Weekly Bar Briefs, 8-16-2016

When I took the NC bar, they had a rule that you could not take any notes or other study material past a certain point in the testing area.  The prohibited area included the bathrooms.  We all scribbled our way furiously through the day 1 morning session, then broke for lunch.  I was back in my appointed place well before the scheduled start time of the afternoon session.  That start time came, and went.  5 minutes passed, then 10, then 15.  The murmuring in the auditorium was fast becoming feverish, if not hysterical.

Finally, someone from the Bar announced that they had found study notes in one of the bathrooms.  This was very serious.  They were going to call the SBI to see if they could get fingerprints from the notes to ascertain the culprit.  They were also considering cancelling the exam, which would mean our morning work would be voided and we would have to sign up for and sit the next bar exam.But hopefully, whoever was responsible would take this opportunity to confess and spare everyone such heartache.  This announcement was greeted with moans, gasps and perhaps a few sobs.  I think I also heard teeth grinding.  But nothing that could be considered coherent speech.  Another 10 minutes passed during which no one moved and no one confessed.

Then the proctors broke out the afternoon tests without further explanation.  I never heard another word about it.  So, it is possible for lawyers to keep their mouths shut under the right circumstances! For the record, the notes were not mine.

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