Repeaters | Page 2 of 6 | Make This Your Last Time

November 14, 2023December 7, 2023 - 12 Comments

Minimum Competence Does Not Mean Bare Minimum

How would you narrate your hopes, desires, and dreams to pass the bar exam?

I want to improve.

I want to start my career and live my life without this hanging over my head.

I feel that painful yearning inside. I’m not content with this! I’m upset. I’m frustrated! I’m tired of being frustrated!

I want to pass the bar exam. I want to be special.

I’ll find my way forward, whatever that means. I don’t know where to go, but I’ll start, wherever that leads me.

But anyone can say that they want to pass.

How do you do this efficiently and effectively?

Are you confusing busy work with actual learning?

How to get and STAY motivated in your journey?

What do you do when you see fluctuations and plateaus?

June 9, 2023March 4, 2025 - 2 Comments

UK Lawyer Passes CA Bar Exam on His Second Try (Finding Out Result in Maui)

Today’s story is from Sam, who is YET another passer of the 2023 February CA Bar Exam.

I KNOW I KNOW… I want to share some UBE stories too. Blame too many of my CA readers for being part of the 32.5%.

But Sam had to go through a first round of suffering.

It’s not an uncommon story to do what you’re “supposed to” the first time, and then switch to a more conscious and effective approach and pass as a second-timer.

I stayed up late and spent a whole week studying this story because it’s an excellent example of taking control of your bar studies. It’s a lesson for first-timers who want to avoid mistakes and an inspiration for repeaters who have been there before.

💬 “Statistically I shouldn’t have passed this exam (a repeater, taking the February exam, who didn’t attend a US law school), but I did. I did because I took control and did what worked for me.”

This UK attorney passed the California Bar Exam on his second try (and checked results while on vacation in Maui, like a BALLER).

May 6, 2023May 6, 2023 - 3 Comments

The 3 Things You Need When Starting Bar Prep (Live Stream Replay)

“What should I know when I’m starting bar prep?”

I did a live stream with Jennifer Duclair to talk about how to take the guesswork out of bar preparation and get a better sense of direction as you start studying for your next bar exam.

It was fun! Japes and nuggets of insights were dropped, and I’m pleased with how this turned out. (Maybe I’ll do another one next year…)

Here’s me throwing Kaplan under the bus:

What to do with your schedule when starting bar prep

Here’s the recording (go to 8:12 where I talk about the study schedule shown above), along with timestamps so you can jump to the parts you’re most interested in:

November 14, 2022January 1, 2024 - 4 Comments

dreams of becoming an attorney

I want to talk about dreams.

The world is changing, and so must we. We can’t stay the same and can’t pretend everything else will stay the same.

Changing means not staying complacent.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” —Charles Darwin paraphrased

Do our dreams have to change? Your dream of becoming an attorney doesn’t have to change… BUT how you get there might have to.

November 15, 2021January 6, 2024 - 1 Comment

Underutilized Strategies for Fixing a Poor MBE Score

Someone wrote in to ask about improving his low MBE score:

“Hope all is well with you. It has been awhile since we last spoke. Unfortunately, I was not able to pass the bar. It was quite a horrible moment.

If possible, I wanted to get your thoughts on how to effectively study for the MBE? I scored between 55%-60% [on practice sets]. However, I did very poorly on the day of the exam. The questions were much harder than expected. I’ve come to realize the multiple choice is a weak spot for me more than the essays right now. Just needed a bit of your guidance on how to study for them. In addition, how should really repeaters now study for the bar?”

Here’s my pointed answer: