Make This Your Last Time | Bar Exam Preparation

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 - No Comments

How a Full-time Working Father Passed the CA Bar Exam (by Streamlining Resources)

Michael was a part-time law student, an older test taker, and a full-time working father who had dreams of becoming an attorney.

💬 “I delayed my dream of becoming an attorney for decades for my family, my career, and just the thought of four years of part-time law school, plus this exam (and the financial and opportunity costs, because I would have to take less responsible or less demanding roles in my career to make this work).

I’m an older test taker, looking for a second career. I’m a full-time working father, with a family. I hate my current career and what it’s become, and need to become an attorney for my own sanity (although this choice for sanity may be questionable).“

Michael, 2024 July California Bar Exam passer

Busy guy! But the message here isn’t that anyone can pass simply by desiring it.

Yes, you are capable, but this ain’t some story about rolling down a rainbow that came out of a unicorn’s ass. You get what you fight for, not what you wish for.

💬 “Studying for this exam takes up so much time. It becomes all-life-consuming.”

Fortunately, I’m used to making dreams come true.

And dreams did come true for this family man when he passed the California Bar Exam on his second attempt in July 2024. The star today is Michael, and I’m pleased to debrief how he pulled it off.

December 4, 2024December 5, 2024 - No Comments

Doing What “Works for You” in Bar Prep

How bar takers view the prep process has shifted over the last 10 years:

Standard advice 10 years ago: Follow the program. Trust the system.
Past few years: Movement toward independent self-study and people advising others to “do what works for you” or “do what’s best for you.”

But what does that mean?

“Do what works for you” can be vague and circular because knowing what works for you may be a product of hindsight.

If you already knew what was best for you, you’d be doing it already.

November 30, 2024November 30, 2024 - 4 Comments

Two Biggest Fears of a Bar Exam Taker

“I need to know all the law first!”

What were those three years of law school for? Never mind.

There’s this strange concern in the atmosphere floating around.

A concern that if you don’t know it all, then you won’t be prepared to solve the problems… The thought that all you need to do well on the bar exam is to “have the information”…

So you sit there, fold your arms, and wait for osmosis. You wait. Maybe your soulmate will one day knock on your door, too.

And then when you finally flip open that essay after weeks of “studying”…

You stare at the blank page.

In front of you, a blank canvas ready to be filled but only reflecting a harsh stillness.

The cursor blinks at you, urging you to fill the awkward silence.

Cold sweat squeezes out of pores you didn’t even realize you had on your body. 😓

“…”

You decide to hit the books and videos again. Maybe you just need to study a little more…

You’re mostly grasping the material, but then when you take a practice exam it’s like everything you know is out the window.

WTF? Why didn’t it work?

November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 - 5 Comments

Cara Passes the California Bar Exam with Everything Riding on Her Third Attempt

Cara passed the July California Bar Exam on her third attempt. The third time was the charm.

But the stakes were incredibly high. Her third try was the decisive attempt where her life would change completely depending on the results.

Everything was on the line, all of her hopes, fears, and dreams riding on this last attempt as a third-time repeater. She was also juggling full-time work while studying for the bar exam.

💬 “I knew when the 3rd time came around, it was my last time to take this exam. My new job was on the line and I knew if I failed, I’d be fired. This would have resulted in me having to move back to the East Coast where I was barred because I could no longer afford to live in CA without income. I had wasted my savings moving, the bar exam (i.e. materials galore and exam fees), and covering myself for the short period I was unemployed. My friends were relying on me, my boyfriend was relying on me, my family was relying on me, and my job was relying on me. I realized then that I had to make some big changes in how I approached the exam the third time, especially with what felt like insurmountable pressure.”

To transform her life in the direction she wanted, she transformed her approach first.

November 23, 2024November 24, 2024 - 17 Comments

You Need a Study Plan: Why You Should Make Your Own Bar Prep Study Schedule

The only thing I remember from law school is my negotiations professor saying this in class randomly:

“Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.”

Is bar preparation worth doing? Then it’s worth doing right.

After all, you’re the dean of your own studies. And for sustainable momentum we know that we must enjoy the process (not just fixate on the goal of passing the bar).

Just as what’s enjoyable is personal, bar prep is also personal. Your study plan and schedule are personal.

There are many reasons your schedule will look different from everyone else’s:

You might be working while studying for the bar exam.
Maybe you have every day free for bar prep.
Or maybe you only have certain hours of your day free while the kids are at school.

Meanwhile, your bar review course hands you a cookie-cutter schedule that packs in an overwhelming number of tasks or “self-study” sessions where you have no direction on what to do.

Is there a smarter, more effective plan that would serve your needs more and improve your odds of passing?

Yes, one that’s customized to you.

Here’s one example of what such a personalized study schedule could look like: