Advice for a Law Grad

This time last year I was about to graduate from law school. I had no idea what was in store for me. So this time around I am again headed out west, but its to hood a new law grad. So here's my advice to those of you about to embark upon the journey that is bar review:

• Yeah, you can still have somewhat of a summer during May and June... July, July is the real deal peddle to the metal time
• GO TO CLASS! I REPEAT: GO TO CLASS! Yes I know most of you are only sitting there watching a video, but do it. And do it on the day the class is assigned. I get that I did not go to every lecture, but I was watching it at the same time as they were.
• Take breaks, you do not need to study 24/7. Trust me your brain, nor your loved ones, can handle you stressed out and tired.
• Eat healthy foods. The last thing you need to do is sit at your desk slaving away munching on candy, cookies, and chips. You will feel like crap and your body and brain will be dead and sluggish.
• Do something fun each week. Go to a movie, see a concert, go out and see your friends (those one not also studying for the bar) You will need something other than bar review
• Do not think that you need to recreate the wheel. Do not attempt a new study pattern just because its the bar. Do what has worked for you in the past, just on steroids.
• Look at old essay answers, they let you know what the examiners are looking for.
• Memorize that DTPA opening paragraph (i think even my dog could repeat it by the end)
• You can cross out and re-write your answer on the procedure and evidence (3 times even) I did it and passed
• it's ok to finish before everyone else. Do not second guess yourself.
• it is ok to cry after the exam (or each essay)
• DO NOT LOOK BACK! Once you walk out of that room do not consult your outline. You cannot change the answer, so do not torture yourself.
• YOU ONLY HAVE TO PASS. No one cares what your grade was on the exam, first, last, its all the same to your employer or potential employer. Hence you overachievers, let it go.... just need to know enough!

Good luck to everyone! Meanwhile, watch out LBK I'm coming at ya!

So What You're a _____ Lawyer

I'm not sure how this works in other states, but here in Texas the bar passage rate comes with some bragging rights. I became well aware of this as a 1L when one of our deans interrupted class just to brag about our school's passage rate. It became abundantly clear to us still scared 1Ls that passing the bar was important. This fact was reinforced my 3L year when this same dean came in to a class of mine to report a rather low bar passage rate. Our administration pondered over why the rate dropped, was it because the students were less smart? No. Eventually the blame was put upon BARBRI putting up the lectures online and students quit going to class. I still think this odd that they blame BARBRI... I mean just because its online does not meant the student cannot go to class, but that is neither here nor there. The point is that passing the bar becomes something of a ranking for Texas law schools. I mean if you check out the results page on the BLE, you can also see the rankings for Texas schools.

I have always been pretty proud of how well my alma mater has done on the bar exam, considering its a 3rd tier school and people liken it to an inner city slum often. I mean we require our students to take all the major bar subjects ( you would be amazed that 2 certain schools do not require evidence!). But I was never more proud of be a alum of my school than Saturday morning. I attended my sister's law school graduation. Now, it was quite different from my own. First, it was in the Baptist church (this should clue you in where I was). Second, it was very small (winter class). The student speaker was the highest ranking student, instead of one chosen by the class, and the speaker was a professor (who was brillant BTW! I love a good Bluebook joke). But most of all, they were VERY proud of themselves and their little school. I get it, its the graduation for that school they are going to shout its praises from the mountain tops, but I feel as though it went a tad too far. I mean, how many other lawyers were out there thinking, I did not go here and I'm a damn good lawyer. This particular school is rather proud to dub themselves ______Lawyers. Who cares? I mean honestly after you pass the bar who cares what school you went to. Yes, I get it their lawyers go through the hell of PC,  but so what! Its not like I did not endure hell at my school. I mean I'm pretty sure as Elle Woods would say, "we took the same LSATs....) I took the same bar exam, I am employed.... Just because I did not go through PC does not mean I will not make a good litigator.

Now, I'm going to stop at this point and say two things: 1) I am way proud of my sister and would not have missed that moment for the world, so this is by no means to take away from her accomplishment. I mean I was in tears just seeing her; and 2) my school just won the National Moot Court Competition for the 2nd year in a row!

My point, who cares where you went to school! Each law school offers its students different opporunities, programs, experiences, but they all over the student the same degree. It's up to that student to make it worth it. It's not about being a Tech Lawyer, a Baylor Lawyer, a UT Lawyer, etc... its about  being a lawyer. Its about passing the bar and going into practice and proving yourself. Yes, I'm a product of my school, but I'm also a product of myself. ~The Illegal Blonde

The Countdown

Ok, so us lawyers take this thing called the bar. It's different in each state and in some states you just have to graduate (not fair Wisconsin, but come on who wants to practice in Wisconsin?). Well in Texas, its a three-day test from HE-double hockey sticks! (I'm not exagerating).

The first day you take a procedure & evidence exam and the practicum-type written exercise. Not bad. Day 2 you take the dreaded MBE (200 mutiple guess questions from hell (opps I said it)). Day 3: Texas really likes to stick it to us and we have state-specific essays. Yes, people essays, plural, as in 12 of them! They are over specific subjects and require immense amounts of memorization of laws. You get a small fact pattern and then BOOM! Give us the answer, who gets what, why, etc...

Oh, did I mention that you do this in a large convention center filled with what feels like thousands of people typing away... And you get to bring on a baggy that contains your keys, pencil, and if you proctor is nice kleenex? I was ok with days one and two (though a little upset about the capias debacle). Day three morning went swimmingly, and then the afternoon hit!

I got to an essay on trusts, trusts, yes not guadianship.... (thank you BARBRI), and froze. I mean I had like one of the best professors for trusts in the world (he did write a book on it) but I just could not remember this one little rule. Like the one little rule I needed to decide who gets what and why! panic.... hot sweats, red cheeks, dry-mouth, and then yes.... TEARS!

I sat there and changed my answer about 10 times and then just trusted my gut and stuck with one. I shook as I shut down my computer and left the room. Done, that was it, my entire life and career saved in cyberspace. I took my plastic baggy and headed to my car. I was brow-beaten, tired, emotional and just plain exhausted. I got in the car and called my mentor. I cried and she assured me I would be ok. It was the stress and exhaustion from the week. I know I know... but still she just did  not understand.

That was July 28. Since then I have gone on vacation, started a new job and worked for two months, all under the guise of passing this test. Yes, you read that right, July 28 and November 4, this Friday I find out the results. (yeah don't ask me why they feel the need to torture us for this long.) So the pressure and stress has hit me. I have just a few more days of hoping and waiting (and maybe a job) before I get the big results.

So I'll try to be patient and not worry, but come on people, its life or death here! JK but only a little. Waiting impatiently~Illegal Blonde