Saturday, February 16, 2013

It's a Wonderful Life!

Today while I was driving to my office, with the windows down, I got that feeling that I usually get this time of year. Spring is about to spring, the air is fresh and clean, the sun is shining but the air is still cool, and a gentle breeze is stirring the air, all of which promises a warm day that is not too warm.  In other words, a typical wonderful February day in Southern California. 

Right after that feeling passed through me, I felt an unrelated wave of relief wash over me as I realized that I was not heading into the office to study for the February 2013 bar exam. 

Can life get any better?

Probably, but not much.  At least, not for the foreseeable future.

For those of you who are indeed hunkered down studying for the upcoming exam, there IS light at the end of the tunnel.  I am living proof of that fact.  Hang in there, keep the faith, don't lose hope, don't succumb to the overwhelming pressure, and above all, KNOW that you can pass this thing. 

Because you CAN pass.  You do know the law.  You DO know the issues.  You DO know how to break the issue down into its composite rules/elements.  And you DO know which facts belong to which elements.  All you have to do now is to quickly and logically analyze the relationship between the facts and their elements and do so in a lawyer-like manner. 

Trust me when I say that there are many lawyers out there currently practicing law that can't do it as well as you can right now.  At this very moment, even before you've sat down on Tuesday morning, you are a better lawyer than many who are currently practicing law.  All you need to do is show the grader that know what you are talking about and that you are comfortable doing so. 

As you write your answer, pretend you are sitting in your office explaining the legal aspects of a client's case to him/her.   He or she wants to focus on the personal and emotional facets of their situation but you must disregard all of that and tell them what their case really boils down to legally, without all the rest of their emotional baggage mucking up their perception of the situation. 

Imagine how comfortable you are when you're talking to this client, and talk to the grader the same way.  Do that, and you're good to go.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is so very kind of you to give encouragement to the ones still hanging in there..

I am happy to say I never had to go through that stress.

I join you in wishing them all the best with their coming exams...

Anonymous said...

Good advice GP. I also like your description of how good it feels to know you passed the CBX. Remember it is an accomplishment that keeps on giving and never gets old especially for those of us who were repeaters over the years.

Anonymous said...

GP,

What is the most efficient way of using the Best MBE tool in order to raise the probability of increasing my score on the actual exam?

The Grand Poobah said...

I made sure I went through each and every question, and I read the explanations for every answer option. If I was confused about why an answer was right (or wrong) I looked up the code or statute on the issue and read it until I did understand. After doing all of that, if I had any questions I called or emailed Jason.

The raw MBE score for Applicants in CA on the July 2012 exam was about 148. Despite my comfort with them, I still read every one of Jason's answer explanations.

Anonymous said...

GP,

From your experience having written 22 Performance Tests on the CA Bar Exam - what are the most common type of PT's that a candidate is likely to get?

Jaya said...

Just saw this! How fantastic! Congratulations! I can only imagine what a momentous occasion being sworn in was for you! So, I'm taking the Texas bar. Will update you in May!

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much. Tomorrow will be my 2nd attempt. Your article is very helpful.

Anonymous said...

It took me about three years (post-passing)before I stopped getting ill during the week of Bar Exam results. I remember the first year I realized the results had come out and it escaped my notice - I was finally over the nightmares!