WonL

The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Decompression

Wow.


As one of my dear friend's away message says right now "there are no words." There really are not. But I'll try. I've been decompressing and talking things over with other fellow bar exam takers and one thing is certain, we all feel pretty much the same. Since we won't get our results until October or November, there is an anti-climactic feel to being finished. I mean, I'm "done" as in I don't have to study every day or go to classes anymore. But I'm not "done" as in I'm a lawyer. I don't know if I passed the Bar Exam. For the first time since this hellish 8+week process began, I honestly don't know. All along, I felt okay. I worked really hard, knew the law better than a lot of people and felt confident going in. Now, I really just don't know. That's a pretty unsettling feeling.


The VA Bar was every bit as bad as they said it would be. Day 1 was VA specific questions. The morning session was 5 essays at 36 minutes a piece. Of course, one can never know every single thing for such a comprehensive exam, but I felt pretty good. I spent my lunch sitting in my car with a good friend. We narrowed down what would be tested on the afternoon portion and reviewed for an hour. Then we made the mistake of saying out loud that it wasn't so bad.


The world got turned upside down when we went back inside. The afternoon session consisted of 4 essays (some with a few subparts) and 20 short answers. I hammered out the short answers in less than 10 minutes and settled into the essays. It was like entering the twilight zone. As if they gave us an exam for another state. For 2 of the 4 essays, I stared at my blank screen for quite some time. In some instances, I honestly had no clue what the law was. None. Other times, the questions were worded in ways that I had (well, still have) no idea what they were asking of me. When faced with questions like this, I could do one of two things: I could ramble on and on just laying out every piece of law I could think of or I could just make up the law. Well, I did a little bit of both. I sure hope I get points for creativity on some of those ethics laws I invented.


I walked out of that afternoon exam and for the first time this summer my spirit was broken. The VA Bar broke me. I went to dinner with some friends and did something I usually never do. We talked about the exam. I mean an all out "what did you put?" conversation. It came to light that of the four of us sitting at the table, none of us put the same thing. We all made up laws. We all rambled on. We all stared at blank screens. Between the four of us, we still couldn't figure out what some of the questions were asking of us. At least we were all in the same boat, even though it did seem to be sinking.


The next day was the Multistate Bar Exam. That one was a little less intimidating going in because I had already done two practice run-throughs and also countless practice questions over the summer. I'm not quite sure how I felt about it except to say it was pretty much exactly what I expected. I didn't think it was especially difficult, nor did I think it was especially easy. It was just what I expected. The thing with those 200 multiple choice questions is that I never can tell how I did until I turn around and score myself right afterwards. Well, they didn't let us do that, so I guess I have to wait. If I performed as I have been averaging all summer, I should be okay. I just have to hope that it was well enough to overcome my performance on Day 1. I guess only time will tell.

I really am in a state of limbo right now. I'm sure this will fade over the next few days and I will definitely leave these feelings at home when I travel around the world! I do predict they will resurface around October and I can deal with them then. Because at least for now, I'm done with the Bar Exam.

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Done

I just wanted to drop a quick note and thank everyone for the calls and emails and texts and well wishes and prayers! The Bar Exam is over. I survived (as in: I did not die halfway through). As for whether I passed, that's a question I cannot answer...until October. I'm still trying to decompress and process all of this. but will try to put together some thoughts tomorrow for those of you who keep checking in. As for now, I'm off to indulge in sangria by the pitcher.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

All I'm saying

VA Bar Exam afternoon session:




(that's the clean version)


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July 24, the first day of the Bar Exam

It's about that time.


I may or may not have gotten any sleep last night, I have been pacing around my hotel room reading notecards since before the sun came up, and my stomach is somewhere on the first floor (I'm on the third). I do know one thing for sure: I'm going to be okay.


On my way home from my friend's hotel after dinner last night, I snapped a picture.





That's a mountain. And that's a star at the top of the mountain. Take that how you want it, but I'm taking it as a sign from the Big Guy that I'm going to be okay.

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Good luck to all!



Things are about to get crazy. Before they get too bad and there is not time left for the internets, I just want to take a moment to wish everyone the BEST OF LUCK on their respective Bar Exams. It's been a long long long climb, but we are almost to the top. I have enjoyed having each and every one of you by my side (from the couple of Californians, the New Yorker, the drunk Chicagoan, the gal down south a bit, and my favorite former-local.) I am glad I decided to continue blogging for a little while because this little online network we made for ourselves has proved to be quite fruitful. Special good luck nod to Zuska and Stare Decisis and Faith and of course MEG, who were here pre-Bar Exam (back when it was regular law school stress).


