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famous people who failed the bar exam, celebrities who failed the bar exam, kamala harris

Famous People Who Failed the Bar Exam

If you failed the bar exam, it is okay! There are a lot of famous people who failed the bar exam, overcame it, and still went on to do fantastic things.

We know that failing the bar exam can be an awful feeling. But we recommend that you do not look at failing one exam (a very hard exam, at that!) as a statement about who you are—look at it as something that can (and will) make you better. Please read this note to those who failed the bar exam if you haven’t already.

Now,  for our list of famous people who failed the bar exam . . .

Famous People Who Failed the Bar Exam

  • Vice President Kamala Harris (a graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of Law) failed the California bar exam on her first try.
  • The Former First Lady Michelle Obama – (a graduate of Harvard Law School) failed the Illinois bar exam on her first try.
  • Secretary of State and past Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton failed the DC bar exam the first time she took it. She passed the Arkansas bar after that.
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt failed the New York bar exam on his first try after attending Harvard College and Columbia Law School . . . and he was subsequently elected President four times!
  • John F. Kennedy, Jr. failed the New York bar exam twice before passing it on his third try.
  • Several Governors have failed the bar exam. Former California Governor, Pete Wilson, failed the California bar exam three times before passing it on his fourth try. Two-time governor of California, Jerry Brown, also failed the bar exam.
  • Several Mayors have failed the bar exam (some more than once!), including New York mayor, Ed Koch; Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley, and Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa.

All of these people (and many more!) failed the bar exam at least once…and they did alright 😉! Their bar exam failures certainly do not define them and certainly did not hold them back from leading great careers and living very meaningful lives. In fact, failure probably made them bolder and better at what they did.

We know that failing the bar exam is dreadful, but we hope the fact that you are in good company provides you with some consolation.

When you are ready to make a plan of attack, please read this note to those who failed the bar exam or contact us if you are looking for assistance!

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I used JD Advising [tutoring] for my second attempt to pass the IL UBE bar exam and increased my score by 52 points! I went from being nervous and scared to the 95th percentile of all UBE takers. JD Advising helped me so much for my second attempt for the bar. Also, I was working full-time the second time I took the bar exam and they completely built the schedule around my available time and the amount of weeks I had to study. I can’t recommend their program enough. Compared to other big bar prep services, JD Advising is so much more personalized and they actually 100% care about you and your success on the bar exam. Thank you JD Advising! And thank you so much to my personal tutors who guided me through the whole process, Ninos and Lisa! You are both amazing!

- February 2023 Uniform Bar Exam Passer, Increased Score 52 Points!

If you are a repeat bar taker who is considering signing up for JD Advising Tutoring please keep reading. Not to be dramatic, but as someone who has had to retake the bar exam multiple times and started to lose my confidence, JD advising tutoring changed my life. I wrestled with the UBE jurisdiction bar exam 3 times. . . .The final time, I made the decision to not only use JD Advising materials, but also invest in tutoring as well which included outlines, essay grading, and fifteen tutoring sessions at 1hr each. The materials provided by JD Advising were thorough and they were the only outlines I used.

TUTORING WAS A GAME CHANGER! As soon as I had my first session with Caroline, I knew I was in good hands. She was bubbly, optimistic and reassured me countless times that this time would be different than any other time. She was right! Having Caroline on my team equipped me with the knowledge to tackle this exam with strategies tailored to my specific learning style- which I never had before. She assessed my learning style detail by detail and she was able to communicate what the game plan was in a palatable way. Studying for the bar is no easy task and she made me excited to learn which I had such a challenge with in the past. Caroline set the tone to success early on and this became a pivotal moment for me. I know tutoring is pricey, but it was well worth the temporary sacrifice to open that letter and see “congratulations!”

After so many disappointments and failed attempts at passing, finally seeing a passing score with my name attached to it was an indescribable feeling. Caroline believed in me more than I believed in myself on some really tough days during bar preparation and I truly believe that her positive attitude coupled with her accountability, compassion for retakers,  and the test taking strategies she instilled in me gave me the confidence boost I needed to go into each exam day with peace. I was able to bring my original UBE score up well over 20 pts to finally pass the exam in several jurisdictions after not passing in any. I will never stop being grateful for this experience. I had a jaded view and thought that passing the bar was an unattainable goal to reach. Anyone struggling with the confidence to accomplish this goal, please take my word for it. My entire perspective, and self-confidence changed the minute I signed up for JD Advising tutoring which resulted in finally passing the bar exam.

- February 2023 Uniform Bar Exam Tutoring Student

After not passing the bar the first time, I realized I needed to find a bar prep company that would be better tailored to my learning needs. For my second attempt at the bar I was working full time, if not more, so had limited time to study. I needed a program that would work with my time constraint, but also build up my confidence and help me understand how I learn. Through JD advising my score raised 19 points. The reason I was able to raise my score and pass the bar on my second attempt, was largely due to my tutor through JD Advising. . . I would recommend JD Advising to anyone because the program allows a more tailored approach to bar study and recognizing studying is not a one size fits all approach.

- Molly, Uniform Bar Exam Tutoring Student, Increased Score 19 Points

I took the July 2021 Bar Exam and scored a 258. I knew that in order to pass the exam I would need to change the way I studied and prepared. JD Advising offered private tutoring at an affordable rate and I couldn’t pass on the opportunity. I was paired with Albert who simplified complex problems in every area that is tested on the bar. Albert also helped me strengthen my writing skills with weekly essays, randomized pop quizzes (highly effective), and provided coaching and encouragement that gave me the mental edge I needed to succeed on the February 2022 exam.  I scored a 295 in February which is a 37-point increase from July! I can’t thank Albert and JD Advising enough for helping me realize my dream of becoming a licensed attorney. I HIGHLY recommend their services for first-time and re-takers. It’s the best money you’ll ever spend!

- February 2022 Uniform Bar Exam Student, Increased Score 37 Points
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