The Bar. Three years of law school and more loans than you may care to think about have culminated in this final test. However, the Bar is unlike any exam taken in undergrad or law school. You cannot approach it as “just another law exam”, which is why Bar review courses, including McGeorge’s PASS I & II and BEAT, exist as resources. Professor Courtney Lee, who leads the Bar review courses at McGeorge, also maintains a weekly blog with important dates and tips for students preparing to sit for the Bar.

So, how does one beat the Bar?

 

“I did one of the Bar prep courses and I found it to be really helpful [because] it’s a unique set up. I didn’t like that time period when I was going through it, but as a lawyer I can look back on it and say that I found it really useful because I think you go through the same thing as a lawyer.”

– Amanda Uphaus, Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. University of Washington School of Law, 2010.

“I actually remember that as a really delightful summer because I had been working 30-hours per week in law school and going to law school full-time, so I was REALLY multi-tasking. For those few months studying for the Bar, I was just studying for the Bar. I’d go to a Bar prep class in the morning, take a practice test in the afternoon, I’d walk my dog, I’d go meet my girlfriend when she was getting off work, then I’d wake up and do it again. There was a nice rhythm and a sort of ‘focus’ to it.”

– Chuck Morton, Jr., Partner at Venable LLP and Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University. University of Maryland School of Law, 1990.

“I would say to make sure you’re prepared in terms of the format. I know the Washington format has recently changed, for example. So just being aware of how it’s tested, what they’re looking for, and learning that strategy. Also, making sure to focus on your weakest points and trying to improve those as much as possible.”

– Anna Othman, Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Seattle University School of Law, 2011.

“I was working full time when I took the Bar. Initially I tried to study when time was available, and that strategy failed. I ended up following a schedule for 3 months where I would get to the office at 4:00AM, study for 4 hours, then work a full day. I felt overwhelmed at times, but I kept reminding myself that in the context of a career, three months is the blink of an eye.”

– Nat Burgess, Founder & Managing Partner of TechStrat; former Analyst at Morgan Stanley. UCLA School of Law, 1996.

“I wrote a TON of practice questions. I worried less about reviewing outlines and just focused my efforts on the written part because if you can’t translate it into a practice exam, nothing matters.”

– Joel Espelien, former Corporate Attorney at Cooley and General Counsel at several tech companies. Duke University School of Law, 1996.

“Most notably for me, I realized [that] I was not a great auditory learner. I always did better by reading things, doing practice questions and writing things down rather than listening to lectures. So the second time [I took the Bar] I just did the practice questions, spending my time on things that I knew actually worked for me instead of doing what the curriculum said just because the curriculum said it.”

– Molly Campera, King County Public Defender. Northeastern University School of Law, 2015.

If there’s something to be taken from the lawyers we spoke to, it’s that developing a schedule, doing the practice questions and being prepared for the format of the Bar are essential. Writing the practice questions cannot be understated – “You need to literally write with pen and paper,” says Leah Adams (McGeorge class of 2007), Assistant Director of Career Development at McGeorge. Not only should you build up the endurance to physically write questions in the event that your laptop dies, but the act of writing allows you to think about your answers on a deeper and more analytical level. Most students can type faster than they mentally process their arguments, and that is a quick way to get off-topic and lost within your own answer. Take the time to write the questions, reasoning through the applications of law and determining what information is actually relevant.

Similarly, don’t underestimate the importance of giving Bar prep your full attention – i.e. working full-time while studying for the Bar is not recommended. Although some people can manage it (see Nat Burgess above), it will take a substantial toll on your mental health. Our advice is to treat this period as a full-time job because in the end, passing the Bar is what matters most.

Full interview transcripts of the above excerpts can be found here.

In an effort to provide our students with actionable insights on how to make the most of law school and prepare for a legal career, we sat down with several current and former lawyers from around the U.S. to share their experiences and advice. This is the beginning of an ongoing series that will be featured on this site and will cover various topics ranging from general advice on surviving law school to what they’ve learned after years in the field. We began by asking them what kept them grounded while in law school.

 

 “I’ve got a kid who’s in med school and of course everyone there says their path is uniquely challenging. I’ve got a kid who’s about to start business school and they, of course, say that business school is uniquely challenging. Having some perspective is important, and one of the things that really helped me keep that in law school was when I was feeling particularly stressed, I volunteered at a homeless shelter. It was really hard for me to come back from that and whine about how hard MY life was.”

– Chuck Morton, Jr., Partner at Venable LLP and Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University. University of Maryland School of Law, 1990.

 

“Throughout law school, and actually through Bar prep, I worked part-time in retail jobs completely separate from anything law-related. For me, this was really helpful because it was a scheduled time every week that I got to be around non-law students and talk about non-law school things.”

– Molly Campera, King County Public Defender. Northeastern University School of Law, 2015.

 

“What helped me most in preparing for the Bar and getting through law school was to do things completely unrelated to law school. One of my big outlets was working in a field that wasn’t law-related. It was really helpful to spend some time every week with people who had nothing to do with law school and working with something that had nothing to do with the legal field.”

– Amanda Uphaus, Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. University of Washington School of Law, 2010.

 

“Keeping the end goal in mind and knowing the direction I was going really helped. I felt like I was [well-] set up because as an evening student, I was working full-time as a legal assistant while I was in law school, so I knew that I basically had a job opportunity waiting for me. I got married after my first year in law school, and having that established home-life and somebody to fall back on was immensely helpful in terms of support.”

– Anna Othman, Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Seattle University School of Law, 2011.

