Woman Finishes Illinois Bar Exam While In Labor And Right After Delivering Baby

Nov 08, 2020 by apost team

Plenty of us might have heard the term "supermom" at least once in our lifetimes. What it means can differ depending on our own childhood experiences and parental figures in our lives. 

For Brianna Hill, it meant pursuing her career – even while giving birth. Last month, Hill did the unimaginable when she went into labor while writing the Illinois State Bar exam. Unfazed, the new mom rushed to the hospital, gave birth to a healthy son, and then finished the life-changing exam from a private room on the delivery floor. 

Hill started to feel contractions while she was writing the first section of the two-part bar exam. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the exam took place remotely, meaning Hill was thankfully home when she went into labor. 

"I started the second section and 15 to 20 minutes in, I started having contractions," Hill told Goodmorning America. "I had already asked for an accommodation to get up and go to the bathroom because I was 38 weeks pregnant, and they said I'd get flagged for cheating. I couldn't leave the view of the camera."

When Hill started to feel contractions, she did not let the pain stop her from completing her exam and continued writing, hoping to finish the first part before entering labor. "I was determined," she said. She called her husband and continued writing for as long as she could. 

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A first-time mother, Hill was unaware of what to expect when giving birth, and as such, she had a firm belief that she could complete her exam.

Brianna Hill graduated from Loloya University Chicago's School of Law earlier this year and was initially supposed to take the exam in late July. As the pandemic worsened and states started implementing more safety measures, the exams were postponed until early October – a few weeks before the expected delivery date of October 19.

Following her completion of the first day of the exam, she rushed to a nearby medical center with her husband, Cameron Andrew. On October 6, Hill delivered a beautiful baby boy named Cassius Phillip Andrew. Meanwhile, she was scheduled to finish the second half of the exam that following day. 

Hill told the medical staff that she had to complete the exam, so they reserved a private room for her in the postpartum unit complete with a "do not disturb" sign. 

"There were all these professional women supporting me and my professional goals, even though I just became a mother and it was their job to support me in that," Hill told the publications about the medical staff.

Hill revealed that after her water broke on the first day, she immediately phoned her husband and notified him of the situation. Instead of telling her to forgo the exam, he stood by her side and made sure she could finish the test before driving her to the hospital.

Hill is most grateful for her incredible support system. From her mother to her husband, and even her law school friends, everyone was very supportive and motivated her to achieve her goals. It wouldn't have been possible, however, without her deadset determination. 

"I'm really thankful," Hill said. "Life throws curve balls at you, but when I have a goal, I'm going to see it through."

One of her professors, Miranda Johnson, took to LinkedIn to praise her student for her fearless feat. 

"My former student/advisee Brianna Hill (now a Loyola Law and Civitas ChildLaw Center graduate) and brand new mom is a superhero!" Johnson wrote in her post. 

For now, Hill is taking some much-deserved time off to spend with her newborn. Next year, she's going to hit the ground running with a new job as a legal aid organizer. For her new position, Hill will be dealing with eviction defense, landlord-tenant issues, and subsidized housing. She plans to focus her efforts on low-income communities to help those who find themselves in undesirable situations.

If her determination to finish the exam is any indication of her work ethic, we predict she will do great things in her line of work. Right now, baby Cassius is doing well, and doting parents Hill and Cameron Andrew have an immense love for him.

Do you have a supermom in your life who deserves praise? Make sure you show her the love and give her the recognition she deserves in the comments below. Don't forget to pass this on to your friends and family!