What Happens When Gunfire Breaks Out During The Bar Exam?

Talk about a trigger warning.

onFebruary 25, 2016 at 11:45 AM

lawyer finger gun What’s the most ridiculous thing that’s happened during an administration of the bar exam in recent years? From doing battle with proctors who can’t tell time to combating rodent problems in the dark to people urinating in their Ziploc baggies during the last 15 minutes of the exam, a lot of crazy things have happened.

But inept proctors, power outages, and bladder issues are nothing new, and they’re all rather tame compared to what happened yesterday during the administration of the MBE segment of the Maryland bar examination. A tipster reported the following:

At the Maryland bar exam today, an announcement was made prior to the p.m. session that elsewhere in the convention center a live shooter training was to take place during the afternoon session. We were warned that at some point during the exam there was a chance that we would hear several rounds of gunfire consisting of 10 volleys each or so.

We were advised of this so that we would not be startled at the noise, should we hear it. We were advised that they had tested the room during lunch and did not think we would end up hearing the gunfire.

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From Pilot and Above The Law

Talk about a trigger warning.

Taking the bar exam was nerve-racking enough already before the Baltimore Convention Center introduced the prospect of gunfire to the mix. Perhaps next year, state boards of bar examiners ought to do some additional research on their venues to make sure that test-takers won’t be affected by outside distractions like gun shots in the building.

Thankfully, most bar examinees weren’t able to hear the gunfire, but a source says the warning from proctors was “a rather funny way to start the afternoon session.”

If you have more information about the gunfire that took place during the Maryland bar exam — or if you want to report on any other absurd happenings in another jurisdiction — you can email us at tips@abovethelaw.com or send a text message to (646) 820-8477.