2018 July California Bar Forum

[NYattorney25]

Posted before. Had 3 mostly solid weeks of studying for the attorneys exam. I didn’t get the job until June 15 and while I was short on time, I did study quite a bit for a few weeks (not full time but more than I will be given that I’ll be trying case). Got my score today and want to solicit advice — ie whether to take full exam or attorneys exam again (and, if there is some reason to take February or July).

1382 scales. 60/65/55/55/60/60.

I had never seen the advice re: starting with PT but really felt like I ran out of time. Could have seemingly easily gotten a 65 which would put me in passing zone. I’m pretty shocked by the pr score - just thought that was so easy and the only one I felt like I killed. CP I knew I fucked up. Would’ve thought contracts or conlaw might have been higher but not shocked by any except PR.

For the gurus, what’s my game plan (besides studying more than 3 weeks)

NY lawyer here. Take the whole exam. I just failed the Attorneys Exam. I passed NY with high MBE years ago. Should have taken the MBE this time. Grading on essays is a farce.

[rcharter1978]

Just got the letter in the mail today that I passed. I have been a long-term member of the board. My Cousin Vinnie took 6 times to pass the Bar. Well, it took me 8! Boy, do I hate this test! For those that failed, keep at it. Everyone will tell you to quit. Ignore them. Change your study tactics, keep fighting this stupid test. It can be beaten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBarc_-Eoek

Congratulations!

[orchid_law]

I'm a foreign applicant from an English speaking, common law country. I had to learn American law from scratch, although I had a common law background. I passed on my second try. My experience in case it is helpful to anyone:

- 1st attempt: bought the BarBri books only (not the lectures). Read all of them to understand the "foundations" of law. Read the Conviser and then summaries. Practiced from BarBri multiple choice. This approach was a mistake. I should have read just the Conviser and shorter summaries. No need for the longer "foundational" books. Also, the BarBri multiple choice is not an accurate reflexion of the MBE.

- 2nd attempt: Read the Conviser; bought the Adaptibar multiple choice practice platform and all of Jon Grossman's Adaptibar videos; bought Magic Sheets summaries; and the Bar Secrets summaries. The summaries were helpful, although whether you have your own or purchase them, it doesn't matter. The key is to memorize them well. The single most helpful resource was Adaptibar. Big thank you to Jon Grossman - I am convinced his videos allowed me to pass! I would listen to them and could apply his comments directly to the Adaptibar multiple choice and also the final exam in July 2018.

If I had to write it again, I would recommend the following for studying:

- Read conviser
- Memorize summaries backwards and forwards
- Use the Adaptibar multiple choice practice & Adaptibar's Jon Grossman videos
- Essay practice!

For execution on the exam:
- Do the Performance Test before the other essays
- Read each multiple choice question carefully and then come up with your answer before looking at the answers; once you have your answer, don't spend too much time looking at the other answer options, they will confuse you.

Overall:

It was a hard blow to get the results the first time, but don't give up! It is absolutely conquerable! Also - you don't have to be perfect to pass. There were loads of things I missed in the essay portion (particularly for the Con Law essay which I was not prepared for). You can make up points in other ways. Just keep going, keep focussed and stay positive!

[Bla Bla Bla Blah]

If it helps—it helped me to have hope because of a highly paid law clerk position in IP Lit—the job market for attorneys in So. Cal. is the best it’s been looking in years.

My IP firm started failing in the wake of TC Heartland, and there was no telling when my Moral Character would be complete because of divorce, unpaid debt, etc. The firm failed two months ago and I was still unlicensed. But I started looking.

I can’t tell you how many Associate positions were finally entry level again. Like “we will train you!” or 0 to 3 years experience. It wasn’t like that back when I graduated in ‘14. It was 3-5 years, but more commonly 5+yrs experience.

Not only was I called back by a great firm that I told to hold off for a few weeks to see if my MC went through. But I had two other final interviews scheduled to leverage myself into exactly what I wanted when the great firm called me back.

I now have a legal secretary that orders me lunch on the firm every day. A paralegal that is sharper than you can imagine. And an agreement that I can 9 to 5 it so I can be home in time to help with homework.

It’s a great market right now. You will get a legal job that puts you on the ladder. You also have a great shot at going straight to Associate right now. Even by cold applying, like me. Definitely through big recruiters—especially if you call up RH and let them know you passed. It’s not a futile exercise because of a bad market anymore.

Get pumped. But also take a moment to appreciate the difficult journey and to drink a beer.

Pass the Bar.

[lexingtonhr]

Does anyone have any recommendations for tutors?

