Tuesday, November 23, 2010

It's 5:01 A.M., Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?

...  or something to that effect. 

Can't sleep at the moment.  Decided to study my ConLaw outline.  That's sure to put me back to sleep. 

Also decided to go through the blog list on the right side of my blog.  Haven't done it quite yet, but I will soon.  I looked at it for the first time in quite a while and noticed that some of them have, um, gone stale.  As a general guideline, I think I'll remove those that haven't had a new post in, say, over one year.  Yeah, that's a good place to start, I think. 


Blah.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep on keepin' on man. All I gotta say is not much, and not what you and others who are still fightin' the good fight want to hear. Whilst you continue battlin' this dragon, make sure you all continue to live life. It is your life, it is a good life, despite any obstacles. Take a bit of time to smile and laugh with loved ones over the holidays. Yes, I know they won't ever quite understand the struggles that we will go through to slay the dragon or move on in our chosen profession. But we can at the very least rely on them who would love us no matter what. That is the plain truth and I'm hangin' my hat on that as much if not more on little old me who is sufferin' at the hands of this beast. I can tell you all one thing, I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I know we'll all make it in one way or another someday, and we'll keep pushin' on. Maybe if we have a bit of joy in our pursuit, regardless of outcomes, that joy which we glean from our loved ones, our family and friends, then we will become human again and this wonderful profession will be all the better for it once we get there. There, I said it. I didn't mean to get all Jerry McGuire on everyone but I'm tired of the lucky ones who have made it tryin' to tell us how to make it, heck, they don't even know how they did it! Anyways, whilst we work, remember the joy- even a little kernel of it- for that is the true secret to success, no matter what we put our energies towards during our too brief life spans. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Every time I google something about the California Bar Exam one of the links is to this blog and I can't help but stop in to read it. It's pretty disheartening stuff....

July 2010 was my first sitting for the bar exam and I also didn't pass. My scaled score was 1367.7. Like any rational person, I'll be taking a second stab at this test. Anyone can have a bad day (or three bad days for that matter). If I don't pass in February 2011, I'm going to take the exam in a different state in July, get my license, and move on with my life. Sometimes you need to give up one dream so that you can live out other ones.

I'll be brutally honest with you here: one of my biggest fears in life is turning out like you. Some guy who just sits here blogging about his failures on some test. It's depressing (and before you say anything else, yes, I understand coming to this site is voluntary and this will be the last time I visit it).

You're like the boxer who can take a brutal beating and just keeps getting up time after time. People will cheer you on because they admire your courage and tenacity, but the truth is that you're simply not a very good boxer. If I were you, I'd withdraw from the February 2011 Bar Exam and take it elsewhere....Oregon and Washington state are both excellent locations on the west coast.

If you're not careful with your decision here, one of two things will eventually come true. Either a) you'll get your law license but will be too old to actually put it to use, or b) you'll be sitting here in 10-15 years blogging not about the California Bar Exam, but instead about all of your life's regrets.

If you do pass in February, I suggest taking down the blog. I'm not sure how many clients would be comfortable with you representing them if they stumbled upon this site and saw how much you struggled to get a license.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Dude 1:02,
get a life!
You are playin' like a god here and attemptin' to tell a man what to do with his free life, much like those who already passed are tryin' to tell you how to pass, and trust me they only know what's right for them.
If I were you, I'd lose the bitterness, worry bout your own energies in your own life, go to Washingto or Oregon yourself, and leave the GP alone. Poobah knows what he's doin'- he's earned our respect, and you sir clearly havent.
Best wishes in your future consulting career mr. know it all.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:02 PM: Ok where do I start. Your post was cruel and mean spirited, especially coming from someone who has only taken the California Bar once with a 1367.7. What gives someone like you the moral authority to berate someone who is trying to pass when you appear to be ready to give up after one more failure and go to an easier state. If you do manage to pass a bar exam at some point I guess you will only look for the easy cases because you do not want to end up like someone who is not afraid to challenge himself. Look your post was very hurtful but beyond that it was incredibly presumptuous of you to think one failure of the California Bar Exam qualifies you to recommend anything to anybody. Get your own life in order and spend some time in therapy so that you learn to act like a human being.

Anonymous said...

Hey, anonymous 1:02 PM also speaks for some of us who have passed the California bar exam.

"Poobah knows what he's doin'"

See, the problem is that he doesn't. At least not according to the bar examiners.

Anonymous said...

hey 3:38,
you didn't know what made you pass either, most of you. If you were the lucky one, well then why even post, you don't need to- you're soooo good that I'm surprised you deign to spend your time with the likes of us here. (Unless you're sellin' something- which then you're not doin' very well as I don't see a website, etc.)
Go take your sage words elsewhere- like work and someday let me or poobah come in and wipe the smirk off your face and beat your azz in court.
All hail the underdog! I'm out>

Anonymous said...

I don't think pooh bear will be blogging about his life regrets, I think he wants it so badly he will regret it if he doesn't keep trying. Who among us doesn't admire someone who keeps trying, and seemingly keeps his optimism and hope alive while trying?

I hope you all have a happy thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 102 has some valid points.

