Why does a law graduate skip the bar exam? Does it happen often?

[Anonymous]

I saw Jared Kushner got a BA from Harvard and a JD from NYU, then skipped the bar exam. Made me wonder if this is a common thing. If so, do these law students just sit out on campus interviews because they have a job in business, or some other non-law industry, lined up?

[Anonymous]

Didn't want to practice or wouldn't get good enough scores to pass. Lushness father paid $5 million to get him into Harvard. Passing the NY bar is rigorous and something you can grease your way out of.

[Anonymous]

Didn't want to practice or wouldn't get good enough scores to pass. Kushner's father paid $5 million to get him into Harvard. Passing the NY bar is rigorous and something you can't grease your way out of.

[Anonymous]

I know two people who got a joint MBA/JD from prestigious institutions, intended to go into business, and did just that. I don't believe either took a bar.

[Anonymous]

I think anyone confident that they would pass the bar would take it. For a competent person, it's just 3-4 weeks of concentrated study.

[Anonymous]

No intention of practicing law.

[Anonymous]

I knew a few people in law school who were going into family businesses. They had no intention of practicing law and did not take the bar exam. They were in law school to enhance their backgrounds for eventually running the business;some also got MBAs, after the JD. I don't think this is all that unusual for people in this position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone confident that they would pass the bar would take it. For a competent person, it's just 3-4 weeks of concentrated study.

This. I knew I would never practice as did a few of my classmates and we all took the bar. It looks bad if you dont. IMO it makes people assume you didnt pass or couldn't pass.

[Anonymous]

Another reason could be some states have diploma privilege, at least they did years ago when I was in law school (WI).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone confident that they would pass the bar would take it. For a competent person, it's just 3-4 weeks of concentrated study.

This. I knew I would never practice as did a few of my classmates and we all took the bar. It looks bad if you dont. IMO it makes people assume you didnt pass or couldn't pass.

This. You never know where you career might take you, or when having the Bar might come in handy. Sitting the summer after graduation is NBD. Discovering you need it 10 years later and having to start from scratch, on the other hand, is a nightmare. BTDT due to a move with no reciprocity. There is no reason not to take the month, take the Bar review class, and just get it. After that, you can go associate or inactive if you don't need it, pay your $200 a year, and skip the CLEs. Zero downside.

Did he not sit, or not pass. The one person I know from my class who s isn't sit couldn't pass character and fitness. So there is also that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone confident that they would pass the bar would take it. For a competent person, it's just 3-4 weeks of concentrated study.

This. I knew I would never practice as did a few of my classmates and we all took the bar. It looks bad if you dont. IMO it makes people assume you didnt pass or couldn't pass.

This. You never know where you career might take you, or when having the Bar might come in handy.

I'm guessing when your family is worth a billion or so, you worry less about this than the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone confident that they would pass the bar would take it. For a competent person, it's just 3-4 weeks of concentrated study.

This. I knew I would never practice as did a few of my classmates and we all took the bar. It looks bad if you dont. IMO it makes people assume you didnt pass or couldn't pass.

This. You never know where you career might take you, or when having the Bar might come in handy.

I'm guessing when your family is worth a billion or so, you worry less about this than the rest of us.

Especially when dear old dad is serving time. He probably couldn't pass the character & fitness check.

[Anonymous]

My husband did a dual degree program and has never practiced law but took the bar exam because he thought it made him look more serious/like he could hack it. Kushner doesn't care.

[Anonymous]

His parents sponsored a big scholarship for him to get into Harvard and statements from his prep school teachers indicate he was particularly bright or motivated. My guess is that he scored poorly on the practice bar exam and didn't want to have failure on his record.

[Anonymous]

Well, if you get a law degree in Wisconsin and practice there, you don't need to sit for the bar. It's called diploma privilege