[a male human]

Is anyone willing to donate their returned essays (from any exam)? I'd like to offer them in my free essay answer bank. I just talked to someone who said she used them, so you can feel assured that future takers will find your work helpful. I would appreciate it!

[rcharter1978]

Is anyone willing to donate their returned essays (from any exam)? I'd like to offer them in my free essay answer bank. I just talked to someone who said she used them, so you can feel assured that future takers will find your work helpful. I would appreciate it!

Do you do tutoring? I know you have super helpful study materials but I didn't know if you also did tutoring.

[a male human]

Is anyone willing to donate their returned essays (from any exam)? I'd like to offer them in my free essay answer bank. I just talked to someone who said she used them, so you can feel assured that future takers will find your work helpful. I would appreciate it!

Do you do tutoring? I know you have super helpful study materials but I didn't know if you also did tutoring.

I don't do tutoring exactly since I'm not an expert on the law. But I do coaching where I strategize with them, provide feedback, help stay motivated and in control over overwhelm/anxiety...

I feel like one could find plenty of resources they could put together on their own (TLS, my blog, other blogs, my FB community, Google, etc.), so it's more for the rare instances where they need to talk to me personally. And a lot of the time just by vocalizing their questions and being put on the spot they come up with the answers on their own, so I don't even do that much besides ask THEM questions.

[rcharter1978]

Is anyone willing to donate their returned essays (from any exam)? I'd like to offer them in my free essay answer bank. I just talked to someone who said she used them, so you can feel assured that future takers will find your work helpful. I would appreciate it!

Do you do tutoring? I know you have super helpful study materials but I didn't know if you also did tutoring.

I don't do tutoring exactly since I'm not an expert on the law. But I do coaching where I strategize with them, provide feedback, help stay motivated and in control over overwhelm/anxiety...

I feel like one could find plenty of resources they could put together on their own (TLS, my blog, other blogs, my FB community, Google, etc.), so it's more for the rare instances where they need to talk to me personally. And a lot of the time just by vocalizing their questions and being put on the spot they come up with the answers on their own, so I don't even do that much besides ask THEM questions.

Okay, that makes sense.

Although I feel like tutoring can be helpful, sometimes because there are sooooooo many resources out there. I purchased nearly everything imaginable and at the end of the day I maybe used 3-4 things a lot, 3-4 additional things on an occasional basis, and a lot of things I either used once or sporadically.

There is such a temptation to try to use everything because it worked for someone. But narrowing the scope is important so you can focus. In my very, very humble opinion.

Either way, you're doing the lord's work here. I still appreciate those notes for business associations that you were kind enough to send me.

[a male human]

Is anyone willing to donate their returned essays (from any exam)? I'd like to offer them in my free essay answer bank. I just talked to someone who said she used them, so you can feel assured that future takers will find your work helpful. I would appreciate it!

Do you do tutoring? I know you have super helpful study materials but I didn't know if you also did tutoring.

I don't do tutoring exactly since I'm not an expert on the law. But I do coaching where I strategize with them, provide feedback, help stay motivated and in control over overwhelm/anxiety...

I feel like one could find plenty of resources they could put together on their own (TLS, my blog, other blogs, my FB community, Google, etc.), so it's more for the rare instances where they need to talk to me personally. And a lot of the time just by vocalizing their questions and being put on the spot they come up with the answers on their own, so I don't even do that much besides ask THEM questions.

Okay, that makes sense.

Although I feel like tutoring can be helpful, sometimes because there are sooooooo many resources out there. I purchased nearly everything imaginable and at the end of the day I maybe used 3-4 things a lot, 3-4 additional things on an occasional basis, and a lot of things I either used once or sporadically.

There is such a temptation to try to use everything because it worked for someone. But narrowing the scope is important so you can focus. In my very, very humble opinion.

Either way, you're doing the lord's work here. I still appreciate those notes for business associations that you were kind enough to send me.

Thank you! I agree with you about the resources and is part of what I'm discussing in the next email.

[JakeTappers]

Posted before. Had 3 mostly solid weeks of studying for the attorneys exam. I didn’t get the job until June 15 and while I was short on time, I did study quite a bit for a few weeks (not full time but more than I will be given that I’ll be trying case). Got my score today and want to solicit advice — ie whether to take full exam or attorneys exam again (and, if there is some reason to take February or July).

1382 scales. 60/65/55/55/60/60.

I had never seen the advice re: starting with PT but really felt like I ran out of time. Could have seemingly easily gotten a 65 which would put me in passing zone. I’m pretty shocked by the pr score - just thought that was so easy and the only one I felt like I killed. CP I knew I fucked up. Would’ve thought contracts or conlaw might have been higher but not shocked by any except PR.

