April 23, 2025 • 15 mins
In this unforgettable episode, Attorney Bernie Brown sits down with the legendary Al Jenkins—a man who’s helped thousands of Black lawyers pass the California Bar Exam for free. No internet. No excuses. Just old-school hustle and discipline. Learn how his kitchen-table method changed the legal landscape for generations and why his brutally honest approach is exactly what aspiring lawyers need today.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:15):
Welcome all to Bernie Brown'sdelight where legal minds unite both
day and night in uncertain times.
He.
So gather around.
Let's
set things right.
Welcome to The Logical Lawyer Podcastwith attorney Bernie Brown, retired Los
(00:39):
Angeles assistant city attorney withdecades of legal experience and also
extensive leadership experience servingin top bar associations like the John
M Langston Bar Association and theAssociation of Black City Attorneys.
Bernie is powered by a deep personaltestimony that took him from South
(00:59):
Central LA to the courtrooms.
In downtown la Bernie divesinto today's toughest legal,
social, and spiritual issues.
He brings facts, answers, and sharpanalysis to cut through all of the noise.
So if you are ready for a nononsense perspective, then let's
get started with your host.
(01:21):
Attorney Bernie Brown, the Logical Lawyer.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, todaywe have the Genius attorney, the great
l Jenkins, an attorney that has helpedthousands of lawyers, thousands of
lawyers pass the California state law.
And we are blessed today to hearfrom Al Jenkins, the legend he's been
(01:45):
written about in People Magazine.
There.
Other productions.
There's a movie out there, a littlemovie about the great l Jenkins,
a man who has charitably givenhis time to help thousands of
students pass the bar at no charge.
(02:08):
He doesn't charge anybody anything,and he, and he tutors them, gives
them personal, personal one on one.
Tutorials to help people pass the barout of the generosity of his heart.
So there are literally thousandsof African American lawyers
out there and judges that havepassed the bar and owe it it to.
(02:35):
The great Al Jacobs.
Al, how are you today?
Good, good.
Can you tell us, Al, howdo you, uh, tutor students?
How do you help them pass the bar?
Okay.
Alright.
As it turns out,
I generally.
In my preparative effortsat African Americans.
(02:58):
However, over the years I have tutorpeople of law races and um, people
ask me why is it I limit what I do?
I have to limit it because if I don't,I would have a lie out and I did.
(03:19):
So I generally limit my servicesto African Americans who, ones
who pass the California bar.
Now, to do that, I number one,all my efforts on one-on-one.
I have no.
Remote ability, no computers, nolaptops, no cell phones, nothing.
(03:40):
I have nothing but the old fashionedlandline telephone and the students that
I tutor must meet with me at least onetime in person is sit at my kitchen table.
That one time in person is a two andone half hour lecture where I tell
them what it is they have to do.
And try to scare them straightinto doing what's necessary.
(04:04):
Pass the California bar.
Now
you just said something interesting.
You said scare them straight.
What's that all about?
Well,
back in the day when people did not.
Directly, uh, engaged inefforts to do something.
We called 'em, they wereshucking and jiving.
(04:29):
That was back in the day.
I don't, I don't know what's,what a modern phrase would be.
When I try to emphasize to tostudents my two tees, that one
cannot shuck and jive ones away,pass the California bar, I impress
upon them that I can the bar package.
(04:50):
What come.
The most important goal in their lifeand that their bar review preparations
must stay priority over all our activity.
Family problems, money problems, problemswith friends and emotional problems
must not be allowed to interfere.
(05:12):
That they bothered you preparations.
I tell them that and I insist thatthey know me at least 60 days, 6, 0,
60 days of clear uninterrupted study.
This is turn off their cellphones if that's possible, and
pay their bills in advance.
(05:35):
Let their friends work out theirown problems and take strong actions
to get their family to understand.
The date must be the loan.
Now when you say 60 days, how longa, how long a day time, what is it?
Four hours a day?
Or?
I get to that.
Oh, sorry.
These sacrifices are essentiallybought passes now for these
(06:00):
60 days, two months bar.
You must comfort for everythingelse in their life, everything.
And now you, you asked me aboutbat time commitments per day.
Well, I emphasize that they need to findways to not stray from their agenda.
(06:26):
It is imperative that they sit tothe study, study schedule, and do
not deviate, do not make excuses.
They must not let personalmatters get in their way.
I emphasize to them if they wantto be an attorney, that they
must exercise self discipline.
(06:49):
If they cannot exercise selfdiscipline, then maybe they can do
something else with their life, butthey will not become an attorney.
I emphasize to them that ifthey want to pass the bar.
There simply is no alternativeto long hours of study.
They must not look for shortcuts.
(07:09):
They must not look for es.
