I have been
many firsts in my family: the first to be an American citizen, the first to
attend and graduate from a university in America, the first to move to a
different state, and the first to obtain a juris doctorate. Being the first of
so many events, I grew up to be very self-dependent and self-sufficient, more
inclined to figure things out by myself with minimal assistance.
So it was
natural for me to learn and experience novel things through trial and error or
through independent research. Law school was no different from any other
challenge that I have faced. I didn’t have any family members or neighbors who
went to law school to tell me what it was going to be like. Everything I knew
about law school, I learned through internet searches, books, and advice blogs.
But the one thing they all seem to fail to mention is bar review.
Naturally, I
read about the bar exam before I applied to law schools and knew the basic
about the bar and its purpose. I knew it is a difficult exam that requires months
of studying. But that was about it.
Fast forward
to the first week of law school. In the first floor lobby, there’s a common
area where student organizations table to promote an event or make
announcements. It’s a central hub of information. One table was advertising for
bar review. I approach the table looking at their sign and trying to find more
information. One of the students asked me if I was interested in attending. I
responded yes, definitely. How much are tickets, I inquired. She responded, it’s
just three dollars and you show this wristband at the door when you get there.
I asked her can even 1Ls attend this. She replied, yea anyone who purchased a
wristband and bring your driver’s license too.
At this point,
I’m thinking wow what an amazing school and what an opportunity. They start
preparing you for the bar from day one. That is unbelievable. I ask the student
one more question, “What do I need to bring with me in addition to my license?”
She gave me a flash of a confused look but responded, “Just yourself and your
license.”
Shortly after,
I go home to get ready for the bar review. Even though she said we wouldn’t
need anything, I thought I should be prepared in case they didn’t have enough
materials or something. So not knowing what to bring, I pack all of my class
supplies. I pack pencils, pens, a notepad, highlighters, my laptop, my laptop
charger, my phone, my phone charger (just in case), and all of my textbooks. If
you ever seen a law school text, one of those things weigh like a sack of
flour. I brought all seven. Once I ensured everything was packed, I took the
metro to Dupont Circle to find the location. Again, I had just moved to the
city and was completely naïve to the area. I stop in front of the location, The
Sign of the Whale. For a few moments, I just stand there, outside, by myself,
wondering if I’m at the right address.
From inside
the building I’m supposed to go in for this study session, I hear loud music
pouring out, the smell of alcohol, and noisy conversation with lots of people,
more than I expected. I rationalized that there might be a second floor with
soundproof walls and that’s where everyone is. Seeing how I’m already there and
the address matched, I go in and try to see where I was supposed to go. I walk
around, not seeing any other rooms or stairs until I see two people I vaguely
recognized from my classes drinking beer.
It wasn’t
until that moment that I remembered there was another type of bar. Leave it to
the Asian student to focus solely on studying and exams. I approach my fellow
peers to join them. They look at my bags and books and papers and asked me if I
had just gotten out of class or something. I responded, yeaaaa, let’s just go
with that.
So I leave you
with two important lessons I learned my first week:
Bar review is different from
bar prep; and
It never hurts to ask clarifying
questions and to ask for help.
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