Brianna Hill Interview.
Brianna Hill has been featured by many news outlets recently for good reason: she managed to write a successful Illinois Bar Exam in October 2020 and have a beautiful baby boy at the same time. This is an impressive set of accomplishments under normal circumstances, but Brianna managed to make this happen during a year of chaos, when her exam was postponed twice, moved online, and changed formats. Because the bar exam is usually in July, being pregnant was never supposed to interfere with Brianna’s ability to take the exam; the postponement to October put the exam in the 38th week of Brianna’s pregnancy, and of course, in a year of everything going exactly not as planned, she went into labor on the first day of the exam. Rather than postponing the exam until February and trying to take it again with a four-month-old baby, she decided to power through and finish the exam the day after giving birth.
How did she do it, and what was it like? We had the chance to chat with Brianna about her experience and learn more about how she worked through the unexpected to achieve success.
Rebecca Petrilli: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Brianna! I’m sure you have tons of other things to focus on these days, but we are so glad to speak with you. You are a superhero! Are you doing anything to memorialize your experience?
Brianna Hill: We are saving some of the memorabilia, like the “Do Not Enter” sign the hospital staff hung on the door of the room where I took the exam.
RP: It’s amazing that the hospital staff was so helpful and accommodating to your situation! Can you talk a bit more about that?
BH: Well, it was a small hospital with a midwife practice. I’d been seeing people in the midwife practice weekly because I started having contractions at 24 weeks, so everyone knew the situation. When I showed up in labor at the hospital, everyone was like, “wait, isn’t your bar exam today?” Since they all knew what I was going through, everyone was incredibly supportive.
RP: I’m so glad you were able to have a great team around you. So, you took day one of the exam and then went to the hospital. While you were in the exam, were you thinking about your delivery? And while you were in your delivery, were you thinking about the exam?
BH: I was not thinking about delivery while in the exam, as I started having contractions at 24 weeks so I was used to it by the time I took the test. While in delivery, though, I was very concerned about my ability to finish the test the next day. The whole time I was walking a fine line of balance between two very important things!
RP: When you realized you were in labor, how did your husband react? Did this affect your birth plan dramatically?
BH: Since we weren’t expecting the baby to arrive for a few more weeks, and because we didn’t want to put the idea of an early delivery into the universe, we didn’t even have a car seat or hospital bag packed! My husband came home from work and got everything together while I was laboring in bed. He was awesome--his reaction was more or less “okay, we’ll figure out a way for you to finish this exam.”
RP: Can you explain what drove you to choose to continue taking the test rather than withdrawing?
BH: Because the exam was postponed twice, I knew this was a possibility going into it. The bar study process was really rough and I was honestly just ready for it to be over. I knew I couldn’t do this for another four months. Plus, job application feedback was consistently that they were hiring people who were already barred. I had my dream offer from Legal Aid Chicago and I didn’t want to compromise that, and things were going to be chaotic no matter when I took the exam. I knew it was time to buckle down and give it my best shot!
RP: Congratulations on the job with Legal Aid! That’s an amazing opportunity. Okay, before we move into the actual bar exam and study process, tell me, what’s been the best reaction to your story?
BH: Talking to the New York Times! I was in the NYT right after the baby was born. I was so tired of talking to reporters at that point, but that experience was too exciting to pass up. The reactions from friends and family have also been amazing. Most people have been generally surprised but not shocked, and it feels good to know that I’m a person people feel like they can count on to perform under pressure.
RP: This baby is going to have so many stories to hear as he grows up! So cool. Let’s talk a little bit about your experience taking the bar exam. Obviously, your circumstances allowed you some unique insight that most people don't consider: the strict parameters that are enforced for bar exam takers, particularly with regards to taking the exam remotely (bathroom restrictions for pregnant examinees, for example!). Has that specific perspective made you think differently about the licensure process?
BH: Even outside of being pregnant and having to do a preposterous thing like giving birth during the exam, the pandemic really laid bare the rigidity of our licensing system. I am fortunate to have a support system at home, but not everyone has that. There should be better and more accessible options available to people. When I was petitioning for bathroom breaks, they told me if I felt like I needed to take bathroom breaks I would have to take the exam in person, even though my midwife said that was not safe, as I would be 38 weeks pregnant. Other people needing accommodations were also told that their only solution was to take the exam in person. This inflexible system means that people who will be wonderful lawyers might be shut out of taking the bar.
RP: You’ve been understandably critical of the bar exam process, but I have to ask, how was your experience studying with Themis?
BH: I felt like Themis did a really good job of adapting and easing minds as things changed. Plus, Themis was already a step ahead considering it was all online to begin with, so adjustments to the course as exam dates and formats changed did not result in huge interruptions to our study process.
RP: Thank you for those kind words! We appreciate it, as this was undeniably a very difficult process for the students whose exams were moved around and changed. I’d like to hear a little more about the details of your study process. How many hours per day did you study?
BH: I was pregnant and very tired, so on a good day I was studying for 6 hours, but my schedule was stretched out because of the postponements, so I was able to spend a little less time each day than I would have if following a more condensed schedule.
RP: I’m glad to hear you made the prolonged study time work for you and allowed yourself some time to rest! What advice would you give to students studying for future bar exams?
BH: 1) Trust the process. At the beginning of bar study it felt like I wasn’t doing enough but if you follow the course and stick to it, it is enough. 2) Don’t overthink it--the exam is meant to test minimal competence, and if you overthink it you will end up hurting yourself in the long run. 3) Give yourself grace to be human and allow yourself space to relax. 4) Adjust your schedule to meet your needs for the day to make sure your studying is still productive. Realize where you are and what will be most effective for you each day. 5) Don’t be afraid to reach out to your Themis Director for support!
RP: Thanks for your time, Brianna! It has been a pleasure and you are an inspiration!