They must put in long hours andfocus on bar taking techniques, and
I emphasize to them that the rewardof passing the bar is worth it and
how many hours must they put in.
I suggest to them that whenI. Prepared to put a bar.
(07:31):
I took a two months, a fourmonths leave of absence of my job.
At that time, I was anengineer for Hughes Aircraft.
I studied for 17, 18, 19 hoursper day, every day for two months.
I figured at the end of twomonths, I would have another two
(07:53):
months to recover from my efforts.
That's why I took four months offto prepare for the bar, two months
to study, four months to, uh, getover that two months study period.
Keep talking, okay?
(08:13):
Now, back in the day, old dayswhen I would walk down the street
talking out loud to myself.
Rules of law.
People thought I was crazy.
But now this being 2025, if you feelthat you need to walk down the street
and talk to yourself out loud, peoplewill think you're talking on your cell.
(08:36):
Also, it will will not be a problem.
The thing is that youmust put in the time.
I, I like to ask the students, howlong, how many hours do you think
they can study without taking a break?
And then how long, if they study in astudy study schedule, how many hours
(09:00):
could they put in before they collapse?
And people would tell me when theystep in, eight hours, nine hours.
I said, okay, let mechange the hypothetical.
Suppose there was a young man sittingacross from you with a shotgun that
he fries and shot into the ceilingto let you know the gun is real.
(09:21):
Denise says to you, I'llbe sitting right here.
When you get so tired, you cannot study enough a ministry.
I want you to look at me, lookup, look up at me, and tell me so.
At which point I will blow your brains up.
And then I ask them how long it'll be,how many hours you create before you
look up at this school and say, kill me.
(09:42):
I'm not gonna study anymore.
And then the time changes, the averageperson will say, that's different.
Because now it has become moreimportant that they study and that's,
that is how we must look at it.
The study period must become themost important thing in your life.
And I also suggested and.
(10:05):
The, the California bar has becomeeasier and easier and easier.
The California bar is basically givento you in comparison to what it used to
be back in the day, and us old timerslike to speak about back in the day.
Well, now.
(10:26):
Students who take the ca fromthe bar and are only tutor
the essay portion of the bar.
Students who take the essay portionof the bar only are required to
take five essay questions andthey're given one hour per question.
So they're making the bar exam, theessay portion of the bar exam easier.
(10:48):
You are only required to answerfive essay questions and you're
given one hour per question.
That may sound like a lot.
Five essay questions back inthe day and us all the time.
Would like to speak about backin the day you were not required
to answer five questions.
Nor six nor were we required toanswer seven essay questions, nor
(11:11):
eight, nor were we required to answernine essay questions nor 10 nor 11.
Well, back in the day, the Californiabar required people who took that
bar essay portion of the bar examto answer 12 essay questions.
Not five 12, and we were not, not given awhole hour to answer the question, so we
(11:39):
had to answer 12 essay questions and wewere given 42 minutes for the question.
42 minutes per question, not an hour.
And we had 12 questions.
Now that was a bar exam these days.
They basically beg you to pass the bar.
(11:59):
You fired these questions and an hourper question, you must speak kidding.
So anyway, that's where she fly Now.
She passed to California.
Uh, bar you have to understandmore than anything else.
Bar essay writing isan exercise in issues.
(12:23):
By the concept of issues is justanother way of saying legal problems.
You have to spot legal problemsin a given essay question.
Nobody hears what your final answer is.
If you give a fact factual situationthat somebody's accused of murder,
(12:47):
one student may prove that thedefendant is guilty of murder.
Next student, uh, eventually comesto conclusion that she is not.
Guilty of learn and both essayswill receive the same score.
So it's not a matter of what,how you decide the question.
(13:09):
The problem is have you found theissues that would allow you to
decide, decided these issues orlegal problems are called issues.
You must spot.
Issues.
They give you points for spottingissues, not from what you say
about it, the issues eventually.
(13:32):
But did you spot theissue in the first place?
And you must recognizethat an effective essay.
We represent your efforts to identifyand analyze to a rational conclusion
as many issues as is humanly possiblewithin the wow that you set aside to
(13:57):
answer each question, so you have one.
Power for questions and spot asmany issues as she possibly can.
And because you must be about earningpoints, bar essay questions are not
the place for seeking to demonstrateyour creative writing skills
(14:19):
because you will not have the time.
Nobody cares how fancy yourresponses to the issues are.
Because you, you aregiven points for the issue
itself.
Well, that's a wrap for thisepisode of The Logical Lawyer.
If you found this insightful, be sure tolike, follow, subscribe, leave a review,
(14:42):
and share it with others who appreciatestraight talk and sharp analysis.
Got a question or a topic for Bernie.
We'd love to hear from you.
Connect with bernie@thelogicallawyer.me.
