Below is the email I just sent to my bar students. I’m sharing in case it brings any comfort to anyone else getting ready to take the exam next week.

Hey there! 

I hope you’ll excuse the Sunday evening email. And I apologize in advance for giving you more reading — I promise this one is breezy and fun though.

I thought a bit about when to send some words of encouragement, and I figured now is probably when the Sunday “scaries” are setting in. I get it. I was in exactly your spot only four years ago. The good news is that the nightmare is almost over. I would say you’ll soon return to your normal lives, but there’s nothing normal about being a lawyer, which is exactly what your future holds. Take a second. Think about that. Manifest. You’re about to be a LAWYER. Everything you’ve done up to this point in your career is incredible and awe-inspiring. It is a feat not accomplished by many. Envision yourself passing the bar exam, becoming a member of this profession, and doing the job that you set out to do. This is about to be your future and as someone on the other side of it, I can assure you it is grand. 

I know there’s a bunch of things on your mind right now. You’re probably wondering if you’ve studied enough (you did). Or whether you should be studying right now or tomorrow even (you shouldn’t). You trusted the process, as we told you to do. Now is the time to start trusting yourself. 

You have been preparing for this exam since January through your ALA classes. But even longer than that, you’ve been preparing for this exam since the day you walked into law school. Everything you’ve done has been in progress toward the exam. In that sense, the bar exam is not the hardest challenge you probably have faced nor will face long after it is done. You must remember that the bar exam tests minimum competency, something you have already surpassed just in making it to this point. Unlike 1L year, you don’t even have to worry about being near the top of the curve. Your goal is to be in the middle of the pack. In that sense, the exam is easier than any 1L exam you’ve taken. You’ve been here before countless times when the stakes were so much higher. And you not only did the thing, but you did it successfully. Because you’re here. 

There are no tricks. Your job is to demonstrate to the bar graders that you know how to follow instructions, apply IRAC, and perform under pressure. You can do all of those things. You have done all of those things. The hardest part about this exam is the mental game. You are your best asset and your worst enemy. Don’t overthink it. If you get stressed or nervous during the exam, you have time to breathe and recenter. I gave myself a minute or two before every essay just to panic if I needed to. You have time. 

You might be worried about forgetting everything (trust me, you won’t). I’m four years out from the exam and I can still recall random California rule statements that have nothing to do with my practice area. You will also be so surprised by what happens when your adrenaline kicks in. You might also be worried about potential curveballs, like some random essay topic out of leftfield that you didn’t study. That won’t happen. But if it does, remember your goal: middle of the pack. If it’s a curveball for you, it’s a curveball for everyone else. Do your best, IRAC some bullshit, make up rules, throw in some pretty headers, and finesse the graders. You’re soon going to learn that so much of being an attorney is showmanship — none of us actually know what we’re doing. Fake it till you make it. 

Remember, what do we call the lowest scoring but otherwise passing examinee? Opposing counsel. 

I know the other concern on your mind, and I hate to even bring it up. But let’s talk about it. Let’s just get it out there. What if you fail? You won’t. But fine. What if? You’ll retake the exam. That’s it. There’s nothing more to it. People retake the exam all the time. The legal profession is a cult — we don’t care how you got here, we’re just happy you’re here. No one will care. Nothing bad will happen. No one will think less of you. Trust me, there is only one other group of people who hate the bar exam more than law students and that’s us lawyers. If it happens, it happens. We’ll be here to support you, you’ll move on, and you’ll never think about it again. So, take some pressure off yourself. It’s going to be ok, I promise. 

But that’s not going to happen, because I know you, and you’re awesome and you know your shit and you’ve studied exactly the right amount that you needed to study for yourself and you’re going to be absolutely fine. 

Whatever happens, know that I am so proud of you for getting this far. Did you know the President of the NCBE hasn’t even taken the exam? You’re already better than her for trying!!! Like I said, going to law school, surviving law school, and studying for the bar all summer are all individual feats in themselves that you have already accomplished. You are freaking AMAZING. I am so proud of you and I’m so excited for what your future holds. 

If you need anything between now and the exam, reach out. Call / text <phone>. Email. I’ll be here. 

You’ve got this. Soon-to-be-lawyer say WHAT??????

Best,
Jess