Never Too Early to Plan What to Wear for the Bar Exam
Today is National Sock Day. Yes, there is such a thing.
According to the website, National Today, “National Sock Day, celebrated on December 4, is a day to celebrate those rarest of socks that managed to stick together and maybe to mourn those socks that lost their significant others in the wash over the years.”
National Sock Day was recently founded by clothing company Pair of Thieves as a silly celebration of those feet coverings. However, National Sock Day has since evolved into a way to give back to communities. Those who celebrate #nationalsockday are asked to make a sock donation to those in need. To date, Pair of Thieves has donated more than 3 million socks to the unhoused community and has partnered with other charitable organizations like Baby2Baby to donate other necessities like diapers and clothing.
Today, let’s talk about clothing, and specifically what to wear while taking the bar exam in February. It should be obvious that taking the bar exam in February is very different than taking the bar exam in July. And it’s never too early to start to plan.
Aside from location—for example, the July Tennessee bar exam is offered in Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis, but the February exam is offered only in Nashville—one of the most overlooked differences is the temperature.
The daily average temperature in Nashville for July is 80.3 degrees. By contrast, the daily average temperature in February is only 42.7 degrees.
Inside the exam room, the temperature is generally on the cooler side for both the July and February exams. Usually, though, the exam’s first day (Tuesday) is a bit colder than the second day as examiners need to accommodate for the heat that is released by the hundreds of laptops at work during the written portion of the exam. As a result, you should prepare accordingly by wearing long sleeves and shoes with socks (rather than sandals).
During the lunchbreaks, you’ll likely be required to leave the exam room, which, for the Tennessee bar exam at The Fairgrounds in Nashville, means eating lunch outside in the cold or, as was the case last year because of how cold and windy it was on the second day of the exam, eating your lunches in your running, heated car.
With the huge differences in temperatures between the July and February exams as well as the differences inside and outside the exam room, make sure you closely read your jurisdiction’s rules for what you can—and cannot—wear to your testing site.
In Tennessee, the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners provides examinees with the following warning: “Dress in layers to adjust to the temperature in the exam room. Be prepared to be flexible. HATS, HOODS, HOODIES or anything with an attached hood are not allowed in the testing room.”
The TBLE permits non-hooded sweatshirts and sweaters in the exam room, but they must be placed on the back of your chair if they aren’t being worn. Coats and jackets heavier than a sweatshirt must be placed in the area designated by the exam proctors.
Also, watches of any type—so not just smart watches—are also prohibited by the TBLE.
Prior to the administration of each Tennessee bar exam, the TBLE releases its General Information Manual. The purpose of the Manual is to provide information regarding testing policies and procedures, as well as what to expect on exam days. The TBLE hasn’t yet released the current Manual for the February 2023 exam, but you can find the July 2022 version here.
Most jurisdictions have similar manuals or information posted on their websites.
It is important to know ahead of time what you’re permitted to wear so you aren’t rushing around at the last minute or forced to remove any clothing. It may also be a good idea to wear the same clothing during your practice exams that you plan to wear during the actual bar exam. The last thing you’ll want to deal with on exam day is an itchy sweater or one of those annoying tags around the collar that you didn’t anticipate.