That's at the Logicallawyer.me, and you've got it.
So until next time, stay informed.
Think critically, and asalways, keep it logical.
(15:05):
Join us now in this welcome spacewith Brown Finds its place the.
Welcome all to Bernie Brown'sdelight where legal minds unite both
day and night in uncertain times.
He.
So gather around.
Let's
set things right.
Welcome to The Logical Lawyer Podcastwith attorney Bernie Brown, retired Los
(00:39):
Angeles assistant city attorney withdecades of legal experience and also
extensive leadership experience servingin top bar associations like the John
M Langston Bar Association and theAssociation of Black City Attorneys.
Bernie is powered by a deep personaltestimony that took him from South
(00:59):
Central LA to the courtrooms.
In downtown la Bernie divesinto today's toughest legal,
social, and spiritual issues.
He brings facts, answers, and sharpanalysis to cut through all of the noise.
So if you are ready for a nononsense perspective, then let's
get started with your host.
(01:21):
Attorney Bernie Brown, the Logical Lawyer.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, todaywe have the Genius attorney, the great
l Jenkins, an attorney that has helpedthousands of lawyers, thousands of
lawyers pass the California state law.
And we are blessed today to hearfrom Al Jenkins, the legend he's been
(01:45):
written about in People Magazine.
There.
Other productions.
There's a movie out there, a littlemovie about the great l Jenkins,
a man who has charitably givenhis time to help thousands of
students pass the bar at no charge.
(02:08):
He doesn't charge anybody anything,and he, and he tutors them, gives
them personal, personal one on one.
Tutorials to help people pass the barout of the generosity of his heart.
So there are literally thousandsof African American lawyers
out there and judges that havepassed the bar and owe it it to.
(02:35):
The great Al Jacobs.
Al, how are you today?
Good, good.
Can you tell us, Al, howdo you, uh, tutor students?
How do you help them pass the bar?
Okay.
Alright.
As it turns out,
I generally.
In my preparative effortsat African Americans.
(02:58):
However, over the years I have tutorpeople of law races and um, people
ask me why is it I limit what I do?
I have to limit it because if I don't,I would have a lie out and I did.
(03:19):
So I generally limit my servicesto African Americans who, ones
who pass the California bar.
Now, to do that, I number one,all my efforts on one-on-one.
I have no.
Remote ability, no computers, nolaptops, no cell phones, nothing.
(03:40):
I have nothing but the old fashionedlandline telephone and the students that
I tutor must meet with me at least onetime in person is sit at my kitchen table.
That one time in person is a two andone half hour lecture where I tell
them what it is they have to do.
And try to scare them straightinto doing what's necessary.
(04:04):
Pass the California bar.
Now
you just said something interesting.
You said scare them straight.
What's that all about?
Well,
back in the day when people did not.
Directly, uh, engaged inefforts to do something.
We called 'em, they wereshucking and jiving.
(04:29):
That was back in the day.
I don't, I don't know what's,what a modern phrase would be.
When I try to emphasize to tostudents my two tees, that one
cannot shuck and jive ones away,pass the California bar, I impress
upon them that I can the bar package.
(04:50):
What come.
The most important goal in their lifeand that their bar review preparations
must stay priority over all our activity.
Family problems, money problems, problemswith friends and emotional problems
must not be allowed to interfere.
(05:12):
That they bothered you preparations.
I tell them that and I insist thatthey know me at least 60 days, 6, 0,
60 days of clear uninterrupted study.
This is turn off their cellphones if that's possible, and
pay their bills in advance.
(05:35):
Let their friends work out theirown problems and take strong actions
to get their family to understand.
The date must be the loan.
Now when you say 60 days, how longa, how long a day time, what is it?
Four hours a day?
Or?
I get to that.
Oh, sorry.
These sacrifices are essentiallybought passes now for these
(06:00):
60 days, two months bar.
You must comfort for everythingelse in their life, everything.
And now you, you asked me aboutbat time commitments per day.
Well, I emphasize that they need to findways to not stray from their agenda.
(06:26):
It is imperative that they sit tothe study, study schedule, and do
not deviate, do not make excuses.
They must not let personalmatters get in their way.
I emphasize to them if they wantto be an attorney, that they
must exercise self discipline.
(06:49):
If they cannot exercise selfdiscipline, then maybe they can do
something else with their life, butthey will not become an attorney.
I emphasize to them that ifthey want to pass the bar.
There simply is no alternativeto long hours of study.
They must not look for shortcuts.
(07:09):
They must not look for es.
They must put in long hours andfocus on bar taking techniques, and
I emphasize to them that the rewardof passing the bar is worth it and
how many hours must they put in.
I suggest to them that whenI. Prepared to put a bar.
(07:31):
I took a two months, a fourmonths leave of absence of my job.
