I am beginning my re-newed preparations to take the California Bar Exam. This coming Friday will be the first of 78 full time study days dedicated to improving my essay and performance test scores. This time its only going to be 6 to 8 hours a day though instead of 10 to 12 like last time.
Bar Review Version 2.0 will not be anything like Version 1.0. I went beyond my usual charming asshole self well into the realm of being a complete dick during bar review 1.0. Just ask Eric.
Version 2.0 will not require me to do any law lectures or workshops. This time my review is about improving my writing style, format and presentation because I only needed 12.5 more raw points to pass.
Had I scored just 1.8 raw points more on each of my essays and PTs I would have passed the bar exam. That's one or two "buzzwords" for each essay. In fact, because my scores were so close to passing my essays and PTs were read a second time and my ultimate scores were the average between the two readings. Had I received the highest of the scores on each essay where there was a difference, I would have passed.
I'm not making excuses. I'm just setting the context for what bar review will be like this time. This time I am not going to let bar review completely consume my time and life like Version 1.0. This time I am going to:
1) Go to happy hour at the FOB with my roomies like usual
2) Continue to talk to my friends and loved ones
3) Smile and be cheerful
4) Eat, shower and do laundry without needing a reminder
5) Have a LOT of sex with my Girlfriend!
I recently read somewhere that having sex is one of the best ways to get your creative mind to perform at its peak. In fact one bar review "guru" advocates a daily booty call all through bar review. Well if he says so….
I am dedicated, positive and resolved to be successful on Bar Exam 2.0 this coming February. And I'm not going to loose me or my life in the process of getting there this time. So my Big Four O birthday party is still on (save the date – January 17!), and I'm going to celebrate the holidays wholeheartedly.
And if you are thinking of sending me something for either Christmas or my birthday, might I suggest Southwest Airlines gift cards, Starbucks cards or donations to my Bar Exam Hotel and Eating fund….
That was a joke by the way …… mostly anyway!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Last Call ....
I began writing this blog exactly 7 days, 3 hours and 20 minutes before the results of the California Bar Exam will be posted on the State Bar Website. As I post this blog on November 21, 2008, I now know my results. I will get to that in a minute, but first I want to savor the moment, even if its just in a blog.
Before I even "graduated" from law school I was well into my 5 month long bar review course. Although it started slowly – Saturdays and Sundays only, bar review grew into a consuming 7 day a week habit. During this time I never had the opportunity to realize for myself, and share with my friends and family that I was now a "legal scholar" adorned with the title "Juris Doctor" with all the rights and privileges thereunto pertaining.
Completing law school is a tremendous task for anyone, particularly a 39 year old three time college dropout boat bum slacker who has drifted from place to place for nearly 20 years. So without the acclaim of pomp and circumstance, without celebration, without ceremony, I silently became a law school graduate in April of 2008.
Only after the bar exam was over and I rediscovered beer, free time, friends, a girlfriend, and a social life, did I reflect on the totality of this dream of mine. Starting with every reason why not, I took the first steps in the spring of 2003 when I moved to Phoenix. (I won't restate the journey because it is already mostly chronicled in my previous blogs.) Here I am five years later, at the end of my five year plan waiting for a computer to tell me if I have a six month extension of that plan coming my way.
At some point this past summer, when people stopped asking me how I thought I did on the bar, I began to get used to having weekends and evenings free. I could think about something other than my outlines and practice MBE questions. Briefly I even stopped thinking about the bar exam entirely. Alright that's not really true but I tried.
At least once an hour since July 31, 2008, I have reflected upon the bar exam. What if I pass ? What if I don't pass? I already know I can answer either of those questions. I had a few nightmares before the bar about not having my sharpened No. 2 pencils on MBE day and earthquakes during the bar exam – oh wait that really did happen! I have since had a number of dreams about getting my results today.
I recall far too clearly the emotional meltdown I had after finding out that I passed the baby bar. I couldn't talk, I couldn't drive, and I couldn't see through the emotion in my eyes. Today has been surprisingly calm as I counted down hours, then minutes, to the moment of discovery. Several times today someone commented on how cool and collected I appeared considering the upcoming event of this evening. Cool Hand Luke… yes that's me today. So far anyway.
Through the final few weeks of waiting I have experienced the results in the corners of my mind. I have many times tasted victory and defeat in this hypothetical musical production before I manage to catch myself and redirect my energy to something productive.
Probably the most productive thing in my life is my new relationship with Daun. She is here with me to share this moment and I know either way she is here with me following that click of the mouse.
During bar review and the bar exam I have rediscovered the meaning of friends and true friendship. I have rediscovered love and commitment. I have as a backdrop the various traumas, turmoil, abandonments, and breakdowns that have been the musical score for me throughout this whole five year endeavor.
I am in a sense alone as I receive the news, in that the bar exam, the preparations, and the result are truly an individual experience. Yet I am surrounded by love and support from those who made it possible for me to take this journey.
