New Mom Gave Birth in the Middle of Taking the Bar Exam ... And Finished!
What were you able to accomplish while in labor and in the hours after giving birth? If your answer is “bring another human being into this world,” that is plenty. But mothers are incredible people, so we should hardly be surprised to learn about new mom Brianna Hill, who took the mother-freaking bar exam while in labor — and after childbirth!
“I thought I would only be 28 weeks pregnant when I took the bar, so when it got pushed to October and I was going to be 38 weeks, I joked about taking the test from my hospital bed,” Hill told Above the Law.
Hill, a recent graduate of Loyola University of Chicago Law School, was one of many would-be attorneys taking the test in special circumstances during the pandemic. Because the test was given remotely, test-takers were not allowed to leave their seats and go out of view of the remote proctors.
All was fine when she sat down for the first test, the Multistate Performance Test.
“As soon as I stood up when I finished, I knew my water had broken,” she told Above the Law. “So I took my break, got myself cleaned up, called my husband, midwife, and mom, cried because I was a little panicked, then sat down to take the MEE [Multistate Essay Exam].”
That part of the exam consists of six 30-minute questions, and Hill was in active labor right after she began. But she kept on going. Seriously, I could barely understand the plot of a sitcom when I was in labor, so color me mega-impressed.
“Going into labor really put the bar exam into perspective and made my nerves go away really quickly,” she told the site. Unfortunately, her baby was not willing to wait for her to complete the text. Hill wasn’t finished by the time she had to head to the hospital to deliver her baby.
But through it all, this very determined mother hatched a new plan to finish taking the exam the next morning. Which, this actually does make some sense. In the hospital you do have extra hands around to help with the baby, and not much else to do. Plus, she likely was not into the idea of studying to take the exam again with a newborn in the house. So, after giving birth at 10:10 that night, the next morning, the hospital staff set up a quiet room just so she could finish the test.
“I took the rest of the test in there and was even able to nurse the baby in between sessions!” she said. “Obviously, I really hope I passed but I’m mostly just proud that I pushed through and finished.”
If she’s able to concentrate under these circumstances, we have no doubt Hill is going to be a formidable force in court.
Childbirth is nothing like in the movies, as these beautiful photos show.
Launch Gallery: What to Know About Childbirth, According to Celebrities
More from SheKnows
Best of SheKnows
SYTYCD's Cat Deeley's #1 Beauty Product is the Same As Our Grandmas' & We're Smitten
Inclusive Children's Books That Show Kids Different is Beautiful
10 PAW-some Gifts for the Little PAW Patrol Fan in Your Life
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
