped and dreamed that it was?

      Sincerely,
      Brandon

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    3. You're welcome, Brandon. :)

      And, yes, I knew that I would be really busy as an attorney, but holy hell! Things have just been super crazy lately. Once CA gets out of its budget crisis, I will seek a job with the government as a state prosecutor (with way better hours). I dream about this at least once a day. :)

      My dream is to prosecute sex traffickers. High burn-out, but worth it.

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  13. you go Jessie.

    Your videos are more than worth their weight in gold.

    You are golden, too!

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