I also want to wish a SPECIAL GOOD LUCK to those of you who, despite not having your own blog, have been following along at home. I have appreciated your comments and your reading. More importantly, I am glad you felt you had a place to vent and share in the misery.


See all of you at the top!

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Friday, July 20, 2007

I just keep climbing.

I wake up each day and stare up at this huge mountain I am climbing. As the hours tick by, the reading continues and the notes get organized, the essays get worked and the checklists and notecards get crafted. All of this aids me up this mountain. Every time I think I have made great progress, I realize that I have merely scaled a cliff or a big rock. Only but a fraction of what I need to climb. The rest of the mountain awaits. And so, with enthusiasm in tow, I keep going. With every large rock scaled or cliff I lift myself upon, I stand up. I take a breath. And I just keep climbing.


As I stare up toward the sky, I know this mountain will end somewhere. In fact, I know exactly where it ends, but from where I am, it seems so far away. Every so often, I get discouraged by the seemingly endless climbing. It's then that I take a moment to look down and check my progress. Even squinting, I cannot see the faintest image of the ground below. I realize just how very far I have climbed. That gives me the strength I need to turn around and keep just keep climbing.


I reflect on everyone that climbs this mountain. I gain respect for those who have already reached the top and I know that soon, others will being their climb. I turn to the side and lend a hand to those who are struggling with me. Being a part of such a perseverant group of people gives me the motivation to just keep climbing.


I am exhausted. I have known from the beginning that this climb would be about endurance. But I'm tired. I feel like I have been climbing this mountain as long as I can remember. But I do know that it ends. I do know that there is a peak to this mountain and that I will get to it soon. I know that when I do, it will be the most amazing view ever. I know that it will have been worth the climb. But for now...for the next few days...I just keep climbing.

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Monday, July 16, 2007

One week left boys and girls.

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Friday, July 13, 2007

The Tunes of the Bar

I think we should start a Bar Exam Playlist. Wanna help? This is what I have so far:

What can you add?

And yes, I fully recognize the progression of misery that has been my summer.

Addin' to the List:

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Watch yourself

The following things, if said in my presence at any time in the next few weeks, are likely to get you stabbed:


In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal, it's only the bar exam.


You have two whole weeks, that's plenty of time.


Oh, it can't be that bad.


You look stressed. [Or alternatively "You look tired."]


I think you need a break.


Did you mean to leave the house looking like that?


I'm going to fail the bar because I have only done 1,846 practice questions and I only got a 150 on the practice MBE.

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

My morning so far...

Convo with myself...
Hmmm, my left eye is blurry.
Why can't I see out of my left eye?
Crap. (blink blink).
Maybe my contact is dry. (insert rewetting solution).
It's still blurry.
Maybe there is something on my contact. (looking in mirror).
Okay, I can't tell.
Damnit, I'll just take it out (looking in mirror and playing with left eye)
Law-rah, you are an idiot, your contact is gone.
Look again (pulling eyelid in all directions)
Nope, just gone.
Dummy, maybe that is why your eye is blurry.
Just put a new one in (grabbing disposable contact and putting in new left one)
Hmmm, still blurry.
Now, it feels really funny too.
Just take it out. (pulling out contact to find there are actually two contacts in my left eye now)
Law-rah, you really are an idiot.


Convo with PMBR (sorta)...
Me: Hi, I'm taking the Barbri 3 day course and wanted to see if I could change my date.
Her: What? Your taking what?
Me: The Barbri 3 day course.
Her: I don't know what that is.
Me: (realizing I'm on the phone with PMBR) Oops, sorry. I meant the PMBR 3 day course.
Her: The what? I don't know what that is either.
Me: I'm scheduled for July 13, 14 and 15 for the PMBR course.
Her: Let me check the schedule.
Me: (waiting)
Her: We don't have anything on the schedule for those days.
Me: (confused) Are you sure? It's at Georgetown. Could you check again.
Her: What did you say this was again?
Me: Wait, is this PMBR?
Her: No, this is [insert company name that is in no way affiliated with the bar exam].
Me: Okay thanks. (Yep Law-rah, you are an idiot.)


