Anticipation

I am anxiously waiting on my bar results.  I took the July 2011 Illinois bar exam in Chicago over a two day period.  The exam consisted of 9 essays, a longer writing project (called the multistate performance test), and 200 multiple choice questions.  I think there were 18 different ares of law we were responsible for and could be tested on. In other jurisdictions the test is 2 1/2 days (like Ohio) or even 3 days (Alaska). 

I lived in Chicago all summer and study there with a commercial bar prep class.  Taking the bar is bad enough on its own, but I also had food poisoning during the exam.  Tim and I went out to dinner on Saturday to get me out of the house and away from my desk.  We went to our favorite burger place, which is clean and very nice.  It is not a greasy spoon or anywhere I had reservations about eating there. I had my usual, a turkey burger.  Fast forward 12 hours...and I have food poisoning.  I had chills, a fever, aches, and errr, some other stomach problems.  A week later I saw on the news there was a salmonella outbreak in ground turkey! 

The food poisoning lasted from Sunday-Friday.  Tim thought it was nerves, but I knew otherwise.  I could not keep any food down.  Even Gatorade upset my stomach.  The exam was on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.  I did not eat anything for breakfast or during the lunch breaks.  The first day I drank Gatorade which was a mistake.  But I survived.  I was happy just to make it through the test.  

The weeks leading up to the test I was more nervous than the actual days.  There was no time for nerves or self doubt.  I was so mad that I had food poisoning on top of taking the bar, but I guess it just makes for a better story and kept my life interesting.  

The other two law clerks here that I work with found out their bar results.  They both passed! One took the Montana bar and the other took the Oregon bar.  The Illinois Board of Bar Examiners will release the results between October 1- October 15.  

If I did not pass (I don't like the word failed, if you try it is not considered failing to me) I know that the world will keep on turning and the sun will come up the next day.  There are worse things in life than having to take a test over again.  I'd also be in pretty good company of successful attorneys who did not pass on their first attempt.  John F. Kennedy Jr., Richard Daley, and Hillary Clinton all failed the bar exam the first time.  

I decided  to end each post with a quote that I find inspiring, funny, or applicable.  Hopefully you will as well.  

"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." Benjamin Franklin