Today has been a moment by moment countdown for me, waiting for 6:00 p.m. to roll around so I can click the "submit" button. Oh, by the way that's 6:00 p.m. PACIFIC TIME which means 7:00 p.m. for me here in Arizona.
And now, at 7:03 p.m. on November 21, 2008, in my office in Scottsdale Arizona, I am clicking the submit button. With that click, the July 2008 California Bar Examination is now closed….
And the February 2009 Bar is now open ... my name does not appear on the pass list.
Thank you everyone for your support and know that I'm going back into that room....
Before I even "graduated" from law school I was well into my 5 month long bar review course. Although it started slowly – Saturdays and Sundays only, bar review grew into a consuming 7 day a week habit. During this time I never had the opportunity to realize for myself, and share with my friends and family that I was now a "legal scholar" adorned with the title "Juris Doctor" with all the rights and privileges thereunto pertaining.
Completing law school is a tremendous task for anyone, particularly a 39 year old three time college dropout boat bum slacker who has drifted from place to place for nearly 20 years. So without the acclaim of pomp and circumstance, without celebration, without ceremony, I silently became a law school graduate in April of 2008.
Only after the bar exam was over and I rediscovered beer, free time, friends, a girlfriend, and a social life, did I reflect on the totality of this dream of mine. Starting with every reason why not, I took the first steps in the spring of 2003 when I moved to Phoenix. (I won't restate the journey because it is already mostly chronicled in my previous blogs.) Here I am five years later, at the end of my five year plan waiting for a computer to tell me if I have a six month extension of that plan coming my way.
At some point this past summer, when people stopped asking me how I thought I did on the bar, I began to get used to having weekends and evenings free. I could think about something other than my outlines and practice MBE questions. Briefly I even stopped thinking about the bar exam entirely. Alright that's not really true but I tried.
At least once an hour since July 31, 2008, I have reflected upon the bar exam. What if I pass ? What if I don't pass? I already know I can answer either of those questions. I had a few nightmares before the bar about not having my sharpened No. 2 pencils on MBE day and earthquakes during the bar exam – oh wait that really did happen! I have since had a number of dreams about getting my results today.
I recall far too clearly the emotional meltdown I had after finding out that I passed the baby bar. I couldn't talk, I couldn't drive, and I couldn't see through the emotion in my eyes. Today has been surprisingly calm as I counted down hours, then minutes, to the moment of discovery. Several times today someone commented on how cool and collected I appeared considering the upcoming event of this evening. Cool Hand Luke… yes that's me today. So far anyway.
Through the final few weeks of waiting I have experienced the results in the corners of my mind. I have many times tasted victory and defeat in this hypothetical musical production before I manage to catch myself and redirect my energy to something productive.
Probably the most productive thing in my life is my new relationship with Daun. She is here with me to share this moment and I know either way she is here with me following that click of the mouse.
During bar review and the bar exam I have rediscovered the meaning of friends and true friendship. I have rediscovered love and commitment. I have as a backdrop the various traumas, turmoil, abandonments, and breakdowns that have been the musical score for me throughout this whole five year endeavor.
I am in a sense alone as I receive the news, in that the bar exam, the preparations, and the result are truly an individual experience. Yet I am surrounded by love and support from those who made it possible for me to take this journey.
Today has been a moment by moment countdown for me, waiting for 6:00 p.m. to roll around so I can click the "submit" button. Oh, by the way that's 6:00 p.m. PACIFIC TIME which means 7:00 p.m. for me here in Arizona.
And now, at 7:03 p.m. on November 21, 2008, in my office in Scottsdale Arizona, I am clicking the submit button. With that click, the July 2008 California Bar Examination is now closed….
And the February 2009 Bar is now open ... my name does not appear on the pass list.
Thank you everyone for your support and know that I'm going back into that room....
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
... the final countdown ...
According to the State Bar of California there are now nine days until the July 2008 Bar Exam results are available to applicants who took the exam.
Of course I already know this to be true - November 21, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. has been on my mind daily since July 31, 2008 at 4:35 p.m.
I want to thank everyone for not asking me a lot of questions about how I think I did and why does it take so long to get results. I'm going to answer those questions for you now.
I have no predictions about my results and honestly I have no feelings either way. But how I did isn't really about the points I scored.
I completed law school. Via online study. I supplemented my studies with tutorials, lectures, seminars, workshops and review courses at various law schools in California. I flew no less than 164 flight segments or about 20 round trips for each year of law school on Southwest Airlines to attend these lectures and workshops.
I passed the California First Year Law Student Exam "Baby Bar" on the first attempt.
I began my bar review course the first weekend of March of 2008 and aside from one weekend in May I studied 7 days a week up to the bar exam.
I dedicated myself heart and soul to this bar exam and took no short cuts. I never gave in to the desire to pop smoke and run and followed on to complete the mission - which was completing all three days of the bar exam.
