If you're studying for the bar exam, congratulations on making it this far. You're almost there; the exam will be over before you know it. In a few weeks, you'll be lying on a beach somewhere, enjoying some fabulous post-bar travel.

How are things going for you in the home stretch? An ATL Community thread on the subject is generating healthy commentary, so let's bring it to the front page:

How is everyone's progress on studying for the bar?

How did the simulated MBE go for everyone?

General thoughts?

Based on the responses thus far, it seems that folks are worried, but unduly so. Relax; you'll be just fine. Those practice MBE scores are plenty high, and you still have some study time left.

If you don't pass the bar exam for some reason, like these famous bar failers, you can just take the test again (and again, and again; hi Paulina Bandy!). It's not the end of the world. Bar failers have had successful careers in law, politics, media, and academia, among many other fields.

Of course, failing isn't fun, and it does make for awkward interactions around the office or with classmates. So what's the best way to study? From a reader:

I'd love a thread about bar exam prep courses. I'd especially like to hear from people who decided not to take one. Biggest mistake of one's life, or best idea ever?

We took Bar/Bri and PMBR (the three-day review), and we found them both very helpful. It's nice to have a plan of attack that you can mechanically follow -- lawyers love fixed trajectories -- as well as a third party imposing some discipline on your study habits.

But we also know lots of folks who got the books, studied on their own, and did just fine (and saved themselves or their firms a nice chunk of change). Readers, any thoughts?

Update: We went back and reviewed the 200+ comments on our earlier open thread about BarBri. The comments we found most entertaining pertained to Professor Paula Franzese, who teaches property. She inspired passionate detractors and defenders. Selected comments, after the jump (or just click here).

Open Thread: Bar Exam Study Update [ATL Community]

With bar exams taking place at the end of this month, a bunch of almost-lawyers are furiously studying away. It's not the worst way to spend the dog days of summer... but it's pretty bad. If you're in that boat, we wish you luck (and encourage you to spend your study breaks here at ATL).

While few look forward to taking the bar, many look forward to post-bar, pre-start-date travel: the legendary, celebrated bar trip, your last hurrah before immersion into the grim realities of law firm life. With Biglaw start dates pushed back at quite a few firms (see here, here, and here), some of you may have more travel time than expected.

So where are you headed, and how long are you staying there? Or where are you considering going? Is Europe still a desirable destination, or does the weakness of the dollar put it out of reach? Is southeast Asia still a popular pick, or is a post-bar trip to Thailand so "five minutes ago"? Please share your views, in the comments.

If nothing else, this post should trigger you to buy airplane tickets -- e.g., on a 21-day advance fare -- if you haven't done so already. Last-minute airfare deals seem to be a thing of the past (perhaps due to rising fuel costs). If you want to get a ticket using frequent flyer miles, you need to act fast -- heck, you may even be too late -- given the dwindling supply of such seats.

Kash leaves today for two months in Hong Kong -- an unfortunate destination in terms of weather right now, described by the Lonely Planet guide as "punishingly hot and humid" during the summer. Hope you've made wiser choices!

We realize that some of you really dislike Bar/Bri bar review class. But posting an online threat to prevent class from going forward seems a bit extreme, don't you think? See email below.

If you're really down about studying for the bar exam, just have a bar review orgy. It's more fun than posting anonymous threats on the internet, and it doesn't inconvenience your fellow students.

P.S. While we're on the subject, who's driving a Ferrari to BarBri in L.A.? Law firm bar stipends can be generous, but not that generous.

************
From: "BAR/BRI of MA"
Date: June 29, 2008 9:33:38 PM EDT
To: "BAR/BRI of MA"
Subject: BAR/BRI BAR Review - Harvard Law School - Urgent Announcement

Dear BAR/BRI Student:

We apologize if you receive this in duplicate or even triplicate.

We're writing to let you know that BAR/BRI classes held at HLS will be cancelled on Monday, June 30. Over the weekend, we learned of a threatening message concerning the LawSchool on an internet site and, while this kind of threat isn't uncommon, we decided it was best to use an abundance of caution and cancel classes for the day while HUPD continues to investigate the matter.

