So Let me just start by being upfront about one thing. I was in the bottom half of the graduating class. I never imagined that this would be the case because of how successful I had been at earlier stages in education, but it happened. And it killed my self-confidence and motivation and creativity and everything else! I think if I had to do it all over again, I would have done many things differently, but that's not the point. The point is that my grades are what they are. I worked throughout law school to try to make it financially and there was nothing I could do about that.
One year out of law school and I still don't have a job. I have gone through phases of hopefulness versus hopelessness and feeling like I should apply for unemployment benefits. But overall, I am in a very good place right now. I have realized that the mass mailing services like Legal Authority just didn't cut it for me. What I really needed to do was do some soul-searching about what type of law I want to practice, and then network! The one thing that I had been truly avoiding throughout law school and afterwards and it seems like the only avenue left!
So I have settled on practicing immigration law, or at least working primarily with immigrants. Even though my law clerk experiences are all over the place from real estate to IP/Copyright, immigration really lights me up. I actually enjoy reading the literature on immigration law and like the idea of having primarily immigrant clients. Another bonus is the fact that I never have to take another bar exam regardless of where I move! How did I decide on a field? I went to the CLE seminars on the topic. I joined the local bar association groups. I called people in the practice and I got off the computer! I volunteered with organizations that practice immigration.
So I have only been networking for about a month. It has been fantastic just to know the field, even though I have still not found a job. I somehow feel that I am closer to it than I ever felt before. Still crossing my fingers!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
ReTake of the Illinois Bar: What I did Differently
So I finally retook the Illinois bar this February after a long wait and fruitless job search. I don't know the results yet because they come out in April, but I had a better feeling going into it. This is what I did and when the results come out, I will let you know if it worked or not.
1) I paid for Micromash software for the MBE subjects. I realized that I had not done nearly enough questions the last time and needed more practice with the MBEs so I called the Micromash people.
- Here's the scoop: You can purchase JUST the software. This is not advertised, but when I called they allowed me to purchase just the software for the MBE without the books for a much cheaper rate. I did about 34 questions a day and read through the explanations. What I did not do, but wish I did, was make flashcards based on the answer explanations early on in the studying regime.
- I rate Micromash a B. It helped me because I could do it from home or library, but taking questions on the computer was a little difficult at first. My scores ranged from 35-80%.
2) I joined the Minority Legal Educational Resource (MLER) program. This program is very reasonably priced ($200 or $250 depending on how late you register) and is NOT just for minorities. Yes, that's right. Anyone can join MLER and many non-minorities do!
- The greatest thing about this program was the sense of community that forms because of small group sessions and the opportunity to get real help based on your individual struggles with the bar exam. The program was also wonderful at fleshing out the amount and type of studying that needs to be done for a complete preparation for the IL Bar.
- The program focuses on essays mostly and does a fantastic job breaking down the step by step organization of the bar exam essays.
3) I made a study buddy. This helped me stay on track and keep motivated. Very highly recommended! We didn't always study together, but we asked each other questions about points of law that were confusing or called each other to talk about some new nuanced points we discovered.
As for the Barbri books, I used the essay book the most to highlight points of law and made flashcards from those. I also did the advanced drills timed on all the subjects. I hadn't used the essay book much last time and I realized that you can't familiarize yourself with the essay writing style unless you read a lot of the sample essay questions and answers and become very familiar with the format of answering them.
What I should have done more of: I knew that the MBE topics were being tested as essays this time, but I did not adequately prepare for that. I think it is important to prepare to be tested in essay format on the major issues in each of the MBE topics.
I also made sure I got plenty of rest each day before the exam.
THE ACTUAL EXAM EXPERIENCE
This year, we were not allowed to bring a timer, so I took a large watch with me. This was essential because for the first couple of hours, no clock was visible in the room. The proctors then managed to make a clock available for the test takers.
I tried to be very meticulous about time. If I went over the time on an essay I tried to catch up immediately. This was very difficult to do and I did end up winging a full essay.
For the MBEs, I made marks on the question sheet of the place where I should be every half hour and kept very close to that time. Every minute was essential and I know that if I had relaxed on the time requirement, I would have missed several questions like last time. I ended up changing 4-5 of the answers in the morning session, but did not have time in the afternoon.
I guess in April I will find out whether my preparation was adequate. Stay tuned if you want to find out. Next weekend, I will post a big update on my job search.
1) I paid for Micromash software for the MBE subjects. I realized that I had not done nearly enough questions the last time and needed more practice with the MBEs so I called the Micromash people.
- Here's the scoop: You can purchase JUST the software. This is not advertised, but when I called they allowed me to purchase just the software for the MBE without the books for a much cheaper rate. I did about 34 questions a day and read through the explanations. What I did not do, but wish I did, was make flashcards based on the answer explanations early on in the studying regime.
