The February state bar exam had a 34% pass rate with 1,337 successful test takers—among them, 25 who called the Inland Empire home.
“I feel relieved—it’s a thousand pounds off your shoulders. The hard part’s done, but now comes the work—and that’s the best part,” said Fallon Martinez of Rancho Cucamonga, one of the successful test-takers.
Martinez is going into criminal law, which she has always been passionate about, and is also following in the footsteps of her mother, attorney Sherrie Davidson of Ontario. She will soon be working at the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office, she said.
Another successful test-taker is Martin Mettias, a real estate broker who wants to give back to the Inland Empire.
He has been practicing real estate since 2016, and said he loves meeting interesting clients and colleagues. He decided during the pandemic to grow into a different side of real estate—as well as add a layer of security to his career.
He chose to attend La Verne School of Law due to its alumni connections throughout the Inland Empire, and because of its closeness to his home. Despite starting as a part-time student, he began piling on summer courses and extra classes to graduate a semester early. He will be walking at graduation as a fully licensed attorney.
Mettias wants to stay in the Inland Empire and continue helping people with real estate issues—but this time on the legal side.
“I want to work at a (real estate) firm, get really good experience with these guys, and either grow if there is opportunity to grow with the firm, or branch off and do my own thing and start my own firm,” Mettias said.
According to the State Bar of California, 3,944 people took the February general bar exam. Thirty percent of those applicants were first-time applicants. First time applicants passed at a 45% rate, while repeat applicants passed at a 30% rate. California ABA accredited schools had a high 55% pass rate, compared to California accredited schools with a 35% rate.
Congratulations to those who passed:
- Wenyi Lin of Chino Hills
- Jayleen Mendiola of Chino Hills
- Mariah Holder of Rancho Cucamonga
- Steven Moctezuma of Rancho Cucamonga
- Matthew Ramirez of Rancho Cucamonga
- Michael Sabbah of Rancho Cucamonga
- Alexis Santiago of Rancho Cucamonga
- Keaton Choi of Rancho Cucamonga
- Fallon Martinez of Rancho Cucamonga
- Paola Bautista of Ontario
- Shirley Herrera of Ontario
- Lorena Sandoval of Ontario
- Florisse Batoon of Montclair
- Johanna Dobler of Ontario
- Ryan Burke of Upland
- Shelby Shearon of Upland
- Rajinder Kalsi of Fontana
- Martin Mettias of Fontana
- Elsie Romero of Fontana
- Katy Alvarado of Highland
- Kaycee Tessitore of Highland
- Daniel Wall of Riverside
- Dongbo Wu of Riverside
- Brianna Benson of Riverside
- Selene Sanders of Riverside
