In the middle of putting these bar exam diary blogs together I began to wrestle with myself on when/how I should publish them. One of the driving fears in the back of mind mind was "What if I don't pass?"
Will I be embarassed that I took the time to document months of work for what turned out to be an unsuccessful attempt? Will I shut down my social media outlets and go pout in the corner, ashamed that I failed ?
I'll be honest. I'm scared shitless that my results come out next Friday. I'm scared that I'll embarass myself for posting blogs about studying if it turns out I failed.
The hard, cold fact is that law students fail the bar. I have tried looking at statistics of bar passage rates for comfort. I even Googled, "How can I know I passed the TN bar before results are posted?" One of my weaknesses is the "need for now". I want instant results. That doesn't exctly jive with a six-week waiting period.
I went ahead and made reservations next Friday evening for a celebratory dinner. I don't care if it's considered bad luck. Heck, I'll probably still go (sans popping champagne) even if I failed.
I have several more posts about taking the bar exam, including a disastrous late night experience the night before the bar began. I'm waffling back and forth on whether I want to share them before or after getting the results. Stay tuned!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Gifting Yourself
Sometimes it's easy to write someone off when you cannot help them. In the law firm where I work I turn down many cases for many reasons. It's easy to simply explain that we don't practice in the specific area of law that the situation requires. It's also easy to say, "I'm not interested in taking on your case". It gets difficult when that person asks you that nagging follow-up question: "Why?" Now you're put in the position to either be rude and cease the conversation, or you can take the time to explain the "Why" behind the "No", meanwhile eating up valuable time. Time is money, right? Not so fast...
A father recently called me about the tragic death of his son. Every law firm he previously contacted simply said "You don't have a case" or "We're not interested". Early on in our conversation, I knew it wasn't something worth our time to undertake. It would require thousands of dollars in litigation with a near-zero chance of success. I prefaced our conversation by telling him this upfront. I then spent some time explaining why we weren't able to take his case and why it wasn't a strong case (in my opinion).
At the end of the conversation the father now fully understood why he didn't have a strong case. For all he previously knew, a bunch of lawyers kept turning him down and he was (rightfully) upset because he didn't know why. While I wasn't able to further help him, the father expressed his thanks in finally getting an explanation after getting nothing but unexplained rejection.
You have been given gifts, abilities and talents. They were entrusted to you to benefit others. Yes, serving people can be frustrating. But you cannot allow frustrations in dealing with hurt and broken people to cause you to "close off" from serving others down the road. Spend some time serving others with your gifts. I guarantee it will bring a joy that know amount of money can.
A father recently called me about the tragic death of his son. Every law firm he previously contacted simply said "You don't have a case" or "We're not interested". Early on in our conversation, I knew it wasn't something worth our time to undertake. It would require thousands of dollars in litigation with a near-zero chance of success. I prefaced our conversation by telling him this upfront. I then spent some time explaining why we weren't able to take his case and why it wasn't a strong case (in my opinion).
At the end of the conversation the father now fully understood why he didn't have a strong case. For all he previously knew, a bunch of lawyers kept turning him down and he was (rightfully) upset because he didn't know why. While I wasn't able to further help him, the father expressed his thanks in finally getting an explanation after getting nothing but unexplained rejection.
You have been given gifts, abilities and talents. They were entrusted to you to benefit others. Yes, serving people can be frustrating. But you cannot allow frustrations in dealing with hurt and broken people to cause you to "close off" from serving others down the road. Spend some time serving others with your gifts. I guarantee it will bring a joy that know amount of money can.
Monday, April 1, 2013
First Week In
Perhaps beginning bar review (a schedule determined by my bar review study course) as soon as Christmas died down was a plan forged in much wisdom. You have a few days off work, and there's really not much to do besides online shop with all those nifty gift cards you got.
The first few days of bar review were spent in the comfort of my own home. I was already off work, it was easy to sit down on the couch early in the morning while my wife and three year-old slept in. In retrospect, those were the easiest days of studying.
The next week was technically my first "full" week of studying. My boss had graciously allowed me to adjust my work schedule where I could come in earlier and leave earlier. This freed up my afternoons and evenings to spend studying in the library.
The first day of my full week was the worst. I was in the office an hour earlier than usual. I fired up my laptop and began the 3-4 hour online video lecture. Hours later, the video torture was over. Then came review of the lecture. Then came a quick quiz over the lecture. Then came multiple choice review of what I learned in the lecture. Finally, there was a preview of what the next day's material would be. All of this crammed into 6-8 hours.
I was mentally spent by 8:00 p.m. of the first day. However on the second day I noticed I was beginning to feel that this was now my routine. It was a tad easier staying fully engaged in studying all day.
The third day was even easier. Same for the fourth day. By Friday, I was a robot. Boom, I'm up at 6:30 a.m. Zap, I'm at work by 7:30. Pow, I'm watching the lecture video when I sit at my desk. Poof, I'm doing review questions by 2:00. After five days of sticking to my schedule I had trained my body and hopefully my mind would follow in step.
I was still facing 5-6 more grueling weeks, but it felt good to know that I had established a schedule and stuck to it the first week.
