From the Single Mom's Law School Experience, then "Almost Attorney" to FINALLY an Esquire!: Finally!!!!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Finally!!!!

I have stayed pretty quiet on the blog front for so many reasons.... but one critical one was studying for the bar and then trying not to freak out. This is a multiple time I have taken it.

But my dear readers --- today I found out I PASSED THE BAR! That's right. I am Lisa Wright, esq. That feels so incredible to be able to type and announce here.

So how did I do it? I focused almost exclusively on MBE stuff. I used Kaplan (AWESOME, BTW) and I used Benchprep..... both programs have 1000's of questions and they tear the answers apart. I also bought a book "Starting your campaign for the MBE" written by a law professor and bar grader...... best book ever. I found some of the mistakes I was making. I learned to find the red herrings very, very fast.

So October 4th is the big day! As I embark this next journey, I am going to try so hard to chronicle what is going on.

For now, I am working in the admissions office of the College of Law at Willamette. I am going to write some things about some of the AWESOME programs they have started there that I think are great for single parents. And I will write about job hunting, possibly setting up a practice, and the mentoring process in Oregon. There's a lot to talk about.... ALOT.

1 comment:

Tree Hugging AttorneySeptember 25, 2012 at 3:00 PM
YAY!!!
Congratulations!
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FAQ

Lots of people ask me: how do you do it? How do you attend law school and raise a child alone? My answer is simply that you prioritize. You approach school as an 8 to 5 job. I take Friday evenings and Saturday's off. Study a bit on Sundays. For me this works. It means not being a part of the "social" things at school, and that time between your classes is in the library studying. But that's okay. You will have different goals then the students who are single with no children.

How do you afford it? Student loans........yes, you heard me. My reasoning is that my earning capacity will double, but likely triple, which means that I can afford to take on the debt to pay for a better future for my daughter and I.

Does you daughter resent you studying? No. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she really does understand the bigger picture. She is my biggest supporter. I have learned to include her by taking her to class with me when I can, by having her help me study with flash cards, and by taking her to appropriate events at school. In fact, I did an incoming student panel one year, and the administration of the school had her speak as well. We are a team, and that includes this journey.