You will receive a follow-up email from your BAR/BRI rep indicating how this class will be made up. At this time, we expect all classes to resume on schedule on Tuesday.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Parking Reserved for A Ferrari [RumorsDaily]

Earlier: The Hell That Is Bar/Bri: Open Thread

The title of this post reflects the majority view of the BAR/BRI bar review course. We actually enjoyed studying for the bar. Our overall reaction: "Wow. We're learning so much.... LAW!"

But most of you don't seem to be fans of Bar/Bri. You find it rather unpleasant -- or maybe weird. Here's one email we received:

Longtime fan, first-time writer. I was wondering if you could do a discussion thread on the Barbri course we are taking?

Would especially like to start with a mention of the Property I lecture today by Seton Hall law professor Paula Franzese. While pretty excellent, it certainly had its totally surreal moments -- especially her long divergence about a fundraiser involving N-Sync and her (then) five-year-old daughter.

Also, the singing. She sings a lot -- it's totally something to behold!

Indeed. We recall Professor Franzese's property coverage as one of the highlights of bar review. She managed to make a potentially dry subject at least somewhat entertaining.

Here is the requested open thread. While we're on the subject of BarBri blonde beauties with musical talents, here is "Bar/Bri Girl," a music video parody set to the tune of "Barbie Girl." It was our favorite number from this year's NYU Law Review Revue, which we had the pleasure of attending this spring:

NYU Law Revue 2008 - Barbri Girl [YouTube]

While responses to last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on summer associate programs continue to flow in (add your 2 cents here), let's pause to consider what last year's summer associates are going to experience over the next few months: bar exams (sorry), relocations, and sweet, sweet signing bonuses (or not).

We've received about a hundred comments and tips since we posted our "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask" table, which aggregated the results from our ATL / Lateral Link surveys on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, relocation benefits and whether you have to pay it all back when you leave.

So today, we're updating the table to fill in some more blanks.

The table below now shows six things for each firm:

  * which bar exam expenses the firm will reimburse (send us tips to fill in the blanks),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a summer stipend or a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts,

  * whether the firm provides any particular relocation benefits,

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year, and

  * whether the firm will make you pay it all back if you leave. As a general rule, payback requirements will apply to everything but a stub bonus, and will include clerkship bonuses.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the aggregated table of bar reimbursements, stipends and bonuses, salary advances, moving expenses, stub bonuses, and payback requirements. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Four of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, covering the range of firms from Akin Gump to Young Conaway. We've also posted results from our surveys on relocation benefits and whether you have to pay it all back when you leave. And between survey responses, comments, and tips, we have a few thousand data points.

Today, we're consolidating the three tables in one place, so that we can start filling in more blanks and squeezing out some nuances.

The table below now shows six things for each firm:

  * which bar exam expenses the firm will reimburse (send us tips to fill in the blanks),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a summer stipend or a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts,

  * whether the firm provides any particular relocation benefits,

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year, and

  * whether the firm will make you pay it all back if you leave. As a general rule, payback requirements will apply to everything but a stub bonus, and will include clerkship bonuses.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the aggregated table of bar reimbursements, stipends and bonuses, salary advances, moving expenses, stub bonuses, and payback requirements. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Three of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses (which covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Proskauer Rose). We got quite a few tips in response, as well as quite a few comments in person, at the NALP conference in Toronto.

Find out whether today's installment will at last make it to Wachtell, Weil, WilmerHale and beyond . . . after the jump.

But before we get there, let's quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. Also feel free to let us know whether these stipends and bonuses are subject to repayment if you leave, and whether your firm helps out with relocations, both topics of surveys last week.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the fourth batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses. Check it out, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part Two of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Kirkland & Ellis (or K&L Gates, depending on how you choose to alphabetize). We got quite a few tips in response, as well as quite a few comments in person at the NALP conference in Toronto.

Find out whether today's installment will make it to O'Melveny, Pillsbury, Quinn, Skadden, or all the way to Weil and beyond . . . after the jump.

But before we get there, let's quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. Also feel free to let us know whether these stipends and bonuses are subject to repayment if you leave, and whether your firm helps out with relocations, both topics of surveys last week.

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the third batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, after the jump.

