The bad news is, I won't be able to use it in a court of law until next year.
The good news is, I can really focus on my judgment recovery business for the next six months or so.
The bad news is, I'll have to manage my time between that and bar prep for February 2010 for a few months.
The really good news is, I sincerely feel like my chances on the next exam are better than they've ever been.
And there's nothing bad about that!
Cheers, all. It'll be Groundhog Day for just a little while longer!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Time to plan!
Plan for what, you ask? It's time to plan for next Monday.
If your news is good, it's time to hit the streets looking for a job. You should, I believe, set your sights a little lower than you might have just five years ago. By that, I don't mean you should not expect to get hired right away or to plan on making less money, I mean that you should look for small firms that have too much work and a couple of spare offices. You might be working longer hours for less money at first, but the satisfaction level at a smaller firm (or even as a solo) is likely to be much greater than it would be at a large firm. Especially over the long term.
And if your news is not so good, it's time to reassess your study plan. If this is your first shot at the bar exam, you might not want or need to tweak much, especially if you came close to passing. But if, like me, this is not your first (or second, or third, ...) time taking the exam, you'll want to explore options on how you can improve your preparation. Like Bill Murray said in Groundhog Day, "Anything different is good!" If we want to get a different result next May, we have to do something different between now and the end of February. We want to wake up from our own personal Groundhog Bar Exam to something different. And anything different, like a passing score, will be good!
Uncomfortable routine is vastly overrated. Let's try something new, shall we?
Cheers, all! There's just four days left to something new!
If your news is good, it's time to hit the streets looking for a job. You should, I believe, set your sights a little lower than you might have just five years ago. By that, I don't mean you should not expect to get hired right away or to plan on making less money, I mean that you should look for small firms that have too much work and a couple of spare offices. You might be working longer hours for less money at first, but the satisfaction level at a smaller firm (or even as a solo) is likely to be much greater than it would be at a large firm. Especially over the long term.
And if your news is not so good, it's time to reassess your study plan. If this is your first shot at the bar exam, you might not want or need to tweak much, especially if you came close to passing. But if, like me, this is not your first (or second, or third, ...) time taking the exam, you'll want to explore options on how you can improve your preparation. Like Bill Murray said in Groundhog Day, "Anything different is good!" If we want to get a different result next May, we have to do something different between now and the end of February. We want to wake up from our own personal Groundhog Bar Exam to something different. And anything different, like a passing score, will be good!
Uncomfortable routine is vastly overrated. Let's try something new, shall we?
Cheers, all! There's just four days left to something new!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Nine-Plus Days, and More Sample/Model Answers
Vivian Dempsey has provided answers to the July '09 exam questions.
There's just over 9 days left until results are released. I've been pretty successful in putting that date out of my mind, and I've already started studying for the February 2010 exam.
It's getting harder by the day/month/year to write anything on this blog. Or, rather, it's getting tougher to write anything meaningful. On one hand, I have a lot to say, but on the other hand, I've said it all before. But, on the other, ... foot, most everyone who's read the stuff I wrote before has already passed the darn exam and isn't reading this thing anymore. Blah.
So I guess I should start again from the beginning. I'll just have to do things better this time around.
And away we go ...
There's just over 9 days left until results are released. I've been pretty successful in putting that date out of my mind, and I've already started studying for the February 2010 exam.
It's getting harder by the day/month/year to write anything on this blog. Or, rather, it's getting tougher to write anything meaningful. On one hand, I have a lot to say, but on the other hand, I've said it all before. But, on the other, ... foot, most everyone who's read the stuff I wrote before has already passed the darn exam and isn't reading this thing anymore. Blah.
So I guess I should start again from the beginning. I'll just have to do things better this time around.
And away we go ...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Thing About Bar Exam Tutors ...
... is that they are all teaching the same thing. What differentiates them are the quality of their study material, how they present the subject matter, and how they motivate you to prepare.
The thing is, by the time we graduate from law school we all have a pretty good grasp of the limited body of knowledge required to pass the bar exam. Because of this universal fact, the value offered by the various bar exam preparation programs comes down to how we relate to the personality and style of the person doing the tutoring. Sometimes the tutor is the person whose name is on the front door; other times the person doing the tutoring (read, motivating) is a hired gun who can present the material in a more interesting or thorough fashion.
In large part (ihmo), the degree to which you will benefit from a particular bar prep program depends on whether, and how much, you like the person doing the tutoring. It's very similar to the times in school when you really liked a particular Professor and didn't like another. You usually performed better for the Prof you liked than for the one you didn't. Sure, sometimes you were just more interested in the subject (e.g., Crim Law v. Property). But usually, your desire and ability to do well was influenced more by the medium than by the message.
