I Passed....but The Bar Exam is Still a Bitch: Hey Bar Bitch...Quit your Bitchin'

I Passed....but The Bar Exam is Still a Bitch

I took the Bar Exam more than once, several times actually, and lived to tell the tale....retakers take heart...the bar is a bitch...but not impossible...

Monday, September 25, 2006

Hey Bar Bitch...Quit your Bitchin'

I think most of you probably guessed that I really buy very heavily into the idea of karma....which is not to say that I try to do good simply because I am hoping for cosmic pay off....but if you look at the world in this way I think you'll begin to see that your life is forever altered...

In spite of the bar, I am still at peace (take that you bitch)....but, I will tell you the truth...today I was feeling a little sorry for myself.... my boss is having open heart surgery and because of my lackluster performance on this last test I can't take care of the business myself for the next three months while he recuperates.... and our two biggest clients pulled out when they found out I hadn't got the license.....(umm yes, I do feel guilty...it's my nature) I had a fabulous second date lined up for the weekend....and for reasons still unbeknownst to me he pulled the absolute worst guy move in the book.....he no-showed....since he called twice last week to confirm, I am still bewildered over it all....

So here I am...wallowing in bar-bitchy, self-pity....and this is what the universe sent me my loves....just in case you didn't read it in the comment section:

This is a great blog site and I am so glad I found it! For a change, I could smile about my own feelings of do it again until it is done. I have a positive attitude, work in court every day handling cases, and I know I can practice law - I will conquer the exam.

I would like advice on better material for 2/2007 Florida. Like yourself, I have endured many obstacles. My fiance, his mother and our dog - all died from cancer after graduation from law school. None of knew about the cancer in each case until it was too late. I was devastated and I walked away from the bar exam. I could not get the nightmares out of my head and guilt about studying all those years. I learned how to live again(went to a grief specialist and a test anxiety specialist) and a few years later back to the exam.

I also met a great guy, remarried, and he is presently Army deployed. So while sitting for bar exams, I have worked full time by day and study at night. I also sat for the Real Estate Exam, passed the school exam and am getting ready to sit for the State exam. Since I do not yet have my bar license, the part time rental properties we own make up for the lower salary I make as a law clerk for a government agency. That's OK - at least I have a great job.

My heart goes out to those who have passed and no work or not passed and work in jobs they hate. I have heard people make snide comments that they would "die" if they did not pass and I always respond as follows - I have cared for loved ones and seen them die on life support battled the nightmares and won.

Nothing can possibly make me want to die, especially a test!!!! I thank God everyday for what I have.

Here is my frustration > Florida changed the score requirements from 131 to 136. That may not sound like much but that is my obstacle. I would have passed under the old requirement of 131. I have hit the 131-135 range.

My question now is what do I do to make my property and contract MBE question scores higher to hit 136? I have tried BrBri, PMBR and Micromash. I am considering a whole new program since these did not work effectively for me.

Is there a suggestion from anyone who is retaking the bar or from others who have managed to get over this hurdle? If so I would love to hear from you or someone who knows someone who has finally hit that pot of gold! In the meanwhile, I would love to also chat with others who are dealing with our exam challenges.

Love and peace to all -Kathy 5:02 PM, September 24, 2006

Kathy----

I am awe inspired by you....when I read your post I'm not ashamed to say that I had tears rolling down my face....when I started this blog I felt so alone and so hopeless....and I thought, there must be others out there like me and maybe I could change that for some of us....today is one of the days I feel like maybe what we do here touches lives in some small way and for that I'm beyond grateful...

