WINNIN’ TIME! reflects the meticulous effort put in by Professor Harris to get the rules and the essay writing process to the most efficient and streamlined degree possible.

I must have read through Section I “How to Use this Book” 5-6 times. I thought there was so much valuable insight about the exam in this section. Even though I eventually took detailed notes, I would still go back and reread from the source just to keep all of the advice fresh in my head. I heavily credit my passing with engaging with this section to a high degree.

Professor Harris’ essay philosophy was so key for me doing well on the exam. My essay organization definitely got sloppy over the course of law school. Professor Harris’ method helped whip me back into shape. His philosophy revolves around time management, maximizing points, and good organization which really is the name of the game. I meticulously followed Professor Harris’ essay writing organization regarding clear headings and efficient rule statements for a potential “stoplight grader.” Spoon-feeding your writing to the graders is so smart. Why make them work to understand what you’re trying to say? In that gray area where you maybe fudged the rule a little, or your analysis is just a little weak, I think it makes a lot of sense to present it in such a clear and concise fashion that you actively encourage the grader to want to give you the points.

Indeed, it’s critical that you practice his extremely refined and formulaic approach because it helps you move forward even when you panic on the exam.

In Section II, look for areas where Professor Harris has done the heavy lifting for you and trust in the work he’s put in. Don’t reinvent the wheel. WINNIN’ TIME! becomes more effective the more that you trust in Professor Harris’ method and recommendations. At the beginning I tried to personalize my rule statements or get them to be even more efficient, and eventually I just had to give up! I just couldn’t beat him at his own game. Studying for the bar is a time crunch, and I trusted the method and just memorized what he came up with and it worked great. Honestly, there were times where I was struggling to understand a concept in MBE and I would reference Professor Harris’ book to get a clearer understanding. (Worked great for Evidence!)

Other specific examples of very helpful sections include the intro paragraph blurb for Community Property that you need to drop at the beginning of every essay, or the Evidence Boilerplate. These really helped crack open these topics for me. Professor Harris also gives extremely important advice about Remedies. Don’t be someone who fails to write the basis for a remedy and fails the exam!!!

Lastly, Professor Harris’ writing style is very personable and encouraging. It’s really comforting at a high-stress time like studying for the Bar. You can really tell that when he wrote the book, he was so personally invested in the success of every individual who would ever touch it because that compassion positively oozes off of the page. I also appreciate that he provides very practical advice regarding study plans for a variety of different lifestyles of students. – UC Law SF alum, Esq., passed the July 2024 California Bar Examination

Thank you, Professor Harris. I really appreciate the email! I will definitely recommend you if I learn of anyone planning to take the February bar. Your class and books were really instrumental to preparing for this exam and I can’t thank you enough! — UC Law SF alum, Esq., passed the July 2024 California Bar Examination

Hey Professor, I passed the California Bar!

Your books and all your wisdom and all your techniques you taught in all of the class I took with you were truly invaluable.

I appreciate your efforts and your dedication in helping students like me pass this beast of a test.

I am very grateful. Wooohooo!  — UC Law SF alumna, passed the July 2024 California Bar Examination

When I learned of my unsuccessful attempt at the July 2023 Bar exam, I recognized the need for a change in my strategy. This realization led me to seek out a private tutor. After carefully considering four potential tutors, I found Steve to be the ideal match. In just our initial conversation, Steve immediately pinpointed the areas where I had blundered in the exam. His dedication to ensuring my success was immeasurable, and I knew he would spare no effort in guiding me towards passing.

Steve’s course proved to be exactly what I needed. With a meticulously laid out calendar, it provided clear directives on what to focus on, which subjects to review, and crucially, when to commit information to memory — a point I’ll delve into later.

One of my primary challenges during my initial preparation was the lack of clarity on which rules to prioritize, what to memorize, when to memorize, and how to effectively apply them. Steve’s provided books became invaluable resources that empowered me to succeed in the February 2024 exam. Each book played a pivotal role in enabling me to effectively utilize learned or memorized information across both the MBE and essay sections.

Weekly meetings with Steve, where we delved into essay assignments and outlines, instilled in me a sense of confidence and purpose for each subject. The feedback he offered felt almost unfair as it was incredibly detailed, guiding me towards improvement even when I thought my work was good enough to pass as-is.

My lowest score in the exam came from the PT section, where I struggled due to the lack of a clear strategy from my previous preparation service. However, under Steve’s guidance, with his structured approach and feedback, I felt supremely confident this time around. His voice echoed in my mind, directing me towards pertinent information and helping me navigate through complex issues I found myself facing on the exam.

