In the May issue of Vogue, Kim Kardashian announced that she’s studying to become a lawyer. It’s worth noting that Kim made this announcement just as she’s finishing up her first year of the makeshift law school/reading-the-law thing that she’s doing. As soon as she completes her first year of study – which will be any day now – she will take the “baby Bar exam,” and if she passes that, she will continue to read the law and, I would assume, begin her second-year law school studies. I’m pretty much fine with everything Kim’s doing, the only thing I dislike is that Kim won’t acknowledge her privilege in this situation – she’s got profound economic privilege, in that she has the time, money and access to do the “law school” thing this way.
Well, it looks like Kim is really finishing up (or maybe completely finished) with her first-year studies, criminal law, tort law and contractual law. Kim revealed on her Instagram Stories that she seems to be cramming for the Baby Bar, complete with her own handwritten notes and flashcards. Which brings me to a question… do people really still study like that? When I was a good student, years ago, I always took meticulous handwritten notes and I found the best way for me to retain the knowledge was to create my own outlines and highlights (plus I’ve always had a halfway decent memory for what I read/write). I think I tried flashcards but I never really got into them. But how do the kidz study these days? Isn’t everything on their iPads and phones now? Do the youths still do flashcards?
Here’s the image from her Instagram Stories – Kim’s got great handwriting.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
I don’t know about kids nowadays, lol, but I definitely studied for the bar with flashcards.
One of the problems I think many lawyers on this site have with her current path is that she is studying for the bar. She’s not necessarily studying to be a lawyer. And for the bar exam, flashcards are really helpful, because you need to know lots of basic definitions, and you need to know them fast. you need to be able to articulate a legal theory in a few sentences – and again, you have to do it fast. (At least that’s what the essay portion was like for my bar exam, not sure what CA is like.) That’s why bar review courses are so popular and expensive. When I graduated law school, I could have told you all about constitutional law and my favorite cases from that course but I could not have told you in a few brief sentences. Bar review courses help you to distill your overall knowledge into something more accessible.
So bottom line – yes, I can completely believe she is studying with flashcards.
Lawyer here also, and yes flashcards make sense although they don’t work for everyone.
Can’t hate on her for doing something academic – it is so so rare to see social media celebs celebrate learning and studying ANYTHING.
I sort of feel like wake me up when she passes the bar exam, that will be the true test, no pun intended.
Yes, Tourmaline, that’s pretty much how I see it, too.
I used flashcards for the bar, especially the multistate and to test my memory of the definitions so when writing essays I could regurgitate rules etc without having to really think.
I used flashcards a bit during law school, but used outlines more, because the exams were almost all open note. I found my outlines from school didn’t help me at all when I was studying for the bar. The bar doesn’t really go into minutia, which we did in most of the higher level classes
I used outlines to study for the bar, and I helped my cousin last year study for it using flashcards. Whatever works for each, but yes “kids” these days will still use flashcards to study for the bar.
Lawyer. Used summaries/outlines and study groups for both law school and the bar.
Lawyer. I took a summer prep course and took a million practice tests. Passed in two states. I made flash cards but did not use them.
I’m in school now – night school while I work at a law firm. Shocker – I use paper and pens to take notes. I can not and will not retain the same way if I use a laptop. Flash cards are not my jam but quizzes work – I’m a jeopardy nerd!
Teacher . Kids don’t like taking notes anymore, prefers to Wikipedia and Google. I find that those that do well usually rewrite, make own notes, mind map or something that reflect their own learning style.
flashcards never worked for me, but rewriting my notes numerous times and doing outlines worked really well.
Same here. Rewriting notes is a great way to learn…and then shortening those notes over and over again until you know everything.
I take the occasional course for my job and I always take notes, though I’ve never used flashcards. I find writing out my own notes helps me better understand the material, and then when I go over them later I can mark sections that I feel I need help with, and so on.
It’s useful indeed!
Kim is 38, so her studying techniques are probably relatively old school.
It is a different part of the brain that processes words on a screen than the part that processes words on a page. You take in more from a page. That’s also why you can check a document for mistakes 10 times on a screen, then notice two mistakes when the page is printing upside down.
Additionally, a lot of people imprint information into their memories better if they physically write it down. I am like that for sure.
Shes rich shes not gonna not pass. Anyone remember how outraged Franco was when one of his professors gave him a low grade. Lol. I think he sued!
What? How is her wealth related to whether or not she will pass? What?
Varsity Blues? The Kushners? Trumps? GWB going to Yale? Sometime, money does buy you a diploma you don’t deserve nor use.
Yup, just as i thought, just another something to brag about online.
Honestly doesn’t it just make you think KIM 100% already knows she’s going to pass the bar exam? Why put yourself out there for scrutiny? Or is she going to do the whole “having another baby and studying was so hard so I had to put my Law dreams on hold until my kids are older”. She’s getting A LOT of attention right now…something she hasn’t had in a while.
