How Bad Can Taking The Bar Exam Really Be?

It's bar exam horror story season!

Everyone loves a good bar exam horror story.

The experience, usually only a mildly miserable one, is one that is shared by most attorneys (diploma privilege FTW), and we love to hear stories of when things go terribly awry for others. Yes, perhaps there is a good dose of schadenfreude that makes the ritualistic telling of bar exam horror stories so enjoyable, but it also helps people deal with the trauma of their own experience.

Over the years Above the Law has collected some doozies. Poop stories, birth stories, fires, seizures, bugs, tech issues, peeping toms, awful proctors, strokes… pretty much all manner of awfulness. And I am certain right now, as folks are taking the most recent bar exam across the country, terrible things are happening.

So, here’s the important question — what was the craziest thing that happened during the bar exam 2021? If you survived or witnessed some horror story in action, let us know. You can email it to us (subject line: “Bar Exam Horror Story”) or text us (646-820-8477). Maybe your story will inspire others to persevere.


Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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