Convo with the lady at the Egyptian Embassy...
Me: (after calling for over an hour) Hi, I'm coming in today to get a visa and I had a few questions.
Her: Visit our website at www.egyptembassy.net
Me: I did. Your hours are not posted on the website.
Her: 9:30-1pm
Me: Okay, I have one more question.
Her: Visit our website at www.egyptembassy.net
Me: I did. That's where I got this phone number.
Her: Click on "visa" if you have questions.
Me: I did. The answers were not there. That is why I am calling.
Her: Are you sure you visited the right website? w-w-w-dot-egypt-embassy-dot-net?
Me: Ma'am, I have been on the visa section of your website all morning. I got the right phone number and application but I still have a question that is not answered on your website.
Her: Click on visa.
Me: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! WHY WON'T YOU JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION? I'LL JUST GET THE STUPID VISA UPON ENTRY INTO EGYPT. (click - hangs up on consulate woman)
(Law-rah, while you may be an idiot, at least you are not as stupid as her.)


Stressed much?

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Friday, July 06, 2007

Bubbling

This is going to sound like a really stupid insignificant question, but this is where my mind is these days...and it kinda matters to me.


On the actual Multistate Bar Exam answer sheet, are the bubbles to fill in actual bubbles going vertically like Barbri's...



Or are they rectangles going horizontally like PMBR's?



I ask because three times in the last 100 PMBR questions I have darkened in the wrong answer choice even though I knew the correct answer. I have never ever ever had this problem before. I am meticulous when it comes to bubble-darkening. And this is NOT a problem I need to deal with on the Bar Exam. I can only assume my brain does not work in rectangles going horizontally.

Yes, I do realize there are more pressing things to worry about these days. I want to worry about the shape of the bubbles damnit!

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Monday, July 02, 2007

Bar Exam woes

You know the bar exam is getting closer when...


You have absolutely no idea what today is. And when someone tells you, you still don't know what tomorrow will be.


You cringe at the words "paced program".


You spend every day experimenting with various forms and timings of caffeine-intake trying to find a balance between awake enough to get stuff done but not so jittery you cannot sit still.


You realize that from here on out, everything can wait until after July 25: friends, bills, oil change, doctors, sleep, bathing, gym. Okay, maybe not bathing.


Obnoxious terminology has infiltrated your daily conversations: "Look, I don't know what happened, but I'm pissed and res ipsa tells me it's your fault."..."Seriously, you are such an eggshell plaintiff!"..."That happened so long ago, the statute of limitations for you to bring this up to me has already run."


You realize Conviser is your friend. No seriously, he is. You find that you write him notes all day long like "help me Conviser" and "Conviser I need you". You also realize you have spent more time with him in the past few weeks than you have with any of your local friends.


Your friends' away messages say things like "This is one long race", "Make it STOP" and "Dear Bar Exam: suck it!"


When you turn on the television for background noise in the morning and Jerry Springer is on, you find yourself sitting down to watch it, because hell, anything is more interesting than studying at this point.


You look back at the girl you were a few months ago (the girl that was looking forward to studying for the bar exam) and you want to stab her with a highlighter.

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Friday, June 29, 2007

All growd up

Today marks my 30th year on God's green earth.


To celebrate this milestone, I will be taking a simulated bar exam from 9am to 4:30pm. Woo-hoo!


After recovering, I will be in Chinatown indulging in a few adult beverages. Cause I'm an adult now.





On second thought...nah, I think I am always gonna be this kid.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

How to handle Chemerensky

I had been warned about this guy. I was told that I would sit in a classroom for 7 hours over two days while he regurgitated the outline he had memorized (an outline I have printed in front of me). I find this method of learning doesn't suit me very well.


The first main problem is the "reading straight from the handouts" issue. I find it a general waste of time to be given the information in hard copy and then sit for four hours while someone reads it to you. Someone who speaks at a muuucchhhh slowwwwer paaaaace than it takes you to type.


Second problem is that while I do appreciate the effort to organize the information into outline format, I need that to be in my computer, not in a 44-page handout sitting next to my computer. Over the next few weeks, I will be learning the law in this outline by bolding, highlighting (possibly re-organizing) and condensing the information. That is not so easy to do in "workbook" form without using scissors and Elmer's glue.