Or, it could be a little bit of everything. She’s taking it seriously, AND she’s showing it off online because she already knows people will dismiss a certain kind of girl’s attempt to do anything positive, AND wants to use this situation for good attention.
Did she really just wish herself luck on a test?
Bizarre, but it must generate more money.
yea, i feel like she is looking to profit off this somehow too…
Busy studying but always has time to post about it on instagram. You can’t really say she’s going to start her “second year of Law School” because she’s not in Law School. She’s basically just studying to pass the Bar. That’s not the same thing as going to Law School.
I have read several times that we remember more when we write stuff down, like actually write, not type. If flashcards work for Kim more power to her. And she does have nice handwriting, so neat.
The more senses we use to learn something, the more we retain.
Sorry (not really) but I don’t believe any of this. I’m not knocking the idea of what she’s claiming to do. I just don’t believe it: I don’t believe she’s actually studying. I don’t even believe that is her handwriting. Some assistant probably took those notes for her so she can post online this pretense of busy mommy studying so hard. I’m quite sure she will Lori Loughlin her way into that law degree. This family is known for their lies, appropriations and falseness (among other things).
I just wonder how soon her “journey” will be highlighted in KUWTK?
Why Americans do not write in cursive? I wrote the way Kim does in first grade, self taught in other words, when I started school, but I noticed that in the US practically no one knows how to write in cursive.
My niece is 12 years old and still hasn’t learned cursive in school. She always asks me to show her how and is amazed by it lol. It’s not something they teach in school anymore I believe.
I wrote in cursive when I was taking notes during lectures because it was faster, but when I rewrote my notes for studying I wrote them neatly in print so it was easier to read.
my stepson started learning cursive last year in third grade. (I’m American)
I just don’t really understand the importance of learning to write in cursive. In this digital day and age, is it really that important?
I think it’s important because people would be able to read it, and if they’re not taught how to write it it can be harder to read. a lot of historical stuff is written in cursive and it would be a shame to have that all eventually lost. I’ve been working on my genealogy and everything is written in very slanted, difficult to read cursive lol.
@Grant, yes, it is absolutely important. It helps the younger students who are learning it with fine motor control. Writing cursive is generally faster than printing, and allows students to keep up with a lecture while taking notes by hand, which has been shown to augment the learning and memory processes as they are introduced to new information. Unfortunately, the same improvement is not shown when taking notes with a keyboard.
Sorry, I hate getting on my hobby-horse, but I’ve had a tough morning,
An American mom who wishes the school system would teach her children cursive
Cursive is useless. It just looks pretty, and it is much less legible than print.
Depends on the writer as to ease when reading cursive. Some people just have “doctors handwriting” lol but if the person has decent handwriting it should be no problem.
Alissa, I just saw a story about cursive and historical documents and it would be a shame to lose the ability to read those. I do wonder for those who are not taught cursive, how do you sign on legal documents? Do you print your name? I always wonder about that. Signatures may go away, but for now for a loan, taxes, etc it still calls for signature. I think you should at least know how to sign your name.
I write my correspondence in cursive. American.
My writing is kind of a hybrid print-cursive thing. People are always surprised when they can read my prescriptions!
I love that I learned cursive and I’m American. If I had to print when I write it would really slow me down. I love that my handwriting has a life of it’s own and is big, loopy, and a little “arty” … sometimes so much that I can’t read it myself.
I asked my niece, who is a school teacher, if she’s teaching her kids cursive, and she said “yes.” I was glad to hear it.
I’m American (but went to primary school in a former British colony) and write in cursive most of the time but sometimes a combination of cursive and script.
I find that I do write faster in cursive so I tend to use that for taking notes in meetings, conferences, etc….as well as…..for letters and notes. It’s just more efficient for me plus it looks more elegant.
I asked my 13 year old stepson to tell me the brand name of a retro appliance over the phone…and he told me he couldn’t read it…..”because it’s in cursive” 😒
Guess what he’s working on for the rest of Spring Break?
When I was studying for the GDL (law conversion in the UK) many years ago, it was absolute hell. I feel for Kim. I made colourful case/ date/ point “snap” cards and turned it into a memory game similar to whatever we played as kids. My sister made fun of me for months but I have a very literal visual brain so it worked for me.
I’m 24 yrs old (does that count as a “kid”?) and currently in my second year of law school – can confirm we still use handwritten flashcards (especially since it’s final exams season right now lol)
Does she have her bachelor’s degree? I thought you had to have a bachelor’s to enter law school. The bar exam in California is notoriously difficult and there’s no buying your way in, which is different from
the admissions process into a law school. have friends who never passed and those who ended up taking New Jersey or New Mexico’s bar to pass and they end up just practicing federal law in California.
no, she doesn’t. she’s doing an apprenticeship with a law firm, it’s a route available in California and a few other states.
