Summer Series: Selecting Your Bar Exam

Our Summer Series officially begins! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals!  Today we hear from Jannette and her decision on which Bar to take, and some tips to help you make your decision as well!

Hello Ladies!

My name is Jannette, and I just graduated law school! I was born and raised near Chicago, IL, but I attended law school in Los Angeles, CA. I plan to practice immigration and criminal law. But before that can happen, I need to pass the infamous bar exam.

For me, choosing which bar exam to take was a difficult decision. I love California, but Illinois will always be my home and I know for sure that I want to move back there one day. Ultimately, I decided to take both the California Bar Exam in July, and then the Illinois Bar Exam in February. I know, I’m crazy right?! The good part (and probably the only reason I have been able to sleep at night) is that the MBE section of the exam will transfer over from my July test to my February test. This means that I won’t have to retake the MBE portion in February. Translation: a one-day Illinois Bar Exam! It’s still a lot of work, but I honestly think it’s what will work best for me in the long run, and that’s what matters.

Here are some of the factors that played an important role in my decision-making process that I think everyone should consider when choosing what state to take the bar exam.

1. Think about where you want to settle down.

This is a scary thought for some of us, but it really is what will have the biggest impact on deciding what bar to take. Because you typically can only practice law in the state in which you are admitted, choosing a bar exam is a pretty big commitment! For those of you that are attending law school in the same state you grew up and want to continue to live, it might be a no brainer. But for others, we need to narrow it down from 50.

1. Consider where you have the most connections.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in law school, it’s that networking is everything! Let’s face it, not everyone graduates with a job offer. When deciding where to take the bar, you need to think about where you will be most likely to get a job and/or where you know the most attorneys. Many attorneys have told me that they got their first job after law school through someone they knew. I, too, got most of my internships while in law school through someone I met at a networking event, someone they knew, or someone a classmate knew. In addition, people who you have previously worked for will likely be a huge resource for you, especially in the first few years of your career.

1. Research Reciprocity!

Reciprocity is something that I never really thought about or looked into until it came time to think seriously about what bar I was going to take. Some states have reciprocity with others, which basically means that if you have passed the bar in one state, you can petition to enter the bar of another, without taking the bar exam, provided that you meet the requirements. The requirements usually include being in good standing, and practicing law in the first state for a specific number of years.

Not all states have reciprocity with each other, so it’s important to look into the policies of the specific states you are considering. California for example, doesn’t have reciprocity with any other state, but Illinois does have reciprocity with quite a few.

In the end, choosing what bar to take is only the first step in the journey to getting the Esq. at the end of your name. I hope some of you found this helpful! Buena suerte!