For the gurus, what’s my game plan (besides studying more than 3 weeks)

NY lawyer here. Take the whole exam. I just failed the Attorneys Exam. I passed NY with high MBE years ago. Should have taken the MBE this time. Grading on essays is a farce.

How’d you score on the essays? I just really don’t know how I did on MBE way back when. And would rather not learn that strategy and sit a whole second day.

[lwitrng]

I took the July 2018 CA Bar exam and did not pass. Not 100% sure but I think the MBE portion of the exam is scored using a machine. Just wondering if there exists some procedure to request a regrade by hand; I believe I heard of it somewhere but can't find anything about it on the Cal Bar website. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Blueplanet]

I received my letter from CA Bar, I scored 1402 points. 1454 on the MBE and 1350 on the written. This is very annoying that I nearly made it but fell a little short. I am correct that I scored above average on the MBE but my down fall was the written?

[Bitt3rsweet]

Bored after the Thanksgiving feast and reading comments about the July '18 CA bar exam. I took/passed the Feb '18 CA bar exam (attorneys' exam). Passed on first attempt - and that was the administration with a 27.3% pass rate. I took/passed on first attempt both the IN and IL bar exams in the mid-90's. So, more than 20 years later, I had to re-learn how to study for/pass a bar exam. For attorneys, here are a few lessons that I learned along the way: (1) study to pass - i.e., go all in or don't take the exam; I studied while working full-time as a senior executive in-house attorney - and to make this happen, I studied every work day for 4 hours after dinner and I put in 12 hours every Sat and every Sun - for 3 months; (2) take a course like Themis (the course that I completed) that has a separate track for attorneys - so you don't waste time learning minute details that are associated with the MBE and that are irrelevant to the essays; (3) practice, practice and practice - actually write multiple essays in each subject matter area and write multiple PT's - this is the best way to nail down the timing/flow of the exam so that you don't spend too much time on any one essay and neglect another; (4) take the time, during the first month of studying, to stop thinking like an attorney and start thinking like a 3rd year law student - it took me a whole month, with feedback from my Themis coach/grader; (5) remember that the essays are all about the analysis - master the application of a rule to each/every fact - the other parts of IRAC shouldn't take much more than 5 to 8 minutes to write - the graders are clearly evaluating whether you can apply CA law to a fact pattern; and (6) don't underestimate the time that you need to spend, preparing for the exam - play to win - don't half-ass your prep . . . so many attorneys do this - thinking that as an experienced attorney, they can learn a few key rules and just take the exam - and they fail (I have several colleagues and friends who fall into this category). Hopefully, you'll find these suggestions useful. There are no shortcuts. Do the work, put in the time and master the method . . . you can pass - I did.

[phonylawyer2017]

I received my letter from CA Bar, I scored 1402 points. 1454 on the MBE and 1350 on the written. This is very annoying that I nearly made it but fell a little short. I am correct that I scored above average on the MBE but my down fall was the written?

I failed by a single point with a 1539 MBE. You'll get it next time. My downfall was the PT, which I completely neglected. I feel like my essays were unfairly graded, but I did deserve the PT score.

[phonylawyer2017]

I took the July 2018 CA Bar exam and did not pass. Not 100% sure but I think the MBE portion of the exam is scored using a machine. Just wondering if there exists some procedure to request a regrade by hand; I believe I heard of it somewhere but can't find anything about it on the Cal Bar website. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/doc ... 0417_R.pdf

[justanotheruser]

I received my letter from CA Bar, I scored 1402 points. 1454 on the MBE and 1350 on the written. This is very annoying that I nearly made it but fell a little short. I am correct that I scored above average on the MBE but my down fall was the written?

You're so close!

I failed the July 2017 exam by less than 30 points. Got 1490 on MBE, but getting a 50 on the PT absolutely killed me. For Feb 2018, I made sure to focus more on the written portion (also practicing writing the PT before Essays 4 + 5) and I finally passed the exam after 5 failures.

[barjamie8]

I received my letter from CA Bar, I scored 1402 points. 1454 on the MBE and 1350 on the written. This is very annoying that I nearly made it but fell a little short. I am correct that I scored above average on the MBE but my down fall was the written?

You're so close!

I failed the July 2017 exam by less than 30 points. Got 1490 on MBE, but getting a 50 on the PT absolutely killed me. For Feb 2018, I made sure to focus more on the written portion (also practicing writing the PT before Essays 4 + 5) and I finally passed the exam after 5 failures.

