Showing posts sorted by date for query exams. Sort by relevance Show all posts

How I went from Failing the Bar Exam to Passing in the 90th Percentile


These are words I have dreamed of typing- I am officially a Lawyer. I passed the February 2020 Ohio Bar Exam. I will be sworn in to the Ohio Bar in just 4 short days.

If you have followed me for a while, you will know that I failed the July 2019 Ohio Bar Exam by just a few points. More on that in this blog post. I decided to go after the February 2020 bar exam without mercy. I wanted to pass and I wanted to pass with a healthy cushion. I refused to fail by just a few points again. Thankfully, my tireless efforts were successful. Not only did I pass, but I passed in the 90th percentile. That means my score was in the top 10% of February 2020 exam takers. I had a perfect score on two of my essays and one of my MPT's. This was a HUGE increase from where my previous bar exam score was.

I do NOT post this to brag or boast in any way. I am posting all of this with the hopes that it can encourage others who have to retake the bar exam. I want people to understand just how high you can rise after a setback. I don't want people to feel like they can't success on this exam just because of one bad attempt. I want those who are preparing for this exam to understand that failing once isn't the end of the world.

So what made the vast difference in my scores? I cannot say with 100% certainty but I have some good ideas based on the changes I made as I prepared for my second attempt. I am going to share it with the hopes that it helps someone else conquer this monster of an exam.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a bar prep expert. I am NOT a professor or a bar examiner. I am just someone who has done this process twice, once unsuccessfully and once successfully, and I am sharing what I learned from that in the hopes that something here can help someone else. I am sure some of this advice will seem redundant or silly to some people and to others it will be enlightening. What worked for me might not work for you. Take everything with a grain of salt and at the end of the day, you have to do what works best for you. 


Read more »
No comments
Labels: ,

Tips for Remote Law School


I know this is a crazy and scary time for law students. 3L's are dealing with the lack of graduation and uncertainty around the bar exam and my heart just goes out to all of you. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone and my hope is that this pandemic will pass and everyone will have access to all normal opportunities.

What I want to discuss today is the change to remote law school. I know it has been a hard adjustment for everyone. As I am now working for my law school, I have remained pretty informed on the transition to online law school and the struggles students are facing. While I never completed law school online, I did study for two bar exams online from home and through a lot of trial and error, I figured out a few tricks to handle full time study online from home. I want to share these tips in the hopes that they might provide a little assistance to all the law students out there figuring out online law school.

1. Set a Routine 
It literally doesn't matter what your routine is, but find something that works for you. Personally, I would do work in 3 hour increments throughout the day. It was unusual but it worked for me. Having a routine gives you a reason to get up and get to work in the morning. Having a routine also makes it easier to ensure that you are getting enough work done. It is sometimes hard to keep up when you don't have the usual parameters. Having a daily routine keeps you in the rhythm of getting your work done and will help you to stay on top of the work load.

A routine also helps you make time for relaxation. You need to take breaks and rest your brain. Work hard and then enjoy your leisure time.

2. Make a Study Space
I think it is super important to have a defined area in your home for studying. Just like when you get home from class, you can relax and step away from school work, if you define a place in your home purely for studying, you can step away from that area when you need to relax. Further, when you get into your study space, it helps to motivate work just like arriving to class motivates you to be prepared and do your best.

3. Ask for Help
If you are struggling, absolutely reach out for help. There is no award for going it alone. These are hard times- these are unprecedented times. Everyone is figuring it out as they go. I urge you to seek out help if you feel like you are starting to struggle. Talk to professors, faculty, mentors.... anyone you trust to advise you and assist you. If you feel mental health issues beginning, seek out help. There are many free and online counseling options available. Please please please ask for help if you are struggling. I know personally I always hate admitting I need help but when I seek it out, I always feel better on the other side.

4. Have Grace with Yourself
Life has changed drastically- it's okay if your motivation and productivity changes too. Have some grace with yourself as you adjust to this new reality. It will get easier, it will get better and eventually, this pandemic will come to an end.

5. Helpful Products 
I put together an Amazon list of items I think are gamechangers for studying from home.
  •  Laptop stand to get your laptop up to a better position to improve your posture and alleviate neck strain
  •  Wireless mouse
  •  Wireless keyboard- it makes it easier to type while your computer is raised
  •  Ring light- clip this over your laptop camera and look like a rockstar on Zoom or Facetime
  •  Blue light blocking glasses help to alleviate the strain of computer screens on your eyes and help with headaches
  •  Seat cushion to help with posture
  •  Water bottle- I like to have water next to me at all times while studying at home 
  •  Coffee mug with lid- don't let your coffee spill on your computer!
Shop all these products here!

