They Were Put to the Test at Bar Exam

Fours years of college, three years of law school, months of study, and finally the moment had come to take the California Bar Exam. Nothing could rattle them now.

Except an earthquake.

Hundreds of would-be California attorneys, pencils poised and hearts pounding, were close to completing the second portion of the three-day examination when the test was postponed in the wake of a 5.5 temblor that rolled through Southern California on Wednesday afternoon.

“We were sitting there, studying away,” said Jonathan Foster, 26, a Harvard Law School graduate who was one of many taking the exam at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona. “And then suddenly you see people diving under their desks.”

Test takers were ushered outside and eventually told by officials to retrieve their belongings and go home, said Foster.

“I guess they didn’t want to take the chance of those lights falling down and killing a would-be lawyer,” Foster quipped, adding that they were instructed to be back, same time, same place for the third segment of the exam to be given today. It was not immediately known whether the second portion of the test would be given again.

But some did not find the test’s cancellation funny, saying that the earthquake may propel them into their first court case--with them as the plaintiffs.

“This could really be a nasty situation,” said one disgruntled law school graduate who asked not to be identified. He added that several of those who took the exam plan to collect names and phone numbers of their fellow test takers “in the event we feel we have to take some kind of action.”

He said he could not understand why the Bar, so meticulous about its testing procedures, had not given thought to what should be done in the event of an earthquake, especially in California “where quakes are so foreseeable.”

Wednesday’s portion of the three-segment test weighs heavily in the exam process, he explained, because it is the only segment that is averaged with scores nationwide. California Bar officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

But Foster said the quake, if nothing else, made many realize that there are some things more important than passing a test.

“I heard a few people say that it puts the whole thing in perspective,” he said. “A few people felt their whole lives depended on this test. And now they figure that not having a light fall on them is a pretty good thing too.”

The following Times staff writers contributed to earthquake coverage: Irene Chang, Stephanie Chavez, Rich Connell, Darrell Dawsey, Tina Daunt, Ashley Dunn, Michelle Fuetsch, Kenneth Garcia, Denise Hamilton, Nieson Himmel, Charisse Jones, Jesse Katz, Siok-Hian Tay Kelley, Mark Landsbaum, Paul Lieberman, Eric Malnic, Carol McGraw, Victor Merina, Dean Murphy, Ed Newton, Mitch Polin, David Reyes, Sebastian Rotella, Rich Simon, Jill Stewart, Jocelyn Stewart, Sheryl Stolberg, Ronald B. Taylor, Tracy Thomas, Hector Tobar, Mike Ward and Tracy Wood.