Thread: Please Help--CA Bar Exam Repeater

Hello,
I just found out that I failed the CA bar by 19 points. I'm still trying to deal with it, but I wanted to get some advice from other repeaters.

1) when did you start studying again in order to take the February exam? Should I begin as soon as next week or wait it out until New Year?

2) any recommendations on repeater courses or tutors? So far, I've heard great things about Adaptabar (MBE is a weakness). I also was recommended Dennis Higa, Paul Pfau, Holtz, Adachi's Bar Breakers and Vivian Dempsey (although she's pricey).
I'm just trying to figure out what the best approach is to take.

3) Did any repeaters actually work part time while studying again (unlike taking the bar the first time where we are strongly discouraged from working at all)?

Thanks so much in advance!

Category: CA - California Bar Exam

Category: CA - California Bar Exam

1. begin as soon as next week
2. holz has some good tricks, and adachi's bar breakers
3.I worked part time (4 hours per day) and it was fine. Just make sure you know what you need to do everyday

1. it is quality not quantity in terms of study time
2. bar breakers books are really great
3. read and become familiar with the different MPT formats and know how to attack them
4. if you can afford it, get a one-on-one tutor-- even if only for a few sessions. (yes, i work as a tutor, but no, i am not saying this because of that--- you likely need someone to re-navigate your study plan and methods, so whether it is a friend who passed, or a professional, get a new set of eyes to look at your study plan, habits, and learning methods.)
5. make your own flashcards and mnemonic devices.
6. this should be #1--- HAVE CONFIDENCE. if you believe you can't, you can't. it is that simple. YOU CAN DO THIS, remind yourself of this every moment you have even the smallest inkling of doubt and don't let yourself think otherwise.

I am still waiting for my results for the February 2011 Ca Bar but I took Shana Karpeles's course with CA Bar Style and she was very helpful helping me to understand how to write for the Ca bar exam. It was my second time taking the exam and I really understood with her guidance what my mistakes the first time around were. Her course is priced reasonably unlike other bar courses that charge up to 7500!! She worked with my budget and I even got unlimited grading and two days of a mock bar. I highly recommend her and her method. Her website is www.cabarstyle.com

Try the new review course developed just for those repeating the bar exam:

Repeat Takers

I'm looking for a study partner for Ca July 2011. I live in Tuolumne county but I can travel. Anyone interested?

I'm posting this from another thread because I'm hoping that it will be helpful to someone out here:

This last time I took the bar (my 2nd time), I studied with Vivian. She sometimes misstates the law, but I learned far more law with her than I ever did with BarBri because she made it manageable. Having said that, I still failed the second time. And it was because of my writing (I got a 138 raw/152 scaled MBE). In fact, my writing scores were the exact same as they were the first time around when I didn't know what the hell I was doing and really hadn't learned the law very well (I was too burned out after law school). Moreover, only 1 of 18 in our Los Angeles class passed the Feb. 2011 CBX... which is terrible (we all have emailed one another; that's how I know).

This time, I'm taking Steve Liosi (BarPerfect). Vivian focused on memorizing the law and practicing. Steve focuses on analysis and practicing. I'm hoping that Steve will give me what I need to pass. I don't need to learn the law so much anymore after Vivian's class, but I think that she graded exams so long ago that she perhaps has lost touch with precisely "how" to show the examiners that you are writing in an analytical way.

Hope this helps someone out there. I'll update in November after getting results from this July's CBX.

Did anyone take BarBri and fail California who now wants to take Florida?

I failed Florida and want to take California.

I am willing to trade our Barbri Guarantees.

Message me, ASAP.

Originally Posted by inga

I'm posting this from another thread because I'm hoping that it will be helpful to someone out here:

This last time I took the bar (my 2nd time), I studied with Vivian. She sometimes misstates the law, but I learned far more law with her than I ever did with BarBri because she made it manageable. Having said that, I still failed the second time. And it was because of my writing (I got a 138 raw/152 scaled MBE). In fact, my writing scores were the exact same as they were the first time around when I didn't know what the hell I was doing and really hadn't learned the law very well (I was too burned out after law school). Moreover, only 1 of 18 in our Los Angeles class passed the Feb. 2011 CBX... which is terrible (we all have emailed one another; that's how I know).

This time, I'm taking Steve Liosi (BarPerfect). Vivian focused on memorizing the law and practicing. Steve focuses on analysis and practicing. I'm hoping that Steve will give me what I need to pass. I don't need to learn the law so much anymore after Vivian's class, but I think that she graded exams so long ago that she perhaps has lost touch with precisely "how" to show the examiners that you are writing in an analytical way.

Hope this helps someone out there. I'll update in November after getting results from this July's CBX.

By the way, I passed w/Steve Liosi. He is great with analysis, but you need to remember to text him with every email that you send because, otherwise, he doesn't check that email address. Vivian's class, especially in retrospect, was pretty worthless (even though I think that her heart is in the right place).

Originally Posted by inga

By the way, I passed w/Steve Liosi. He is great with analysis, but you need to remember to text him with every email that you send because, otherwise, he doesn't check that email address. Vivian's class, especially in retrospect, was pretty worthless (even though I think that her heart is in the right place).

Inga, did you pass?
When you failed by 19 what if you study alone as 19 is negligible.
So, did you spend $5k Plus? I think I paid $30K for several years. I did not record or write down but my gut feeling. I will be probably $15K as I used barbri a few times and fleming, one tutor, two more bar preps etc. At least they charge 3K and if I multiply 7, it is 21K. FAILED For PT mainly. Missed by 2.