“After my third unsuccessful attempt at the
California Bar Exam, I decided to look for a tutor. I had taken the Barbri
course right after law school and used their materials to study on my own for
the next two attempts. The Barbri information was overwhelming and I started to
feel less and less confident going into the exams. Steve’s techniques are very
useful and working with him gave me back the confidence I had been losing with
every unsuccessful exam. He helped me tremendously with the organization and structure
of my essays and PT’s. I also found the line-by-line review and multiple
revisions to be extremely useful and very different from how Barbri works.
Steve is also very good with time management; I felt like I was spending enough
time on each area of the exam and I wasn’t overstressed during the final days
before the exam. I am incredibly happy I reached out to Steve for help and
recommend him to anyone looking for help with the California Bar
Exam.” --Paige Cabral (University of San Francisco School of Law)
“The
first time I took the Bar I was woefully unprepared. As I started the
preparations for my second go, I remained skeptical of my ability to overcome
the 230-point gap between my first score and passing, with Barbri and my wits
alone. I worked with Steve on the Essays and the PT’s. Steve’s ‘elementalized’
system of writing will make you a more effective writer and thinker. Even when
I began to memorize the black letter law, I processed it using Steve’s system,
helping both my ability to recall the law and ability to effectively apply it
to the facts. Most importantly, Steve does not pull any punches during
the tutoring process. Steve goes through your essays line by line, and points
out what you need to do to improve. In the end, whether you pass the Bar will
have everything to do with the work you put into the studying process. That
being said, working with Steve will give you invaluable tools, information, and
guidance to overcome the Bar. Good luck!” --Rory D. (UC Hastings College
of the Law)
“After
I was unsuccessful on my first California bar exam attempt, I felt lost because
I had put forth a completely concerted effort in my preparation for all three
portions. Fortunately for me, there were 2 attorneys at my firm who had
gone through the same experience I had, and found Steve to help them pass on
their second attempt. Dylan and Will recommended Steve wholeheartedly and
I decided to hire him immediately. As it turns out, I was not writing my
PTs and Essays how the graders wanted to read them. Steve provided the
framework and guidance on how to write the PTs and Essays exactly how the
graders want them presented. My scores were very low on the PTs and that
is where most of the opportunity lies on the exam since they are worth 2 essays
each. Simply having a step-by-step approach to any PT that was thrown at
me on my next attempt helped put me over the top with a passing score.
Steve is flexible and will diagnose your score report and recommend a
program to fit your needs, whether it be help with MBEs, Essays, or PTs, or any
combination of the three. Steve is a true coach, which means he tells you
what you are doing poorly and tells
you what you are doing well. If you chose to use Steve you must trust in
his constructive criticism and not take it personally. Without making
mistakes, you will never know how to improve and most importantly, PASS THE
BAR! The quicker you can deal with the failure, the quicker you will be
ready for success. Simply heed his coaching, and implement his tips on
your next practice exam, and then it will become a habit.” --Seth G.
(University of San Diego School of Law)
“Steve’s
tutoring was invaluable! Without his expertise and guidance I don't
believe I would have passed the California attorney bar exam. This was my
4th time taking a bar exam (I took and passed NY on the 1st try in '99 and
failed CA 2x before) so I have plenty to compare it to. What I feel made
the biggest impact and difference was Steve's method of teaching.
Admittedly, I had some reservations when I first spoke with him because
other tutors told me I would do so many more essays with them but I am glad I
trusted my gut instinct in the end. Steve has a very intensive
experiential method and technique. He teaches you how to think for the
exam and what the examiners are looking for. He provides valuable insight
into the grading process and teaches a standardized approach to answering
essays and PTs that can and should be used for very answer. Thanks to
these tools, even when I didn't feel I had any clue what to answer, I was able
to begin writing and to make far more educated choices on how to answer the
questions saving me valuable time and eliminating a tremendous amount of
anxiety.” --Gila Lee Adato (New York Law School)
“Steve
provided me with the tools I need to pass the CA bar. I struggled with the MBE
section of the bar exam. His approach to tackling the MBE's including his
‘MBE Drilldowns’ helped me move away from the mystery which I often felt about
the answers to a much better understanding of what was the correct answer, and why. In doing so, I was able to
improve my score tremendously. The template Steve provides for the PT helped me
organize the law and facts and see the bigger picture. Trust in Steve's
process, put in the hard work and you will see results!” --Melody K. (Whittier
Law School)
“I
failed the July CA bar exam on my first try and I knew I wanted my next attempt
to be the last one. My weakness was the MBEs. I had a very, very low score, and
I knew I needed help. Steve let me know right at the beginning what the study
plan would be and how we would focus on strengthening my MBEs as well as making
my writing stronger. Even though I couldn't start studying until January, Steve
was very accommodating. Through a lot of hard work, I steadily saw my
MBEs increase, and I was way more confident when exam day came. I know I
passed because Steve was my tutor!” --S.S. (Northeastern University
School of Law).