Like most other lawyers, I have had to tell clients to give it up or to otherwise change their objectives. It's part of a lawyer's job. I would be doing my clients a disservice if I didn't explain how things are.

At this point GP is on a glidepath to a 20 year career of being a CA bar exam taker. At some point it's just time to cut one's losses and move on to something that can be successful.

Anonymous said...

Giggity Giggity gooo! No license for the Poo! Allllrgiight!!

Anonymous said...

4:36 - 3:38 here. The reason why I'm here? GP started studying for the exam at the same time that I did, and I was reading bar exam blogs at that time. I'd forgotten about both GP and the concept of bar exam blogs, until I googled "California bar exam" over the weekend because I had some friends taking this exam. I saw the link to this bar exam and thought, "Oh, that guy ... he must be years finished with the bar exam by now," clicked over, and...nope. So that's why I was here earlier today.

As for why I passed: well, I took the California bar one time - while working full-time - and I passed. I worked 8-5:30, went to Barbri 6-10 at night, and studied 10 PM-2 AM and on weekends. I don't think that was luck. It was spectacularly hard work during two months of studying for the bar exam, plus a solid three-year effort at a top law school before that.

And no, I'm not selling anything, sorry to disappoint.

Finally, as for beating me in court - I'm not too stressed about that, as you guys would need law licenses to do that, wouldn't you?

Anonymous said...

You have a very good MBE score. Honestly I don't think you need to memorize law at this point. Your writing is probably horrendous. I probably got nowhere near a raw MBE score of 139 and recently passed July 2010, but I can write an essay exam. I would practice that instead of memorizing...besides, this summer's exam was probably the easiest in a while in terms of its essays/PTs...

Anonymous said...

6:42: Amen.

For the record, I also passed the CA bar the first time (along with the NY bar the first time). I also attended a top law school and graduated with honors. Maybe it is just me, but there seems to be a correlation between law school rank, class rank, and bar passage.

It is clear from GP's scores that he can memorize law and master the art of picking the correct multiple choice answer. GP, however, is unable to put together a coherent, organized thought under time pressure. The essay portion is all about arguing like a lawyer. This is fact.

Unfortunately for GP, and many other law students, you got taken by the dream of receiving a law degree. The only problem is that you received a law degree from an institution that has no business issuing law degrees. One day, this pyramid scheme of lower ranked and unaccredited law schools will collapse.

It is time to move on GP and go master another profession. You don't need the legal profession to succeed.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry you didn't pass. I check in with your blog around every bar results release time, hoping beyond hope that you pulled it off. I know that I was very fortunate to pass the first time I took the exam in July 2007. It is such an incredibly hard test, and the preparation required is so hideous. I would not have passed if I hadn't learned how to write law exams when I was in law school, I'm convinced of that. I'm sorry you feel that you have to keep subjecting yourself to this process of studying for this test. I also must say that I admire your dogged pursuit of this goal, but I agree with people who are advocating that you take a break from the exam. Sorry to be so blunt.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to hear that you once again failed. I'll be honest, while I was studying for the bar this summer, you were somewhat of an inspiration for me in that I knew I didn't want to end up in your shoes. Luckily I was able to pass, and if nothing else this blog provides motivation for future bar takers.

However, from reading you posts it seems you always claim that you have found a knew "approach" or tutor that will put you over the top. Then when you fail you claim that you only had limited time to study. Maybe law simply isn't your calling. If you can't write a passing essay under time pressure after multiple attempts it probably isn't.

Sometimes the most honorable thing to do is to admit that you made a mistake (choosing to go to an unaccredited diploma mill) and move on. If your hell bound to take the bar again then do it, study as hard as you possibly can, and if you fail yet again move on with your life. Best of luck!

Anonymous said...

Hi GP -

I've been following your blog since I first took the exam in July 2007. I passed (after more than one attempt) and have been practicing law for almost two years now. I got really lucky and found work right after I got my license, but I know a lot of people from my class who are still scratching around looking for work.

Anyway, I know you said that you are determined to sit for the February exam, and as a grown man, you are certainly entitled to make your own choices. But bro, after seven attempts and a nasty motorcycle accident (and God knows what else), you are entitled to sit this one out and get your head on straight. I am not saying that you aren't going to be a lawyer someday - just that no one is really hiring anyway at the moment, and you've been dealing with some serious shit, so why not give yourself a break? I am sure the psychological impact of multiple failures is affecting you in ways that you aren't even aware of, which a little time off would probably help with.

So dude, I say this with as much love as can be felt by an anonymous commenter for a blogger he has never met: consider taking this test off. It really is ok to temporarily call "uncle" when life throws all kinds of bullshit your way. Doesn't it sound nice to enjoy the holidays for the first time in years, and start fresh in the Spring?

Anyway, it isn't my business. But if it was me, I would chill out this time.

Anonymous said...

"Consider taking the test off." I am not sure how that advice gets you to your goal. If you don't take the test in February and wait until July you will get the results in November 2011. One full year from now before you have any hope of passing the Bar. The Bar doesn't get any easier because you stop thinking about it.

Anonymous said...

GP-

You're an inspiration, keep doing what you do. You will beat this game they make you play.