Thirty-Four Years After His Graduation, Law Grad Joins the California Bar
It took 34 years and seven or eight tries for University of San Francisco law grad Jeffery Baker to become a lawyer.
Baker, 62, will be sworn in as a California lawyer on Thursday, the Contra Costa Times reports. “If that’s not a record for the longest time between graduating law school and passing the bar, it’s got to be close,” Baker told the newspaper.
His first try was in 1978, shortly after graduation. He tried again three years later, and then five or six more times. He’s unsure of the exact count.
Baker passed the bar in February 2011 after he learned to study “smarter” rather than harder, he tells the Contra Costa Times. “When you look at all the facts, you need to understand which rule of law applies,” he said. “Then, it’s like a light bulb turning on.”
Baker is an insurance adjuster, and he has no plans to switch careers.
