CLSJ: Why are so many law students frustrated with the law school process? Many students, Paul, flat out believe their law school professors have virtually no interest in teaching them anything at all. Especially when it comes to the California Bar Exam.

PFAU: In part, that is probably a relative judgment. I know many law school professors that are just wonderful and completely dedicated to their law students, and many of their law students to them. To generalize, it is important to understand the nature of the law school process, perhaps in relation to its impact in preparing for the bar exam. Sometimes, these are two different issues. There are some law schools that don't feel that it is incumbent to teach their students how to pass the bar exam. Other law schools are more practically oriented in that regard. But, rather than generalizing, each student needs to go into the law school experience open-minded and always be aware of what his or her needs are in learning how to learn, Especially since it is a vastly different situation than college. At any rate, being frustrated with the learning process, whether it be law school or college or another milieu, is something that can be very common, but there is always an answer in learning how to resolve the frustration. Perhaps finding that professor that one feels most in common with, perhaps going outside their law school to develop their prospective about what they can do to improve there learning skills. There is always an answer to such a dilemma.

CLSJ: Do you think the Socratic Method is truly a useful teaching tool?

PFAU: The Socratic Method has been around for many years and it has certainly proved valuable as a teaching tool working to improve ones thinking capabilities, but it is not the only answer in learning how to develop the practical skills that sometimes besets one as they go through the law school experience, Let alone in preparing for a situation such as the bar exam. For example, many of the difficulties that sometimes occur in law school have a lot to do with, at a very basic level time-management skills. How to use your time to plough through the incredible amount of material that usually goes in hand with the different courses that one has to take in law school. Learning how to use casebooks, learning how to take notes in class, learning how to organize and to write an essay under law school and bar exam conditions. These are things that are things that I think are eminently more practically -oriented, were the Socratic Method, per se, is not sufficient in helping a student, but the Socratic Method in combination with these more practical tools, which can be learned, can certainly add to someone's law school experience

CLSJ: When a repeat candidate is having difficulty with the California Bar Exam, what in your opinion is the main reason for their difficulty? Obviously, there are many, but please focus on the one you feel is the largest and most prevalent difficulty?

PFAU: In the 26 years that I have been working at this, the main difficulty can be broken down into two parts. The first part is that most people do not give themselves enough time to prepare the bar exam. The second part of the answer is that in addition to giving themselves more time, candidates need to understand the kind of test that the California Bar Examination is, and, in categorizing it, it is precisely a problem-solving speed exam, and the reason why I mention this is because there are a host of ingredients beyond substantive review that should come to the mix in terms of how someone spends their time. If a candidate is spending the predominate amount of their time, because they have too little time, dedicated to just substantive review, and they as a result don't have a quality amount of time to dedicate to the perfection of their test taking skills they are not precisely getting ready for the kind of exam that the bar is. Just because you can program yourself substantively, perhaps memorize an entire outline, doesn't mean that, because you have that information you will be able to solve a problem under timed conditions.

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.

PAUL PFAU

Paul Pfau is a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and the owner of Cal Bar Tutorial Review, which has been customizing bar review programs for 33 years. For more information about Cal Bar Tutorial Review, call (800) 348-2401 or (800) 783-6168. Web site: www.cbtronline.com