I hope this is helpful! Best of luck everyone!
No comments
Labels:

5 Things That Would have Changed my 1L Grades

Hello friends!

I know I have not posted much law school content lately. It is harder now that I am out of school. Because I am not confronted with the problems of law school daily, I find myself rarely thinking about it and even more rarely blogging about it. I promise to still do some law school content and my previously written law school content will never go away. But, as my life changes and evolves, I want this blog to do so with me. Law school is a temporary endeavor so I want my followers to be able to follow along in post-grad, work life, and everything that happens after law school so I can continue to be a resource.

Now back to the post for today: I have never made a secret of the fact that I had a hard first semester of law school. My grades were not what I wanted and I even failed one of my classes and had to retake it. The more I look back on my law school experience, the more obvious it has become to me what went wrong that first semester. Some people are naturally good at law school- I was not one of them. Multiple choice and bar style essays did not come naturally nor easily to me. I worked as hard as I could but the work I was doing was less effective than it could have been. I tried my best but my grades suffered.

Moving into my second semester and beyond, I took a good, hard look at what worked for me and what didn't and adjusted accordingly. My second semester saw a dramatic jump in my GPA and my grades were significantly improved. Throughout law school, my GPA rose steadily and I did very well. Law school was a major learning curve for me and it took a rough semester to figure a lot of the tricks out.

I know many of you are coming off of first semester disappointed in your grades as I was despite the hard work you put in. I am sharing some of the things I wish I had the first semester of my 1L year that in hindsight likely would have made for better grades. Further, use these tips to move forward stronger and have a killer second semester. It is completely possible!


Read more »
No comments
Labels: , ,

Friday Five 8/20/19 / Sunday Six 9/1/19

I have to apologize for the fact that this post is a little late- it should have been published Friday but Google Chrome crashed on my computer and it has taken me a lot of time to get everything back in order. 

Can you believe it's September??? This summer flew by and I can honestly say, I am 100% ready for it to be over. Thanks to the Bar Exam, this was one of my least favorite summers ever. I am ready for Fall and a fresh season without exams looming over my head.

My life has been pretty quiet... I have been enjoying a study free life and getting caught up on everything else in my life.

Last weekend I went to Nashville for a Bachelorette Party which was so fun!


I also got to meet my blogger friend Danielle in real life which was SO fun! Go follow her- she is a sweetheart! 

Saturday night I went to a local Baseball game and had a blast.


Other than that, it's been work, relaxing and enjoying my free time.


I have a few fun favorites for you today; just some things I have been loving lately.

Read more »
No comments
Labels:

My Tactics for Bar Exam Prep



Well, I am almost done with my third week of bar prep and I am starting to get a routine down I think. I can say that it is not the most fun thing I have ever done but it is also not the worst. I am in my third week and I am 20% through my program already. Below I am outlining what I am doing, how it is working and what I am using to make it happen.

My Study Space
My study space is simple but effective. My husband and I turned our extra room into an office. I have a desk, bookshelf, filing cabinet, printer and it works out just how I need it too.


Two really helpful things I have in my space is a laptop riser and book stand. Both of these help to keep me from bending over and straining my neck. I have linked them below:

   
Read more »
No comments
Labels: , , ,

Post Finals and Graduation Celebration GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday!

This weekend I graduated from Law School... it is absolutely surreal.


Today I begin studying for the Bar Exam with Themis Bar Review. As unexciting as that is, I know that this time is only temporary and it will be worth it.

In more exciting news, I have a super exciting announcement:

To celebrate the end of another round of final exams and the fact that I graduated from law school this past weekend, I am launching a giveaway on Instagram!

In order to win, you must follow all instructions below. The randomly drawn winner will receive:



  • A pair of blue light blocking glasses
  • A ceramic mug that says "Trust me I'm almost a lawyer"
  • A double insulated tumbler that keeps hot drinks warm for 8 hours and cold drinks cold for 18 hours 
  • A cute journal 
  • A glass water bottle
Instructions for entering: 
  1. Follow @thelegalduchess on Instagram
  2. Like the giveaway photo on Instagram
  3. Comment on the giveaway photo on Instagram and tag 1 friend who needs to celebrate the end of law school finals!
  4. Optional extra entries: for every extra friend you tag, you get an extra entry & if you share the giveaway on your Instagram or Instagram story, you get an extra entry
No comments
Labels: , ,

What You Have to Know About Law School Final Exams

"Your value as a person is not determined by your performance on this exam or any other exam, your performance in law school nor the bar exam. Your value is inherent and inviolate and nothing can take it away from you."
                                                    - quoting Professor Shelley Cavalieri.