Last week, we posted Part One of the results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and covered the range of firms from Akin Gump to Drinker Biddle. We got quite a few tips in response, as well as one of my favorite comments of the week:

Nooooo. I need to know about firms in the 'W's! I hate waiting.

Find out whether today's installment will get far enough to satisfy our poor reader at Weil, WilmerHale, Wachtell, Winston, or Whatnot . . . after the jump.

But before we get there, let's quickly review what we said about the table last week:

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. (Or, if you're going to be at this week's NALP conference in Toronto, feel free to say hello in person.)

And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the second batch of results from our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, after the jump.

We received over 1,200 responses to last week's our ATL / Lateral Link survey on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, and we've definitely got the makings of another sweet, informative running table for you.

But it's going to take a little bit of time to mesh all the data, as some of you differ quite a bit on what, if anything, your firms provide. So while we work on getting you everything from A to Z, here are the results from Akin Gump to Drinker Biddle, or about 35 firms, to get the ball rolling. We'll post a bigger table next week.

The table below shows four things for each firm:

  * how the firm helps new associates with bar exam expenses (reimbursement of actual expenses or a fixed stipend),

  * whether the firm pays new associates a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),

  * whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts, and

  * whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a "stub bonus") for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year.

Now, this is the first iteration of these results, and like another Episode I, it may have some room for improvement. It's entirely possible that we've got the right numbers in the wrong buckets, or are missing a number completely, or have otherwise managed to bork something.

For example, in a lot of cases, where associates have reported that their firms don't cover bar expenses, they may really have meant to say that the firms don't provide a stipend, but actually do reimburse the actual bar exam expenses when presented with a receipt. In other cases, reported salary advances or stub bonuses may differ from associate to associate, and we need more input so we can state a range instead of an amount certain.

So, if details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance, please send us a tip.

Those caveats aside, we bring you the first batch of results. Check out the table, after the jump.

Several readers have written in to inquire about the status of the BAR/BRI class action litigation. Here's the latest update on the lawsuit website:

Over 85,000 Claim Forms representing claims for over 120,000 BAR/BRI courses have been received and processed by the Claims Administrator. However, several objectors appealed from the Court’s Order granting final approval of the Settlement. A total of seven Notices of Appeal of the Settlement were filed....

NO CLAIMS CAN BE CALCULATED OR PAID UNTIL THERE HAS BEEN A FINAL RESOLUTION OF ALL APPEALS.

On January 25, 2008 Class Counsel met with attorneys for the objector-appellants and defendants' counsel under the auspicies of the Ninth Circuit Mediation Program. After a full day of mediation, the parties could not reach a resolution that would allow for a dismissal of the appeals and distribution of the Settlement Fund. Further updates will be posted on this website.

So don't hold your breath waiting for that check. But for some class members, you may have another source of relief.

Details, after the jump.

We didn't notice this, until a tipster just mentioned it to us: today is the February MBE day. So, to everyone taking the multistate bar examination right now, good luck!

From the same source:

I thought an open thread about the weirdest bar preparation might be entertaining. I immediately thought of you when I was told that the husband of an acquaintance, taking the bar for his second time, decided to "manage" his bathroom breaks by first doing a purge diet the week prior to the bar, and then taking Immodium each day during the exam.

Sorry for the crudeness, but I found this funny, as well as a bit extreme.

No worries. We have a reasonably high tolerance for crassness in these pages.

We also like this suggested topic of bar prep. The February administration of the bar exam is often more difficult to study for than the July administration, since those who sit for the bar in February are more likely to have to juggle their studies with other commitments (e.g., a day job). July exam takers, in contrast, are usually recent law school graduates who have taken the summer off to prepare full-time for the big test.

If you have any good stories about how you prepped for the bar, feel free to share them in the comments.

National Conference of Bar Examiners: MBE [official website]

We reminded you on Friday, but we fear our post got lost in the shuffle. If you're part of the plaintiff class in the Bar/Bri class action -- and since you're reading ATL, you probably are -- then the deadline for filing your proof of claim is this Monday, September 17. So if you want your $125 or so, you need to act now.

Is the settlement a good deal? We largely agree with this commenter:

That settlement is a disgrace. The plaintiff class was sold up the river.... But I’ll take the money and run.

