via
Getty)
As
you
may
have
heard,
Kim
Kardashian
failed
the
California
bar
exam.
She
took
a
very
unusual
(and
in
my
opinion,
very
underutilized)
path
to
being
an
attorney,
through
a
four-year
apprenticeship
program
working
under
a
licensed
attorney.
According
to
the
State
Bar
of
California’s
most
recent
statistics,
only
12%
of
repeat
takers
passed
the
bar
exam.
For
most
lawyers,
this
may
sound
very
low
because
they
anecdotally
know
a
number
of
people
who
failed
the
bar
exam
but
all
of
them
eventually
passed.
But
if
those
who
didn’t
make
the
cut
want
to
be
part
of
the
12%
that
pass
next
time,
they
will
need
to
properly
evaluate
their
score
and
set
up
a
study
plan.
First,
if
you
need
to,
take
some
time
off
to
detox
and
spend
time
with
your
loved
ones
over
the
Thanksgiving
holiday.
If
you
are
understandably
upset,
it
may
not
be
the
best
time
to
analyze
your
score.
Next,
once
you
are
ready,
closely
and
honestly
assess
your
test
score
because
that
will
determine
how
you
will
study
for
the
next
exam.
If
you
missed
the
cut
by
a
small
margin
by
scoring
slightly
below
average
on
every
section,
you
will
probably
need
to
review
everything
again
although
you
can
skip
or
skim
the
subjects
you
are
proficient
in.
If
you
scored
very
poorly
on
a
few
sections
or
subjects,
then
you
will
need
to
spend
a
majority
of
your
study
time
on
these
areas.
If
you
scored
poorly
on
every
section,
then
you
will
need
to
completely
overhaul
how
you
study
for
the
exam.
After
your
self-assessment,
set
up
a
study
plan.
Whether
you
need
10
hours
per
week
or
40
hours
per
week
depends
on
your
other
obligations,
and
your
study
goals.
If
you
missed
the
passing
score
by
a
small
amount,
you
probably
don’t
need
to
devote
five
days
per
week
to
study.
If
you
received
very
low
scores,
you
will
need
to
spend
some
time
figuring
out
how
you
best
retain
information.
Maybe
sitting
in
a
classroom
listening
to
a
lecturer
is
not
the
optimal
study
environment.
You
will
have
to
do
something
different.
Maybe
focus
more
on
flash
cards.
Or
listen
to
recordings
of
lectures
while
walking
around
the
park.
If
you
have
the
means,
you
may
want
to
try
hiring
a
private
tutor
or
reaching
out
to
your
law
school
to
see
if
any
professors
or
former
bar
graders
are
available
to
review
your
exams.
And
to
be
honest,
some
people
just
lack
discipline.
I’ve
been
there.
While
you
are
studying,
stop
internet
surfing,
posting
or
scrolling
through
social
media.
For
some,
this
may
mean
turning
the
phone
off.
It
takes
some
time
to
adjust
but
it
can
be
done.
During
the
initial
months,
do
as
many
practice
questions
and
essays
as
possible.
But
do
not
focus
on
speed.
Review
your
answers,
particularly
the
ones
you
got
wrong.
As
for
reviewing
essay
questions,
check
the
model
answers
and
see
if
you
spotted
all
of
the
issues.
Then
check
to
see
if
you
knew
the
rule,
correctly
applied
the
rule
to
the
facts,
and
then
came
to
a
conclusion.
I
highly
recommend
the
two
volumes
of
“Bar
Breaker”
by
the
late
Jeff
Adachi.
They
explain
how
to
write
essay
answers
in
a
manner
that
bar
graders
can
understand.
Unfortunately,
prices
are
ridiculous
online,
so
check
your
school’s
law
library
to
see
if
they
have
a
copy.
As
the
exam
date
gets
closer,
you
will
need
to
block
out
several
hours
to
simulate
exam
conditions.
This
means
no
smartphone
and
no
internet.
Put
your
phone
and
laptop
on
airplane
mode
while
you
are
taking
your
practice
exam.
At
this
point
—
hopefully
—
you
will
be
proficient
in
all
of
the
tested
subjects.
The
goal
of
the
simulated
exam
is
to
complete
all
of
the
questions
within
the
allotted
time.
Finally,
take
care
of
yourself
mentally
and
physically
during
the
process.
Stay
away
from
negative
news
and
people.
Stop
reading
the
news
about
who
canceled
whom.
And
don’t
complain
about
how
the
bar
exam
is
a
hazing
ritual
or
a
gatekeeping
scam.
The
time
you
spend
pondering
over
these
things
can
be
used
instead
to
study.
Be
mindful
of
what
you
eat.
You
should
eat
foods
that
will
satisfy
your
hunger,
help
you
concentrate,
and
provide
you
with
energy
throughout
the
day.
Eating
the
wrong
foods
or
overeating
could
make
you
feel
sleepy
or
hyperactive.
Exercise
is
generally
a
good
idea
but
overdoing
it
could
lead
to
soreness
or
injury,
which
is
not
good
for
studying.
Ideally,
you
should
listen
to
a
bar
exam
lecture
while
taking
a
long
walk.
As
for
getting
support
from
others,
that
is
up
to
you.
Some
people
can
benefit
from
study
groups,
therapy,
or
counseling.
Others
take
the
edge
off
by
committing
every
crime
and
intentional
tort
in
“Grand
Theft
Auto.”
Hopefully,
Kim
Kardashian
and
others
in
her
situation
will
one
day
pass
the
bar
exam.
While
she
seems
to
have
the
right
attitude,
she
will
also
need
to
see
where
she
can
improve
and
devote
her
full
attention
to
it.
Steven
Chung
is
a
tax
attorney
in
Los
Angeles,
California.
He
helps
people
with
basic
tax
planning
and
resolve
tax
disputes.
He
is
also
sympathetic
to
people
with
large
student
loans.
He
can
be
reached
via
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
connect
with
him
on
Twitter
(@stevenchung)
and
connect
with
him
on LinkedIn.