Print this out and hang it above your desk. I promise you will thank me

There is so much pressure to excel on law school exams and that is okay. What is not okay is letting the need to excel, the need to beat the curve and the need to get that A becomes your benchmark on how you determine your value as a law student, as a lawyer or as a human being. A grade is just a grade. It is just one piece of the puzzle. It is not the end all be all.

A bad grade is not the end of the world. A few bad grades are not the end of the world. Let it push you and drive you to do better but do NOT let it defeat you.

Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing more defeating and heartbreaking than failing a class in law school or getting a grade lower than you wanted. I remember sitting in my bed at 2am when my Property I grade was released bawling my eyes out because I got a C- and that meant I had failed and would have to retake the class. It was one of the most crushing moments of my life. But, I picked myself up and decided I was never failing a class again and pushed myself harder until my law school GPA and grades were something I could be proud of. Now, I am getting ready to graduate. I have cords and medals to wear on graduation day. I have gotten A's, I have gotten the highest grade in a class, I have excelled in Moot Court and I have a resume full of honors and awards from my time in law school. I am not longer that girl who failed Property I... I am 2 weeks away from being a Juris Doctor and the highest educated person in my family.

My law schools grades, both the good and the bad, do not define me. Your grades do not define you. Please do not let anyone ever let you think otherwise and please don't let yourself start to believe that it is true.

You got into law school for a reason- you are good enough, you are smart enough and you can do this. If you remember nothing else from everything I have typed into this little blog, please remember this.

Good luck to all this exam season!
2 comments
Labels: , ,

Friday Five 4/26

Happy Friday!

Today I am taking my last substantive final exam! ( I have one more next week but it is good faith effort/participate to pass so I do not have to study for it). My week was basically full of nothing but study study study and take exams. However, there were some bright spots: on Easter, I was blessed to welcome a new nephew, Lincoln Lee.

Here are a few fun snaps from my week:








Gracie goes to law school



And here are my Friday Five!


Read more »
No comments

Book Review: The Boys in the Boat

Taking a break from exams to bring you a book review!


The April book pick for our Novel Idea Book Club was The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. This is the story of the 1936 USA Olympic Rowing Team that took Gold at the Berlin Olympics. It was a team of 8 college boys from the University of Washington who grew up in logging towns and fishing villages before making their way onto the worlds stage and rowed their way into the history books.

It is no secret that I am a giant history nerd so this book was right up my alley. 1936 was a historical time... the Great Depression was still holding America in its grasp, Germany was rising again into a monster no one could foresee and the world had not even yet recovered from the war to end all wars. It was into this backdrop that 8 tall, Northwestern boys stepped into a rowing shell and into the history books. I love a good underdog story and these boys, who had no money, no pedigree and no reason to believe that they could be Olympians were the ultimate underdogs. Rowing is an elitist sport and yet, it was the working class boys that took the day. You can't write stories better than that and yet, this one was real.

If you have not read it, all I can say is that you should.
No comments
Labels: , ,

Friday Five 4/12/19

Happy Friday!

This was my second to last week of school.... ever. I am ALMOST DONE. Overall, my week was pretty full of studying, outlining and getting ready for final exams. This weekend I have a banquet for Moot Court, judging try-outs for Moot Court next year and more studying for exams. Here are a few other snapshots from my week.

I spent my weekend at my parents farm hanging out with this guy. It was amazing. 

Anna Banana living her best life

'Tis the season for iced coffee



Read more »
No comments
Labels: ,

Friday Five 4/6/19

Well, it's been a while since I have done this. Life has finally slowed down a touch... just in time for final exams. I have 2 weeks of class left in my entire academic career which is CRAZY. This week has been full of classes, catching up and starting my exam prep. I have also been trying to enjoy the nicer weather and spend time with my husband and pups. Here are some snaps from my week:
Spring colors

Puppy day at the law school is the best

Pasta is always a good idea

My pup Garth turned 5 this week!

And Gracie turned 3!



Now here are my Friday Five:


Read more »
No comments
Labels: ,

Transitioning from 2L to 3L year


Hello friends.

My apologies for being basically MIA for the last few weeks. I turned my Moot Court brief in on Friday and finished the Advanced Leadership Academy I was attending on weekends yesterday so I finally have some free time back to spend on the blog.

