The Bar Exam

Picture of me with
2 days to go!

So, I’ve been wanting to write about my experience with the Colorado Bar Exam, if for nothing else but that I don’t want to forget what I went through. I’ve read several bar exam blogs, most bar takers out of California, and have been drawn in and felt like a part of this mad, mad world Bar Exam world (even if I was merely lurking). When reading those other blogs pre-exam, I had to tell myself that everyone is different. Don’t freak out from what you read, and also, don’t feel better from what you read. So, lest I forget, here is my account of the July 2007 Colorado Bar Exam.

I graduated from law school on May 19, 2007 in San Antonio. I had to be back in Denver to begin Bar/Bri courses shortly thereafter. The Monday following graduation, I began my MBE self-study with MicroMash. For three hours every weekday, I did MBE questions and wanted to cry about my performance. I felt like I was getting nowhere. When Bar/Bri began, I started to feel a little better. The lectures were boring, but DON’T GET DISTRACTED. I was going to be focused on the Bar and that was it. For the first week or so of Bar/Bri, I slacked on the MBE review. I was working in the morning and playing with my daughter in the afternoon, and then – then, I was sitting in a classroom from about 5:30 to 9:00 every night. But after a couple of weeks, I got back into the MBE. I was getting better – hey, I actually enjoyed doing the MBE practice questions. Shock!

When Bar/Bri ended, after six weeks of bar review classes almost every night, there were two and a half weeks until the Bar Exam. I had already been studying like crazy, but at this point, I began studying about ten hours per day, sometimes until 3:00 am. Then, I’d go to work in the morning. I started plastering my walls with flashcards. I even plastered them all over the bathroom. I figured that would be good for the night before the exam when I would be curled up on the bathroom floor wondering what I’d gotten myself into – at least I could look up at my flashcards and study while enduring the misery. I ended up sleeping not curled up in the bathroom, but in my own bed, although, did I really sleep? Probably not – I was too anxious.

Day 1 of the exam. I had to be at the Merchandise Mart in Denver at 7:45. It’s a 20 minute drive from my house and I left at 6:00 am. 6:00 AM. I did not want to be late and I have never had to drive on the freeways during traffic in Denver, so I had no idea what it would be like. I took my flashcards and some other study material I had created and ended up getting to the venue at 6:30. Yep. So, I sat in my car, talked to my best friend back in Texas while she told me to breathe, and tried to relax. I was so nervous about the first day – nine state essays and two MPTs. I had been having issues with writing my practice essays and just wanted to get that part over with. I could deal with the MBE on day 2 later.

Once all approximately 1100 applicants got inside, we found our seats and two by two at a table, tried not to be nervous. I sat down next to a sweet girl (Hi Maggie!) and probably talked her ear off about everything except the Bar Exam. We talked about where we did our undergrad (both at UT-Austin) and families, etc. I did most of the talking because when I’m super nervous, I just don’t shut up. Finally, they handed out the exam. I did the MPT first and felt decent about it (we had to write a brief, and YAY! that is what I had practiced the most). Next I wrote out my five essays. At this point, I don’t even remember what they were, but there were five of them. I finished about five minutes before time was up and just put my head down. I felt good. Half of day one was over.

After lunch, we did another MPT (memo to senior partner) and then four more essays. More of the same – although, at one point during the family law essay, when talking about common law marriage (intercourse is an element), I said that in this day and age, where intercourse is neither specifically included nor excluded in the exam fact pattern, that it is probably assumed to have taken place. Probably not my best work, but hey, hopefully my grader will laugh. Day 1 was done and I couldn’t be happier.

I went home and didn’t even touch my review materials. All that was left was Day 2 and the MBE. On Day 2, I left my house a little later and got to the exam site with about 30 minutes before the doors opened. Again, I just tried to relax. The morning MBE was great. Short fact patterns (nothing like the questions I had been practicing) and questions I knew (I think). I felt pretty good about it UNTIL the afternoon MBE. Um, thanks National Conference of Board Examiners. Did you want to freak everybody out with the page long fact patterns on every question, and the numerous D answers? D is never the right answer! Way to screw with us all. Anyway – after the Bar Exam, I met my husband and daughter at the Denver Diner to have some comfort food.

Since then, I have gone between feeling good about the exam and then, questioning myself. I remember something that I maybe should have added in the essays, but hindisght is 20/20 and I just hope that my performance was enough. I’m still having the dreams though. When will I stop dreaming that I’m writing the exam and my ink runs out and no one will lend me another pen?

56 days and the results will be out. Until then, I’m trying to freak out just once per day. That’s okay, right?