New Testimonials from My Latest Roster of Passing Students for July 2016

“Steve’s instruction is especially helpful in two respects.  First, his methodology is very regimented.  This made the essay easier to write and easier to read-the latter of which is invaluable, given the examiners spend approximately 60 seconds grading each essay.  Second, although his outlines and instruction are thorough, he focuses on the rules that are highly tested.  This systematic and focused approach gave me confidence going into the July 2016 bar exam, which I passed.  Having previously taken Barbri, I can say that you won't get this kind of detailed instruction with the major bar study programs.” --BJK (Thomas Jefferson School of Law)

“Steve was my tutor for the July 2016 California Bar Examination. His strategies and methods helped me transform my writing style to be tailored specifically to master bar essays and performance tests. He diligently walked me through each of my essays, line by line, to help me improve my writing technique which was too vague and wordy. His attention to detail helped me spot important issues and properly analyze facts that I had been overlooking. He took the time to help me focus on areas that I was struggling with, such as my time management on the essays, second-guessing myself on the MBEs, and wrong issue recognition, to help me improve in those areas tremendously. Furthermore, Steve taught me how to analyze each issue on the bar exam logically and in an organized fashion. Steve was not only a fantastic tutor, but also a great mentor that helped me reach my ultimate goal of passing the California Bar Exam.” –R.R. (Pepperdine Law School)

“I passed the July 2016 California Bar Exam and I owe it all to Steve Zikman.  I’m an out-of-state practicing attorney with over 20 years of experience and I failed the Bar in 2015 after using one of the popular bar prep courses.  I thought that with my decades of “real world” experience practicing at a big firm, and a few months of hard studying, that I could pass the Bar.  However, despite hundreds of hours of watching classroom videos and studying late into the night, I failed the 2015 Bar by a wide margin.  When I decided to try again in 2016, I knew I had to hire a coach who would work with me one-on-one, tell me exactly what I needed to know, and respect that I also had a busy practice to run.  I interviewed several bar coaches, and Steve’s approach and attitude stood out from all of them.  But, it wasn’t until I started working one-on-one with Steve that I fully realized what a good choice I had made.  Not only did Steve provide me with concise subject matter outlines that were spot-on as to what I needed to know, but most importantly, he showed me how to change my writing style to write essays and PTs that would impress the graders.  Steve worked with me to write and re-write essays and PTs until I knew exactly how to write to pass the Bar – something that decades of practicing never taught me.  Steve’s coaching and “visual writing” technique made me understand for the first time what I needed to do to pass the Bar, and it worked!  I highly recommend that anyone trying to pass the Bar work with Steve.” –J.K. (Washington University in St. Louis)

“If you are willing to put in the time and effort necessary to pass the Bar exam, Steve Zikman is one of the best tutors to guide you towards a passing score. Shortly after failing the bar exam for a second time, I realized that studying via Themis and Barbri was not working for me. I used Google to search for a tutor, and I am incredibly lucky to have come across the services of Steve. From the onset of the tutoring, Steve is very disciplined and dedicated to ensuring you develop the skill set necessary to achieve a passing grade. Steve completely changed the way I approached essay questions particularly on performance tests. Over the course of 2 months, we tackled every Bar subject in great detail, both in terms of issue spotting and structure and with Steve's help I learned to identify recurring issues and possible ‘partner issues’ for various subjects. In addition, Steve spends a good deal of time making sure his students learn to structure their essays in a manner that is favorable to bar graders. I was able to pass the Bar on my 3rd try after tutoring with Steve. His wealth of knowledge of the exam is a definite boon and I highly recommend Steve for anyone who is struggling to achieve a passing score and be done with this exam forever.” –Basil Bokhary (Golden Gate University School of Law) 

“As a person who went to law school outside of California, taking the CA Bar Exam was no easy feat for me. I am so glad to have found Steve to be my tutor; there really is no other coach like him. He is very thorough and compassionate, and is very intentional about all of the advice he gives - each and every correction he makes on your practice essays and PTs is really tailored to how to improve upon your writing style in order to match a passing score. He was able to pinpoint all of my weaknesses, both in the MBE and written portions, and coach me through what exactly I needed to do in order to pass. His outlines were succinct and very easily digestible. He wastes no time with his instruction at all and makes sure to cater to whatever concerns you might have. I really owe my success and the passing of the bar to Steve. Without his help, I can unreservedly say that I would not have succeeded. Thank you Steve!” --Abner P. (Suffolk Law School)

