I passed the Pa Bar!!

 

For those of you holding your breath for the last 3+ months ... I passed the Pa Bar Exam.  NJ will not release results for another couple of weeks or so (mid Nov), but I don't have much to worry about there.  I thought the NJ exam was much easier, and I did well enough on the MBE (the multiple choice test that is applied to both states) that I would have to really bomb the NJ essays to have not passed. 

 

This was all quite a relief.  Everything was built on passing the bar: the job, which pays for the house, where we will bring home the baby -- everything was done assuming I'd pass.

 

It was a bit funny how I found out.  For some reason, the examiner's emails haven't come to me.  I have no idea why.  So when they emailed out when the results would be posted, I didn't get it.  I did check the site later and found out, though.  It was supposed to be on a Friday.  My family was coming into town that Friday and we were travelling to a family wedding.  I decided I wouldn't tell anyone -- that way, if I passed I could surprise everyone and we could celebrate; if I failed I wouldn't tell anyone and enjoy the weekend, then tell everyone next week.

 

Well enough, right.  My father ruined it.  He checked the Pa Bar website and saw the same announcement.  He asked me about it and I had to come clean.  D'oh.  But what he didn't know is that they moved up the date one day earlier (I didn't get that email either).  My wife called me at work thrilled.  I still managed to surprise him and we all celebrated.  Yeah!

 

After I found out, I asked a partner at the firm what happened if someone did not passed.  He said that it had never happened, but that it "would not be good for my career."  Ouch.  Sounds like no guaranteed second try, huh?  :-(   At least I don't have that to worry about now.

 

Thanks to all those bar exam bloggers that have entertained me this summer.  I enjoyed sharing this horrible experience.

Shout out to:

GG at http://barexam2005.blogspot.com/ -- one of the most entertaining of the lot.

Michael at  http://watchmetakethebar.blogspot.com/

"energy spatula" at http://favorabledicta.blogspot.com/

Jay at http://openandnotorious.blogspot.com/

WT at http://expressiounius.blogspot.com/

Eve at http://www.eve-marie.com/experience/bar/

... and many others.

 

Best of luck to everyone who has yet to find out (I think only CA, NJ, & NY are left)...

 

Another chapter in my life closed.  Time to move on!