At that time, I was anengineer for Hughes Aircraft.
I studied for 17, 18, 19 hoursper day, every day for two months.
I figured at the end of twomonths, I would have another two
(07:53):
months to recover from my efforts.
That's why I took four months offto prepare for the bar, two months
to study, four months to, uh, getover that two months study period.
Keep talking, okay?
(08:13):
Now, back in the day, old dayswhen I would walk down the street
talking out loud to myself.
Rules of law.
People thought I was crazy.
But now this being 2025, if you feelthat you need to walk down the street
and talk to yourself out loud, peoplewill think you're talking on your cell.
(08:36):
Also, it will will not be a problem.
The thing is that youmust put in the time.
I, I like to ask the students, howlong, how many hours do you think
they can study without taking a break?
And then how long, if they study in astudy study schedule, how many hours
(09:00):
could they put in before they collapse?
And people would tell me when theystep in, eight hours, nine hours.
I said, okay, let mechange the hypothetical.
Suppose there was a young man sittingacross from you with a shotgun that
he fries and shot into the ceilingto let you know the gun is real.
(09:21):
Denise says to you, I'llbe sitting right here.
When you get so tired, you cannot study enough a ministry.
I want you to look at me, lookup, look up at me, and tell me so.
At which point I will blow your brains up.
And then I ask them how long it'll be,how many hours you create before you
look up at this school and say, kill me.
(09:42):
I'm not gonna study anymore.
And then the time changes, the averageperson will say, that's different.
Because now it has become moreimportant that they study and that's,
that is how we must look at it.
The study period must become themost important thing in your life.
And I also suggested and.
(10:05):
The, the California bar has becomeeasier and easier and easier.
The California bar is basically givento you in comparison to what it used to
be back in the day, and us old timerslike to speak about back in the day.
Well, now.
(10:26):
Students who take the ca fromthe bar and are only tutor
the essay portion of the bar.
Students who take the essay portionof the bar only are required to
take five essay questions andthey're given one hour per question.
So they're making the bar exam, theessay portion of the bar exam easier.
(10:48):
You are only required to answerfive essay questions and you're
given one hour per question.
That may sound like a lot.
Five essay questions back inthe day and us all the time.
Would like to speak about backin the day you were not required
to answer five questions.
Nor six nor were we required toanswer seven essay questions, nor
(11:11):
eight, nor were we required to answernine essay questions nor 10 nor 11.
Well, back in the day, the Californiabar required people who took that
bar essay portion of the bar examto answer 12 essay questions.
Not five 12, and we were not, not given awhole hour to answer the question, so we
(11:39):
had to answer 12 essay questions and wewere given 42 minutes for the question.
42 minutes per question, not an hour.
And we had 12 questions.
Now that was a bar exam these days.
They basically beg you to pass the bar.
(11:59):
You fired these questions and an hourper question, you must speak kidding.
So anyway, that's where she fly Now.
She passed to California.
Uh, bar you have to understandmore than anything else.
Bar essay writing isan exercise in issues.
(12:23):
By the concept of issues is justanother way of saying legal problems.
You have to spot legal problemsin a given essay question.
Nobody hears what your final answer is.
If you give a fact factual situationthat somebody's accused of murder,
(12:47):
one student may prove that thedefendant is guilty of murder.
Next student, uh, eventually comesto conclusion that she is not.
Guilty of learn and both essayswill receive the same score.
So it's not a matter of what,how you decide the question.
(13:09):
The problem is have you found theissues that would allow you to
decide, decided these issues orlegal problems are called issues.
You must spot.
Issues.
They give you points for spottingissues, not from what you say
about it, the issues eventually.
(13:32):
But did you spot theissue in the first place?
And you must recognizethat an effective essay.
We represent your efforts to identifyand analyze to a rational conclusion
as many issues as is humanly possiblewithin the wow that you set aside to
(13:57):
answer each question, so you have one.
Power for questions and spot asmany issues as she possibly can.
And because you must be about earningpoints, bar essay questions are not
the place for seeking to demonstrateyour creative writing skills
(14:19):
because you will not have the time.
Nobody cares how fancy yourresponses to the issues are.
Because you, you aregiven points for the issue
itself.
Well, that's a wrap for thisepisode of The Logical Lawyer.
If you found this insightful, be sure tolike, follow, subscribe, leave a review,
(14:42):
and share it with others who appreciatestraight talk and sharp analysis.
Got a question or a topic for Bernie.
We'd love to hear from you.
Connect with bernie@thelogicallawyer.me.
That's at the Logicallawyer.me, and you've got it.
So until next time, stay informed.
Think critically, and asalways, keep it logical.
(15:05):
Join us now in this welcome spacewith Brown Finds its place the.
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