Thank you for such an amazing story....I've not dealt with even a tenth of what you have in your life...and yet here you are and you are so full of grace....I know everybody here wishes you the very best sweetie---

posted by Bar Bitch @ 4:21 PM

11 Comments:

At 3:47 PM, September 27, 2006, Anonymous said…

I cannot believe that I did not discover this blog until now! I, too got failing bar results in the mail last week for the third time!!! I have been taking the exam in VT, with the following results:
July 2005 - passed essay exam (yay, i do not have to retake, one reason to love VT) BUT failed the MBE by 1/2 a point (because you can get extra points from doing well on essays).
February 2006 - took MBE only and missed the mark by 2 points
July 2006 - you will not believe this - missed the MBE by HALF A POINT AGAIN!!!!!
frustrated, yes. defeated, no. confused, hell yeah - what IS the universe trying to tell me here????
You have yourself another regular reader! We SHALL overcome this bitch of an exam.
At 2:32 PM, September 28, 2006, Anonymous said…

Finally! Some REAL people to commiserate with! I just know that if we all stick together we can make it. It appears to me that we have what it takes - that indelible passion within us to become lawyers - the appreciation for what the profession is really about. It is so hard to understand why we keep missing the mark - but we do. I wonder about how it is that the student with the lowest GPA in my class is now licensed. It is so hard to comprehend - especially after the countless hours of studying again and again. I WILL NOT GIVE UP!
At 12:49 PM, October 01, 2006, legis said…

Barb*tch - I empathize with your situation. I wish I knew how to beat the MBE but alas I also have trouble with that horrible mistress of an exam. Yes - the important thing is to keep perspective! There are so many other much worse things that could be happening than failing this annoyance of an exam. But I know very well that it's hard to follow that advice. Since I'm in NY I won't know how I did for another month and a half, but I am all but convinced I have failed. I barely studied this time. I let myself get swallowed up in discouragement. But that is not the way to accomplish anything in life. The only thing to do is to pick ourselves up and start again. I got some lectures and my long Barbri books. And start again I must - and will.
At 11:34 PM, October 01, 2006, Anonymous said…

Hi - I just want you to know that I passed the bar in IL just now during the first try. I took your advice about memorizing black letter by writing on an erase board and it totally worked. I did that for the last 4 days before the exam and stopped doing practice questions or essays entirely. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your candid advice and blog.

God help you on your next try. I really hope you pass.
At 8:34 PM, October 05, 2006, Anonymous said…

Wow, BB, I just noticed that you're 28, just like me! I'm currently wrestling with the decision of whether to try a different state for the entire exam (and maybe wind up doubly licensed) or just taking the MBE in my current state that I have failed in 3 times....It's almost like I cannot bear the thought of going into that test center again. Thoughts on this geography/karma issue?
At 11:09 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

Pink letter....

I think it helps everyone to know that sometimes bad things happen to "good people"....your news about all the near misses sucks...but a lot of us identify with you...it's so awful to think that you are the "only one" with such supreme bad luck....

What kicks ass is that you are still trying...it only matters how many times you get back up right?
At 11:19 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

Failed too...

As far as missing the mark...it is so ridiculously frustrating yes?

I think if we can figure out the why...the why we are missing the mark, it will do wonders....I read something really great over there on Legis' blog about figuring out your obstacles....really good stuff...

As far as the person with the lowest GPA already having a license...I try not to dwell on those things so much...everybody is law school is pretty damn smart...you included...if you are going to compare yourself to others, please be fair to you...in other words don't think that there is something wrong with you because so and so got a license and you didn't....I try to keep in perspective that there may be extenuating circumstances...not that I suggest not being candid with yourself (if you didn't do enough, tell the truth)....but only in a constructive way....no beating yourself up!!!!
At 11:21 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

Legis....

Love that attitude....let us know how things turn out for you huh?
At 11:22 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

To the passer in IL!

You kick ass....so glad my advice worked for someone!!!!

And thanks....I too hope some higher power will intervene on the next attempt :)
At 11:32 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

Pink Letter....

Hmmm...if you were in a state like mine, where you have to retake all sections no matter what, I might say sure go ahead and try a neighboring state (I've given VA serious consideration myself, except it's a commonwealth and vastly different)...but if you only have one section to deal with...I'd say hit it again....you can bust the MBE's ass, I know it...besides it something smaller to focus on...I know you can go into that test center again especially if you go in with the knowledge that you have high practice scores....
At 11:33 AM, October 23, 2006, Bar Bitch said…

Jenny...

You kick ass girlie....thanks for coming over!