Just like most of you (see poll results), we filed a claim, knowing that we're being undercompensated. And knowing that we're acting against the advice of The Legal Diva -- a named plaintiff in the case who now opposes the settlement. From The Recorder:

Loredana Nesci, a 2005 graduate of Quinnipiac College School of Law in Connecticut, said lead attorney Eliot Disner initially convinced her he'd built a strong case against BAR/BRI and would seek to break the company apart. "We were promised the moon and stars by Disner," she said.

But Nesci said everything changed after Disner's former firm — Los Angeles' Van Etten Suzumoto & Becket — was acquired by McGuireWoods.

"After that merger, I think that McGuireWoods took Eliot, gagged him [and now] he's in a basement in their firm, because I can't find the guy," said Nesci, now a practicing attorney based in Studio City.

It seems that the Legal Diva -- er, Ms. Nesci -- was right about Disner. Her "gagged in a basement" comment appeared in a February 2007 article. A few months later, in May 2007, Eliot Disner was fired by McGuireWoods (after he criticized the settlement).

For more on her Diva-ness, check out her website, which is a real trip. Her bio describes her past work as a police officer for the LAPD, explains how she earned the title of "Legal Diva," and boasts of how she was "quickly gaining notoriety for being a colorful and cunning attorney." It also mentions that she "enjoys working with feral cats," which sounds apropos for a Legal Diva. MEOW!

(See especially the super-cute testimonials from her clients, including Doug Smith, at right. We don't want to know what types of matters she handled for him....)

Bar/BRI Class Action Litigation [official website]
The Legal Diva: Loredana Nesci [official website]
$49M Disappoints Some in Lawyers' Class [The Recorder]

Earlier: A Friendly Reminder: The BAR/BRI Proof of Claim Deadline Is Monday!

Attention young lawyers. We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this important announcement:

If you purchased a bar review course from BAR/BRI anywhere in the United States anytime from August, 1997 through July 31, 2006 (the “Class”), you may be affected by a settlement of a class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California called Rodriguez, et. al v. West Publishing Corp., d/b/a BAR/BRI, and Kaplan, Inc., Case No. CV-05-3222 R (MCx).

Okay, you already knew about that -- and we wrote about it before too. But here's the important part: the deadline for filing a Proof of Claim is this coming Monday, September 17, 2007. So if you chucked that form into a big "to deal with later" pile, just like we did, you need to fish it out over the weekend.

More discussion, after the jump.

We're delighted to see that ATL has so many readers in ATL. And we apologize for that one time we were mean to you. (We don't know what got into us; guess it was that time of the month.)

This morning's post about the Alston & Bird raise, which will take effect shortly before your kids enter law school, generated robust commentary. It also earned us another shout-out in the mainstream media. From an Atlanta reader:

"Above the Law was mentioned in the Daily Report article on the Alston & Bird raise. In fact, the reporter confronted A&B's hiring partner with some of the comments to your post."

[A]ssociates posting anonymously to the Above the Law blog, a gossip and news Web site about big law firms, were not happy with Alston’s pay increase. They contended that associate pay in Atlanta still lags behind that in other comparable markets, such as Houston and Dallas....

Several blog posters criticized Alston for pay compression, pointing out that the firm is not increasing pay for more senior classes at the same $15,000 rate as for first-years.

“A&B did raise today. Starts at $145K, tops at $190K. So much for solving compression. Folks are devestated [sic],” wrote “Anonymous” a scant hour after Alston announced the increase last evening.

“First years get a 15K raise. I get 5K,” groused another.

When told of the comments, [A&B hiring partner Jonathan W. Lowe] responded: “If this is true, I am certainly disappointed to hear that our associates are unhappy with this pay raise. We try to determine what the market is with respect to associate salary in each of the cities where we have offices, and this was our best effort at determining the market in Atlanta at this time.”

We agree with our reader's take on on Jon Lowe's response:

"His reaction to the negative comments seemed to catch him off guard. You almost get the impression he expected to hear only the sound of Cristal corks popping."

But hey, A&B associates, it's not all bad. Remember the firm's special generosity, back in May?

