‘Hallelujah!’: Video of UCLA Law Grad Passing Bar Exam Goes Viral


Omarr Rambert ’20 shares the story behind ‘the greatest accomplishment of my life thus far’

January 21, 2021
UCLA Law alum Omarr Rambert checks his bar exam results

If you haven’t seen it by now, the 42-second clip is definitely worth watching – a joyous video showing the moment when 2020 UCLA School of Law graduate Omarr Rambert learned that he passed the California Bar Exam. What begins with Rambert logging into his computer and a few beats of quiet nervousness erupts into tears of relief and cries of “Hallelujah!” as the UCLA Law alum, his mother and brother soak in the reality that, after waiting so, so long … he passed.

Since Rambert and his mother posted the video to their respective Instagram accounts in mid-January, it has become a viral internet sensation. “The reaction has been amazing,” Rambert says. “I have been contacted by people all over the world: Germany, Australia, Japan, the U.K., et cetera. So many people have been inspired by the video for several reasons. One, some people know my story and the road to get to that moment. Two, many people have appreciated seeing a Black male accomplish his goals. And three, the past year has been tough for everyone, so to see a moment like this was refreshing for many.”

The video also captured the end of a long journey for Rambert, who has wanted to be a lawyer since he was in fifth grade. An aspiring entertainment attorney, he came to UCLA Law to specialize in its leading entertainment law program. He also served as an editor of the UCLA Law Review and the National Black Law Journal and as social chair of the Black Law Students Association. But his experience also included a personal jolt whose sad echoes, he says, reverberate in the video: “My stepfather, my biggest supporter outside of my mother, passed away at the beginning of my 3L year in a tragic car accident.”

The months after graduation presented more challenges, including delays in the administration of the exam and then uncertainty about when the results would be announced. “Studying for the bar exam while trying to stay focused amid a pandemic and recent racial injustice movements can be mentally and physically exhausting,” he says, “because you realize that there are much bigger things going on in the world other than this test.”

Now, Rambert is working in litigation at Ballard Spahr in Century City, with hopes of tailoring his practice to film and television law as his career progresses. Whatever direction it takes, he will always have the video to remember what he calls “the greatest accomplishment of my life thus far.”

“That moment was an emotional and long-sought-after one because I overcame so much adversity to get there,” he says. “Once I received my results, I experienced every emotion: happiness, reassurance, relief, excitement, confidence. I will never forget that moment.”

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