Bar Prep programs are the same. Assuming all other things are equal (our grasp of the material, our desire to pass the bar exam, our ability to retain the information, lack of other disruptions/distractions in our personal lives) the key is the relationship, if you will, between the tutor and the pupil.
So, if you're looking for a tutor, you should find someone you can relate to and who can relate to you. It's a buyer's market out there. Don't commit to a particular program just because the person on the other end of the phone insists that there are a limited number of seats in their program and, hey, you're in luck because they just had a cancellation. Take some time and make a calm rational decision. Talk with the person you'll be interacting with. If something doesn't feel right, move along.
There are lots (and lots) of people in the Bar Prep business. Some of them rely only on your determination to pass the exam so you can get your license and start working. They know that you're going to pass no matter who takes your money. All they have to do is stand in front of the room and read an outline. In one program I sat through, the guest lecturer said "No questions please, I've only got 90 minutes to get through all of Civil Procedure, and that includes a 15 minute break." Unfortunately for us, the 90 minutes also included correcting the errors in the material issued to us by the author of the program 30 days prior. These people tend to inflate their image and often brag about very high, and unverifiable, pass rates.
Other tutors care about your plight and know that their future income depends on your success. They're excited, energetic, and genuinely interested in you and in your progress. Take the time to find these people. Make a few phone calls or go sit with them and talk about their program. If you do that, you'll be much more likely to have a positive Bar Prep experience, and you'll greatly increase your chances of receiving good new in November (or May).
The thing is, by the time we graduate from law school we all have a pretty good grasp of the limited body of knowledge required to pass the bar exam. Because of this universal fact, the value offered by the various bar exam preparation programs comes down to how we relate to the personality and style of the person doing the tutoring. Sometimes the tutor is the person whose name is on the front door; other times the person doing the tutoring (read, motivating) is a hired gun who can present the material in a more interesting or thorough fashion.
In large part (ihmo), the degree to which you will benefit from a particular bar prep program depends on whether, and how much, you like the person doing the tutoring. It's very similar to the times in school when you really liked a particular Professor and didn't like another. You usually performed better for the Prof you liked than for the one you didn't. Sure, sometimes you were just more interested in the subject (e.g., Crim Law v. Property). But usually, your desire and ability to do well was influenced more by the medium than by the message.
Bar Prep programs are the same. Assuming all other things are equal (our grasp of the material, our desire to pass the bar exam, our ability to retain the information, lack of other disruptions/distractions in our personal lives) the key is the relationship, if you will, between the tutor and the pupil.
So, if you're looking for a tutor, you should find someone you can relate to and who can relate to you. It's a buyer's market out there. Don't commit to a particular program just because the person on the other end of the phone insists that there are a limited number of seats in their program and, hey, you're in luck because they just had a cancellation. Take some time and make a calm rational decision. Talk with the person you'll be interacting with. If something doesn't feel right, move along.
There are lots (and lots) of people in the Bar Prep business. Some of them rely only on your determination to pass the exam so you can get your license and start working. They know that you're going to pass no matter who takes your money. All they have to do is stand in front of the room and read an outline. In one program I sat through, the guest lecturer said "No questions please, I've only got 90 minutes to get through all of Civil Procedure, and that includes a 15 minute break." Unfortunately for us, the 90 minutes also included correcting the errors in the material issued to us by the author of the program 30 days prior. These people tend to inflate their image and often brag about very high, and unverifiable, pass rates.
Other tutors care about your plight and know that their future income depends on your success. They're excited, energetic, and genuinely interested in you and in your progress. Take the time to find these people. Make a few phone calls or go sit with them and talk about their program. If you do that, you'll be much more likely to have a positive Bar Prep experience, and you'll greatly increase your chances of receiving good new in November (or May).
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Keyser Söze. Keyser Söze!
The Usual Suspects is on. Great flick. Haven't seen it in years. I think if I was going to be any character in that motley crew I'd be Keyser Söze. Of course, he never really appears in the movie. He's a big influence, but he never makes it onto the screen.
That's me all over.
More model answers here:Questions 1-3.
That's me all over.
More model answers here:Questions 1-3.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
In the spirit of ...
... what's the word ... sharing?
When anyone finds a link to other tutors' sample answers to the July '09 questions, send it to me or leave it in the comments. I'll post it here so everyone can peruse and evaluate on their own.
Fair enough? I think so. If you disagree ... well ... leave it in the comments.
Cheers!
When anyone finds a link to other tutors' sample answers to the July '09 questions, send it to me or leave it in the comments. I'll post it here so everyone can peruse and evaluate on their own.
Fair enough? I think so. If you disagree ... well ... leave it in the comments.
Cheers!
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