Congrats! I was in similar shoes (high MBE low essays).

[Spoliation]

I passed the July 2018 exam. I took the general exam as an attorney and I have a couple of thoughts...

I took the took the July 2012 NY bar and passed with a 174 MBE, so I was leaning towards taking the general exam rather than the attorneys exam. But I also learned that the the passage rate for the attorney exam is substantially lower than the general exam. It’s hovered around 40%. To me, it was a no brainer to take the general exam. In my opinion, the MBE can be mastered with enough practice. While I don’t know exactly how well I did on the July 2018 MBE, the NCBE score service says my score was 150+. So if you’re an attorney that has done well on the MBE in the past, I strongly suggest that you consider taking the general exam, rather than the attorney exam. With that said, the civ pro Qs made the exam feel harder than in the past (and I’m a litigator!).

I mostly self studied. I recommend buying all of the NCBE released Qs, Essay Exam Writing for the California Bar Exam, Emmanuel’s
Strategies and Tactics for MBE, Cal Bar Tutors Total Prep Book, and a baressays subscription. Also, the Emerson’s Bar Prep videos are very old, but Emerson breaks down the questions in a very simple and easy to understand manner, which eased my anxiety going into the exam.

I studied most weekends starting in April and also took 2 weeks off from work for the final stretch. Some weeks I hardly studied because of work or vacation. While it was a huge pain, I didn’t want to take the exam more than once. Overall, better to go all in.

[Blueplanet]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

[Nightcrawler]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

First time used barbri. It was basically an “introduction on how the bar exam works” for $3,000. Retook it on my second time and the utility of the course as a repeater after you just used the same course is 0. Get your money back if you can!

[psg190]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

I paid for a $6,000 private tutor on the first pass and failed. I paid for BARBRI on the second go around ($1,500 on the retaker discount) and passed. I will note that I felt much more comfortable with the BARBRI preparation; however, there were certainly some approaches the tutor taught on the first go around that were helpful in terms of essay / PT writing on the July 2018 exam.

[crcsmv]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

I paid for a $6,000 private tutor on the first pass and failed. I paid for BARBRI on the second go around ($1,500 on the retaker discount) and passed. I will note that I felt much more comfortable with the BARBRI preparation; however, there were certainly some approaches the tutor taught on the first go around that were helpful in terms of essay / PT writing on the July 2018 exam.

I failed the July 2018 bar and now I will be taking the Feb 2019 bar. I used Barbri and was 100% committed and completed the entire program, but their approach with videos did not work for me at all. I'm going to hire a tutor by the end of this week. What private tutor did you use and why do you think they did not work for you? It's just so much money (average $6k after researching) to spend and I want to make sure I choose the right tutor.

[lexingtonhr]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

I paid for a $6,000 private tutor on the first pass and failed. I paid for BARBRI on the second go around ($1,500 on the retaker discount) and passed. I will note that I felt much more comfortable with the BARBRI preparation; however, there were certainly some approaches the tutor taught on the first go around that were helpful in terms of essay / PT writing on the July 2018 exam.

Who was your tutor?

[psg190]

Hi Can those of you that retook the exam and passed comment on whether you used a review programme such as Kaplan, Barbri etc second time round?

I had a pass the bar or your money back guarantee on my course and I am considering getting my money back and doing without the course 2nd time round. I have the material, I have access to Barmax MBE and therefore feel the only thing I will not have is access to the graders. However, having done it once I feel I should be able to improve my essay scores as I have more time to go over the material.

Let me know whether you used a review programme second time round. Thanks

I paid for a $6,000 private tutor on the first pass and failed. I paid for BARBRI on the second go around ($1,500 on the retaker discount) and passed. I will note that I felt much more comfortable with the BARBRI preparation; however, there were certainly some approaches the tutor taught on the first go around that were helpful in terms of essay / PT writing on the July 2018 exam.

I failed the July 2018 bar and now I will be taking the Feb 2019 bar. I used Barbri and was 100% committed and completed the entire program, but their approach with videos did not work for me at all. I'm going to hire a tutor by the end of this week. What private tutor did you use and why do you think they did not work for you? It's just so much money (average $6k after researching) to spend and I want to make sure I choose the right tutor.

Jay Bijlani - he didn't work for me because I was five years removed from law school when I started to study for the test. I needed to relearn the law, and his methods of learning through osmosis weren't sufficient given the significant period of time that had elapsed since my law school days. I'll also add that he does nothing to aid on the MBE outside of reviewing your mid-prep Adaptibar scores.