Pregnant Student Goes Into Labor During Bar Exam, Still Finishes Exam

A pregnant Northwestern law grad taking the Illinois bar exam went into labor during the test on Wednesday. Remarkably, the recent grad actually finished the bar, despite being in 'active' labor during the exam, and gave birth to a healthy baby boy two hours later. Congratulations all around.

Abovethelaw.com has more on just how awesome this woman is:

Mother Bar Exam is a recent graduate of Northwestern Law. She is also a total rock star (not literally, but figuratively). MBE is one of the top-ranked students in the school's Accelerated J.D. ("AJD") program, which allows students to get a law degree in two years rather than three.

While in law school, MBE was on the law review board, worked in NU Law's prestigious Supreme Court clinic, and served as a director in the Young Lawyers' Section of the Chicago Bar. She has not one but two federal judicial clerkships lined up, one circuit court and one district court, both with excellent judges.

Before the test started, the woman told the proctors of the bar that there was potential she could go into labor during the exam, and asked if she could leave early if this happened. The proctors agreed. After she realized she was in labor, the woman finished the exam early, and went to the hospital across the street where she had the baby.

Comments

[LeftRight]

11:39 PM on 08/05/2011

Wow that's awesome!

Course if it was a guy with a hangnail he'd be done.... And I say this as a guy!

[bgangwer1981]

06:21 PM on 08/05/2011

Wow such determination.

[robert horwitz]

06:45 PM on 08/04/2011

Obviously a future Labor Lawyer.

[Wonder Woman2]

03:16 PM on 08/04/2011

I hope she could concentrate enough to do those essay's. I am glad the hospital was across the street!

[Trickery]

11:01 PM on 08/03/2011

Hope it was worth it :/

[tones]

10:11 PM on 08/03/2011

Wow thats so awesome... NOT i bet that kid will be neglected by its obvious career first mother

[thelyssa]

02:44 PM on 08/04/2011

Way to be a downer tones!

Interesting how you pass judgments on an accomplished young woman based on gender alone.... How many "career first" father are there in this country? I bet you wouldn't have much to say about that!

[Wonder Woman2]

03:17 PM on 08/04/2011

I call institutional sexism - I bet that child has a father and I did not see you cry that he would be neglecting his child if he had a career while being a parent.

[knightoftheroundtable]

08:57 PM on 08/03/2011

Hmmm, wonder if the baby will be a lawyer?

[Mahi Joe]

06:47 PM on 08/03/2011

That's exactly the type of lawyer I want in my corner.

[catcrazee]

07:37 PM on 08/03/2011

That is exactly what will be expected of her at a firm! Most lawyer-gals I know are texting on projects right up to the last minute.

[Danielle Savington]

10:46 PM on 08/02/2011

I did this in 2009. Left early at the end of day 2 because the medicine the doctor was using to slow labor contractions wasn't working any longer, and labor had progressed to the unstoppable point. Passed the exam, despite the labor, and was sworn in by the state's Supreme Court Justice while holding my 6 week old son.

[Roseanne Pickering]

05:39 PM on 08/02/2011

What a trooper! I can't imagine how you would concentrate during an exam as grueling as the bar. I applaud this woman for showing the world just how tough a woman can be when she really wants something. Good luck with the new baby, Mommy! And I hope you passed with flying colors--you rock girl!

[YakittyGirl]

05:44 PM on 08/04/2011

Roseanne, I'm with you. People who make the negative comments don't know what the woman might be going through. The morning I was to take the nursing exam, my husband complained of chest pain. I made the painful decision to ask our son to drive him to the emergency room. What kind of comments would I have received if that had been known? I had 5 young children at the time and thought that if my husband died, I would need to support so I went ahead with the test. That was about 25 years ago and thankfully we have now been married 53 years. Texans are tough dudes!!

[Veneita]

02:55 PM on 08/02/2011

It's awesome that she finished the exam; it will be phenomenal if she passes.

[brooksjohnson9]

02:36 PM on 08/02/2011

Talk about dedication!

[bearchao]

02:40 PM on 08/02/2011

SPAM...FLAGGED

[camanokat]

12:28 PM on 08/02/2011

Wow...that's a whole lot of awesome!

[pinknebula]

10:48 PM on 08/01/2011

Rock ON, Bad Mama!

"But did she pass?"...take it look at her CV - it's likely. I'm betting most of the people asking that question wouldn't complete the exam while in labor. Have another glass of haterade with your side of snark.