Bar Exam Preparation
So you find yourself in an unbelievable situation: You failed the bar exam.
Reality is undeniable. You dust off your tears. It’s time to take action.
You wonder: What’s the next step?
Should you retake your bar prep course? What’s the alternative?
Continue reading “What If You Failed the Bar Exam? Should You Retake a Bar Review Course?”You may have gotten this email if you took the 2025 February California Bar Exam:
(You know the one where the exam software wasn’t working and some people even had to retake it in March?)
What does it mean for the raw passing score of 560 to be dropped to 534?
Manfred passed the 2024 July California Bar Exam on his first try.
💬 “I passed as a first-time taker thanks to you!”
The story he sent in about his study process was a complete story arc, a great reminder of how to pair memorization and practice, and how to navigate the plateau that you’re sure to experience.
He started with a typical approach, starting right after graduation and using Barbri.
💬 “I am a K-JD who graduated from UCLA Law this past May. Due to my circumstances (like having plenty of time to study), I did fairly well in law school. I knew what the Bar would be like structurally due to prior exposure, and I knew that I would expect to be studying around 8 hours a day, every day, for at least two months. I started studying for the California Bar basically the week right after commencement.”
Let’s see how he did it.
Continue reading “Manfred’s Classic Approach to Bar Prep (and Moving Past Plateaus)”The bar exam can be an emotionally intense experience.
We all need a witness to our struggles. Don’t keep it locked up inside you. Sharing the ups and downs can be cathartic.
Jonathan took the time to send me a raw, heartfelt story of what it was like to fail…and then PASS the 2024 July CA Bar Exam.
💬 “When I found out I did not pass the bar, I was devastated; I let down myself and seemingly my family, my girlfriend, mentors, and everyone who had invested in me — how would I recover from this professionally and personally?”
Repeaters will know about the devastation and the identity crisis that comes with failing the bar exam.
Am I being dramatic?
Maybe. Regardless, if you don’t pass, there’s suddenly a ton of uncertainty and volatility about your future.
Choose resilience, or give up. It’s up to you.
💬 “Over my time re-studying for the exam, two thoughts persisted:
‘No…no, this is not how my story ends! I am not a failure or a quitter… I’ve never quit and why would I do it now? No…I have more in the tank’; and
the other was, ‘what if this repeats again…is it better to just take the foot off the gas? There are many people who understand how difficult this exam is…maybe I should use my degree for something adjacent.’ And then it hit me . . .”
How did he finally overcome the past that haunted him so?
Continue reading “Repeating (and Passing) the Bar Exam by Choosing Resilience”Tristan passed the 2024 July California Bar Exam on his first attempt.
He credits his success to self-awareness of his strengths, weaknesses, and what would work for him.
He was a glass cannon (super good at the MBE) and not confident about passing, but he was composed and calculated about the whole process.
Let’s see what Tristan went through in his first and only successful attempt.
Continue reading “Pass the Bar by Being Aware of Your Strengths and Weaknesses”