The first few days of bar review were spent in the comfort of my own home. I was already off work, it was easy to sit down on the couch early in the morning while my wife and three year-old slept in. In retrospect, those were the easiest days of studying.
The next week was technically my first "full" week of studying. My boss had graciously allowed me to adjust my work schedule where I could come in earlier and leave earlier. This freed up my afternoons and evenings to spend studying in the library.
The first day of my full week was the worst. I was in the office an hour earlier than usual. I fired up my laptop and began the 3-4 hour online video lecture. Hours later, the video torture was over. Then came review of the lecture. Then came a quick quiz over the lecture. Then came multiple choice review of what I learned in the lecture. Finally, there was a preview of what the next day's material would be. All of this crammed into 6-8 hours.
I was mentally spent by 8:00 p.m. of the first day. However on the second day I noticed I was beginning to feel that this was now my routine. It was a tad easier staying fully engaged in studying all day.
The third day was even easier. Same for the fourth day. By Friday, I was a robot. Boom, I'm up at 6:30 a.m. Zap, I'm at work by 7:30. Pow, I'm watching the lecture video when I sit at my desk. Poof, I'm doing review questions by 2:00. After five days of sticking to my schedule I had trained my body and hopefully my mind would follow in step.
I was still facing 5-6 more grueling weeks, but it felt good to know that I had established a schedule and stuck to it the first week.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Degrees and Anxiety
My final post before law school graduation, here, was a lofty, emotional outward reflection.
In truth, I wrote it for another reason as well. I was scared out of my mind of facing the bar exam. I mean, how do you prepare for a kick in the groin?
The evening before graduation, I had a great dinner with my good friend, Joel, who unknowingly reminded me how far I'd come in the years we'd known each other.
Graduation day was an encouraging closing of the door of four years that forever changed me and my wife. We had our first child, financial ups and downs, a 180 change of course in my career, and emotional challenges and victories all within a hellacious four year span.
Heather and some close friends of our decided to have a couples' night out after my graduation. I'll never forget what my close fiend Mike told me as we sat around the fire at the Greenhouse Bar: "It encourages me that there are still people like you, who are hungry to learn and take challenges." I was humbled that he thought of me that way. What a great way to end a day of celebrating accompishments!
December days passed, Christmas came and went. My bar exam schedule was staring me right in the face. I remember scrolling through my calendar, which took me through the middle of February, looking at everything that was to be completed. "How can I possibly do ALL this?!", I silently asked myself.
Anxiety of the amount of work involved over the next two months had officially set in. In the middle of this, some wisdom from a first year professor crept in. Our first year torts professor was a stickler for exactness and thoroughness. But in one of his more touching moments, he offered some great advice for first year students struggling to cope with a taxing study schedule. "Take it a week at a time. Never look at the syllabus in terms of what you need to study for the entire year. Simply focus on the week at hand".
I never forgot this advice throughout law school. And I will remember the calm that set in once I applied this to my bar review early on. I decided from the beginning of bar review that I would take it a week at a time.
In truth, I wrote it for another reason as well. I was scared out of my mind of facing the bar exam. I mean, how do you prepare for a kick in the groin?
The evening before graduation, I had a great dinner with my good friend, Joel, who unknowingly reminded me how far I'd come in the years we'd known each other.
Graduation day was an encouraging closing of the door of four years that forever changed me and my wife. We had our first child, financial ups and downs, a 180 change of course in my career, and emotional challenges and victories all within a hellacious four year span.
Heather and some close friends of our decided to have a couples' night out after my graduation. I'll never forget what my close fiend Mike told me as we sat around the fire at the Greenhouse Bar: "It encourages me that there are still people like you, who are hungry to learn and take challenges." I was humbled that he thought of me that way. What a great way to end a day of celebrating accompishments!
December days passed, Christmas came and went. My bar exam schedule was staring me right in the face. I remember scrolling through my calendar, which took me through the middle of February, looking at everything that was to be completed. "How can I possibly do ALL this?!", I silently asked myself.
Anxiety of the amount of work involved over the next two months had officially set in. In the middle of this, some wisdom from a first year professor crept in. Our first year torts professor was a stickler for exactness and thoroughness. But in one of his more touching moments, he offered some great advice for first year students struggling to cope with a taxing study schedule. "Take it a week at a time. Never look at the syllabus in terms of what you need to study for the entire year. Simply focus on the week at hand".
I never forgot this advice throughout law school. And I will remember the calm that set in once I applied this to my bar review early on. I decided from the beginning of bar review that I would take it a week at a time.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Bar Exam Series
As many of you know very well know, I took the bar exam for Tennessee in late February. I decided early on to blog about the process, for a couple of reasons:
1. To help any future bar takers that happen to set foot upon my blog. Studying for the bar is by far the craziest emotional rollercoaster I've ridden. You can literally go from soaring confidence one day to feeling like there's no way you'll pass the next day. For those willing to join the ride, I'd like for you to have a front seat view.
2. Writing has a therapeutic effect, at least for me. While I refrain from treating these posts as "venting" everyday problems, sharing valid struggles often opens the doors for others to admit that it's not easy for anyone if we're all honest.