 

“One of the most helpful classes I ever took in law school wasn’t even a law school class. It basically taught you how to take law school exams, and I applied that to everything I did. Second, you need to have a functional study group. Third, you have to genuinely like the material on some level. Lastly, I NEVER pulled an all-nighter in three years, wouldn’t even consider it. The reality is that pulling an all-nighter and not sleeping is the route to do terribly on exams.”

– Joel Espelien, President of Corum Group Ltd.; former Corporate Attorney at Cooley and General Counsel at several tech companies. Duke University School of Law, 1996.

While each response has its own unique insights, you can see there’s a common message from the lawyers we talked to: keep perspective, stay dedicated, and make time in law school for non-law school activities. The last point is one that is often misconstrued as a sign of a lack of commitment, but it’s actually necessary to maintain your mental and physical health. Without an occasional break to step back and reset, the constant demand and pressure to work and learn law can break down even the most resilient students. McGeorge offers a wide variety of stress-relieving activities including meditation sessions, yoga, a music society and the rec center; the weekly Docket is also continuously updated with upcoming McGeorge activities. If you’re feeling overwhelmed because you think you must attend every guest speaker lecture and be involved in every association on campus, try to separate the “needs” from the “wants” and identify how each is relevant to your future. If you need help, you can talk to an advisor in the CDO to figure out what will benefit you most as you pursue your desired career.

Don’t feel like hanging out on campus more than your classes require? Volunteering at the local food bank or homeless shelter is a great way to give back to the community and is also a strong résumé-builder. Block off a few hours every week for friends and family where you don’t have to discuss the latest legislature, legal theories or applications of law. Indulging in activities outside of law school (in moderation!) will help you keep your sanity. Your body and brain need a break from the rigors of law school, and your performance in the classroom and work will be better for it.

Full interview transcripts of the above excerpts can be found here.

The Career Development Office (CDO) at McGeorge provides students with tools and resources for lifelong professional development in the legal community. Whether you are a 1L still trying to figure things out or a recent graduate, the CDO is here to help you be your best when looking for a job. California is one of the most competitive states in the legal career field, and in order to succeed, students must take advantage of all resources available to them. Located in the state’s capitol, McGeorge is particularly well-suited for students interested in policy, advocacy, and government at the state, local and regional level. With an experienced team leading the way, the CDO gives students at McGeorge a leg up on the competition.

Molly Stafford is the Director of the Career Development Office, and is a 2002 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. She came to McGeorge from California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA), where she was a staff attorney and manager of the CRLA Rural Fair Housing Center (RFHC). During her 4 years at CRLA, she practiced civil litigation in many areas of law — wage/hour, landlord/tenant, real property, unlawful termination and special education — and provided state-wide fair housing litigation support to CRLA’s 21 offices.

She passed the California State Bar in 2003 and began practice at the AIDS Legal Referral Panel in San Francisco where she represented tenants relating to all aspects of their housing, presented training on fair housing law for clients, staff and major law firms. Molly taught practical legal skills to students in the Honors Lawyering Program as an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco.

Leah Adams, a 2007 graduate of McGeorge School of Law, is the Assistant Director of Career Development & Communication and an Adjunct Professor of Global Lawyering Skills. Before returning to McGeorge, Leah managed her own practice as a criminal defense attorney and family law litigator in the Bay Area. Prior to that, she worked for a litigation boutique law firm in San Jose and as a volunteer attorney with the Pro Bono Project of Silicon Valley. Leah also has experience working for public agencies, including an Arizona public defender and the State of California.

In addition to general career advising and document review (for all McGeorge students and alumni), Leah is our go-to networking expert and is available to work with students and alumni to develop their individual career search and networking plans. She works with on-campus student organizations, professors, alumni, and outside legal organizations to plan and implement innovative career-related programming, and she also manages and oversees the CDO’s communications strategies.

Erin O’Neal Muilenburg is Assistant Director of Graduate & Capital Employment, and is a 1997 graduate of Stanford Law School. Prior to joining McGeorge, Erin worked as a federal civil litigator for a national law firm in San Francisco as well as a boutique law firm in Sacramento. Erin also has clerkship experience, having served as a judicial clerk for federal district Judge Jon P. McCalla in the Western District of Tennessee. Prior to attending law school, Erin was a California Senate Fellow in the office of Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Lockyer.

In addition to working with all JD and LLM students and alumni, Erin places emphasis on strategizing with those interested in McGeorge’s Capital Lawyering concentration, government and public interest employment, legislative work, judicial clerkships, and lobbying, and students in our MPP, MPA, and MSL graduate programs. Erin also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Global Lawyering Skills, and works to provide in-depth instruction on persuasive written and oral advocacy in order to enhance and deepen students’ experience in legal research, writing, and analysis and prepare McGeorge graduates to be practice-ready as they begin their careers.

Isabella Hannon came to McGeorge with more than 10 years administrative experience, primarily as the executive assistant to the CEO of Tesco Controls, Inc., an environmental controls systems and manufacturing corporation. She also has recent experience as a staffing recruiter for Spherion, Inc, making her ideally suited to help students prepare for interviews and learn the “do’s and do not’s” when meeting employers. At the CDO, Isabella manages the On-Campus Interview Program, handles job postings on McGeorgeCareersOnline, coordinates reciprocity, organizes major CDO events, and much more.

Rydder Kramer came to McGeorge from Corum Group, a technology mergers and acquisitions firm in Seattle, where he served as the Senior Marketing Coordinator focused on event coordination, digital marketing, prospect management, and staffing within the marketing department. He also brings large-scale project coordination experience from his time with Boeing, and has experience working closely with students as a Spanish tutor at Gonzaga University. Rydder joins McGeorge as a coordinator for both the CDO and Externships Program.

Come by Northwest Hall or make an appointment to start planning your career!