Are You Feeling Like the Only Person Who Failed the Bar Exam?

Bar results are coming out all over the country these days, leading to ecstatic reactions by some and disappointed reactions by others.  The bar exam is harsh in that way and, depending on your state, almost half of the people in the room on exam day might have failed (this is generally the case in California and recently the case in Louisiana).

When we hear from people who have failed, though, some of them feel all alone or like the only ones in their (admittedly miserable) position. They are the only persons who failed and who don’t have a job. They are the only ones with a lot of debt. They are the only ones who are scared and not sure what to do.

Well, none of that is true. How do I know this?

Because we talk to and work with students who have failed the bar all over the country and from all different law schools. Some folks have jobs and some don’t. Some missed passing by a handful of points; some failed by hundreds of points. Some are starting to look for jobs outside of the legal industry because they didn’t pass and they need money. Some have $150,000 in debt. The list goes on and on. The key thing to remember is that you are not alone. There is a community of people out there who are struggling just as you are. They are reading this blog. They are hiring tutors, reading books, and gearing up to study again.

So if you are feeling alone, you should definitely try to reach out to find support and understanding for the situation that you are in. A tutor can help you with that or perhaps you want to try to connect with others who are going through the same thing. Perhaps you want to reach out to someone who has failed in the past (especially if he or she came back from the failure and passed the second time around). You have a community out there who can help you get through this. There are inspirational stories of people who have come back and started a great legal career after overcoming a failure, financial woes, and a dismal job market. I know these lawyers. They are some of my friends and former students. And they are now happy and licensed practicing lawyers.

If you failed the bar, it sucks. There are no two ways about that. But try not to become obsessed with feeling terrible about your situation. Instead, take solace in the fact that you are not alone and that many before you have been in the same boat. This is a bump in the road, not the end of your career. It may not be a fun journey ahead, but your legal career is still out there, waiting for you.

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Check out these helpful posts:

• Yikes! I Failed the Bar Exam. Should I Take It Again?
• You Failed the Bar Exam! 5 Tips to Get Ready to Study Again
• Coming Back After a Bar Exam Failure — Gearing Up to Study Again
• If At First You Don’t Succeed … Cry, Whine, and Then TRY AGAIN!

Image by nikareteku via stock.xchng.