- I rate Micromash a B. It helped me because I could do it from home or library, but taking questions on the computer was a little difficult at first. My scores ranged from 35-80%.
2) I joined the Minority Legal Educational Resource (MLER) program. This program is very reasonably priced ($200 or $250 depending on how late you register) and is NOT just for minorities. Yes, that's right. Anyone can join MLER and many non-minorities do!
- The greatest thing about this program was the sense of community that forms because of small group sessions and the opportunity to get real help based on your individual struggles with the bar exam. The program was also wonderful at fleshing out the amount and type of studying that needs to be done for a complete preparation for the IL Bar.
- The program focuses on essays mostly and does a fantastic job breaking down the step by step organization of the bar exam essays.
3) I made a study buddy. This helped me stay on track and keep motivated. Very highly recommended! We didn't always study together, but we asked each other questions about points of law that were confusing or called each other to talk about some new nuanced points we discovered.
As for the Barbri books, I used the essay book the most to highlight points of law and made flashcards from those. I also did the advanced drills timed on all the subjects. I hadn't used the essay book much last time and I realized that you can't familiarize yourself with the essay writing style unless you read a lot of the sample essay questions and answers and become very familiar with the format of answering them.
What I should have done more of: I knew that the MBE topics were being tested as essays this time, but I did not adequately prepare for that. I think it is important to prepare to be tested in essay format on the major issues in each of the MBE topics.
I also made sure I got plenty of rest each day before the exam.
THE ACTUAL EXAM EXPERIENCE
This year, we were not allowed to bring a timer, so I took a large watch with me. This was essential because for the first couple of hours, no clock was visible in the room. The proctors then managed to make a clock available for the test takers.
I tried to be very meticulous about time. If I went over the time on an essay I tried to catch up immediately. This was very difficult to do and I did end up winging a full essay.
For the MBEs, I made marks on the question sheet of the place where I should be every half hour and kept very close to that time. Every minute was essential and I know that if I had relaxed on the time requirement, I would have missed several questions like last time. I ended up changing 4-5 of the answers in the morning session, but did not have time in the afternoon.
I guess in April I will find out whether my preparation was adequate. Stay tuned if you want to find out. Next weekend, I will post a big update on my job search.
Friday, December 28, 2007
An UPDATE - Job search, interviews, bar exam studying, etc.
Hello,
I know that I have not posted in a long time. There are many things to talk about now. As you all know, not passing the bar exam the first time has set me back many months, and I have struggled to find a job. Well, I tried many things. I did targeted mailings to all firms that fit my interests, I applied to all jobs posted on my college's job search site, searched for jobs on various job boards, and I sort of tried to network.
My targeted mailing produced very few results and mostly rejection letters. I did get a couple of calls. Now what was strange about these calls were that they were not calls to schedule interviews as I had anticipated, but they were interviewing me right there on the spot! The first firm called me when I was at the gym. The second while I was in the middle of a movie after 7 pm. Without any regards to my time or current condition, the potential employers went on to question me on what they thought was important. Unfortunately for both of us, they did not get a good idea about me from the phone conversation and I did not land the in-person interview.
The people at the career office at my law school were unaware of these phone-interviewing tactics and suggested that the next time it happens, make an excuse to reschedule the phone conversation. Great idea! But I haven't had any calls since then. Meanwhile, the rejection letters continue coming in.
So to the others who are in my position, be warned about these on the spot phone interviews and reschedule or prepare ahead. To the employers who try these phone interview tactics, you are wasting your time if you think you will get to know and judge a candidate like this. Get some manners and respect our time.
Regarding bar exam preparation. I decided to get the Micromash program for bar exam review. So far so good, but I have a lot more questions to do. I think this is a good back-up preparation and I hope that my results will show that.
Also, a word about Legal Authority or LegalAuthority. I used their services to send out the targeted letters. The good part is, they do a lot of the work for you and they are legit. The bad part is that they are not really available to give you the career advice and stuff that they promise. My LegalAuthority counselor rarely ever returned calls or emails. The addresses they gave me were riddled with errors and outdated firm names and address information. They also included patent law firms in the search, which is a waste of money and time because I am not qualified to take the patent bar.
I ran a quick search on the internet before signing up for Legal Authority and I am sad to say that I found very little information other than on their own website's testimonials. So for the people who are in my position and who are willing to do anything to find a decent law job, there are few options and the more information we can share with each other, the easier it will be.
Good Luck!
I know that I have not posted in a long time. There are many things to talk about now. As you all know, not passing the bar exam the first time has set me back many months, and I have struggled to find a job. Well, I tried many things. I did targeted mailings to all firms that fit my interests, I applied to all jobs posted on my college's job search site, searched for jobs on various job boards, and I sort of tried to network.
