• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bar Exam Toolbox®

Get the tools you need for bar exam success

  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
    • Writing Help: Essays/PT
    • MBE Help
    • Self-Study Program
    • Options – California
    • Options – UBE
    • Options – FYLSE (Baby Bar)
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login

You Failed the Bar Exam, But You Can Still Become a Great Lawyer!

November 19, 2012 By Lee Burgess Leave a Comment

This weekend the California bar exam results were released. We don’t have all of the numbers yet, but many people (thousands, actually) were disappointed when their name didn’t appear on the pass list.  Some students are still grieving. Some are getting ready to prepare again. But after speaking with students coping with a failure, one doubt seems to come up in their minds:

What if this means I am not going to be a good lawyer?

I understand, your world has just been shaken by a bar exam failure. But you must do your best to keep perspective. The bar exam is just one big test. It is simply the licensing exam for our profession. It doesn’t test many of the important skills an attorney needs to be successful. In fact, many would argue that this simple fact makes the bar exam an ineffective licensing exam, but I digress.

Really smart and impressive people have failed the bar exam.

I got a call today from someone who had just found out she failed the California bar exam. She said that the first thing she Googled was “bar failure” and she was reassured that a lot of smart people had failed the bar exam too! (You can check out a list compiled here by Above the Law.) It is true, I personally know some really incredible lawyers and law professors who have struggled with the bar exam. You are not alone! This exam, in many ways, tests your test-taking skills and not of your ability to practice law. Remember, you are in very good company.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a lawyer.

Just because you struggle with the bar exam, that does not mean you won’t be a good lawyer. Many people who fail are either already doing the work of a lawyer (not illegally practicing law, but doing legal work under the supervision of a licensed attorney) and nothing is going to change about their ability to do that work just because of some bad bar results. Your skills are exactly the same as they were before you found out about your bar exam results. The only thing that has changed is that you have to wait a bit longer to get your bar license (and, yes, take that damn test again).

So what do you do if you just found out you failed the bar exam?

I know this is a really challenging time. You have every right to be upset, frustrated, and even angry. But after you have had time to grieve, it is time to come up with a plan of how you are going to study again. You can check out our page, Help! I just failed the bar exam for tips on how to move forward.

Hang in there! Just remember, if you failed, you are in excellent company! It is how you move forward that is important now.

—

If you’d like all our new reviews and tips sent straight to you, sign up now for our free mailing list!

Check out these other helpful posts:

  • Yikes! I failed the bar exam. Should I take it again? 
  • Selecting the right bar exam tutor for you.
  • Five tips for studying for the bar exam while working.

 

Image by linder6580 via stock.xchng.


Ready to pass the bar exam? Get the support and accountability you need with personalized one-on-one bar exam tutoring or one of our economical courses and workshops. We're here to help!


 

About Lee Burgess

Lee Burgess, Esq. is the co-founder of the Law School Toolbox, a resource for law students that demystifies the law school experience, and the Bar Exam Toolbox, a resource for students getting ready for the bar exam. Lee has been adjunct faculty at two Bay Area law schools, teaching classes on law school and bar exam preparation. You can find Lee on Twitter at @LeeFBurgess, @lawschooltools, or @barexamtools.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let us know you are not a spammer! * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Primary Sidebar

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

Want to pass the bar exam? Of course you do! We’re here to help. You’ll find lots of helpful free content at Bar Exam 101, in the Bar Exam Resource Hub, and on the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast. For more hands-on help, take a look at our courses and workshops and bar exam tutoring options. Please get in touch with any questions!

Recent Posts

7 Time Management Tips For Bar Studiers

7 Time Management Tips For Bar Studiers

There isn’t a more intense experience for a lawyer than studying for the bar. While there are no magic ways to make it easy per se, there are ways to … [Read More...] about 7 Time Management Tips For Bar Studiers

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 204: Listen and Learn — Scope of Discovery and the Work-Product Privilege

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're discussing Civil Procedure, and specifically, the … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 204: Listen and Learn — Scope of Discovery and the Work-Product Privilege

Bar Study Tips for Students with ADHD

Bar Study Tips for Students with ADHD

Mastery of the bar exam material within a tight timeframe is a challenge. Sitting for hours on end, doing the work, and staying focused through it all … [Read More...] about Bar Study Tips for Students with ADHD

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 203: Listen and Learn — Motions for Summary Judgment (Civ Pro)

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today we discuss the procedure for filing a motion for summary judgment, which is how many cases are … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 203: Listen and Learn — Motions for Summary Judgment (Civ Pro)

Considerations When Taking Bar Exam Advice

Considerations When Taking Bar Exam Advice

We have all sought advice from time to time especially in law school. The bar exam can be somewhat of uncharted territory. When you feel directionless … [Read More...] about Considerations When Taking Bar Exam Advice

Need to Pass the Bar Exam?

Sign up for our free weekly email with useful tips!

Footer

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Refunds
  • Contact

Copyright 2023 Bar Exam Toolbox®™