CLSJ: Is there any score on the California Bar Exam when you tell a candidate they will probably be taking the California bar exam more than one more time? In other words, there is probably a difference between a candidate who just scored a 1200 and one who scored a 1400.
PFAU: Having worked at this, as I've said for about 26 years, I never make any presuppositions about a candidate. I have seen candidates go from 1100 to passing in one swoop. I like to take each candidate individually, and while there are certainly generalizations that you can make, I think human beings are capable of wonderful progress, and it really depends on their motivation, their ability to manage their time more efficiently, the hunger that they have in learning how to develop the skills for the kind of test the exam is. I totally reject the idea that if someone has a much lower score on the bar exam, they are incapable of passing it unless they go through repeated attempts. I say that because I have seen this in my experience, and I know that it has everything to do with individual motivation and aptitude.
CLSJ: Through the years of helping candidates pass the California Bar Exam, obviously, you have many fond memories of individuals successes. Is there one in particular that stands out?
PFAU: You are right, I do have a host of wonderful memories of both first and repeat applicants putting this bar behind them. Most recently, I can think of a young lady who was taking the bar for the first time who was juggling her responsibilities as a single mother, working part time, while going to law school, and having very limited time in getting ready for the exam. But, she wisely, started to start earlier, to lay a foundation for months leading up to her last two months of preparation. In going into that last two months, she worked to enhance her capabilities to put this thing behind her and move on with her life. Another memory that comes to mind is of a candidate who I worked with a couple of years ago who suffered from a severe learning disability and had taken the bar over a thirteen year period and was able to put it behind him.
END.
