Advice for First-Time Takers

Law school is not a delightful experience for many people who earn law degrees. Right after graduation, most new JDs spend the next couple of months studying for and taking the California Bar Examination. Here, a comparatively large percentage of those people fail the bar exam and have to come back for another try several months later. It’s also common for people who didn’t get good grades or other marks of law school success to outperform their higher-rated classmates on the single test that matters most.

What’s the secret of success for the first-time applicant?  Here are some common qualities:

  • Discipline – the ability to make a schedule and stick to it

  • Practice – learn the law and the test-taking skills needed for success

  • Balance – the ability to keep the exam in perspective

  • Self-Awareness – knowing when to push it and when to quit early

Here are some articles I’ve written for law.com: Check them out here. I wrote them with first-time takers in mind.