This diary has nothing to do with Rove. It has nothing to do with John Roberts or Wes Clark. It has nothing to do with pies, bacon (my own personal favorite food), orange, competing blogs, sibling blogs, BREAKING news, my reasons for leaving dkos, my reasons for coming back, my reasons for running for office, my reasons for not running for office, or any conspiracy theory.
This diary is about wishing some very tired, haggard people luck.
I'd like to take a moment to wish all my fellow kossacks who are taking the Bar Exam the very best of luck. I'm particularly addressing this to people who are taking it for the first time, especially people who went straight through law school. I'm taking it starting on Tuesday; from what I understand, most of the exams are at a similar time, if only to accommodate the Multistate exam.
First, we all feel like hell right now. The studying is too much. There's too much to remember. It's all turning into a featureless mass of rules, tests, presumptions, state exceptions, majority rules, minority rules, and equitable defenses. I bet if we polled kossacks who are taking the Bar Exam right now, we'd get an almost unanimous "I feel like crap" response. So, remember, everyone feels the same way; fall back on your strengths, focus, and it'll all be over soon. If you know enough to be worried, you probably know enough to survive. (I make no warranties, etc. etc., heh.)
Second, there are a lot of people rooting for you. From classmates to family to all those people who claim they understand how hard it is (even though they really don't) to herds of anonymous kossacks who have taken, are taking, or will take the Bar Exam. It may not feel like it right now (it certainly does to me), but a lot of people are pulling for you, and a lot of people are going to be there when your exam ends to give you what you need, whether it's a hug or a shot of brown liquor.
Third, life will present much larger challenges than this exam. Whether it's a client calling at 4am about a deal gone bad or a child sick with the flu or even mobilizing people to oppose a bad Supreme Court appointee, there are bigger things in the world than this exam, and if you can make it through those, you can make it through this exam. I've never taken the exam yet, but I have, in my 30 years on this earth, been through things that make this exam look like a bad head cold. Intellectually, I know the only reason it's such a big deal is that it's a zero-sum situation and, despite whatever likelihood of success I may have, the zero-sumness makes it emotionally nerve-wracking. Just remember, people survive problems much worse than the bar exam every day. You can too, and you will. I know that without having taken it.
Fourth, when you take it, when you pass it, and when you take your oath as a lawyer, don't let the hell of bar preparation make you cynical. Take all the good that you are and bring it with you into your life as a lawyer. Even if idealism must sometimes take a back seat to representation of a client, remember who you are, remember what's important to you, and don't let this absurd process of studying for the bar exam spoil your ideals.
Fifth, and finally, if all the above just seems like a bunch of words, it's almost fucking over. A few more days for most of us, and the exam will be history. Don't worry about what the bar examiners will do with your test: you can't do anything about it. You can wake up the morning after your last test day, and you won't have to pick up your BAR/BRI outline to (unsuccessfully) memorize this or that rule. You can wake up and play in the yard. You can wake up and go to the mountains. You can wake up and chase the dog. Or you can sleep until August. The test almost over.
So, to all of you preparing for the exam, I offer you my best wishes. Best wishes both for your success on the bar exam (next week or whenever) and, especially, best wishes that you'll be great lawyers and great advocates, that you'll be honorable lawyers, that you'll be skilled technicians, that you'll make people proud, including yourself, because of the work that you do.
Good luck, kick ass.