A law school friend with connections to the board of Bar Examiners called me at around 11am, on April 8th to tell me that I had passed the bar.
I always imagined when that when that moment came, I would react in a big way, but I didn't.
I thought I would cry, or scream out loud, but I didn't.
I thought that I would call everyone I knew, or at least post the news on facebook, but I didn't.
My paralegal heard the phone call, so I shared my news calmly with the office.
Next, I called my husband, my mother, my father and my good friend, Vanessa. I also called the other members of my study group to offer congratulations or condolences.
Then, I got back to work. I had a pleading due that day.
I worked until about 2pm, and finally looked at the state bar website, to see it in writing.
Wow, my name was really on the list of successful applicants...but what if there was a mistake?
Vanessa insisted that I go to lunch (Thank you, Vanessa), so I chose Old Town Pizza Parlor...I figured that I was entitled to some cheese and carbs.
Mike at the Parlor is an old friend, so he treated me to lunch. He also treated me to some Michael Jackson on the restaurant's stereo system.
At 3:30, the office manager called me, to make sure that I was OK...I was upset, thinking, "Geez, can't I take a full hour lunch on the day that I pass the bar?"
I returned to the office.
Waiting on my desk was a large plant and some flowers from my mother and stepfather with a card addressed to "Angela Chavez Adkins, Attorney at Law."I was then summoned via the office PA system to the small conference room, where my colleagues surprised me with strawberries and champagne. Still in shock, I was asked to make a speech. I raised my glass and thanked the partners for investing in me, promised to do a good job, and then said, "Here's to a higher billable rate!" That line didn't get the laughs I expected (oh well.)
Then, I got back to work. The pleading was done, but I really felt he need to focus on something other than the bar... it was almost as if I was "coping" with the fact that I had passed.
The day after I read the results online, a letter arrived in the mail confirming that I had passed the bar and that my MBE score was high enough to be admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar by motion.
That weekend my husband took me out for a fancy dinner. I got dressed up and made my hair "big." The whole lawyer thing still didn't feel real.
My boss, David, offered his gorgeous home for a celebration gathering, but I still didn't believe that I had passed!
Josh wanted to have a bar-b-que at our house, or invite our family and friends out to eat, but I just said, "No Thanks, Baby." I just couldn't plan a party for something that wasn't real.
The next few weeks flew by. Before I knew it, it was Easter weekend, and the swearing in ceremony was to occur that Monday. Josh and I decided to rent an inexpensive hotel room in Santa Fe to ensure that we did not arrive late to the ceremony.
On Easter, my Stepfather decided to take the whole family on an impromptu get-away to Buffalo Thunder so that we could all go to the ceremony together.
As we packed our bags for Santa Fe, I placed the letter in my purse, just in case my name wasn't on the list when we arrived at the ceremony.
Josh and I arrived at the James Little Theater just in time for the ceremony to begin. I practically jumped out of our car while it was still moving, so that Josh could find a parking space!
My in-laws and David were already seated and waiting for our arrival. David made a compelling speech to the NM Supreme Court and moved for my admission.
Then, the Justices asked the new admittees to stand and raise our right hands as we took the attorney's oath.
When I sat down after taking the oath, my 3-year-old nephew, Elijah, who was sitting next to me on my mother's lap said, "High Five, Auntie?"
I am sure that the "high five" had more to do with the fact that I had stood for five minutes with my hand raised, than with congratulating me, but it felt great!
That was the moment that I realized, my dream of becoming an attorney had actually come true!
