So, What is the Bar Exam?

 

Hi all! As many of you know, I am wrapping up my final year of law school at Stetson University College of Law. My time has flown by, but I would also be lying if I said I did not have a countdown to graduation. This week also marks exactly four months until I sit for the dreaded Bar Exam.

So, what is the Bar Exam?

According to the American Bar Association, the exam, “The most common testing configuration consists of a two-day bar examination, one day of which is devoted to the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a standardized 200-item test covering six areas (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts). The second day of testing is typically comprised of locally crafted essays from a broader range of subject matters.”

For most jurisdictions, the bar exam is a 2-day exam that is held on the last Tuesday & Wednesday every February and July. I will be sitting for the July Bar Exam in Florida. In the future, I may choose to take the exam for another state so that I can be licensed to practice there as well.

While this is true for many states, Florida is a bit different. According to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, “The General Bar Examination consists of two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A consists of three hours spent answering essay questions and three hours of 100 multiple-choice questions. Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration are some of the Florida-specific topics that are tested.

I have already passed the first hurdle to becoming a licensed attorney. Last August, I took the required Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam which covers the ethical practices of attorneys and those involved in the legal profession. The Florida Bar requires a score of 80 to pass, and happily for me I scored 113.

One scary aspect for Florida test takers like me, Florida notoriously has one of the hardest Bar Exams in the nation. While I have confidence I can study hard and succeed, it is still very intimidating and right around the corner. I will need to begin my intensive, full-time study plan immediately after graduating in May.

Thankfully, I do not have to travel far to take the actual exam in February. The state of Florida has decided that all Florida Bar Exam takers must take the exam in Tampa, at the convention center. While students from Miami, Jacksonville, and other places throughout the state will have a lengthy journey that requires multiple nights in a hotel in an unfamiliar city, I will have home field advantage and a boyfriend who will drive me to the exam so I can have the luxury of sleeping in my own bed before one of the hardest exams of my life.

I appreciate all the good thoughts, well-wishes, and encouragement as I take this last step to becoming a licensed attorney. I am nervous, but also very excited to see what lies ahead!

Hopefully, this helped you all to understand just what it takes to be an attorney. It’s a lot more than you see on TV shows, and definitely not as easy as some make it out to be. But, I am excited to take on this next challenging chapter of my life and cannot wait to officially be sworn in as an attorney. I could not have done this journey without amazing attorneys like Marcie Baker supporting and encouraging me every step of the way!

Sources: 

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/bar-admissions/bar-exams/ https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/hardest-bar-exams-by-state

**The thoughts and information in this blog do not constitute legal advice of any form. Contact our office with any legal concerns or questions.