Downside to failing bar? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am likely going to fail the CA bar next week.

I passed the NY Bar last year and practiced in New York. I am clerking starting in September. I've barely studied and am going to have to wing most of it. I may get lucky and pass, but I doubt it. Will there be any negative impact (aside from the waste of a fair amount of money)?

[Georgia Avenue]

If you can go back to NY after your clerkship, then none, right? You don't need to be admitted in the state you're clerking - or be admitted at all, for that matter.

[SilverE2]

I am likely going to fail the CA bar next week.

I passed the NY Bar last year and practiced in New York. I am clerking starting in September. I've barely studied and am going to have to wing most of it. I may get lucky and pass, but I doubt it. Will there be any negative impact (aside from the waste of a fair amount of money)?

If your job isn't contingent on passing the bar, the only real downsides are, first, if your job has you on as a law clerk until you pass, then you're going to makes less money until you pass, and second, if you don't have a job, you'll probably have to wait longer before getting one.

I guess those are pretty shitty downsides, but they're not life ruining or anything.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Since you're already admitted somewhere, I don't see why anyone would even ever know you failed. (Unless they go look you up on the pass list for some reason, but you might have decided not to take it.) If you want to practice in CA you will probably need to pass at some point, but I don't think it will matter much when. It won't matter for clerking.

(SilverE2, he means being a judicial clerk, not working as a law clerk for a firm.)

[rpupkin]

I am likely going to fail the CA bar next week.

I passed the NY Bar last year and practiced in New York. I am clerking starting in September. I've barely studied and am going to have to wing most of it. I may get lucky and pass, but I doubt it. Will there be any negative impact (aside from the waste of a fair amount of money)?

For what it's worth, about 60% of takers fail the attorney's exam, and that list invariably includes a bunch of big law associates and partners lateraling over into California firms and offices. (Kathleen Sullivan is a famous casualty.) I honestly don't think there's much stigma attached to failing it. It's not as bad as failing the bar right out of school.

[SilverE2]

Since you're already admitted somewhere, I don't see why anyone would even ever know you failed. (Unless they go look you up on the pass list for some reason, but you might have decided not to take it.) If you want to practice in CA you will probably need to pass at some point, but I don't think it will matter much when. It won't matter for clerking.

(SilverE2, he means being a judicial clerk, not working as a law clerk for a firm.)

Ya I know.

[baal hadad]

Not being able to tell chicks ur a lawyer

Edit I guess you passed NY tho so nm my b

[Anonymous User]

On this topic, and off something A. Nony said...

I'm taking two bars next week. What happens if I pass one and fail the other? I get that I won't be able to practice in the state where I failed, but I'm clerking for two years and not sure which state I prefer anyway. (In other words, I have time to adjust my future plans based on this kind of a result.) Is it accurate that if I pass one bar and fail the other one:

1) I'd still upgrade to JSP-12 after one year of clerking?
2) No one would ever know that I failed the one bar unless I made that known for some reason?

Thanks in advance for the clarification!