I was really dreading today. I figured if nothing else, I could hopefully make some progress during class typing in the 44 pages of notes. I wanted to give Chemerensky a chance but knew I could always leave and type my notes up at home. Upon arrival, my very best Barbri friend in the whole wide world gave me a digital copy of the the very handout sitting next to me. I spent the next four hours with Chemerensky in the background reading* while I bolded, highlighted, and condensed that outline already in my computer. Got the notes down to 10 pages and now get to take tomorrow off. That, my friends, is how to handle Chemerensky :-) Oh happy day!


*To give the man credit, he doesn't actually read the outline...because he has all 44 pages memorized.




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Friday, June 15, 2007

Basic Non-Moron-Behavior Tips

Dear Girl that Sits One Row in Front of Me and One Seat Over,


You are really starting to annoy me. Okay, truth be told you have annoyed me from day 1, but the closer we get to July 24, the less I feel like putting up with stupid sh*t. You see, I feel like at this point in our (post law school) adult lives, there are certain amounts of classroom-etiquette we should just know. Oh no, darling, this is not me being unreasonable, this is you being a j*ck*ss.


Okay, the entire row behind you gets that you have some odd fixation with your own hair. Fine. I've seen girls twirl, tie, chew, brush, etc. However, there is never a need to flare your long mane out to the side, then the other side, then flip it backwards, then put it in a rubber band...only to take it down and repeat 2 minutes later. Then again. And again. While I am not keeping observed scientific records, I think I counted 14 times yesterday...during a 3 hour class. Unnecessary.


While the hair thing is annoying, the stretching is even more bothersome. All of use are sitting in the same classrooms for extended amounts of time each day feeling the need to stretch out. That is why we have a ten minute break every hour. To stretch. Now granted, there may always be a need for intermittent stretching. Fine. But really, do it with a little less disruption, will you? If your arms are stretching in a manner that results with your finger in a position to pick the nose of the girl behind you, then you are doing something wrong. Try stretching forward into your own damn personal space.


Don't get me started on when you do the mane-flipping in conjunction with the stretching. If my friend is finding your hairs on her space bar, again, you are doing something wrong.


I apologize (no I don't) for the tone of this email, but I must say that if the other 100 people in the room know this basic etiquette, I don't see why I should have to explain it to you.


Your BarBri Classmate,
Law-Rah


P.S. If you think I'm annoyed, you should hear from my friend who sits behind you. All I'm saying is that when I offered to bring some hair-cutting shears to class, she said there was no need, she would simply pull it out next time.



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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

50% ain't bad considering...

Dear BarBri (who needs to get your sh*t together),


I am a bit angry and confused with you right now. You taught me criminal law and criminal procedure for the Multistate portion of the Bar. This is the NON-state-specific part. Okay, got it. Learned it. Worked lots of questions.


Then, you gave me a graded practice crim. law essay to do last week. You told me how important the practice essay was to determine my progress and abilities. I took it seriously. I "studied" first. I timed myself. I wrote in "CRAC" format.


I got my grade back today and your grader told me that my defense is not actually available under Virginia Criminal Law. Furthermore, my grader asked me why I didn't discuss arguments the Commonwealth would bring up.


Um, well...could that possibly be that I worked this essay LAST WEEK and we will not learn Virginia Criminal Law until TOMORROW?


Morons.



Irritated at your inability to schedule,
Law-Rah


P.S. I'd also love to know why your "Average Grades and Common Errors" online that are allegedly specific to OUR essay are actually the grades and errors for the Civ. Pro. essay, which we have not done yet?

P.S.2 To answer your question...yes, they do my friend:-)

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Monday, June 04, 2007

Ruining my Ipod

My playlists have transformed from Study Music and Beach Mix to Criminal Law and Evidence. Yep, I loaded up the PMBR CD's onto my Itunes. (For those non-Bar Exam takers: PMBR is one of the two large companies that fight for our attention and charge way too much money to teach us what we need to know for the bar exam.) While Barbri gets my daytime attention with actual classes, PMBR gets my nights since they gave me notecards, practice books, and most importantly, CDs.


