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celebrities who failed the bar exam

Twenty Celebrities Who Failed The Bar Exam

If you recently failed the bar exam, we understand it can be very upsetting. However, just like anything else, knowing you are not alone in your failure can bring some comfort. Many famous figures also failed the bar exam before going on to conquer it and so much more! To help you out, we have collected a list of 20 celebrities who failed the bar exam to show you that you are not alone. And, in fact, you are amongst many of our nation’s greats.

Twenty Celebrities Who Failed The Bar Exam

1. President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Our longest-serving president failed the New York Bar exam the first time he took it. He later retook the exam and passed in 1907!

2. First Lady Michelle Obama

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle Obama failed the bar exam the first time she sat for it. Mrs. Obama went on to practice intellectual property law for Sidley & Austin before becoming the first African-American First Lady!

3. John F. Kennedy Jr.

Son of the 35th U.S President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Jr. failed the New York Bar exam twice! He later went on to serve as the New York City district attorney.

4. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Former first lady, former Congressional Senator, and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was never able to pass the D.C bar. She did pass the Arkansas bar and held a corporate legal career before turning to public service.

5. Kathleen Sullivan

Former Dean of Stanford Law School named partner at Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and Supreme Court arguer, Kathleen Sullivan failed the California Bar before eventually passing and going on to great things!

6. Kamala Harris 

Kamala Harris initially failed the California Bar exam. After retaking the exam and passing, Kamala went on to become the 32nd Attorney General of California, a United States Senator, and United States Vice Presidential Candidate.

7. Jerry Brown

Before serving as the 34th and 39th Governor of California, Jerry Brown failed the California Bar exam. Another example of how this momentary setback does not prevent one from accomplishing great things.

8. Governor Pete Wilson

Governor Pete Wilson served as California’s 36th governor, a U.S. Senator, a San Diego mayor, and a state assemblyman after failing the bar exam three times! He passed on his 4th attempt.

9. Governor Deval Patrick

After graduation from Harvard Law, Governor Patrick failed the bar exam twice, passing on his third attempt. He went on to serve as the first African-American Governor of Massachusetts for eight years.

10. Governor David Paterson

The first black Governor of New York and second legally blind Governor in the United States, David Paterson, also failed the New York Bar. He used this experience to fight for better accommodations on the bar for people with visual deficiencies.

11. Congressman Harold Ford Jr.

Congressman Ford failed the bar exam (without retaking it) before going on to serve in the U.S House of Representatives for a decade.

12. New York Mayor Ed Koch

Failing the New York Bar exam did not hold Mayor Koch back from great achievements. He served as both a U.S Congressman and Mayor of New York City!

13. Mayor Richard M. Daley

After he failed the bar exam two times, Richard Daley went on to serve as the Mayor of Chicago for six terms!

14. Governor Charlie Crist

After he failed the Bar exam twice, Charlie Crist went on to be Florida Attorney General, Governor, and U.S Representative for Florida’s 13th district!

15. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

After failing the California Bar exam four times, Antonio Villaraigosa turned his attention away from life as a lawyer and become the Mayor of Los Angles from 2005-2013.

16. Anthony Scaramucci

Financier and former Trump Administration Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci failed he bar exam twice.

17. Emily Pataki

Daughter of former New York Governor, George Pataki, Emily found herself failing the New York Bar her first time around. After passing the bar, she then went on to have a prosperous legal career.

18. Pat Robinson

After graduating from Yale Law School near the top of his class, Pat Robinson failed the New York Bar. He later went on to become a nationally known minister and televangelist.

19. Kevin D. Callahan

Kevin D. Callahan might be an unfamiliar name to you. However, his story is a powerful reminder of perseverance. He failed the Massachusetts Bar exam not once, not twice, not three times, but 10 times! After eventually passing, Mr. Callahan continues to run his own private practice.

20. Paulina Bandy

Famous in her own right for failing the bar exam more than any other, Paulina Bandy failed 13 times before finding success. She now has a website that helps students pass the bar.

We know it can feel awful after failing the bar exam. Here is our message and advice to those who may have failed.

You may be questioning whether you are up to the task of the bar exam. Rest assured, many great lawyers before you have failed the bar exam and gone on to achieve extraordinary things. Take time to relax and understand you are not alone. Then, remember you have resources available to help you pass the bar exam the next time around. When you are ready, create a plan of action that will give you the best chances of success. You are amongst some of the greatest leaders in our country, so don’t give up. We believe in you, and so should you!

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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 Tutoring Student, Increased Score 52 Points!

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- 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.

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- July 2022 Uniform Bar Exam Tutoring Student
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