The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Unsolicited Advice: Don’t Open Your MBE Score

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    Ruth Carter

    This was my actual MBE score, still in its envelope. I did not open until after I found out I passed the bar exam.

    It’s been about a month since the February 2012 Bar Exam. That means some people will be getting their multistate bar exam (MBE) results in the mail soon. My advice is do not open this envelope!

    The MBE is the multiple choice section of the bar exam. Each state determines how much weight it will give to the multiple choice, essay, and performance test sections of their bar exam. In Arizona, the MBE counts for 50% of your score. It is still possible to fail the bar exam regardless of your MBE score. For some, learning that their score was above average on the MBE allows them to breathe a sigh of relief.

    Arizona sends out MBE scores 5 weeks after the bar exam and posts the list of who passed 10 weeks after the bar exam. Do you want to find out that you’re in the lower half and have to wait another 5 weeks to see if your essay and performance test scores are high enough to give you a passing score?

    If you get your MBE score before you find out if you passed the bar, I recommend that you take the unopened envelope, shove it in a drawer, and forget about it. That’s what I did, and I was a lot less stressed as a result. Opening the envelope would have increased my anxiety because it would have made me think more about my bar results and would have freaked me out if I was below the average.

    My job was done when I turned my test in. There was nothing more I could do. Thinking about the results was not going to change anything.  After I learned I passed the bar, I did open my MBE envelope and saw that I performed above average. I still think I was less stressed and detached by not knowing any part of my score in advance. (I generally don’t talk about grades, but I thought I’d pre-answer this question.)

    Making the commitment not to open my score was probably easier for me than most people because I didn’t look at my law school grades for my last 2.5 years of law school. I still don’t know how I did in law school except that I passed every class.

    I made an offer to a friend of mine today who took the February Bar Exam. I told her if she didn’t want to see her MBE score when it arrives and she didn’t trust herself not to open it, she could give it to me and I would hold onto it for her.

    I’d like to extend that offer to anyone who took the February 2012 Bar Exam or who is taking the July 2012 Bar Exam. If you don’t want to see your MBE score, but you don’t trust yourself to resist the temptation to look, feel free to give or send it to me. I will hold onto it for you until you tell me to return it. Send me an email if you’re interested.

  • Let 3Ls Take the Arizona Bar Exam

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    Ruth Carter

    Arizona State University

    I saw an awesome story last week – the deans of the law schools at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Phoenix School of Law petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court to allow 3Ls to take the February bar exam before they graduate. I think it’s a brilliant idea.

    If 3Ls can take the bar exam, they will be admitted to practice so much faster. This was my 3L year and admission to the Arizona Bar:

    • Mid-August – Mid-December: Fall Semester
    • Mid-December – Mid-January: Winter Break
    • Mid-January – April: Spring Semester
    • May – July: Study for & Take the Bar Exam
    • July – September: Wait
    • Early October: Results Out – I passed!
    • November: Recommended for admission to the Arizona Bar (I had to track down a few documents for character and fitness)
    • December: Admitted to the Arizona Bar
    • Total Time: ~15.5 months
    University of Arizona
    Image via Wikipedia

    Here’s how it would work if 3Ls can take the February exam:

    • Mid-August – Mid-December: Fall Semester
    • Mid-December – February: Study for & Take the Bar Exam
    • March – April: Special Condensed Spring Semester – Focusing on Preparing to Practice Law
    • Early May: Results Out
    • Late May or June: Admitted to the Arizona Bar
    • Total Time: ~10 months

    When I first heard about this program, I had some concerns, but they were put to rest when I heard that students wouldn’t be allowed to take classes while studying for the bar exam and they will probably have to prove that they’re registered for and have a plan for studying for the bar exam. They also will have to demonstrate that they’re on track to graduate the following May.

    Phoenix School of Law
    Image via Wikipedia

    Taking the bar exam during 3L would be a brutal workload, but a disciplined motivated student could do it. It would suck to fail the February bar exam and turn around and study for the July test. On the flip side, if students pass, they could work in the legal field, take another state’s bar exam, work another job, or relax and travel starting in the summer after finishing law school.

    The biggest downside I see to this proposition is that it will be harder for law students to take all the electives they want during school, especially courses that are only offered once every other year, but that can be at least somewhat remedied with an independent study.

    I hope the Arizona Supreme Court allows 3Ls to take the February bar exam, at least on a trial basis. The Supreme Court is taking comments on the proposal until May 21st if you want to share your thoughts on this idea.

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  • I Was Cyberbullied – Part 4 of 4

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    Ruth Carter

    This is the final installation of my four-part story with cyberbullying. You can read it from the beginning here. Back to the story . . .

    After finals were over, I filed a formal report with the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. They said there was nothing they could do at that point, but that people like her engage in the same behavior repeatedly. They suggested that I send my bully an email informing her that any future contact was unwanted and would be reported to the university as harassment. If she contacted me again, it would be actionable. I disagreed with their assessment, but I sent my bully the email.

    Seclusion & Serenity by Iwona Erskine-Kellie

    Thankfully, my bully only had one more semester of school and we didn’t have any classes together. If we had been in any of the same classes, I would have asked the school to make her change. It was still nerve-wracking to see her on campus, but we never had direct contact again. Last I heard, she moved to California. Shortly after graduation, I blocked my bully and my other former exec on Facebook. Doing that made me feel like I was closing the door on that chapter of my life.

    I had an unsettling experience last week with my bully – she asked to connect on LinkedIn! I was surprised she would want to be a connection given her animosity towards me. I suspect she uploaded all her contacts to her LinkedIn account and requested to connect with all of them, not thinking that there might be people in her contacts list that she doesn’t want to be connected to. I looked for the ability to block someone on LinkedIn and was shocked to learn that LinkedIn doesn’t provide that ability. The best you can do is deny someone the ability to connect with you. I expected them to have a stronger anti-harassment provision. I would like to block her on that site too, but that is not an option at this time.

    So there’s my story. It was hellaciously stressful to be the victim of cyberbullying. I’m so grateful that I had support from my friends, my family, and the law school. I can’t imagine how much worse it could have been if I had to endure it alone. Unfortunately, that’s what happens to too many children. They’re ostracized from their peers and they’re too afraid to ask for help from their parents or teachers.

    To all the victims of cyberbullying, I know it’s hard to admit that you’re being bullied, and I know it’s scary to ask for help, but do it. You don’t have to go through this alone and you don’t have to continue to be the victim.

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