Thankfully, there was only minor damage — a few broken windows, for example. Rumors have it that pieces of the chandelier fell during the exam, as well, in one location. But since the quake struck on the first day, during the first session of the exam, it raises all kinds of interesting questions.
Reports from the bar exam in Century City, California, show that the quake hit with five minutes left in the session. Proctors tried to maintain calm and didn't let anyone leave the room — or give them the extra five minutes.
This was, thankfully, a relatively minor event. However, what a way to shake your concentration, especially when you know that there are going to be aftershocks. What's more, the Century City site was apparently in a basement with no real exits.
Unlike past bar exams, this seems to not be much cause for concern with respect to the integrity of the exam. Past state bar exams, such as one in New York, have had to toss questions over other issues.
Hopefully, this minor disruption aside, the bar exam will proceed smoothly nationwide, so that those who fail will only fail on their own and not be able to point to an "act of God" as a reason why they failed (or succeeded, for that matter).
In any case, those who have passed the bar should be able to feel some sympathy for the afflicted in this case. Remembering the rule against perpetuities is hard enough without worrying about whether the ground will remain under your feet in perpetuity, too.
Good luck to those who were affected, and hopefully nothing happens during the rest of the exam!
