You're Not Defined by Your Bar Results.

Law school is funny. You start to learn about personal jurisdiction and the rule against perpetuities, and, suddenly, it seems like the institution is trying to teach you something else: that your value comes from this place. It tells you: remove the parts of yourself that you had before to make room for phrases like "class rank" and "networking opportunities." This is the most important thing anyone can do, it seems to say. It's hard not to get caught up in it.

Let me be the first to tell you: it's not that serious. Being an attorney is just one type of job, and, if we're being statistics-minded, not a particularly happy one. For all the prestige the field likes to project, it really is just a set of made-up rules and norms set primarily by people in robes. You're so much more than that.

Your value comes from your relationships to other people, your values and beliefs, your unique personality traits and your creativity. It comes from that time you made your friend laugh when they really needed it. It will come from experiences you haven't yet had and the friends you haven't yet met. It certainly does not come down to the numbers on a scary little score report.

Yes, it can feel devastating when you don't reach a goal you wanted right away. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into the Bar Exam, and not passing is challenging for everyone in so many different ways. But, whether you've passed the Bar Exam or not, you have an entire world of ways to define yourself. Don't let the Bar Exam hold you back from finding them.

Email me at LaurenTutorsTheBar@gmail.com to request a consultation.