Bar Exams, Money

This Bar Exam Failure Needs Your Help

Would you broadcast your bar exam failure to the world in order to get your bar costs covered?

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Now that bar exam results are out, some unfortunate folks are asking: what happens if you fail the bar exam? As we’ve explained before, there is life after failing the bar exam. Just check out this list of famous bar-exam failures (including Hillary Clinton, who might very well be the next president of the United States).

In his post offering advice on how to deal with failing the bar, Professor Joseph Marino of Marino Bar Review offered this as his top tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for help (e.g., consider hiring a tutor).

One bar failer is taking the “don’t be afraid to ask for help” tip to another level: she has turned to the internet to beg for money. It’s a sad story….

We got this in our inbox with a single line of commentary from our tipster: “Seriously?”

The text of the posting:

Sponsored

Hello, my name is Dawn. Last summer, I studied for 12 hours every day for three months, only to fail on test day because I let my nerves get to me. I still have the drive to succeed and the will to persevere, but I cleaned out my bank account with living expenses when I took the Massachusetts bar exam the first time. The cost to sign-up for the exam is $815.00, if I do not type the essay portion.

If you could find it in your heart to help me achieve my goal, I would be beyond grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,
Dawn

Here at Above the Law, some of my colleagues have taken a dim view of law students and law school graduates trying to raise money through internet campaigns. The general thinking: why should we give money to someone for a purpose that most people take out loans for? Especially if we still have loans of our own to pay off?

But you know what? I’m a big softie. I feel bad for Dawn. I don’t want her to wind up like that Georgetown law grad on welfare (who got into that predicament thanks in part to a $12,000 private bar loan). And I admire Dawn’s guts for owning her failure so publicly and not being afraid to seek a helping hand.

I sent Dawn $10. She’s now at $355, just $460 away from her goal. Surely we can get 46 Above the Law readers to donate $10 each and get Dawn to the magic number of $815.

Much as we try here at ATL, with our many warnings about the dangers of borrowing six figures to get a law degree, we can’t save every law student or law graduate from drowning in a sea of debt. But if we can help just one, even with something as comparatively small as the fee for retaking the bar exam, that can be our good deed for the day.

Sponsored

Retaking the MA Bar Exam [GoFundMe]

Earlier: Ask The Professor: What Happens If You Fail The Bar Exam?
God Told Her That YOU Should Pay For Her Law Degree
Should This Graduate Of A Top Law School Solicit Donations To Pay Off His Student Loan Debt?
Graduate Of Elite Law School Forced To Live Off Welfare Due To Terrible State Of Job Market

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