Hi! Looking for advice on various things. Sorry for writing so much, but I would love some tips or input on anything or everything below. Thanks! ♥️

I am a licensed Minnesota attorney. My firm laid me off. I practice business litigation. I always worried when I would be able to take the time to study for the California bar in my careers when practicing law was already so demanding.

The universe came through. On Dec 1, they laid me off (I’m so glad they did), and the applications for the February bar closed Dec 18. With the severance my old firm gave me along with decent unemployment, it was the perfect opportunity to study and take the California bar exam. I want a CA license because all of my family is there and I want the opportunity to one day return home. Or do multijurisdictional work.

Anyway, I encountered some severe health issues (better now) two weeks before the bar and I ended up not studying for like 10 days. I was underprepared. I’m almost CERTAIN I will have to retake in July, but I do not want to have a full 6 month gap on my resume…. How do I explain such a large gap to future employers?

Does anyone have any suggestions for work I can do that is not so demanding that I can study for the July exam and work at the same time? I get unemployment until November (which pays the same as I made when I was a law clerk… so it’s totally livable). So should I just focus on studying until then? Or find a job now and keep my studying going?

Would love same advice! Thanks!