I recently had a back-and-forth with Stan, yet another reader who passed the (online/remote) 2020 October California Bar Exam on his 5th try.
When I asked to showcase his incredible personal journey, Stan offered to rewrite his emails into a more comprehensive story with approaches he discovered, his realizations, and specific study tips to help others join him beyond the bar.
Some of my favorite impressions among many:
✅ Respecting the exam is important but so is enjoying the process
✅ Practice as if it were the real thing. Do the real thing as if it were practice—with confidence
✅ Bar prep doesn’t have to be expensive
✅ Use the right approach to focus on what’s important
✅ The mental aspect (discipline, grit, fear, and doubt) can be what hinders you more than anything
Enough about my impressions. It’s time for yours. Here’s Stan’s story on what he did to finally pass the bar exam.
No substantive edits made except adding relevant links and [comments in brackets] and writing out some abbreviations.
One for Five: How I Finally Passed the Bar Exam
After I told Brian about my journey to passing the Oct 2020 California bar exam, he was gracious enough to offer me a chance to share my story on his blog. I discovered Brian’s website by searching stories on how people passed the exam. I’d bet that’s pretty common.
Before we get into my story, please know my only intent is to show you if I can pass, you absolutely can too. I’m not special, nor am I looking for credit or praise of any kind. I’m just an ordinary guy from LA who took the bar exam five times, dealing with life along the way.
Everyone’s journey to passing the bar is unique. What worked for me might not necessarily work for you. But I would bet a quality everyone needs is discipline. My story is a cautionary tale of why discipline should always be where bar prep starts and ends.
The October 2020 California bar exam was my fifth attempt, but I was finally ready to pass. Let me tell you why you should never think you’re not smart enough or good enough to pass, or that it must not be meant for you.
Continue reading “How Stan Finally Passed the Bar Exam Using Proven Bar Preparation Strategies (Anyone Can Do This!)”