After five difficult attempts and more than $25,000 spent pursuing her dream, a determined 30-year-old woman named Briona Pratt has finally achieved success by passing the United States Bar Examination with impressive scores in 2026.
Her story is one of resilience, persistence, faith, and refusing to let repeated setbacks define her future.
Today, Briona is not only a licensed lawyer in the making but also the first college graduate, first law graduate, and first lawyer in her family.
Briona's Story and How She Did It
Her academic journey began in 2014 when she enrolled at University of Missouri, where she studied Political Science. Through years of dedication and hard work, she successfully earned her bachelor’s degree in 2018.
Determined to pursue a legal career, Briona continued at the same institution to study for a Juris Doctor degree, the professional law degree required to practice law in the United States.
In 2021, she graduated with her Doctor of Law degree, officially completing law school and moving one step closer to becoming an attorney. But the next stage of her journey became the most difficult.
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After graduating, Briona began writing the U.S. Bar Examination, one of the most rigorous professional licensing exams in the country.
Her first attempt came in July 2021 during a particularly demanding season of her life. At the time, she had just relocated to Illinois, purchased her first home, and started working at a Fortune 500 company while simultaneously preparing for the exam.
When she failed the exam, the disappointment hit hard. She admitted feeling sadness, anger, frustration, and even self-doubt.
Yet after processing those emotions, she reminded herself how far she had already come. “I am a first-generation college student, a first-generation law student, and a first-generation homeowner,” she shared.
Instead of giving up, Briona leaned on her faith and support system and decided to keep going.
Her second attempt came in February 2022. This time, she believed her preparation would finally pay off, but she failed again. The result became a painful reminder that effort alone does not always guarantee immediate success.
By the time she sat for her third attempt in July 2022, she was already feeling dicouraged and burnt out. Balancing a demanding career in risk and compliance alongside intense exam preparation became mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Looking back, Briona admitted she should have paused earlier to protect her mental health. In 2023, she finally stepped away from the exam completely.
Rather than seeing the break as failure, she used the time to rebuild herself emotionally and mentally. She traveled, reflected, focused on her career, and worked on regaining confidence outside the pressure of the bar exam.
“That time away helped me rebuild my confidence and reconnect with who I was outside of the exam. That break didn’t set me back; it prepared me,” she explained.
Refreshed and more grounded, Briona returned for her fourth attempt in February 2025. Although she performed much better, she narrowly missed the passing mark by only eight points which made it very heartbreaking.
“There were moments I questioned everything,” she admitted. “The rejection felt personal.” Still, she refused to let the disappointment stop her.
During this period, Briona also launched a scholarship initiative to support other bar exam retakers, helping aspiring lawyers facing similar struggles.
Remarkably, all four recipients of the scholarship eventually passed the bar exam, further reminding her that her journey still had purpose.
For her fifth and final attempt, Briona completely changed her study strategy. Instead of focusing on quantity, she prioritized understanding concepts deeply and improving accuracy, especially in the Multistate Bar Examination section.
Her approach finally paid off. In February 2026, after years of setbacks, sacrifices, and perseverance, Briona officially passed the bar examination.
The emotional moment was captured on video as she celebrated with loved ones who had stood beside her throughout the difficult journey.
Reflecting on her victory, Briona stated that she belived it was the right time it happened. “I truly believe in divine timing; that what is meant for you will not pass you. That season taught me resilience, humility, and discipline, but it also strengthened my faith,” she said.
Now preparing for a legal role within her company, Briona hopes her story encourages others facing repeated failures not to quit on themselves.
She reminds aspiring lawyers and students that exam results do not define intelligence, potential, or future success.
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