{"id":135893,"date":"2026-02-17T06:54:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/135893\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T06:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:54:11","slug":"yes-it-took-jfk-jr-3-times-to-pass-the-new-york-bar-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/135893\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, It Took JFK Jr. 3 Times to Pass the New York Bar Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Town<\/a>Mon, February 16, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC<\/p>\n

One of the most widely recalled moments from John F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s early legal career is that he did not pass the bar exam on his first attempt. The new FX series Love Story <\/a>opens while Kennedy (Paul Anthony Kelly) is working as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. Kennedy was the subject of numerous tabloid headlines over the course of his adulthood, but the ones from this era often rang to the tune of \u201cthe Hunk flunked,\u201d likely in reference to his being named People\u2019s Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/p>\n

Kennedy talks to reporters on November 7, 1990 about passing the bar. Bettmann – Getty Images<\/p>\n

Kennedy graduated from New York University School of Law in 1989 and took the New York state bar exam later that year. He failed that first sitting in November 1989, then failed again when he retook the exam in February 1990. After his second miss, Kennedy reportedly<\/a> said he would take the test again and again \u201cuntil I’m 95\u201d or he passed. Kennedy fell 11 points short of the passing score of 660 out of 1,000 points, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

His third attempt came in July 1990. \u201cAll assistants get three chances,\u201d Colleen Roche, a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney\u2019s office, told The Los Angeles Times<\/a> at the time. \u201cIt\u2019s a longstanding office policy.\u201d By November<\/a>, at the age of 29, Kennedy\u2019s results had come in and he had passed on his third try. \u201cThe Hunk Finally Does It!\u201d read the New York Post\u2019s front page.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/p>\n

JFK Jr. after graduating from NYU Law School in 1989. Bettmann – Getty Images<\/p>\n

Kennedy also passed the Connecticut bar exam<\/a> by the end of 1990, which allowed him to continue his work as a prosecutor without the uncertainty that had surrounded his early months in the role. He was sworn into the Connecticut bar in February 1991 in Stamford Superior Court, although he never practiced law in the state.<\/p>\n

His sister, Caroline, passed the New York bar exam on her first attempt in 1989 after graduating from Columbia Law School.<\/p>\n

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