I was a two-time bar loser, and totally defeated. I thought that there was nothing I could do to help me pass the Bar. I even thought that I might have a learning disability because no matter how hard I tried, I could not maintain all the information that the CA Bar expects their applicants to memorize and apply.
Then I heard about Steven Harris through a totally random word-of-mouth recommendation. Although I initially did not want to try for a third time, my family convinced me to give it one last try. The rationale behind getting yet another tutor was that if this was my last attempt, I might as well go all out.
I spoke with Steven over the phone and from our first conversation he helped something click inside of my head. Passing the Bar wasn’t going to be about eloquent language and verbose, flowery statements of the law. Passing the Bar was a matter of point generation. How do you get points? You shut up and get to the bare basics!
I highly recommend Steven’s program if you are a Bar applicant that is obsessed with perfection. He will break you of this handicap and help you realize that less is way more. Once I realized this important, life-saving fact, I was able to write enough on each issue to get my points and move on. I’m happy to say that the third time was a charm for me, and it is hugely because of Steven’s program that I passed the CA Bar and can finally move on with my life.
If this endorsement of Steven’s program sounds a little too generic for you – here are some specifics.
1) WINNIN’ TIME! was my bible. It’s less daunting then the telephone book I received in my prior course and way more useful. I remember asking Steven, “Is this really all I need to know to pass the essays? It doesn’t seem like enough.” He simply said, “Yes.” And it was enough, plus more! If you can’t afford a full blown program, do yourself a favor and at the bare minimum pick up WINNIN’ TIME!
2) I was a horrible issue spotter. I would see two to three issues in an essay, write about then at length and feel so smart when the hour was up. Little did I know I was losing so many points my ignoring so many issues. The Trigger List helped me learn that certain buzz words will be used over and over again in Bar essays, and that these little red flags set off a numerous list of clustered issues. It’s ALL ABOUT THE CLUSTERS. Clustered issues, and recognizing them on test day, will make you a confident test taker when it counts.
3) Finally, I’d like to point out that my tutoring schedule was broken down for me day to day. Every day I woke up and knew what I had to do. I stayed on that schedule and it was manageable. Way more manageable than my prior bar course’s schedule was. Because I could actually finish what I was assigned everyday, I felt confident during my prep months and carried that confidence into the test days. Confidence is key. This program helped me get it back.
Thank you, Steven! I’m forever grateful. — Elyse Rivas, Esq., passed the July 2013 California Bar Examination