… and today, I got my clearance letter. So tomorrow, I run down to a judge’s office and officially become an attorney!
And then you can sue the Board of Bar Examiners for emotional pain&distress because you knew that your swearing-in — a once-in-a-lifetime event — didn’t really count.
Oh, and . . . congratulations!
I took the LSAT, never took the bar. Good luck to you and keep us posted!
Congratulations and welcome to the bar!
Congratulations on bellying up to the bar.
Q: You know what they call the guy that got the lowest passing score on the Bar Exam?
A: A lawyer! Congrats!
I actually scored pretty well. “Minimal technical competence” is just what they say the bar exam is supposed to test.
Thanks guys!
I just received my box o’barbri in the mail myself. Let the fun begin!
Oooh. That’s a wonderful and also horrible feeling. That box is fucking huge, innit? Word to the wise: tear out one of the sample answer sheets (they should be pre-perforated) and make like 50 copies. You’re going to need them.
Congratulations & well done! What’s your area of specialty to be? I missed it upthread!
Thanks for the heads up!
Congratulations!
I got to witness a swearing in last week. The Judge went through the normal docket call drill just like he always does, called all the non-DHS cases…and then would normally have released the lawyers to confer, try to settle, etc. This time, he told us there was a special matter that wasn’t on the docket, but we were not allowed to leave just yet. Interesting. He then called the DHS cases (child support), before announcing that the “special matter” was a swearing in of a new attorney. The kid is the son of local lawyer, who was present along with lots of family. The Judge took his time, really made it seem like a Big Deal–because it is. Afterwords, all the lawyers present got to shake the kid’s hand and welcome him to the profession. Pretty cool.
So consider your hand to be virtually shaken, and welcome to the Bar!
I was sworn in yesterday but one of the local workers’ compensation judges (essentially, they are state ALJs). I called the JA in the morning and asked if Judge X was available - he teaches one class a semester at my law school, and was my academic advisor for two of my papers - and she said, “yeah, but it’s casual today, because we have no hearings. If you want him in robes come in on Monday.”
I said, “I don’t care if he’s swearing Speedos and a Viking helmet. The faster the better!”
He gave “the room” (my boss and another associate came to watch, and some of the judges’ staffs were there since I’ve known them for many years) a brief speech about protecting your reputation, and civility to opposing counsel. Then I took the oath, posed for a handshake picture, and that was pretty much it.
So, after three years of dithering about law school, four years of being in law school, three months of bar exam prep, two months of waiting for results, and one month of waiting for character and fitness clearance, I’m a lawyer!
Thanks!
I’ve been working in insurance defense (mostly workers’ compensation) with the same firm for seven years, including all four years of law school and bar prep. I basically told them* that if they could come close to the best offers my classmates got (and named numbers) salarywise I wouldn’t even interview elsewhere. We started negotiations in earnest right after the bar exam and had them resolved in a week. I’m very happy with what they ultimately offered and they are happy to have me stay on. I never had any serious plans to leave and I would be quite happy to keep doing what I’m going to be doing for ever.
*My boss is a partner and the managing partner of his practice (WC and employment law). He basically has carte blanche to spend his budget as he sees fit but he confers with the overall managing partner on hiring decisions since it’s a smallish office and we all have to get along. It’s a midsize firm (50ish attorneys) but spread across three offices.
Big congats on your admission. In WV, all attorney must be sworn in by the full state Supreme Court. It was a great admission process. The Chief Justice explains that the usual rule against taking pictures is suspended and that members of the gallery may stand and move to the front to take video if they choose.
An attorney must make a motion for your admission to the bar. If you don’t know anyone, the Clerk, who is an attorney, will move for your admission. Many others bring their relatives who are members of the bar.
He also states in a jovial manner that unlike normal cases, the attorneys shouldn’t worry because all of the motions to admit on that day will be granted. The Justices quiz each applicant about where they will be practicing and talk in a cordial manner about local restaurants, a lawyer they know in that area, etc. Time is made for pictures with the Justices afterwards.
I’m guessing that isn’t practical in large state like Florida, but it is an experience I won’t forget.
That sounds pretty cool, actually, but with 3,500 people taking the bar exam twice a year and 2,700 passing it would probably take a long time. Plus I hate Tallahassee.
I’m not sure what it says about us that we have 2,700 new lawyers a year in Flori-duhh. In fact, I’m certain I don’t want to know. Regardless, congratulations and felicitations to you sir, on your noteworthy achievement.
good luck
Plus 500-700 who pass in February.
Well, bless all their precious little hearts! 
As long as I’m here again anyway, I’ll say that the signature shown on my previous post was unintentional and really had no place in this thread. I forgot it just appears automatically when posting from Tapatalk.
And I’ll reiterate my sincere congratulations for the recognition you’ve earned by a massive amount of work and dedication.