bam bam failed the bar exam and never got a license?
who knew?
having taken and passed, I can only say that it is a horrible experience and that a lot of people quit after the 1st try. I personally believe that if Murkowski took it that many times until she passed, it is a plus and a false criticism. Most lawyers would probably not be opposed to me speaking for them and venturing to say they would agree.
“having taken and passed, I can only say that it is a horrible experience and that a lot of people quit after the 1st try. I personally believe that if Murkowski took it that many times until she passed, it is a plus and a false criticism. Most lawyers would probably not be opposed to me speaking for them and venturing to say they would agree.”
First, congratulations on passing. The exam varies from state and state and pass/fail rates vary also. When I took it (and passed), it was a three-day ordeal. The first day was pure multiple choice questions and was standard throughout the nation. The second and third days involved essay questions analyzing hypothetical situations and this is where each state exam varies. If memory serves, if you passed the multiple-choice questions but failed in the essay questions, you could retake the exam only for the essay questions.
Do I give a pass for four fails before the fifth success? No. One failure is understandable. Some idiots think they can goof off the couple of months between graduation from law school and the exam and skate by on their recollection of classes. It is stupid but not really an indication of competence. If they fail, they sign up for the intensive bar review course which specifically prepares you for the exam.
Failing a second time may or may not be a signal of competence. Only the multiple-choice questions really test “book learning”. The essay questions test whether you are competent to understand and logically analyze how the law applies to real world situations. Sometimes you can just flub up and totally whiff on the real issues involved by analyzing what is really a side issue instead of the main one the examiners are judging. Then, too, like competitors in the Olympics, a bad cold or some other upset can obscure your competence.
But failing four times isn’t a sign of persistence so much as a sign you really don’t have the aptitude for legal analysis and you either got serious and developed it before the fifth time, or you lucked out on questions and a sympathetic exam grader. (BTW, if memory serves, JFK Jr took only three times to pass the New York Bar.)
“having taken and passed, I can only say that it is a horrible experience...”
...my daughter passed it and would agree with you...she said that people were so worked up that by the end the test room smelled like a dog kennel.
Most lawyers would probably not be opposed to me speaking for them and venturing to say they would agree.
I wouldn't agree.
I don't know anyone who quit if they failed on one or more tries. It would be ridiculous to do so after investing three years in law school.
It wasn't a horrible experience. Like everyone else I took a BRI prep course and the inconvenience of attending the course was more a hassle then the exam. For me the exam was four sessions over two days and I was convinced I would pass after the third session. I did. In New York.
Obama did have a license, he just retired it when he went to Congress. People who don’t understand the process of legal licensure are trying to spin it into either “he never had a law license” or “he was disbarred.” So...pay no attention to that strawman behind the curtain.
Having taken and passed as well, I agree with you that her having stuck in there for multiple tries says something good about her — and we would probably also agree that the bar exam has just about zero to do with how good a lawyer you will be once you get out in practice and become an expert in your area of law.