FINALLY

April, 2018

FINALLY!

After 8 long years I have finally been granted permission to sit for the Washington State Uniform Bar Exam.  While this does not assure me I will pass the Bar Exam it gives me an opportunity to do so and is an opportunity I plan to take advantage of.

My primary review course will be materials from AmeriBar.  I will also use Adaptibar to help improve my MBE scores and I will review past MEEs from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.  I have started studying for the July 2018 Bar Exam and will treat each day like an eight to five job.  I am fortunate to be able to study full time without having to work a job.  I am also applying the knowledge and tips I received from http://www.beagoat.com/

Character and Fitness Update

In the Fall of 2015 I appeared before the Character and Fitness committee based on my past history with divorce, child support, tax issues and more.  The committee recommended I be allowed to take the Winter 2016 Bar Exam but the week before the exam the State Supreme Court sent me a short email denying that I be allowed to take the Bar Exam.  This was my second attempt for this State and now I must wait another year before trying again.  I am older than the average applicant so I have learned life experiences such as a divorce, and more, create more challenges when applying to take the Bar Exam.  I remain committed to pursuing the right to sit for my state's Bar Exam and will continue to make best efforts to demonstrate I have the character fitness to be successful.

Practice Practice Practice

As the February Bar Exam gets closer the panic starts to set in.  I remember feeling like I just could not possibly remember all of the rules so I focused on rote memorization of outlines and flash cards which I now submit was a huge mistake.  In the four levels of learning (rote, understanding, application and correlation) I realized that the more I understood the material the easier it was to apply the information.  For this reason, inter alia, I encourage everyone who is studying for the Bar Exam to place the emphasis on practicing exams, particularly Essays under timed conditions.  If and when you elect to do so, develop an approach that works for you.  For example, first read the call of the question, then read the question for understanding, then read again for issue spotting, review the call of the question one more time and finally outline the question.  This is just one example of an approach so develop an approach that works for you and stick with it.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of outlining.  It will not come easy for many of you at first but if you practice, practice, practice, you will succeed in passing the Bar Exam next month.  Good Luck!

Bar Review Courses

There are many different Bar Exam review courses and I frequently talk to individuals who have passed the Bar Exam to find out which course they used and what they thought about the course.  Recently the two courses mentioned more often then not are Ameribar (see http://ameribar.com/) and BarMax (see http://getbarmax.com/).  I have no personal experience with either course so I cannot personally endorse or critique the review courses but I plan to take the Washington State Bar exam in July of 2015 and will use BarMax to prepare mostly because of the mobility the course offers via using the iPad.  I will be working full time and studying whenever time permits so as I prepare for the exam with BarMax, I will post notes about my experience. 

To all preparing for the February 2015 exam remember to balance your study time with the holidays.  I personally think preparing for the February Bar Exam is more difficult because of the holidays that interrupt studying for many of the applicants.  Best of luck to all!

February 2015 Bar Exam

It may seem a bit early to be thinking about the February 2015 Bar Exam but it is never too early to think about how to organize your notes and study schedule.  No matter which review course you plan to use, you will help yourself by understanding the amount of information presented in 8 weeks or less of any course is more than the average student can learn and feel confident you have mastered the material.  Plan now and you will help reduce the stress.

Preparing for the July 2014 Bar Exam

January 30, 2014

It has been a few years since I have prepared for a Bar Exam.  I have decided to submit my application on February 1, 2014 for the July 2014 Washington State Bar Exam.  My MPRE scores are more than three years old so I registered today for the March 29, 2014 MPRE Exam.  Because I live in Eastern Washington State I will take the MPRE at Gonzaga University Law School.

I intend to Blog from now until results are released about the entire process of preparing for the Uniform Bar Exam ("UBE")  I already know I will face Character and Fitness issues because of a past divorce, child support and bankruptcy so I will discuss that process as well.  It is possible in some jurisdictions to take the Bar Exam and learn after the fact that you cannot get a license because of Character and Fitness.  In Washington State they require all Character and Fitness issues be resolved at least 60 days prior to the Bar exam.  If the issues cannot be resolved in time they will defer the applicant to the next scheduled Bar Exam pending the outcome of a Character and Fitness hearing.

I have completed bar review courses before from the major players but this time around I plan to review on my own without paying for an expensive course.  The MBE subjects are the same as always although I understand Civil Procedure may be added to the MBE at some point in the future.  The UBE will include the MEE and MPT also.  From past experiences I now know how important it is to write actual practice essay exams so that is something I fully intend to do.

I will continue working full time as I prepare for the exam so my schedule will need to allow time for work, study, exercise and family.

When I graduated from law school in 2004 I had no idea how much I did not know about preparing for the Bar Exam even after completing a review course.  My hope is that documenting my experience this time will be useful to new applicants and repeaters.  I will also submit tweets from time to time at @Barexamrepeater.

I encourage all who have any interest to submit thoughts, comments, suggestions and ideas for other to consider and possibly benefit from.

Best of luck to all!

Study Schedule for February 2014 Bar Exam

There never seems to be enough time to fully grasp all you need to know in preparation for the Bar Exam. The most important part of studying for the Bar Exam is not to focus on rote memorization at this point but is to force yourself to write practice exams even if you do not believe you know enough substantive law.  You will improve you knowledge of the substantive law when you grade your own practice exams.  This process works no matter which jurisdiction you are preparing for.  There is plenty of time remaining to prepare for and successfully pass the Bar Exam.  Another great resource filled with useful tips to help you can be found at http://www.barexammind.com/  Passing the Bar Exam is not about luck it is about preparation!