If this isn't ringing a bell, your recollection may be refreshed by two emails, reprinted after the jump.

* Who let the dogs fight? Who? Who? Feds say: football star Michael Vick. [CNN; TSG]

* Bar-Bri class reps (no, different class reps): No incentive payments for you. [The Recorder]

* Seven-figure legal bills: par for the course for white-collar criminal defendants. [WSJ Law Blog]

* India market hot for law firms. [Law.com]

* Billionaire Siebel gets California Supreme Court's ok to sue lawyer and judge despite settlement. [The Recorder]

* UK girl loses fight to wear purity ring at school. Chastity belt still under review. [MSNBC]

* Ohio Turnpike murder-for-hire case could result in death sentence. [CNN]

Try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, and try again. And maybe the 14th time will be the charm!

For those of you freaking out over the bar exam next week, chillax. You will probably pass. If you don't pass this time, surely you'll pass the next time. Or the time after that.

You'll be just fine -- as long as your name isn't "Paulina Bandy." From the Orange County Register:

Paulina Bandy couldn't fail the state bar exam again. Not after she failed 13 times before.

Some people complain that we're elitist. So we apologize for asking: What the hell is UP with this woman?

(Is Paulina Bandy the child of a prominent politician? They seem to be jinxed when it comes to the bar exam.)

If you feel sorry for non-top-tier law school graduates who can't land good jobs, just think -- things could be worse. Much worse:

Paulina Bandy couldn't fail the state bar exam again. Not after she had spent tens of thousands to attend law school. Not after she put her husband Jon Gomez through the ringer for so many years. Not after the debt she piled up forced her family to move into a 365-square-foot home.

Anywhere outside the island of Manhattan, that's simply unacceptable.

More discussion, after the jump.

As you may recall (from yesterday's Morning Docket), Eliot Disner is the McGuireWoods partner who criticized the settlement negotiated by his firm in an antitrust class action against Bar/Bri, the giant bar exam prep company.

Actually, make that "former McGuireWoods partner." From today's New York Law Journal:

Mr. Disner, who was a partner in the Los Angeles office of McGuireWoods, said the firm fired him May 23. "I was terminated because [McGuireWoods] said that my work on the BAR/BRI case had hurt the [firm's] reputation," he said. His concerns about the proposed settlement with West Publishing Corp., which offers BAR/BRI bar review courses nationwide, surfaced in an objection to the class settlement that was filed last week by three lead plaintiffs (NYLJ, May 21)....

A hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Manuel Real on whether the $49 million settlement will become final is scheduled for June 18. Mr. Disner's brief, which was not supported by McGuireWoods, argues that the firm ought to press for at least $400 million from West Publishing, as well as for the breakup of BAR/BRI.

We titled an earlier post about the settlement You Are Probably $125 Richer Right Now. But if Eliot Disner is right, maybe another zero belongs on the end of that figure.

Study questions: Is the Bar/Bri settlement fair? Or has Bar/Bri screwed us yet again?

Law Firm Fires Partner Who Questioned BAR/BRI Settlement [New York Law Journal]
Bar/Bri Class-Action Objector is Fired [WSJ Law Blog]
The Intrigue Grows in Bar/Bri Class-Action [WSJ Law Blog]
Lawyer Who Sued BAR/BRI Now Questions the Settlement [American Lawyer]

This news isn't as exciting as a holiday bonus or a pay raise. But it does mean that if you took the Bar/Bri bar review course between 1997 and 2006 -- hey, that includes us! -- you can buy a round of $12 martinis for you and a few friends.

According to a tipster:

According to the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the Bar/Bri antitrust class action settled for $49 million, to be paid out to 290,000 clients. Each client will get $125.

Bar/Bri also agreed to terminate a "co-marketing" venture with Kaplan as part of the deal. Neither defendant (Bar/Bri or Kaplan) admitted wrongdoing.

The plaintiff class is represented by McGuire Woods.

The full article, as reprinted in the National Law Journal, can be accessed here.

Update (12:30 PM): Information about how to claim your share of the settlement will appear here. Here at ATL, we're all about news you can use!

BAR/BRI monolopy class action settled for $49M [National Law Journal]
BAR/BRI Class Action Website [official site]