Maria passed the Oregon Bar Exam (UBE) on her third attempt at 45, five years after finishing law school, after a transition from medicine.
💬 “My background was in healthcare as a naturopathic physician. I worked in global health in Tanzania and other countries as both a doctor and professor. Law wasn’t on my radar. Over time, though, I found myself doing more advocacy and education than direct patient care. After nearly dying from malaria, I made what I now recognize as a PTSD-driven decision to attend law school.”
Her first two attempts at the bar didn’t give her the proper space to focus on the exam.
💬 “The first time I took the bar exam was not a serious attempt. I was in a hotel room in Mexico during the height of COVID.”
💬 “The second time, I was sick and carrying a lot personally. My father’s Parkinson’s disease was worsening, and eventually I became one of his caregivers until he passed away in 2024.”
Her third time was a turning point, as it often is for repeaters who finally find a reason to pass.
💬 “It took everything I had to sit for the exam again. But this time was different. This time, I wanted it. Not just to pass the bar, but to become a lawyer. Everyone talks about finding their ‘why,’ and I don’t think I truly had mine before. My why was my dad and everything I had been through. I was absolutely determined to pass.”
She then scored a 320, up nearly 70 points from the 250s.
💬 “For me, the jump from the 250s to a 320 wasn’t about discovering some secret study method. It was about finally having a reason powerful enough to persevere and building a study plan around how I actually learn.”
Everyone can talk about being “determined to pass.” Self-motivation is only one of three base requirements for bar prep. All your passion is useless if you don’t know where to apply it.
Today might be the day you make a switch that finally frees you from what you knew was wrong for you.
Continue reading “She Failed the Oregon Bar Exam Twice. After Her Father Died, She Scored a 320 (from 250s).”