JU College of Law's first grads prepare for and take the bar exam
'As our freshly minted J.D.s prepared and took the bar examination in July, we asked them about the experience. Even a small sample of their responses conveys the difficulty of what is expected of them, as well as their determination, strength of character, and vibrant personalities'
Nicholas W. Allard
“Well, how was I supposed to know he’d turn out to be Leonard Bernstein?”
That was Sam Bernstein’s witty defense when a journalist asked whether the rumor was true that he refused to pay for his son’s music lessons because he wanted Leonard, the legendary pianist, maestro of the New York Philharmonic, and composer of West Side Story, to work for the family’s hair and beauty supply business.
In truth, Sam and Jennie Bernstein, both immigrants from the Russian Pale in Ukraine, proudly supported and encouraged the career of their gifted progeny, whose name and iconic music now evocatively epitomize the American Dream.
No one questions the support for JU’s first aspiring lawyers to enter the honorable profession from their families, the University, the bench, bar, and people of our City. Thank you!
As our freshly minted J.D.s prepared and took the bar examination in July, we asked them about the experience. Even a small sample of their responses conveys the difficulty of what is expected of them, as well as their determination, strength of character, and vibrant personalities.
After months of grueling preparation for the test, one graduate conceded, “My brain is a little fried right now… I dedicated my kitchen table as a ‘war zone’ to prepare.”
The most common advice they offer to others is: “START EARLY!
However, they recommend balance: “Pace yourself. Work steadily. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Don’t burn out.”
Another advises, “During law school take all the classes focused on bar tested subjects you can. I cannot imagine having to learn secured transactions or corporations for the first time during bar prep.”
One crammer acknowledged, “As a consistent night owl, I found that working through the dead quiet hours of the night was most productive ….”
In contrast: “I typically wake up and start early, then around 11 a.m., go to the gym, come back, begin studying, then somewhere around the 2-4 hour mark I get triggered by a [bar review course] question and send a flurry of texts to Academic Success and Bar Prep Dean Professor Lauren Knight.”
A lone ranger reports, “The toughest thing about studying for the bar was the isolation. Especially studying alone after attending a new close-knit law school and building such camaraderie with over three years.”
Some had study groups: “I think the best part about studying for the bar exam is the camaraderie… We’ve formed that special type of bond you can only have by doing hard things alongside one another….
Study breaks also varied:
“I go outside and read (light novels) in the sunshine.” And “I’ve blown off steam playing with my daughter and working outside. Getting my hands dirty helped to clear my mind.”
Those who studied together also relaxed together, “meeting up to play pickle ball together whenever we get the chance. It’s nice to get outside and talk about things like the rules of civil procedure or common law murder in between serves and over food after the game ends.” Really? Nerd alert!
Assiduous preparation included what to wear during the two-day test. One bar fashionista reports, “Knowing that I am among the first law graduates from JU and that I will be in a room with fellow future Florida lawyers, I plan to wear a JU College of Law shirt with either a Jumbo Shrimp or Jaguars sweatshirt.”
Another “will be wearing … the green t-shirt that Dean Knight bought all of us our 2L year that says, ‘My Lucky Bar Exam Shirt.’”
For three years one classmate made a jaunty fashion statement wearing a sleeveless Chicago Bulls No. 23 basketball jersey to tests, explaining “I want to be the champ of finals.” He did not disappoint at the Mother of all Law Finals in Tampa and wore his Michael Jordan uniform to the bar exam.
The results of the exam will not be known until late September (Florida reports and issues the license sooner than many states). Though on pins and needles our graduates are not waiting to thank many people.
Many expressed how well prepared they felt referencing all of their professors: “for consistently reaching out and providing moral support.” And even “for reminding me that this process is miserable, but it is miserable for everyone and I'm not alone…” One adds, “Studying for the bar has made it even more apparent to me how well our professors prepared us…it feels good to have such a strong foundation.”
A common reaction was: “Often times when I was reviewing, I could hear our teachers’ words pop up in my head, and that gave me confidence ….” One bar taker “could hear my professors speaking to me during the exam.” Another stated, “the test covered mostly things I have learned throughout law school. Our professors did a great job teaching us relevant material.”
In particular, Academic Success Dean Lauren Knight and Dean of Students Tom Taggart, were consistently singled out for praise. One credits Dean Knight for “herding a group of high-strung overachievers and procrastinators through the highest stake exam of their lives.”
Many expressed heartfelt appreciation for spouses, children, family and friends including “to my father - for always encouraging me to push myself and never give up on my goals” and to classmates, “we are so close we will be friends for life.”
When asked to pick just one word to describe the bar examination experience, one of our new alumni chose three: “Endurance,” “Caffeinated,” and coined the word “Scited (scared and excited).” Another said “Voluminous” explaining, “there is a tsunami of material from a multitude of different practice areas.”
Consider two candid and bemusing perspectives: “These past two months have probably been some of the most monotonous and boring of my life, and I cannot wait to get the exam behind me…bar prep is awful, and I am praying that I never have to go through this again.” Two of our grads were overheard telling the Tampa hotel check-in clerk, “This is the worst vacation plans we ever made.”
At the completion of the exam, several asked, “What am I going to do with my time now?” The simple answer, although the bar examiners will have something to say about it, is they are going to begin meaningful careers serving clients and the public.
56 July’s ago, Apollo 11’s lunar landing module The Eagle set down on the moon and Neil Armstrong became the first person in history to walk its surface, 240,000 miles from Earth. This July our band of bright legal stars were well prepared to shine and hopefully to accomplish their mission to overcome the gravity of the bar examination. Paraphrasing Armstrong, “That’s one tough step for our aspiring lawyers, one giant leap for our University and Jacksonville.
The legacy of a law school is written in the success of its students. By that measure, our former students, of whom we already could not be prouder nor love more, will be the authors of a great storied College of Law.
Dean “Nick” Allard joined Jacksonville University as the founding dean of the College of Law. He previously served as dean of Brooklyn Law School (2012 - 2018) where he also concurrently served as president (2014-2018 and Professor of Law (2012-2020). He received his JD from Yale Law School and holds a BA from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.