My friends, I am ashamed to say I feel like I hit a jackpot with these CDs. They're like books-on-tape of the law! Everything you could possibly want to know about the federal rules of evidence and contracts and torts. Oh the joy. Jealous? In all honesty, it is a nice little break to put a playlist on my new Shuffle and listen while I cook, workout, clean, etc. I am not sure how much I am actually retaining, but if nothing else, it takes away those pangs of guilt when god forbid I take a breaks to eat or walk to class or some other non-studying activity.


Okay, off to start evidence. Itunes tells me it's 5 hours and 30 minutes long. Going to be a fun night.

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Semantics

Can someone tell me why I chose to take the Bar in a state that uses such antiquated language on the exam? I realize that I am taking one of the more "formal" Bar Exams in the country (as noted by the demand that I wear a suit to take the test), but this nomenclature is getting ridiculous.


I don't think you should be able to just claim an existing word like "committee" as your own by pronouncing it differently (ko-me-tay) and making it mean something completely unrelated (guy who steps in for the mentally incapacitated).


And motions "craving oyer"? Really? Old legal terms are Latin. This one is half English, half French-ish, and wholly unneccessary.


Call a summons a summons and a complaint a complaint. No need for calling things "summons" in one court and "notice of motion for judgment" in another court.


Is this just for the Bar and just in my state or is this how I will start speaking once I become a lawyer? If so, can I count it as a second language?

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Sunday, May 27, 2007

Barbri weekend woes

My birthday falls on a Friday this summer. My birthday never falls on a Friday. Additionally, my birthday is special this year 'cause I'm turning 30. Wow, I haven't changed decades in like, um, almost 10 years. You may be wondering what I will be doing for my 30th birthday. Brace yourselves: I will be taking a simulated Multistate Bar Examination from 9am to 4:30pm. Good freaking times, huh?


While I am excited about being able to check my progress mid-way through the summer, I am a little less excited about spending the Saturday and Sunday immediately following my birthday in a classroom. I have heard mixed ramblings about the weekend-long wrap up; some say waste of valuable time because you can just read the answers and some say really helpful. Anyone have advice one way or the other?


(I know it seems a little far out to worry, but I heard a few rumors about a friend or two wanting to plan a big shindig and I just wanna know if I need to quash or downgrade their plans early on.)

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Bar Prep Week 1

Yeah, so, um, I couldn't do it. I tried, I really did. Beanie was right...there is no damn way I am getting through this summer without a written outlet for whining about the Bar Exam. Dear lawd, I already have three days worth of pent up Bar-related "stuff" and it doesn't fit into my pretty work-in-progress outline and I'm pretty sure no one wants mass emails of my daily Bar trials and tribulations. In fact, WonL readers probably don't want it either, so I hereby deem this blog to now be "WonL: The Bar Edition." If it does not interest you, you may wanna move along because I do not foresee it getting any better. But this is for me, not you:-)


So, I am taking a BarBri summer course in preparation for the Bar Exam. Although I have always hated the BarBri monopoly and all it stands for, I cannot fathom how anyone could be doing this on her own. After a WHOLE LOT of money changed hands, they gave me ten or so books with outlines, questions, answers, charts, practice exams, etc. Every day, I have four-ish hours of class and daily assignments that are a part of a "paced program" they have set up for me for the entire summer. They tell me what to read, which problems to work, what to organize, etc.


All I have to do is follow their instructions and retain the information. Easy, right? HA! According to their paced program, when I get home from class everyday I should be putting in between 5-9 more hours of work. Then, I should spend 10-12 hours on weekends. They say to "treat it like a full time job." Is it too late to just get my MBA?


Honestly, I am on track for week one even though I haven't been putting in the full time they request. However, I have also only had three classes, all of which I took in law school (Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Federal Jurisdiction & Procedure). We'll see how I feel when we start in on the things I have never heard of like Commercial Paper.


I have noticed a few things in my first week of classes. First of all, for the past three years, everyone has said that BarBri will teach me what I need for the Bar and I will not learn it in school. Thus far, I must disagree. So far, BarBri is refreshing what I found I already learned. I am realizing that I must have really gotten a good education because this stuff stuck somehow. (Yeah, Kerr, that means you too.) I have also found a tiny bit of respect for BarBri. The jovial, energetic professors on tape do this really great thing: they tell you what the VA Bar Examiners have consistently tested over the past 15-20 years and they focus on that. No wasting time on things that have very little chance of appearing on the Bar. I like that. I like that a lot!


Okay, back to reviewing my lecture notes.


Feels good to be back for a little while :-)

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