Imagine that you’re anxiously waiting to receive the results of the New York bar exam. Your mind is slowly unraveling. You need to know if you passed, but the wait is destroying you. You’ve tracked how many days it took the New York Board of Law Examiners to release results for the past three years. For the July 2013 exam, results were released after 91 days. For the July 2014 exam, results were released after 90 days. For the July 2015 exam, results were released after 89 days. It’s been about 90 days since the conclusion of the July 2016 administration of the exam. The results are so close that you think you may have developed a heart arrhythmia, because every time you check your email, your heart skips several beats.
HOLY CRAP. Wait a second… what’s that in your email? GASP! It’s from the New York Board of Law Examiners. It’s the same email address they use to send out the results. OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. The results are finally here!
Did you pass? Did you pass? DID YOU PASS?!
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“Jesus Christ, it’s a freaking survey,” you think to yourself. “What is WRONG with you people?! Why would you TEASE me like this? Can’t you see that I’m suffering here?!”
This is the nightmarish experience that people who sat for the New York bar exam this summer have been experiencing for the past week or so. These bar examinees have received a survey asking for input on “strategies for success on the first bar exam attempt” from the New York Board of Law Examiners not once, but twice (once on October 21 and once on October 25), and not everyone who took the test has received the survey. The results haven’t even been announced, and the NYBOLE is asking people who aren’t aware of their exam status to provide tips for passing the bar on the first try.
What does it all mean? Does it mean that you FAILED the bar exam if you didn’t receive the survey? Does it mean that you PASSED the bar exam if you did receive it? NOBODY knows, but EVERYONE is pissed off. This is just cruel.
This is the email that some, but not all, New York test-takers waiting for results received:
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From: [email protected]
Date: October 25, 2016 at 2:50:46 PM EDT
To: Nervous Nelly
Subject: New York Bar Exam SurveyIn conjunction with the adoption of the Uniform Bar Examination, the New York State Court of Appeals directed the New York State Board of Law Examiners to study the obstacles faced by first-time bar exam takers and identify strategies for success on the first bar exam attempt.
To facilitate the study, the Board has partnered with Access Group, Inc. to develop a survey for applicants who took the July 2016 New York bar examination. You may access the survey by clicking on this link.
[redacted]
In order to accurately study the obstacles faced by first-time bar exam takers the survey will ask you questions about your background and the challenges you faced while preparing for the bar exam. The information you provide will be used exclusively for the purposes of this study and will be kept strictly confidential. Your participation in this survey is voluntary but strongly encouraged and greatly appreciated by the Court of Appeals and the Board. If you have any questions, please contact the Board at [redacted]. If you have already completed the survey we thank you for your participation and you may ignore this message.
DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL AS IT IS AUTOGENERATED
Here’s an unsolicited word of advice for the New York Board of Law Examiners: Stop sending this survey email to people who are being tortured by the wait for their results. You’re only making it worse. Your timing is insensitive. Release the exam results. Future members of the New York Bar thank you for your prompt response to this demand.
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.