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Published: Sep 16, 2005 01:40 PM
Tue - February 10, 2004
Test of Mettle, Test of Faith
To become a lawyer, all Maxcy
Filer had to do was pass the bar exam. It took him nearly 24 years.
I
thought I had pluck and determination, but I found out yesterday that I was
wrong. Because that's when I read the remarkable story of Maxcy Filer, a man who wanted to be a
California attorney so badly that he took and retook the state bar exam at every
sitting until he finally passed it.
The forty eighth time.
When Filer first sat for the exam in 1966, two of his sons were in elementary school. When he passed in 1991, both were already licensed attorneys. He estimates that he spent as much as $50,000 over the years on fees, bar review courses, and lodging. Not to mention enduring almost unthinkable pain and suffering.
The California bar exam is as much a test of endurance as it is of legal knowledge. Three days long and held in massive venues such as the Oakland Convention Center, the test requires examinees to pass a 300-question multistate multiple choice section, two three-hour performance tests, and a plethora of specialized essays on state and federal law topics ranging from community property to criminal procedure.
Taking it once is an experience I'll never forget. The concept of spending a combined total of half a year sitting for the exam gives me a headache. Most men would have given up long before then. Most men would have decided that they were better suited for a less taxing profession, such as goat herding.
But not Maxcy Filer. He didn't hesitate. He dutifully registered for the exam and a new bar review course every six months, even as he and his wife worked multiple jobs to rear their seven children, one of whom is now a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles.
The result of his dedication is that Filer, a former Compton city councilman, now practices law at his own firm, in a building that he also owns. Not so coincidentally, it's the same building in which he was denied service in a bar (the other kind of bar) 50 years ago because he is black.
I can't speak to Filer's skill as an attorney, but his perseverance makes him the kind of guy I'd want in my corner when the chips were down. You know he'd leave no stone unturned, no avenue of appeal unconsidered when rendering advice. You'd trust his dedication.
But you definitely wouldn't cheat off his exam.
The forty eighth time.
When Filer first sat for the exam in 1966, two of his sons were in elementary school. When he passed in 1991, both were already licensed attorneys. He estimates that he spent as much as $50,000 over the years on fees, bar review courses, and lodging. Not to mention enduring almost unthinkable pain and suffering.
The California bar exam is as much a test of endurance as it is of legal knowledge. Three days long and held in massive venues such as the Oakland Convention Center, the test requires examinees to pass a 300-question multistate multiple choice section, two three-hour performance tests, and a plethora of specialized essays on state and federal law topics ranging from community property to criminal procedure.
Taking it once is an experience I'll never forget. The concept of spending a combined total of half a year sitting for the exam gives me a headache. Most men would have given up long before then. Most men would have decided that they were better suited for a less taxing profession, such as goat herding.
But not Maxcy Filer. He didn't hesitate. He dutifully registered for the exam and a new bar review course every six months, even as he and his wife worked multiple jobs to rear their seven children, one of whom is now a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles.
The result of his dedication is that Filer, a former Compton city councilman, now practices law at his own firm, in a building that he also owns. Not so coincidentally, it's the same building in which he was denied service in a bar (the other kind of bar) 50 years ago because he is black.
I can't speak to Filer's skill as an attorney, but his perseverance makes him the kind of guy I'd want in my corner when the chips were down. You know he'd leave no stone unturned, no avenue of appeal unconsidered when rendering advice. You'd trust his dedication.
But you definitely wouldn't cheat off his exam.