Today's post has been requested by several people so I figured I would give it a shot. Transitioning from 2L to 3L year was much easier than the transition from undergrad to 1L or from 1L to 2L. At this point, I have law school classes pretty well figured out as well as balancing classes with extracurriculars (such as Moot Court) and work. The first bit of 3L year seemed like it was going to be pretty chill and not very different from 2L year.

Read more »
No comments
Labels: , , ,

How to Choose a Bar Prep Company

THE BAR EXAM

Words that strike a small sense of terror into every law student. The test that determines whether or not you will be allowed to practice law. The test that quite literally determines your future. If you want to be a lawyer and you are not thinking about the bar exam, you should start now.

My law school starting prepping us for the bar exam right in orientation. Bar exam passage has been low universally among all law schools the last few years so they wanted us to start off strong and do everything we could to prepare over our three years in law school for the bar exam. The strategies they implemented included requiring all students to complete classes in bar tested subjects, multiple choice questions on all exams, semester check in's on where we should be in our bar prep process and a professor dedicated to helping us with bar exam questions.



One of the most important parts of the bar examination process is choosing a company for your bar exam preparation course. Basically, if you graduate in May and take the bar exam in July, you spend those 3 months studying basically nonstop for the exam. The most effective way to do this is with an intensive commercial bar preparation course. Some of the most popular companies are Themis, Barbri, and Kaplan. These intensive bar preparation courses provide you will condensed instruction on the relevant black letter law, practice multiple choice questions, practice essay questions, essay grading, support staff and test-taking strategies to excel on the exam.

Read more »
No comments
Labels: , , , , ,

A Week by Week Study Schedule

Happy Thursday!

This post come s by request and I think it will be super helpful. I have alluded to my weekly study schedule in the past but I have never devoted a whole post to it so that is what's on tap for today.

Figuring out what you need to study and work on week to week in law school can be challenging. There is always a ton of stuff to do and just so many hours in which to complete it. I am sharing the study schedule which has worked well for me over my 2.5 years in law school. I have honed it to what works perfectly for me. I hope you find it helpful as well!

Here is a sample look at my week to week study schedule. This is what I do during the majority of my semester until about a month before finals. Then I integrate more study time to prepare for finals. More on that in this post: PREPARING FOR LAW SCHOOL EXAMS ONE MONTH OUT




Read more »
2 comments
Labels: , , , ,

2018: A Year in Review

Happy New Years Eve!


2018 has been a really good year. I got to travel and explore. I learned so much. I grew as a person and as a legal professional. I made some amazing new friends, cut some toxic people out of my life and decided to focus only on the positive.

January started off with my 24th Birthday and the start of my 4th semester of law school.

In February, we had a new baby horse born- Olympia since she was born the week of the winter Olympics.
   


In March, I traveled for my first Moot Court competition and had a blast!

I also went on a fun trip with my law school friends to the cutest hotel ever to celebrate one of their birthdays.

In April, I took some outrageously hard exams and finished up my 2L year in law school.

In May, I started a summer clerkship with a local state Judge. I also found out that I got the highest grade in my Legal Ethics class which is a high point for my time in law school.


My hubby and I went on the most amazing cruise to the Carribean and had an absolute blast.




In June we attended a beautiful wedding and enjoyed the warmth and sunshine of summer. We also laid a new floor in our master bedroom and refinished our stairs.

We went to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in concert which was amazing.
  

I went to see Shania Twain with my law school mentor. 
   


In July, we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.

Made the best of the summer heat.

Visited my grandparent's cottage on Lake Michigan.




A post shared by Brandy (@thelegalduchess) on


August brought the end of my clerkship. It was such a wonderful learning experience.


We made the best of the time before school started.





A post shared by Brandy (@thelegalduchess) on


And then my 3L year began- I truly do not know where the time went.


I got to see Taylor Swift in concert and it is one of the greatest moments of my life.




A post shared by Brandy (@thelegalduchess) on


September was full of school and studying.

We did take family pictures and spent some quality time with our precious pups.
October was busy with school and work. We made some time for walks with the pups and made the best of the Indian summer and warm Fall weather. My husband turned 25 and I surprised him with tickets to a Kieth Urban concert.


I dressed up like Elle Woods for Halloween.
November was full of exam prep and a quiet Thanksgiving.
December brought the end of my 5th semester of law school and a wonderful Christmas holiday. A blogger friend and I kicked off a new book club and we got a Roomba vacuum for Christmas.


I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years Eve and 2019 is bound to be a great year!

No comments
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)