My targeted mailing produced very few results and mostly rejection letters. I did get a couple of calls. Now what was strange about these calls were that they were not calls to schedule interviews as I had anticipated, but they were interviewing me right there on the spot! The first firm called me when I was at the gym. The second while I was in the middle of a movie after 7 pm. Without any regards to my time or current condition, the potential employers went on to question me on what they thought was important. Unfortunately for both of us, they did not get a good idea about me from the phone conversation and I did not land the in-person interview.
The people at the career office at my law school were unaware of these phone-interviewing tactics and suggested that the next time it happens, make an excuse to reschedule the phone conversation. Great idea! But I haven't had any calls since then. Meanwhile, the rejection letters continue coming in.
So to the others who are in my position, be warned about these on the spot phone interviews and reschedule or prepare ahead. To the employers who try these phone interview tactics, you are wasting your time if you think you will get to know and judge a candidate like this. Get some manners and respect our time.
Regarding bar exam preparation. I decided to get the Micromash program for bar exam review. So far so good, but I have a lot more questions to do. I think this is a good back-up preparation and I hope that my results will show that.
Also, a word about Legal Authority or LegalAuthority. I used their services to send out the targeted letters. The good part is, they do a lot of the work for you and they are legit. The bad part is that they are not really available to give you the career advice and stuff that they promise. My LegalAuthority counselor rarely ever returned calls or emails. The addresses they gave me were riddled with errors and outdated firm names and address information. They also included patent law firms in the search, which is a waste of money and time because I am not qualified to take the patent bar.
I ran a quick search on the internet before signing up for Legal Authority and I am sad to say that I found very little information other than on their own website's testimonials. So for the people who are in my position and who are willing to do anything to find a decent law job, there are few options and the more information we can share with each other, the easier it will be.
Good Luck!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Job Search Without a Law License...
I mentioned last time that I failed the Illinois bar. Well, it is not the agony of re-taking the bar exam that is the most frustrating part of it all. It is the question of what to do in the meantime? I will start my loan repayment soon and I cannot even find a law clerk position anywhere!
So I sent out resumes to firms who posted a wanted for law clerks on the school website, and received 1 interview. WooHoo! I was excited to even get one. But the interview (two days ago) lasted only 15 mins and the big question was, "You probably won't be around after February, will you?"....Well....I'm not sure whether they wanted to hire me full time, but I doubt it. Of course, I won't be a law-clerk if I pass the Feb bar! Or at least I hope it doesn't come down to that.
So my question to all of you is, What does someone with a JD and no license do? What should I do other than stay at home and study and hope for better luck next time?
So I sent out resumes to firms who posted a wanted for law clerks on the school website, and received 1 interview. WooHoo! I was excited to even get one. But the interview (two days ago) lasted only 15 mins and the big question was, "You probably won't be around after February, will you?"....Well....I'm not sure whether they wanted to hire me full time, but I doubt it. Of course, I won't be a law-clerk if I pass the Feb bar! Or at least I hope it doesn't come down to that.
So my question to all of you is, What does someone with a JD and no license do? What should I do other than stay at home and study and hope for better luck next time?
Monday, October 8, 2007
Reality of Failing....the (Illinois) Bar Exam!
So till now I kept on wondering what should I write about and how should I shape this blog. Should this blog be limited to the general topic of women or about me? The reality is that I am a woman and any blog about me is a blog about reality of women, or at least woman.
The first question is: Who am I?
Answer...without disclosing my name and personally identifying details, I should say that I am a South-Asian (Indian) woman who has studied all my life so far and finally put myself through law school while juggling with an emotionally charged new marriage. My career was about to launch right after I passed Illinois bar...but I failed.
I don't know how to describe the agony of the more than two month wait that led to finding out that I was 9 points short of passing. This was first time that I failed any exam. The reason for my failure could be different depending on where I dissect it. On the bar exam day, I mis-bubbled some answers and erasing lost time, which resulted in not finishing an MBE section on time. But prior to that, I joined BarBri and studied a couple of hours a day. I must say that I was not beaming with confidence on the day of the Bar. I have managed to regain my positivity about the upcoming retake because I can study more and how much I study is something I can control.
While I yahooed blogs for moral support, I found a significant lacking in people who openly came out and admitted to having failed the bar exam and its aftermath. I suppose this struggle applies to both men and women who have failed the bar exam or any exam that matters. I don't know how else to help rather than to say, you are not alone! For now, I'm going to focus on the things that I can control and move on with life and career.
Wish you all success in whatever you wish to accomplish in your life.
Till next time...