How did I do? I did just fine thank you. Regardless of the points I will not see anything as "failure" about this bar exam.
Why does it take so long to get results?
There were 8,486 applicants who took the July 2007 bar exam in California. Using last year's numbers lets look at whats involved in grading this bar exam.
Each applicant writes 6 essay questions, 2 performance test questions, and 200 multiple choice questions (except the attorney applicants do not take the multiple choice questions). The MBE is graded by computer so we need not consider that time.
In total there are 50,916 essay answers to grade and 16, 972 performance test answers to grade. These answers are graded by practicing attorneys in California who spend about 3 minutes on an essay answer and 5 minutes on a performance test. They read the answers and assign points based on an objectively subjective system. Don't ask.
There are 2,546 hours spent grading essays and 1,414 hours spent grading performance test answers. Thats just the first reading. Some of the answers are read by a second grader depending on the total scores. That is a total of 3,960 hours spent reading and grading the written portion of the bar exam - all in less than 4 months. Not considering the administration time spent getting the answers to and from the graders, the data collected and processed and the scaling of scores that no one really understands.
There are somewhere between 1500 and 2000 man hours expended in each of the 4 months between the bar exam and the release of results. Nearly a full year of work for most people.
Thats 4 full years of work total In 4 months time.
It takes a minute.
With nine days to go I am trying to not get too sideways thinking about the results. There are only two possible scenarios: I don't take the California Bar Exam again or I take the California Bar exam again. The end result will be I pass the exam and am admitted to practice law in California. I will not falter.
I have put together a list of people who have expressed that they want a phone call when I get my results. I will not be making the calls personally simply because the emotional influences tend to make it hard to speak.
I will post a blog a few days after results. If you do not get a call or hear from me please do not be offended. This is my bar exam and I will share it in my own way and time.
After I get results Daun is driving me to a particular Irish Pub where a small gathering will inbibe large amounts of Strongbow and Blue Moon. Send me a message if you are local and would like to join us...
Of course I already know this to be true - November 21, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. has been on my mind daily since July 31, 2008 at 4:35 p.m.
I want to thank everyone for not asking me a lot of questions about how I think I did and why does it take so long to get results. I'm going to answer those questions for you now.
I have no predictions about my results and honestly I have no feelings either way. But how I did isn't really about the points I scored.
I completed law school. Via online study. I supplemented my studies with tutorials, lectures, seminars, workshops and review courses at various law schools in California. I flew no less than 164 flight segments or about 20 round trips for each year of law school on Southwest Airlines to attend these lectures and workshops.
I passed the California First Year Law Student Exam "Baby Bar" on the first attempt.
I began my bar review course the first weekend of March of 2008 and aside from one weekend in May I studied 7 days a week up to the bar exam.
I dedicated myself heart and soul to this bar exam and took no short cuts. I never gave in to the desire to pop smoke and run and followed on to complete the mission - which was completing all three days of the bar exam.
How did I do? I did just fine thank you. Regardless of the points I will not see anything as "failure" about this bar exam.
Why does it take so long to get results?
There were 8,486 applicants who took the July 2007 bar exam in California. Using last year's numbers lets look at whats involved in grading this bar exam.
Each applicant writes 6 essay questions, 2 performance test questions, and 200 multiple choice questions (except the attorney applicants do not take the multiple choice questions). The MBE is graded by computer so we need not consider that time.
In total there are 50,916 essay answers to grade and 16, 972 performance test answers to grade. These answers are graded by practicing attorneys in California who spend about 3 minutes on an essay answer and 5 minutes on a performance test. They read the answers and assign points based on an objectively subjective system. Don't ask.
There are 2,546 hours spent grading essays and 1,414 hours spent grading performance test answers. Thats just the first reading. Some of the answers are read by a second grader depending on the total scores. That is a total of 3,960 hours spent reading and grading the written portion of the bar exam - all in less than 4 months. Not considering the administration time spent getting the answers to and from the graders, the data collected and processed and the scaling of scores that no one really understands.
There are somewhere between 1500 and 2000 man hours expended in each of the 4 months between the bar exam and the release of results. Nearly a full year of work for most people.
Thats 4 full years of work total In 4 months time.
It takes a minute.
With nine days to go I am trying to not get too sideways thinking about the results. There are only two possible scenarios: I don't take the California Bar Exam again or I take the California Bar exam again. The end result will be I pass the exam and am admitted to practice law in California. I will not falter.
I have put together a list of people who have expressed that they want a phone call when I get my results. I will not be making the calls personally simply because the emotional influences tend to make it hard to speak.
I will post a blog a few days after results. If you do not get a call or hear from me please do not be offended. This is my bar exam and I will share it in my own way and time.
After I get results Daun is driving me to a particular Irish Pub where a small gathering will inbibe large amounts of Strongbow and Blue Moon. Send me a message if you are local and would like to join us...
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