John passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam on his first try after deciding that his bar review course wasn’t working for him.
I know. Yet another success story about someone who ditched the traditional route. Might as well pack up and go home.
But leaving the bar course behind isn’t just for repeaters. And messages like this often take multiple repeats to click in your head. Kind of like memorizing the law.
Well, let’s see how John did it. I’ve parsed out 5 teaching points from studying his success story and the multiple updates he sent me before and after the exam.
I did a live workshop + Q&A with Doreen Benyamin (host of “Before You Take the LSAT”) on what I wish I had known on my first attempt at the bar exam.
This was a fire conversation! I’m happy to share that the recording is now available as a podcast episode (links and handout below).
It’s been edited down to 48 minutes long. But you’re not here to dilly dally. So here’s some social proof from other people who already spent the time:
Hopefully this forced a suggestion in your mind that maybe it’s worth a click.
Not sorry in the least. I know it’ll be worth at least a few seconds of your time, so it’s my obligation to share it with you.
If you’re in the middle of preparing for the bar exam, this is a great time to calibrate how you’re doing in your studies.
The episode covers:
Philosophies for effective bar prep
What moves the needle in bar prep
Optimizing for learning vs optimizing for performance
How to spend the last month of studying (including sample schedules in the Handout linked below)
A big law firm partner passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam while juggling a busy practice and a family life with children and a spouse.
“C” had no prior knowledge of California law, and it had been 20 years since C’s last bar exam.
💬 “I am an equity partner at ___ who took and passed the July 2023 Attorneys’ Exam in California … almost 20 years after I last took a bar exam. As a partner with a busy practice, kids, and spouse; with no real ability to take time off before the exam; and who did not go to law school in California and knew no CA law, studying for the bar was about the last thing I wanted to add to my schedule.”
Sure, you could say, “It’s because C literally works at the #1 law firm (according to Law360) and knows what they’re talking about!”
I get it because the mentor my law school issued to me was top 5 in his class and his overwhelming academic talent was wasted on me, the bottom 11%er.
But I still think you should listen to C’s advice. And not just because it parallels mine (you can question my grades, but you can’t argue with my readers’ results).
A Redditor (who wants to be anonymous) passed the 2023 July California Bar Exam on her 3rd try.
She was going through a difficult period in her life where people around her were passing away, and she had no money or job.
On top of that, she was being dragged down by her own negative thoughts about herself and from the past.
But she reframed obstacles and overcame her self-doubt. And with a proper approach to learning and retaining—and conquering her mental and emotional blocks—she finally blew the exam out of the water!
Despite her anonymity, she sent me a juicy story 🙏🏻 So let’s get right into it.