The first question is: Who am I?
Answer...without disclosing my name and personally identifying details, I should say that I am a South-Asian (Indian) woman who has studied all my life so far and finally put myself through law school while juggling with an emotionally charged new marriage. My career was about to launch right after I passed Illinois bar...but I failed.
I don't know how to describe the agony of the more than two month wait that led to finding out that I was 9 points short of passing. This was first time that I failed any exam. The reason for my failure could be different depending on where I dissect it. On the bar exam day, I mis-bubbled some answers and erasing lost time, which resulted in not finishing an MBE section on time. But prior to that, I joined BarBri and studied a couple of hours a day. I must say that I was not beaming with confidence on the day of the Bar. I have managed to regain my positivity about the upcoming retake because I can study more and how much I study is something I can control.
While I yahooed blogs for moral support, I found a significant lacking in people who openly came out and admitted to having failed the bar exam and its aftermath. I suppose this struggle applies to both men and women who have failed the bar exam or any exam that matters. I don't know how else to help rather than to say, you are not alone! For now, I'm going to focus on the things that I can control and move on with life and career.
Wish you all success in whatever you wish to accomplish in your life.
Till next time...
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Hindi Blog!
I just thought I'd post a poem I'd written in Hindi.
हम जानते है सीर्फ़ नाम
लेकीन आशा है के करे पहचान
अज्न्भी है पर दोस्ती मे क्या है हर्ज़
फीर मुलाकात हो ना हो खुदा की मरजी
पर बुलाना तो है फ़र्ज़
I don't know if this is proper hindi or not since it is written using this program, but hopefully those of you who read hindi can understand the poem!
हम जानते है सीर्फ़ नाम
लेकीन आशा है के करे पहचान
अज्न्भी है पर दोस्ती मे क्या है हर्ज़
फीर मुलाकात हो ना हो खुदा की मरजी
पर बुलाना तो है फ़र्ज़
I don't know if this is proper hindi or not since it is written using this program, but hopefully those of you who read hindi can understand the poem!
Monday, April 30, 2007
About this blog
This blog is a tribute to the modern woman.
Women have, throughout history, have walked miles to obtain every inch of their freedom and recognition. The struggle has not ended. Women, all across the globe, still struggle and still fight for freedom inch by inch. So what has changed? Well, some of us have a greater access to education and with it comes the freedom of thought. We live in a world where the law increasingly recognizes the two sexes as equal. But the reality has not yet merged with the ideology of equality. So consequently, we are taught a vision of equality but still face unequal treatment.
Today the US has a Madam speaker, but not yet a female President. Hillary hopes to change that...moving women another inch forward if she succeeds. But what about those women who face the reality of domestic violence, dowry, forced marriages, unequal treatment after the marriage, lack of job opportunities, sexual harassment, and lack of freedom in daily activities that never gets counted in any known statistic? With the vision of equality, today's modern woman can't help but notice every small bit of unequal treatment. She has to now handle the kids, her job, the family, social relationships, and more. She has to appear feminine but compete in a job market dominated by men. She has to endure pregnancy, but endure hardship being considered seriously at work. The modern woman faces just as many struggles as the women did in the past, and perhaps more struggles due to the ever increasing demands and rosy vision brought to her.
So this blog is a tribute to the modern woman. A tribute to every inch of freedom she has achieved and all the inches for which she still struggles. Let us be proud of ourselves and acknowledge our accomplishments.
Women have, throughout history, have walked miles to obtain every inch of their freedom and recognition. The struggle has not ended. Women, all across the globe, still struggle and still fight for freedom inch by inch. So what has changed? Well, some of us have a greater access to education and with it comes the freedom of thought. We live in a world where the law increasingly recognizes the two sexes as equal. But the reality has not yet merged with the ideology of equality. So consequently, we are taught a vision of equality but still face unequal treatment.
Today the US has a Madam speaker, but not yet a female President. Hillary hopes to change that...moving women another inch forward if she succeeds. But what about those women who face the reality of domestic violence, dowry, forced marriages, unequal treatment after the marriage, lack of job opportunities, sexual harassment, and lack of freedom in daily activities that never gets counted in any known statistic? With the vision of equality, today's modern woman can't help but notice every small bit of unequal treatment. She has to now handle the kids, her job, the family, social relationships, and more. She has to appear feminine but compete in a job market dominated by men. She has to endure pregnancy, but endure hardship being considered seriously at work. The modern woman faces just as many struggles as the women did in the past, and perhaps more struggles due to the ever increasing demands and rosy vision brought to her.
So this blog is a tribute to the modern woman. A tribute to every inch of freedom she has achieved and all the inches for which she still struggles. Let us be proud of ourselves and acknowledge our accomplishments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)