A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar... is a 2007 independent film

Independent film

An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 about lawyers, law school

Law school

A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...

, the California Bar

State Bar of California

The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...

 exam, and the obsession America has with its legal system. The film has garnered many positive reviews including coverage from The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....

, The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...

, Premiere.com

Premiere (magazine)

Premiere was an American and New York City-based film magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., published between the years 1987 and 2007. The original version of the magazine, Première , was started in France in 1976 and is still being published there.-History:The magazine originally...

 and on nationally syndicated television show At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper.

Film content

This film highlights the trials and tribulations of trying to pass the State Bar of California

State Bar of California

The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...

 exam and follows six wanna-be lawyers struggling to prepare and actually pass the test with the lowest national pass rate. One of the test takers in the documentary is Donald Baumeister, an ex-Marine, who had failed the California bar 41 times and is shown in the movie gearing up for attempt #42. A working father, Baumeister never had the time to properly study for the exam.

This movie portrays a common perception of American life – that, in the time of trouble, whether it be civil or criminal, Americans depend on lawyers to navigate the tough waters of today’s judicial system.

Festival accolades

A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar... has won awards at many independent film festivals including the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Dallas's Texas Competition, and Boulder Colorado's Toofy Fest's Best Narrative Feature.

A focus on minorities

A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar... is a movie that not only portrays the fight of the average law school student, but also of the minority and not so fortunate law student trying to pass and be admitted to a major state bar. The movie follows Magda Madrigal as she attends The People's College of Law

People's College of Law

The People's College of Law is an unaccredited, private, non-profit law school located in Los Angeles, California. PCL offers a part-time, four-year evening law program centered around work in the public interest.-History:...

so that she can take the bar and be an advocate for people in her local Hispanic community.

Cast of characters

Meagan Meadows and Cassandra Hooks are shown passing the July 2006 Bar examination in the movie. Unfortunately for the rest of those followed for the July 2006 Bar Exam, Donald Baumeister failed the bar for the 42nd time and Sam Garrett, who failed it for the third time. Magda Madrigal did not take the July 2006 exam because the State Bar determined that she had not taken enough units at People's College of Law, an unaccredited law school.

The movie does follow-up with the subsequent exam and shares that Tricia Zunker successfully passed the February 2007 California Bar. but neither Donald Baumeister, Sam Garrett nor Madga Madrigal passed at that time.

While not shown in the movie, the California Bar shows that Ms. Madrigal did pass the July 2009 Bar Exam. Sam Garrett passed the New Jersey Bar Exam in May 2009 and the California Bar Exam in February 2011. He was admitted to the California Bar on October 27, 2011.

Where are they now?

Mr. Baumeister is an Educational Consultant at Integrative Medical Institute of Orange County as well as an instructor at California State University, Los Angeles and Chapman University.

Mr. Garrett is vice-president of Bienvenidos Immigration Services in Los Angeles.

Ms. Hooks is a senior associate at the law firm of Alston & Bird in Los Angeles.

Ms. Madrigal is an attorney in Monterey Park.

Ms. Meadows currently works at the PR firm of Gallagher & Gallagher in Los Angeles.

Ms. Zunker is in solo practice with the Zunker Law Group in Santa Monica.