Dance Card and Numbers Gal

In addition to doing contract paralegal work, and being a volunteer for a legal aid service, I have also been seeking out other opportunities. This job search involves an element of gutsiness and creativity. Today, I have an interview with a firm that is interested in leveraging my marketing and legal background, albiet via an internship position. However, the big question this week is, do I take the July 2009 bar or defer retaking the exam until next February?

I have been "repackaging" my skill set as a paralegal; the J.D. title is often a deterrant. Law firms believe that they should not invest in developing an employee as a paralegal who really wants to be an attorney. I can understand that logic, however, perhaps if the firm locked the J.D. applicant into a one year contract, both parties would benefit. It is MY perception that law firms should begin to think out of the box given the current market economy.

As to Chinese water torture, I have received my exam scores. There can be no mistake about them. I have developed a bar exam score calculator in MS Excel which reasonably replicates the scaled score; I say reasonably since the examiners have a different scaled score for each MBE raw score. However, a "numbers" gal, I have to know how the scoring works and have been frustrated with my bar review course mentors who seem incapable of demystifying the scoring process. If you, dear reader, would like a copy of my calculator, I can send it with instructions along with the bar examiners scaled MBE scoring sheet. But, I waive all liability!

There's no mystery here, except to know what went wrong with my performance after I had invested so much time and practice into my preparations for the February 2009 bar exam. Hypnosis, anyone? For those negative commentators on the Grand Poobah's blog, I would argue that it is not for lack of intelligence. Some people know how to play the game; I'm not a great game player and never have been. I just need to know how to play THIS game!

I am trying to piece together a go-forwards plan for the long haul ahead while balancing my dwindling financial resources. The State Bar and I shall dance again, but when?

P.S. I was only musing about hypnosis BUT there IS a bar review course that links in a hypnotist (for real!) See "Interesting Links" on the right sidebar of this blog.