Memorization had always been my Achilles’ heel. I grappled with what to memorize, when, and how, as previously stated. Yet, Steve’s method proved indispensable. Through his guidance, I was able to confidently recall essential information during the exam, even in the midst of the challenging MBE section. Steve’s method, tailored to even the most memory-challenged individuals like myself, proved to be a game-changer.

Finally, Steve didn’t just bolster my confidence; he shared his wealth of knowledge and patiently addressed every query I had. Moreover, my mental burnout was nearly non-existent, as I suffered with my last attempt. However, with Steve, there’s no room for excuses—only tangible results as he knows when you should rest and study. Committing yourself to Steve’s program almost ensures success, as I can clearly prove. If you’re ready to dedicate yourself, Steve will undoubtedly guide you towards passing with flying colors. – Cal Western Alum, Esq., passed the February 2024 California Bar Examination.

I re-took and passed the California Bar exam with the help of Professor Harris. He pushed me to re-conceptualize the exam through his essay writing and PT frameworks and feedback, and MBE tips. Professor Harris was my tutor, coach, mentor, and sole dedicated support system in preparing for my exam. He adjusted my study calendar multiple times when I fell off track due to working full-time, feeling burnt out, and life getting in the way. He taught me invaluable bar exam study methods culled from his many years of experience. The night before the bar exam, I did some last-minute review and briefly read Steven’s clear example for how to apply a particularly tricky analysis. The following day I did not panic when I was faced with that analysis on an essay. I could recall Steven’s framework and successfully apply it on the exam. Thank you, Professor Harris, for believing in me and preparing me to pass my exam. — UC Law SF alumna, Esq., passed the February 2024 California Bar Examination

Steve,

My son worked with you on the February 2024 Cal Bar Exam, and I wanted to take a moment to express my thanks and gratitude for your program. I took the bar 34 years ago and fortunately passed the first time. You provided excellent strategic and tactical information for my son. He was focused and confident, and most importantly, had a plan of attack.

Thank you,

A grateful parent of a student who passed the February 2024 California Bar Examination

Dear Professor Harris,

I hope you are well and enjoying the holiday season.

The approaching Thanksgiving reminds me of you. I want to express my gratitude for your outstanding teaching in the legal writing courses. Your excellent lessons contributed greatly to my success on the bar exam. The lawyer skills I gained from your teachings have helped me to handle legal matters as well as any daily life matters efficiently. I feel like I will use these skills for the rest of my life. My supervisor always loves my briefs. When you come to UC Law SF, I would love to have a coffee or meal with you. I still live near the school.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy and appreciation! — Joseph Jo, Esq., passed the July 2023 Cal Bar Exam

Contextual note: Joseph was one of my students in my Legal Research and Writing 1 class from Fall 2000. We never met in person, due to the COVID year. Joseph’s situation was complicated by the fact that he lived in South Korea, and due to political issues at the time Joseph could not get a visa to come to San Francisco to attend law school. Our class was at 5 pm on Mondays. That meant that Joseph took my class THE NEXT DAY, 17 time zones away, and 5,600 miles away. But there he was, attending every class, with a big smile on his face, ready to learn. Joseph was inspirational to me and to the rest of the class. Nobody had any right to complain about how tired they were or how much homework they had. If Joseph could do it, how couldn’t they?

I passed the July 2023 California Bar Exam using Steven’s services and materials.  Specifically, I applied the mnemonics and essay-writing strategies contained in the WINNIN’ TIME! book exactly to the Torts, Crimes, and Remedies questions presented by the examiners.  When I saw the questions, the keystrokes felt like butter!  I wholeheartedly believe that this was a major factor in obtaining a passing score because up to the exam I seriously struggled with consistently achieving passing scores on the MBEs.  I also struggled with issue spotting and time management on performance tests.  Steven’s performance test strategies and feedback helped demystify where I was falling short.  I found the Essay Review process crucial in helping identify issue triggers, coupled with The Trigger List book. The memorization program was not fun at all but got the issue “outlines” into my brain so I was quickly able to access the list of potential issue I would have missed otherwise on the Business Associations and Professional Responsibility Bar essays.  Steven’s communication style is straightforward and blunt; it may not always feel good in the moment but it’s what’s needed to pass the test (at least for me).  As a final note, I did not attend law school – I “read” for the bar, aka self-study/on the job study.  So, Steven’s program was my only “formal” training and also the first time I encountered many of the subjects and issues tested.  Highly recommend. — Law office/judge’s chambers student, Esq., passed the July 2023 California Bar Examination