Hi, I’m Erika, and I failed the July 2020 bar exam.

With results coming any day now, I felt compelled to share my story and a few pearls of wisdom. While the July pass rate usually means that more people are more likely to pass than not, there are always a few people who are not successful. If you are reading this and you have found yourself in that unfortunate group, this post is for you.

While law school was extremely challenging, I found it to be manageable and ended up graduating with honors. Because I was successful in law school, the general consensus among people that I spoke to about the bar exam was that it was pretty much a given that I would pass. Obviously, that was not the case. I spent my whole summer studying and sacrificing time with my family and friends – only to have nothing to show for my hard work and dedication.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what happened. In hindsight, I realized that there were many things that I did wrong. First, everyone who passed the bar before me gave me advice about what I could do to pass. I took this advice and attempted to employ it without realizing that I already knew what worked for me. Don’t do this. If you have found a study method that has been successful for you in the past, use that. Only you know what works for you.

Next, the two days I spent taking the exam were a disaster. I have struggled with ADHD my whole life and had accommodations in law school. I allowed people to make me feel ashamed about those accommodations and didn’t pursue them for the bar exam. Because I didn’t have experience taking an exam without extra time, I ended up running out of time on every section of the bar exam. When I left the fairgrounds on that second day, I knew passing would be a long shot. If there are resources you need to be successful, including accommodations, don’t be ashamed to use them. When you receive your license, there won’t be an asterisk on it saying you needed extra time to take the bar exam.

When my score arrived, I wasn’t particularly surprised to find out that I did indeed fail but I was still crushed. I felt like I failed myself, my family, and my friends. I also felt like I was walking around with a scarlet letter and everyone in the whole world knew I was a failure. I got through that dark period by allowing myself to feel all my feelings and being honest about not passing when asked about results. While I’m not telling you to tell everyone on social media that you did not pass the bar exam, I think you should at least be honest with yourself about what happened. Scream, cry, accept what happened, and move on.

After I started to feel better, I pushed my pride aside and applied for accommodations, which I received for the February exam. Then, I started working on my study plan. I highly recommend studying for more than eight weeks. I ended up studying for about four months for the February exam. Start off slow, doing a few practice questions per day, before transitioning back into full time studying.

When I took the exam again in February, I had a new attitude like Patti LaBelle. There was nothing that was going to stop me from passing. When you sit for the exam again, approach it with determination and with the belief that you are unstoppable – because you are.

When I received my results in April, I passed with a score good enough for all UBE jurisdictions. And while I know you might not feel like passing is possible right now, I’m here to tell you that it is. You’re not a failure. Your life isn’t in shambles. You are still capable of being a great attorney. I hope this post encourages you to try again and if you do, know that I am rooting for you.

September 13, 2021/by NCBA YLD