3. I am purposely witholding several posts until I get the bar results. I have included some experiences and raw emotions that shouldn't be shared until I found out how I did.
I have broken my bar studying and taking experience into several chunks, often into weeks or days.
I realize a lot of people's eyes glaze over when you begin to talk about anything legal, so if a particular post doesn't interest you, skip it and maybe the next post will suit your fancy.
That being said, let's go to the beginning, which begins at the end (of law school)...
1. To help any future bar takers that happen to set foot upon my blog. Studying for the bar is by far the craziest emotional rollercoaster I've ridden. You can literally go from soaring confidence one day to feeling like there's no way you'll pass the next day. For those willing to join the ride, I'd like for you to have a front seat view.
2. Writing has a therapeutic effect, at least for me. While I refrain from treating these posts as "venting" everyday problems, sharing valid struggles often opens the doors for others to admit that it's not easy for anyone if we're all honest.
3. I am purposely witholding several posts until I get the bar results. I have included some experiences and raw emotions that shouldn't be shared until I found out how I did.
I have broken my bar studying and taking experience into several chunks, often into weeks or days.
I realize a lot of people's eyes glaze over when you begin to talk about anything legal, so if a particular post doesn't interest you, skip it and maybe the next post will suit your fancy.
That being said, let's go to the beginning, which begins at the end (of law school)...
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Finale
I spent upwards of an hour creating a nifty timeline of events throughout law school. I ended up deleting it. It was unconscionably long-winded. You only need to know a few things.
The past 4 years have been a most difficult in mine and Heather's lives. Yet they have been the most rewarding. I have witnessed God wonderfully weave some of the most seemingly impossible situations together for a finale that simply leaves me in awe.
Each time a new year of law school began there was a challenge. Whether that challenge was a beautiful new daughter, or finances, we (myself and my wife, Heather) made it through.
This finale did not come easy. There were many late night study sessions. There were many conversations with my father where I confided that I was unsure if I could endure the stresses of law school. The difficulty of balancing a family, school and a career tested both me and my wife.
In the end you HAVE to want it bad enough to get it. There were 100+ students sitting in a law school classroom 4 years ago who thought they wanted it bad enough. It turns out approximately 50 had what it takes to make it.
I juggled three jobs, school, and a family, humbly stating that I'll be graduating in the top 20% of my class. Whatever dream or desire you have, go for it! But go for it with the full intent to achieve it. Attempting your dream at anything less will cause you to fall short.
This is my last blog post as a law student. I'll be taking a break from blogging while I study for the February 2013 bar exam. Judging from my number of page views, I haven't scared all of you off yet! This blog has been a healthy outlet for me throughout my law school years. There have been a few posts where I dared to admit not "having it all together" and was downright honest. Those posts were the most therapeutic. I hope you enjoyed at least some of the posts.
It is my full intent that my next post will be as a licensed attorney. Until then, thank you for reading.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Concede, don't be conceited
Conceding in the legal world, as in the real world, goes against human nature. It usually consists of acknowledging a fact or point of law that goes against your client's case. However, when properly used, it conveys the savvy-ness of an attorney. It indicates that an attorney has taken their blinders off and has considered the other side's point of view. It also indicates a modicum of humility.
No one likes to admit their weaknesses. Lawyers are no exception. The adage of "lead with your best argument" is still certainly true. However, there is no such thing as a perfect case and/or client. Lawyers better serve their clients by addressing weaknesses after presenting their best argument. To do this shows that you fully understand the issues. It also potentially takes away the sting of the opposing attorney stating your weaknesses when you blindly ignores them.
I recently dealt with an attorney who distorted our client's deposition in a motion to dismiss that he filed with the court. Not only did he misrepresent our client's testimony, he made false statements in the actual motion. Countering his motion was simple: state what our client actually said. This lawyer adopted such a one-sided view that he allowed it to cloud his judgment. After I brought up the many weaknesses of his argument in a responsive motion, he dropped his motion and decided to settle the case. If he had simply conceded certain things that were true, he may have been able to sting our client more effectively.
Refusing to admit weaknesses makes you appear conceited. Concede and leave your reputation intact.
No one likes to admit their weaknesses. Lawyers are no exception. The adage of "lead with your best argument" is still certainly true. However, there is no such thing as a perfect case and/or client. Lawyers better serve their clients by addressing weaknesses after presenting their best argument. To do this shows that you fully understand the issues. It also potentially takes away the sting of the opposing attorney stating your weaknesses when you blindly ignores them.
I recently dealt with an attorney who distorted our client's deposition in a motion to dismiss that he filed with the court. Not only did he misrepresent our client's testimony, he made false statements in the actual motion. Countering his motion was simple: state what our client actually said. This lawyer adopted such a one-sided view that he allowed it to cloud his judgment. After I brought up the many weaknesses of his argument in a responsive motion, he dropped his motion and decided to settle the case. If he had simply conceded certain things that were true, he may have been able to sting our client more effectively.
Refusing to admit weaknesses makes you appear conceited. Concede and leave your reputation intact.
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