I took the July 2015 California bar examination.  I assumed going in that with decades of experience practicing law, previous success on bar examinations, taking a popular bar review course and diligent study, I would succeed.  I was wrong.  I retained Steve to help me prepare for the July 2016 bar examination.  He disabused me of the notion that analyzing an examination question is the same as evaluating a client’s problem.  Through numerous practice question exercises he instructed me on what graders expect to see in answers, and how the information must be organized.  He reinforced his approach through the structure of his extensive course outlines.  Anyone retaining Steve should be prepared to work hard, however.  He takes his students’ success seriously and expects them to do likewise.  The study and practice examination schedule is demanding for someone who also is working.  The commitment is well worth it, given the wasted time and money a bar examination failure entails.” –Larry C. (University of Nebraska College of Law)

“Before Steve, I used three "major" bar-prep courses over multiple attempts! Provided my ability to compare Steve to other "major" bar-prep courses, I can compare and contrast Steve's instruction with other major players and confidentially say that Steve is a MASTER COACH!! The strategies and techniques Steven taught me, is unparalleled to his competition.  I wish I found Steve the first time I took the bar!! Don't make the same mistake!” --Hamlet Y. (Pacific Cost University College of Law)

“I hired Steve to tutor me for the July 2016 bar exam.  I had previously taken the bar twice, and although my scores improved, I knew I needed to do something different this time in order to improve my scores enough to pass.  The problem for me wasn’t that I didn’t know the material or even that I wasn’t a good writer, but I needed to know how to format the information and present it to the examiners in way that made it easy for them to see.  The things I learned from Steve that I found most helpful were:  how to write up the issues so that they are easy for the grader to see; how to manage your time so that you always finish an essay or PT and what to do if you start to run out of time; what to do when you’re not sure how to write up an issue; little things you can add that could get you an extra few points; and how to identify any patterns you have that are causing you to answer MBEs incorrectly.   I chose to work with Steve on all 3 areas of the exam in order to improve all of my scores instead of just working in my weakest area.  I’m glad I did because it proved to be enough to help me pass this time!” –Suzy W.

Steve is 100% the reason I passed the California Bar Exam. After two unsuccessful attempts, I knew I needed someone to help guide me through the process. The first time I used Barbri and felt extremely uncomfortable throughout the entire program, and the second time I tried to self-study.  While my score improved, it was not enough to pass. Steve offers a really well-developed program and holds you accountable every step of the way. I felt myself improving during each tutoring session and growing in confidence. His laser focus on structure, analysis, common sense and reflection is unparalleled and his commitment to your success is evident. Probably the most important takeaway from my experience was that working with Steve improved my confidence and greatly reduced my anxiety. For anyone who has taken this exam more than once, you know that the anxiety increases with each bar. I walked into the July 2016 bar exam knowing that because of Steve, I had done everything I possibly could to prepare. This is the best money you will ever spend - it was a privilege to work with him and I could not more sincerely recommend someone. My best wishes for your success!” --Joanne Heilbrun (California Western School of Law)

“Taking the attorney portion of the California Bar Exam is no easy task when you're working full-time and managing cases all over the country. After two unsuccessful attempts, I knew I had to change my approach. I had previously studied with BarBri and The Bar Guru, but I needed more substantive rather than a generic method if I was ever going to pass this beast of an exam. I did my research on Steve and upon speaking with him, it was evident that his direct approach, line-by-line review of my essays and timed essay drills is exactly what I had been missing from the other bar review courses. Plus, I did not have the time to travel to and from a bar prep course, so telephone meetings were key allowed more time for studying.  Steve's tutoring was invaluable. He taught me how to break down the question to determine precisely what the examiners were looking for in the answer. He showed me how to write effective (and point-generating) essays and PTs, and his emphasis on Professional Responsibility provides you with a platform to knock out any PR question quickly and successfully. His no non-sense approach is fool-proof and you'll walk away after the exam with confidence.” --L. Smith (Loyola Law School, New Orleans)