“Steve
is awesome! I improved my score by over 150 points to pass after working with
him for about a month. He is strict and methodical in his process. I did
exactly what he told me and trusted his process. I worked really hard, and he
challenged me. I believe he was the difference I needed to get over the hurdle
and pass. BarBri was not for me, and Steve was without a doubt the best
decision I could have made with regards to my studying.” --Anna (Penn State)
“If you are looking for a quality Bar Exam tutor
Steve is your guy! During my first attempt at the bar, I was really struggling
in 2 areas: organization for the Performance Tests and low MBE scores. With
Steve’s help, I was able to develop an efficient structure and approach that
allows the grader to find everything they are looking for, thereby maximizing
your score. My PT went from 50s during the first attempt, to solid 65-70 by the
time I was ready to take the Bar the second time. In regards to the MBEs,
working with the Adaptibar program was amazing. They test the same type of fact
pattern in many different varieties which allows you to get a very solid grasp
on difficult subject areas. Overall, I truly believe that Steve was the
‘difference maker’ this time around. His motivation and genuine willingness to
help gave me the extra kick I needed to tackle this beast they call the CA Bar
Exam!” --Ryan A. (Whittier Law School)
“I have just found out that I passed
the CA Bar first time and I have no doubt that it was thanks to Steve. As a
lawyer from England, I worked with Steve on the Performance Test part of the exam
in some intense sessions during the last 6 weeks before the exam. Steve's
approach is rigorous and methodical. He has a great method for working on a
Performance Test question that made practicing the tests more approachable and
achievable and, most importantly, going into the exam much less daunting. Each
time I felt I had ‘got it,’ Steve was quick to point out how to do better, how
to write a more 'on point' answer and how to help the grader see my answer. This constant breaking
down and building up was essential to my success. Steve is a ‘coach’ in the
true sense and his ‘pre-exam’ tips were helpful in terms of content and
confidence. He even arranged to speak to me right before the last Performance
Test exam; I can honestly say that speaking to him at that exhausting stage in
the process made all the difference to help me re-focus and conquer the final
exam. He takes a strong approach so you get it right, and I really can’t
recommend him enough. Thanks Steve!” --Phoebe Kirk, London
“Steve
is a terrific coach that will keep you on task and on schedule. His
course is perfect for students who need a little more structure, attention and
accountability than Barbri can offer. I failed the first time in July and
started studying for the February exam while I was still
working. The experience of having a set timeline was invaluable when I
had to juggle work and bar review. Steve's method is straightforward and
easy to grasp, taking out a lot of the unknown intangibles of the essay writing
and the PTs. Steve's programs are ideal if you need a direct, no-nonsense
approach.” --Mimi Cheng (University of Pennsylvania)
“For
the California bar exam knowing the law isn’t always enough, you have to know
how to take the exam and present your knowledge properly. Steve helped me
pinpoint what the graders were looking for and provided a framework that could
be used for every essay and performance test, regardless of the subject. Steve
was able to motivate me to work through hundreds of MBE and finally recognize
patterns within the questions. I followed Steve’s method and used his
feedback to improve my test taking strategy and once exam day arrived I was
confident I was writing passing answers.” --Alexa M. (Suffolk University Law
School)
“Steve
was a huge help for me when studying for the Bar Exam, and I would absolutely
recommend him for anybody studying for the Bar Exam. The biggest way that Steve
helped me personally was in improving my essay and performance test structure.
A large portion of what I worked on with Steve was making sure that my essays
and performance tests were structured in the best way possible. I felt very
comfortable during the Bar Exam after all of the work that I did with Steve on
practice essays and practice performance tests, and I believe that my essays
were much easier for graders to score well after that work as well. Steve also
helped me greatly with the MBE section of the Bar Exam, and after doing a few
drill downs my MBE score increased greatly. I learned a great deal about how to
approach the MBE section, and that was a big boost to my score.” --Adam
(Boston University)
“I was
seven years out of law school, was already licensed in two other states, and
the CA attorney exam was the last thing I wanted to study for. I thought I
could just study by myself and somehow wing it. Needless to say, I failed
the first time. Then my friend recommended Steve to me. I decided
to hire him based on high recommendations from my friend and others. Steve's
approach is straightforward, formulaic, and really helped me to develop a way
to tackle each subject matter. His Flash Outlines were also extremely
helpful in parsing down the laws into easily digestible form. They were so much
better than the outlines I was able to develop myself. Most importantly for me,
I was forced to practice many essays and PTs, and Steve provided very crucial
feedback for each. At the end of each session, I understood exactly what I
needed to improve and how to work on it. Thanks to Steve's coaching, I
passed this time!” –Y.X.L (Georgetown University Law Center)
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