Jessie Zaylía's Law (and Law School) Blog

I have had multiple requests to tutor some of the visitors to this blog. Mostly, this has regarded preparation for the California Bar Exam (CBX for short), especially the written portions.   Back when I was taking the Bar, I was soooo frustrated that I couldn't find any good, substantive information about how to take the CBX without having to pay $5,000 - $10,000 for a full bar course!  It sucked. I mean, I knew that I had to know the law, but there is so much more to the "how" of taking the Bar than learning the elements of a ton of legal issues. This fits in with the general theme of this blog in that I like to address the "hows" of law school, the Bar, and other things because, frankly, this information is absent (at least, for the most part, and if existent at all, you usually have to pay a premium in the hopes of getting the "how" that should be taught in the first place!).   I also remember feeling so frustrated as a Bar-taker that I c...

BarEssays.com found out about by blog (somehow) and asked me to write a review because I mentioned the fact that I had used their services in one of my posts ( here ). I agreed to do so, and for the purposes of being upfront and honest, they have offered me some compensation. But just know that I would be happy to review their services even without the compensation because, frankly, I used it the last time that I took the bar, so I know a bit about the good, the bad, and the ugly of this site. I hope that all of you out there will find this review to be helpful. WHAT THEY DO: BarEssays.com is essentially a searchable database of actual, graded CBX (California Bar Exam) essays. This includes both typewritten and handwritten essays, and it covers many years of the CBX, both July and February bars. THE GOOD: I used BarEssays.com during the study period for the final time I took (and passed) the bar. It was a good experience to be able to read actual exams and try to figure out why...

This is one thing that seems to really intimidate law students, especially the new ones. I also happen to know many attorneys who just don't know how to network. We're seldom taught how to do this and why it's crucial to our careers. I suppose there are two questions that I should address here: (1) how much time should one devote to networking? and (2) how does one network, precisely? But before we jump into all that, there are some things you should know. WHY NETWORKING IS IMPORTANT (the raw deal): Networking is important because attorneys are more experienced than you are. It's true.   If you connect with a few who think that you're awesome, you will inevitably meet them for coffee or lunch every so often. Then, when you have a tough decision to make down the road, you can call these people (who are now friends) and receive their invaluable pearls of wisdom. As a bonus, one of these people (now a friend of mine) did offer me a job right before I graduated...

THIS POST IS A RESPONSE TO A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG ENTRY . Q: Brandon writes, "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!" A: 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).  Alas, here's my response. I.  MAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN FOR STUDYING. Having a baby, I imagine, brings the difficulty of studying to a real head. To be very candi...