California is one of the states where it’s permissible to take the bar after completing a legal apprenticeship instead of getting a JD, so she doesnt need to have a bachelor’s degree
This is such a bogus storyline.
Hearing (lecture), writing (notes) and reading out loud are good methods for learning. Using each sense increases brain retention.
That said….I keep looking at her pristine pages of notes and something is off, like the notebook is a prop.
shrug. that’s what my notebook looked like when I rewrote my notes.
I’m confused — did she post this herself, wishing herself luck??
I just clicked on the name. That’s not Kim’s instagram. I think someone took a snap from Kim’s instagram story and then posted the pic on to their own “fan page”.
That might be the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.
I always found that I retain things better when I write my notes by hand. I’m on my third graduate degree and although I type my notes in class, if I need to really memorize something, I outline by hand. I’m 50+. My daughter is in grad school and does both computer notes and handwritten notes depending on what she’s doing. All her sports coaching notes are by hand. It’s funny how sometimes she proudly shows me the handwritten stuff, like it’s a novelty she’s excited about.
I have no shade for Kim. She had a brilliant legal mind for a father. She’s smart and very savvy. She knows her shelf life as a sexpot is limited and is looking to the future. Good on her.
I would venture to say that at 38 Kim is also not necessarily a “youth” and probably studies now in much the same way she did when she was in high school. I say this as a 30 year old who just finished a postgrad and felt like a dinosaur because I preferred real books in which I could highlight and write notes rather than using a tablet for the same learning. The digital age is great and I really do love the idea of conserving my paper use, etc., but I happen to absorb more when I’m really writing.
Another lawyer here and yep, I too used flashcards (and notes, outlines, lots of color-coding…) to take both the bar exams I’ve done. I’d say damn near everyone I know did, too, regardless of age or jurisdiction. I’ve never found flashcards particularly helpful with anything else but they’re great for bar prep.
I color coded like crazy in med school.
Flash cards, outlines and writing notes over and over here, for undergrad and graduate school. I don’t have a single note on my tablet, I find it inputs better into my brain if I actually hand write the notes. I REALLY wish she’d acknowledge her privilege. But as someone who just started law school in January, and I’m about her age and felt silly and “too old” to do so, I’m kind of glad she’s doing this as a beacon to people who are like, “You’re starting law school NOW?” Yes, women are still capable of doing things like career changes/enhancing in their late 30s, 40s and beyond.
I teach undergrads and most of them tend to take handwritten notes – I don’t know what they do with them afterwards, or how they ‘study’, but only a handful ever bring a tablet/laptop to class. This may be because our classes are mostly discussion focused and we tend to use the socratic method rather than straight up standing in front of 300 people delivering a lecture. My point? The youths still use pen and paper, at least sometimes.
I wonder if she decided to become an attorney after she read about Amal Clooney + the notoriety she was getting?
Oh my! That didn’t occur to me, but what a great point. I think Kim is recognizing that she has to change her strategy to get attention now.
As a colleague once noted, “behavior that is rewarded at 20 is not going to be rewarded at 40.” What a wise woman!
Kim can’t rely on nudity or sexy clothes to bring her the same attention now as it did back then, so she is reinventing herself as a social crusader.
Yet another lawyer here. Longtime listener; first-time caller.
California allows a person to take the Bar without attending law school. Their Bar exam isn’t necessarily harder than any other state’s exam. The pass rate is much lower because you have so many students taking it who did not attend law school. Also, you have many unaccredited law schools in the state. Again, those students will have a lower pass rate.
No judgment on the non-traditional students. Just wanted to add some context to the discussion.
24 year old here who has just finished her degree, I found that most of my classmates physically wrote class notes and absolutely used flash cards. I think it’s a case that most of us retain the information better when we physically write it out as opposed to typing it
I’m a teacher and I’m happy when anyone wants to improve through education. She hold a lot of influence with young women who just want to be insta-famous.
I just wonder if she prepped those notes herself. Is that her handwriting?
California Bar Exam in notoriously difficult. There are lawyers who move out of state to practice (take another state’s bar). People who went to law school in California cannot pass it.
Her notes are just definitions.
Yet another lawyer commenting… so many of us here! Agree that she is memorizing definitions for the bar exam, which is an entirely different beast to the critical thinking skills you learn in law school. I took and passed two bar exams fairly recently, and even though I typed all of my notes/outlines in law school (and so did everyone else I know), I did handwrite my own flashcards for the bar exam. There is more straight-up memorization for the bar, so I felt like I would remember information better if I hand-wrote things.
She has two attorneys spoon-feeding her bar prep., so I think she will pass. She has a few years to study specifically for the bar and this test, vs. the few months normal students get after graduation. It’s also a very different scenario to passing normal law school examinations, applying and getting into law school, dealing with the curve, etc.
So what is the outcome for someone who passes the bar exam this way without going to law school? What kind of work would someone do?
She has plenty of money but not a lot of respect from her peers. She yearns for respect.