The Atlanta Lawyer April 2015 | Page 10

Law School Life American Bar-ror Stories Woes and Warnings from Bar Exams Past By Meredith Rainey Permar Emory School of Law, 3L I t’s that time of year again—the bees are buzzing, the flowers are blooming, and graduation is looming for 3Ls everywhere. As soon as the excitement of graduation is over, most of those same 3Ls will begin the all-consuming task of studying for the bar exam. Many of them are already worrying about the legendary test. So, for fun—and stress relief—The Atlanta Lawyer’s student liaisons asked our friends, colleagues, and mentors: “What horror stories do you have from sitting for the bar examination?” The tales below might make you laugh and might make you cry, but they will definitely demonstrate why you should try to prepare for the unexpected! WARNING: This is a stressful experience. Take care of yourself. Law school carries with it plenty of stress, so most 3Ls have figured out some good stress-relief techniques by the time they reach graduation. That’s a good thing. Practice those techniques. The one thing that all bar exam takers agree on is that the experience is VERY stressful, as the quote below establishes. WARNING: Pay careful attention to rules and requirements. This goes without saying, but follow ALL rules and requirements really, really closely. Taking the bar exam is stressful, and it’s easier than you’d think to make silly April 2015 • “Someone walked into the exam on the first day with a cell phone on, and it went off during the exam. That person was disqualified from taking the exam.” • “There were people who couldn’t take the Georgia bar because, even though they passed character and f