If you are wondering how to become a lawyer in California, this episode with attorney Tamara Yeritsyan shares real-world insight into law school, the California Bar Exam, and building a successful legal career. On the latest episode of Sidebar Sessions, Tamara opens up about the bold move that helped launch her legal career, working under famed attorney Mark Geragos, surviving law school and the California Bar Exam, and building her own bar prep business to help future attorneys succeed.
From growing up in Armenia and working on live television as a child, to cold calling one of the country’s most famous law firms as a UCLA student, Yeritsyan shares the experiences that shaped her legal career and the mindset that helped her navigate an unfamiliar system.
From Armenia to Los Angeles
Tamara was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, before moving to the United States as a teenager.
“I was 14 slash 15 years old when I moved here,” she said. “I actually started high school here.”
Before immigrating to Los Angeles, she had already developed a passion for public speaking through Armenian television, where she appeared on a live children’s cultural program, similar to Disney Channel, starting at age 10.
“We didn’t have a teleprompter,” said Yeritsyan. “The show would air live on television and they would give us pages of text that we had to memorize.”
The experience, she says, helped her shape her confidence and communication skills, long before law school was in the picture.
Adjusting to a New Country
Moving to the United States brought a major cultural adjustment for Yeritsyan.
In Armenia, students graduate earlier and begin preparing for college at a younger age. When Yeritsyan arrived in California, she suddenly found herself starting over as a freshman in high school.
“I came from a perspective of, ‘I’m pretty much done,’” she said. “‘I have one grade left, 10th grade. I’m going to graduate. I’m going to start college.’ So that was an interesting culture shock for me because I had to readjust to, ‘wow, I’m a freshman.’”
She described the experience as a significant culture shock– going from navigating a massive high school campus to adapting to a completely different educational system.
Finding Her Path in Law
Yeritsyan says her interest in law started early in life, inspired by her grandfather who practiced law and later became a judge in Armenia.
“I always wanted to have the opportunity to advocate,” she said.
At UCLA, she studied international development studies, economics, and Spanish while commuting from Glendale every day. She joined debate teams, pre-law programs, and student organizations, eventually earning a full scholarship through the UCLA Alumni Association.
Cold-Calling a Law Firm
One of the defining moments in Yeritsyan’s career came during college after watching attorney Mark Greagos on television during a high-profile trial.
Instead of simply observing, she acted.
“I literally picked up the phone,” said Yeritsyan. “”I looked up their number and I called them.”
She offered to intern for free.
“I was like, honestly, I saw you on television,” she said.
That internship later became into a legal secretary role, then a paralegal position, and helped solidify her path towards litigation.
Building a Foundation in Law School
Yeritsyan described her law school experience at Southwestern as “very full and very busy.”
She participated in trial advocacy, law journal, and Dean’s Fellow programs, and also completed a London study abroad program through Southwestern, where she studied privacy law, international law, journalism, sports law, and entertainment law.
“We learned about the strict privacy laws in the UK versus our First Amendment laws here,” Yeritsyan said.
That experience led to an internship at Paramount Pictures, where she competed against Ivy League candidates, earning her one of the only ten internship spots.
Yeritsyan later returned to law through a civil litigation internship, confirming her long-term direction.
Learning to Not Fear Rejection
Throughout the conversation, Yeritsyan emphasized persistence.
“You’re going to hear ‘no’,” she said. “You’re going to hear ‘no’ from a judge. You’re going to hear ‘no’ from a professor.”
But she emphasized that rejection is part of the process.
“If they say no, you’re just back at where you started,” Custodio added during the discussion.
She encouraged students to treat outreach as a practice in self-advocacy.
“If you are choosing a career in law, you have to advocate for other people,” said Yeritsyan. “So how are you going to advocate for somebody else’s rights… if you can’t advocate for yourself?”
Surviving the California Bar Exam
Yeritsyan described the bar exam as “Brutal, brutal, but it just has to be done.”
She prepared using structured study methods, focusing on one subject at a time with:
Substantive review
Essays
Multiple choice
Repetition and practice
This approach later shaped her tutoring philosophy.
From Student to Tutor
After passing the bar and working in litigation, Yeritsyan was invited by BARBRI to tutor students.
She accepted and quickly realized a key factor, every student learns differently.
This led her to create Bar Prep with Tamara, focusing on repeat takes and out-of-state attorneys.
“I take a very small amount of students,” Yeritsyan explained. “Three to five, not more than that.”
Her approach includes diagnostics, essay grading, substantive review, and customized study plans.
Tamara’s Three Bar Exam Tips
“You have to like it.”
“There are no shortcuts.”
“Pattern recognition.”
She emphasized the importance of embracing the process, putting in the hours, and prioritizing practice over memorization.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode is for:
Immigrants and first-generation students
Law students preparing for the bar
Anyone building a career in law
Listen to the Full Episode
Join Miguel Custodio and Vineet Dubey for a conversation with Tamara Yeritsyan.
(213) 593-9095 
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May 20, 2026