Family Foundational for Bar Examinees
By Csaba Sukosd | March 3, 2020

Behind the buildup to every bar exam, there's almost always a family providing encouragement to an applicant.

That support was behind may of the 253 hopefuls, who recently concluded the biannual test.

"My husband supported me through all of this," said Anujanaa Baskaranathan, a graduate from the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago.

With aspirations of being a prosecutor, Baskaranathan is an extern at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. It's a passion that was embraced by her late father.

"He passed away when I was in high school, but he's always been my inspiration to follow my dreams," said Baskaranathan.

For some, passing the bar exam is a way to carry on a legacy. For many others, they embark on the journey - and all of the preparation - to provide for their own household.

"I have a wife and a two-year-old," said Capital University Law School grad Josh Sinclair. "I would study at the school, and if I ever needed a break, I'd go home, and wrestle with my boy, or hang out with my wife."

It takes years of work to obtain a law degree, and months of review to navigate three days' worth of questions for the exam. And just like the test, where a curveball can come from anywhere, life can also present the unexpected. 

"Right before I took the bar the last time, both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer at the same time," said Jessica Camargo, who studied at the University of Akron School of Law. "My mom was told at that point that, maybe, she'd have six months to live."

Fortunately for Camargo, nearly two years later, her father is in remission, and her mom is still fighting. With the assessment over, the mother of three hopes to provide all of her loved ones with another positive result: when the list of successful applicants is revealed on May 1.

"It'll be pretty emotional, because it's been a really tough journey to get where from where I started to where I am. I'll probably cry," said Camargo.