My last bar exam attempt at 41 changed my mind about the whole process

Everyone always says the third time is the charm or that you need to hit some magic score to finally feel validated. I took the bar back in March for the third time, got a 268 which is barely passing in my state, and honestly? I was more relieved than proud. But then last month I hit 11 years of practice and someone asked me how many exams I took. I said three and they looked at me like I was a failure. That bugged me. We celebrate the person who passes on the first try like they're a genius, but the person who grinds through three tries is just as much a lawyer. My clients don't ask about my score. My briefs get filed, my motions get granted. So why do we still rank ourselves by that one number? Has anyone else felt weird about hitting a milestone that should feel good but just brings up old doubts?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_taylor27d ago

Wait, people actually rank lawyers by bar exam scores after they've been practicing for over a decade? That's wild to me. I've been around long enough to see plenty of first try folks fumble in the real world while the repeat takers just quietly get the job done. Nobody asks how many times your plumber failed his licensing test when your pipes are fixed, right? The whole thing says way more about how we gatekeep the profession than it does about your actual ability to practice law. That one number is just a snapshot of a bad weekend, not your whole career.

lucasjackson26d ago

Is it really that deep though, @elliot_taylor? You passed, they passed, and the client still pays the same bill either way.