Why most barristers flunk the Bar exams

The average passing rate over the longest time (with the sole exception last year) is only between 18 to 30 percent. And so every year, seven out of every 10, or even eight out of every 10 examinees flunk the Bar exams. And so, this begs the question 'why?' Well, the reasons are varied and many. But I can name the most prevalent causes of failures, namely: first, poor communication skills; second, too superficial knowledge of the most important legal provisions and legal principles; third, poor handwriting or bad penmanship; and fourth, distraction and lack of focus.

The first cause of flunking is perhaps the most destructive and the most prevalent. As an English major myself before I entered law school, I feel very sad, angry at times, and extremely disappointed always, that many law graduates cannot even understand well the thrust of a simple legal problem. If they cannot discern even superficially what is precisely being asked, if they cannot comprehend the nature of the problem presented by the examiner, then how on earth can this poor examinee formulate the correct answer? Wrong understanding of what is being asked necessarily results to wrong answers. Further, if he cannot formulate his response effectively, how would the examiner understand him?

The second cause is also utterly disappointing. Mostly one-half of every year's batch of aspiring lawyers are not really prepared sufficiently. Most of them did not take their law studies seriously. Lack of focus, lack of concentration, too many distractions, and plain sloth and laziness, As a result, their law studies did not arm them adequately. Their law professors did not teach them well, or were themselves lazy, incompetent, or extremely negligent in the performance of their professorial duties and responsibilities. The law school might not have provided them with enough logistic, technical, and moral support. I pity the working students and those whose priority is to earn a living for their respective families. Law school, for them, is not the overriding priority.

The third cause is bad penmanship. Even if their answers were impeccably correct, if the examiners cannot decipher their handwriting, they are useless.

The last cause is lack of focus. They cannot be reviewing for the Bar while indulging in wine, women, and song. They cannot fully understand their law review books if they read their books inside a luxurious coffee shop (showing off a status symbol), while sipping brewed coffee and have their eyes on passing sexy women.