Welcome to the latest installment of The Struggle, a series where we examine the mental-health issues that students encounter during the oftentimes grueling law school experience. We are posting these stories because sometimes what law students really need is to know that they’re not alone in their pain. Sometimes what law students need is to know that they’ve got a friend who is willing to share not just in their triumphs, but also in their struggles. These are real emails and messages we’ve received from real readers.
If these issues resonate with you, please reach out to us. Your stories need to be heard. You can email us, text us at (646) 820-8477, or tweet us @atlblog. We will share your stories anonymously. You may be able to help a law student who needs to know that someone else has been there before and survived.
Law school graduates across the country are sitting for the Multistate portion of the July 2017 administration of the bar exam today. Are you nervous about your performance? Do you think that failure is in your future? We’re publishing two reader stories today to let those who are feeling negative about their test-taking aptitude that it’s not the end of the world if they don’t pass. It is possible to overcome bar exam failure, pass on a subsequent try, and go on to an illustrious career, in the law or otherwise.
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Have I got a story for you. I graduated last May and sat for the exam last July. Obviously, I failed, but just barely. This past February, I sat again thinking I’d nail it. Well, got slammed into by an 18-wheeler on the way to the exam. Needless to say I didn’t succeed that time either. So here I sit getting ready to take it one more time. All of this has happened while being stuck at home with the folks. The point of my story is that the bar sucks, but hey, you could be dead, so smile.
I too failed my first bar exam. I put too much pressure on myself and talked myself into thinking my whole future depended on that one test. I passed the next one. But the after effects of the first failure resulted in my firing from my Biglaw firm. Fast forward twenty some years later, and now I am the highest-paid judge in my state. One of my colleagues on the bench failed his first bar exam and then on his second finished third in the state on the exam. Several of our Court of Appeals justices are former first-time failures. So don’t let a first time failure derail your dreams.
Most colleges and universities have counseling and psychological services resources that students and graduates can turn to if they are in crisis or would like counseling, even after hours. If these services are not available at your school, and if you’re depressed and in need help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or a lawyer assistance program in your state. Remember that you are loved, so please reach out if you need assistance, before it’s too late. Don’t become a statistic — please seek help.
Staci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.