Back, finally

"So I hear you're taking the California Bar Exam. What, one bar exam wasn't good enough for you?"

The scene was Loyola's Law School Library, and the speaker was my classmate Andrew. He was there studying for the Illinois Bar Exam, having graduated in December. Along with him were a few of my former classmates, the ones who hadn't made the switch to full-time after first year, but who had graduated 'early'.

One of them, Megan, had a friend who'd taken the Cali Bar, and she put me in contact with her, which turned out to be a lifesaver. I think I would have been totally lost without the notecards and flashcards she sent. They got regular use - on the L, at the health club - and came in quite handy when bringing along a Bar/Bri book would have proven to be too unwieldy.

But telling Megan that I was taking the California Bar was like putting a match to gasoline - everyone knew within days. I even got emails from classmates, saying "I hear you're moving to California..."

Truth is, even though I didn't have a regular Bar/Bri class to attend (here in Illinois, they only offer the California course in summer), I still put significant time into studying for the exam. Which is why I feel confident that I did well enough to pass. I won't be winning any awards for my scores, but they should be just good enough to get by - '65 and fly' in the words of one guy I met while taking the exam.

Over the next couple of days, I'll entertain you with stories of my stay in San Diego, and the exam experience. Or at least I hope you'll find it entertaining...