(CNN) An Illinois woman spent months laboring in preparation for her upcoming bar exam ― only to go into labor during the test.
Loyola University Chicago law school graduate Brianna Hill originally planned on taking the bar in July, but amid COVID-19 concerns, the exam was delayed to October.
Hill knew that meant she’d be very pregnant while taking the final test toward becoming a lawyer, and she was OK with that.
“I was ready to go ― confident,” she told NBC Chicago.
She started her exam on Oct. 5 at home (technological measures were taken to keep her and all the other remote test takers from cheating).
But within minutes, Hill went into labor.
“I didn’t think about it because I was in the test,” she said.
“I started taking the [Multistate Performance Test], but since we were remote I couldn’t leave view of the camera. As soon as I stood up when I finished, I knew my water had broken,” Hill told Above the Law. “So I took my break, got myself cleaned up, called my husband, midwife, and mom, cried because I was a little panicked, then sat down to take the [Multistate Essay Examination].”
Surprisingly, Hill said going into labor helped her with the test.
“Going into labor really put the bar exam into perspective and made my nerves go away really quickly,” she said.null
Despite the impending birth, Hill managed to finish all of her essays before heading to the hospital around 5:30 p.m.
A little less than five hours later, at 10:10 p.m., Hill gave birth to Cassius Phillip Andrew.
But there was still the second day of bar exams for Hill to complete. Luckily, hospital staff let her take them in an empty room with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
During breaks, she nursed her newborn.
“I’m so thankful for the support system I had around me. The midwives and nurses were so invested in helping me not only become a mom but also a lawyer,” Hill told CNN.
Although she won’t receive her bar exam results until December, Hill already has a job lined up.