Kamala Harris, Law School, and the Bar Exam: Navigating the Path to Legal Success

The journey to becoming a lawyer is a rigorous one, filled with academic challenges and high-stakes examinations. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the bar exam are two significant hurdles that aspiring attorneys must overcome. This article explores the landscape of law school admissions, LSAT scores, the bar exam, and notable figures who have navigated these challenges, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

Understanding the LSAT

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test designed to assess a candidate's readiness for law school. It is used by graduate schools to gauge test takers’ readiness for law studies. LSAT scores range from 120 to 180.

Average LSAT Scores and GPA

For full-time, first-year Juris Doctor (JD) students in the fall of 2022, the average LSAT score was about 159. The average GPA of full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was 3.6. The average LSAT score for first-time test-takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013. During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152.

LSAT Scores by School

Selective universities may only accept much higher scores. To gain admittance to an Ivy League law school, you should score in the 172-175 range. In addition to a stellar LSAT score, many Ivy League law schools also require near-perfect GPAs.

LSAT Test-Takers

In 2021-2022, roughly 130,000 people took the LSAT in total, and about 52% of them were first-time test-takers. Roughly 70,000 students have taken the LSAT so far for the 2022-2023 cycle. The total number of test-takers is expected to be similar to that of 2021-2022.

Read also: The making of Kamala Harris

LSAT: Gender and Race

More women than men applied to law school every year since at least 2018. In 2021, almost 10,000 more women applied to law school than men. White individuals make up the majority of applicants. Hispanic/Latino/a people make up the second-biggest group to apply to law school.

Important Information About the LSAT

The LSAT is roughly three hours long. It is made up of four 35-minute test sections with a 10-minute break between the second and third sections. From September 2019 onwards, test-takers are allowed to take the LSAT up to three times in a single year. Test-takers can take the LSAT up to five times within five testing years, and a total of seven times in the course of a lifetime.

The Bar Exam: A Crucial Hurdle

After law school, graduates must pass the bar exam to become licensed attorneys. The bar exam is the qualifying examination for lawyers to receive a license to practice law in a given state.

The California Bar Exam

California has a notoriously difficult bar exam. Even now, the pass rate on the California Bar Examination averages out to approximately 50%. In February, just 40% of "first-timers" passed. In July 2019, around 60% of "first-timers" passed.

Overcoming Failure

Failing the bar exam can be an awful feeling. However, it is essential to not look at failing one exam as a statement about who you are but as something that can make you better. Failing the bar exam is dreadful, but the fact that you are in good company provides you with some consolation.

Read also: The Education of Kamala Harris

Notable Figures and the Bar Exam

Many successful individuals have faced setbacks on their path to becoming lawyers. Here are a few examples of famous people who failed the bar exam:

Vice President Kamala Harris: A graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, failed the California bar exam on her first try.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama: A graduate of Harvard Law School, failed the Illinois bar exam on her first try.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Failed the DC bar exam the first time she took it. She passed the Arkansas bar after that.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Failed the New York bar exam on his first try after attending Harvard College and Columbia Law School.
John F. Kennedy, Jr.: Failed the New York bar exam twice before passing it on his third try.
Former California Governor, Pete Wilson: Failed the California bar exam three times before passing it on his fourth try.
Two-time governor of California, Jerry Brown: Also failed the bar exam.
New York mayor, Ed Koch; Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley, and Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa: Several Mayors have failed the bar exam (some more than once!).

All of these people failed the bar exam at least once, and their bar exam failures certainly do not define them and certainly did not hold them back from leading great careers and living very meaningful lives. In fact, failure probably made them bolder and better at what they did.

Kamala Harris: A Trailblazing Career

Kamala Harris graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1989. From years as a district attorney to defending the State of California as Attorney General from 2011 to 2017, Vice President Harris had to be focused if she were to one day work in the White House. As an Asian American and African American woman, she did not have many people who looked like her to emulate.

Advice and Inspiration from Women in Law

First Lady Michelle Obama famously said “[B]e focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.” DRI member Catherine Ava Leatherwood similarly demonstrates foresight in her daily practice. Focus on what you want to do and where you see yourself going. When push comes to shove, you’re ultimately in charge of your career and your destiny. It’s up to you to take the steps to mold your practice and your future, so it’s important to keep in mind whether the things you’re doing on a daily basis are advancing those goals.

Christina Gonzales says, "In this profession, you will hear ‘no’ much more often than you will hear ‘yes.’ Embrace the ‘no.’ Do not let the ‘no’ stop you. Always remember who you are, what you want and what you are capable of. Use ‘no’ to empower to you stay on your path and prove them wrong. Be determined for yourself. Nobody else can be determined for you."

Melissa Lin says, “Over the years, I have seen more diverse female attorneys work towards and obtain positions as judges and in house corporate counsel. As women and diverse attorneys gain roles as decision makers, I am hopeful that the practice of law will continue to diversify and provide opportunities for women and diverse attorneys to continue in the legal profession”

Vanessa says “As an attorney, I have been empowered by the ability to help others in my community. Specifically, I have been able to help women, through the law, find their voice in family law matters. This March, remember all the phenomenal women in your life and those who have shaped it by contributions made to society in the past.

Resources for Bar Exam Preparation

JD Advising offers resources to help with bar exam preparation. These resources include:

Free Resources: Bar Exam Free Resource Center, Free Bar Exam Guides, Free Webinars.
Paid Resources: One-Sheets, Bar Exam Outlines, Exclusive Mastery Classes, Specialized Private Tutoring, Bar Exam Courses, Bar Exam Crash Course + Mini Outlines.

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