Does failing the bar hurt biglaw career prospects? Forum

[84651846190]

you should be concerned about even one partner writing you off as an idiot when there are dozens of other junior associates he/she could work with.

Why? I don't really get this. Sure, better not to have anyone dislike you ever, but if it's a matter of a couple people with sticks up their ass who don't give you work, who cares?

I mean don't fail the bar if you can help it, obviously, but I just don't get this attitude of being concerned because something might be a turnoff to "even one partner."

Intuitively, it doesn't make sense that one partner's negative reaction should torpedo your career in a large firm when there are many other partners whom you could work with. However, in many firms, by year 2 or 3 the firm is looking to cull its associate ranks. At that point, all it takes to distinguish you from "high performing" associates is one negative review or one partner who has a grudge or thinks you're an idiot. And firms won't hesitate to use such excuses to fire you. I've seen it happen, and it isn't pretty or particularly fair.

TBF, firms that fire decently useful people at year 2 or 3 are usually shitty firms.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Failing the first time is no big deal, though everyone will talk about it behind your back because biglaw breeds those personalities.

Failing it the second time is a big deal. A lot of firms typically terminate you after that.

That makes sense. Frankly if you fail the bar twice, unless there are some bizarre circumstances, it's a good sign you don't have the work ethic or intellect to work in biglaw. Passing the bar is not hard in comparison to anything you'll be asked to do at work.

That's a little arrogant. Biglaw doesn't really require that much intellect to succeed, and a bar exam isn't a test of one's intelligence. I know quite a few people who have failed twice and led successful biglaw careers (including one making partner at his firm).

The bar exam is dumb. I could easily have seen myself failing either of the ones I took.

fair enough, it was an overstatement. But failing twice would make me skeptical of someone, and I'm not someone who would judge a first time failure too harshly.

[DELG]

This is what my father, a partner at a major biglaw firm, said to me when I studied for the bar:

"If you fail, you are finished at your firm. They may not fire you immediately - though they might - but they'll push you out by the end of your second year. And you'll never get a good assignment while you're there."

That's a bit of an exaggeration. It depends on how busy your practice area is and what you bring to the table. If you do really good work, you'll get more work. If you don't, you'll get starved out of hours and eventually pushed out. The people who are particularly fucked are those at firms who staff cases with a shitton of junior associates. They usually bring in pretty big summer classes and it's easy for losers to get left out when it comes to getting good work. If your firm staffs cases leanly, and if your practice group is busy, you might be fine.

In any event, failing the bar is a major fuck up. You should do everything in your power to make sure you pass. What else do you have to do? Seriously.

I disagree with you. At my pop's shop, and my shop, we don't work with junior associates who fail the bar. Period. You get a year or so of doc review or diligence, as applicable, and then a pat on the back. It is fatal. Don't fail the [foul]ing bar.

Sorry you and your dad work at a shitty law firm?

I failed the bar and if this is getting starved out of work I'm glad I did.

[Cavalier]

Generally biglaw firms will let you retake the bar once, but if you fail twice, you're gone. Whatever consequences you suffer for failing once depends on the partners you work for--some will think less of you, others won't. But if your work is otherwise good, it's doubtful you'll be pushed out after twelve months or whatever.

[Dafaq]

I almost had to study for two bar exams (main state and neighboring state), I often wondered what might happen if I passed one and failed one. Obviously, failing the main state would have been worse, nevertheless, I wonder how that would have played out (even if I just had bombed the secondary state). Anyone have a perspective on that scenario?