My sponsor today, Matt Hollowell, asked me to spotlight Law School Chat, a new venture providing information and support for potential and current law students. This entity was launched in March 2011 by three bloggers: Jack Whittington, Jason Tenebaum, and Brian Hoffman. Their goal is to have an on-going “conversation for law school students and potential students regarding the issues, concerns, and rigors of law school life and beyond.â€
Photo courtesy of Law School Chat
Everything about law school is challenging: picking the right school for you, selecting classes, doing well on exams, networking for your future career, managing stress, and occasionally trying to have a life. Law School Chat is a wonderful resource because it connects people who have questions with others who have been through the challenges and have a variety of ideas about how to cope with them. They had their first chat via Twitter in March and they’ve announced that their weekly chats will return in the fall, using the hashtag #lawschoolchat. This is going to be a fantastic way for members of the legal community to connect to support the up-and-coming lawyers.
Law School Chat is a great resource for information. Some of their recent posts have focused on how to select a law school and how 1Ls can prepare for the overwhelming first semester of law school. They also do a wonderful job of referring their followers to the other fabulous lawyers and law-related resources in the social media world. Law School Chat was recently mentioned in the ABA’s Student Lawyer magazine where Whittington said he hopes their chats can provide support to stressed law students who need advice and people to talk to.
Law School Chat is definitely something to keep on your radar. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and be sure to participate in their upcoming chats.
Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Matt Hollowell. For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.
The bar exam is a few days away. All of our work for the last 4 years to get into law school, through law school, and through bar prep will come down to a 2-day test (3 days for some people).
I went to Arizona State University for law school. Most of my friends and I are taking the Arizona bar exam next week. In preparation, I reached out to some people who practice law from Arizona, most of who have previously passed the Arizona bar. I asked them what advice they wished someone had given them before they took the test. Here’s what they had to say:
Image by Saguaro Pictures via Flickr
“The absolute worst thing you can do to yourself is speak with any of your fellow test takers about their experience with any portion of the exam. They will have wax convincingly about seeing issues you did not spot, making you question whether you really studied at all. Chances are high if you did not see the issue it’s because it was not there.  There is no need to peck away at your self-confidence this way – just turn the subject to something non-exam related, or just walk away.   This is especially good advice after the exam is completed. Remember, you’ll have long weeks sweating out the results. There is no need to add to the tension because Billy Bob, who never scored higher than a 72 on any law school exam, uncovered a hidden corporate duty of loyalty issue in that First Amendment question.†Bill Richards, partner at Bade and Baskin, earned the highest score on the AZ Bar Exam in July 1990
“Before I took the bar, a good friend who had previously taken it told me to trust all of the studying I had done and go in there confident and with guns blazing. That really stuck with me and I took that advice right into the exam hall. I dared this exam to try and stop me from passing! Your state of mind is so very important on the day of the exam. I had people sitting next to me who were completely flustered and wound up missing whole questions on the exam. If you must listen to some arrogant rap music to get your confidence up (Kanye, anyone?). So stay confident and calm (do a yoga class the day before to get centered – I totally did this!) and remember that you worked hard and are ready for this.†Rachel Rodgers, principal attorney with Rachel Rodgers Law Office
“You will never feel like you’re prepared enough, no matter how much you study. Just accept that! Do your best to remain calm because freaking out just makes you lose focus and forget things. You will, most likely, either run out of time on some questions, or get questions that really throw you for a loop, or both. But remember that EVERYONE is in the same situation, and NO ONE knows the answer to everything. Even the highest scores aren’t ever perfect scores. You only need a D+ to pass, that’s all. Not an A, not a B, not a C. Most of you have never even written C answers in law school, so have confidence in yourselves and know that you can do it! When it comes to the week before the exam, please don’t spend all of your time cramming. At that point you know what you know and cramming will just exhaust you. Focus on your problem areas for one last refresher and try to get out and do some fun things to relax you. The last thing you want to do in the days before the exam is burn yourself out. Lastly, you WILL feel like you failed when you get out of there. It is just part of the process. So don’t be like me and spend the whole night crying and looking into other careers, because chances are you rocked it! Believe in yourself and whatever you do, DON’T talk about the exam when you’re done! You can’t change your answers and usually the people bragging about what they wrote are wrong anyway. Ok, that is all the wisdom I have so good luck and hang in there. It will be over before you know it!” Jeni Christopher, associate at Schlesinger Conrad, passed the Arizona bar exam in February 2011
“Whatever got you far enough to take the bar exam will see you through it — and allow you to leave the indignity of it far behind.” David J. Bodney, partner at Steptoe and JohnsonÂ
The July Bar Exam is less than two weeks away. For people who are taking BarBri to prepare, our lectures and classes are over. We’re at the point where every day we’re given a topic and a simple instruction – “Memorize.â€Â It’s hard not to let the panic set in.
Image by English106 via Flickr
From what I can tell from my classmates on Facebook, we’re all exhausted, stressed, and reaching the point where we just don’t care about these materials anymore. My day still starts before 6am so I can workout before hitting the books. I am studying by 7:30am and I spend most of the day going through my flashcards, outlining essay questions, and going through multiple choice questions. I end my day by spending an hour writing flashcards for other topics. My goals are to work efficiently these next few weeks and not burn myself out.
These days anything that takes away from studying or my daily routine, like laundry or errands, is a burden. I’ve recently become aware that studying for the bar has diminished my ability to do normal things. When I drive somewhere, I have to triple check that I put my car in the proper gear before taking my foot off the brake so I don’t inadvertently crash into another car.
Studying for the bar has definitely made me more irritable. Everyone is glad that I have limited contact with the public in general. The stupidest things annoy me. My friend says I have crankypants. My family barely hears from me. My posts of Facebook and rare phone calls prove that I’m alive. I made a brief cameo at the 4th of July family gathering and left before the fireworks. I took a rare study break last week to go to Food Truck Friday in downtown Phoenix. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I saw my friend and gauged my level of energy against his.
This week I realized that what everyone studying for the bar probably needs is a word of encouragement. We’re focused on studying and don’t have the time to see our family and friends, but it would be wonderful to hear from you. Please leave a comment for everyone taking the bar exam this month. It will do wonders for everyone’s spirits just to know that we’re loved and supported while we’re going through academic-professional hell.
