Ekaterina Gay, a 2025 graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, reached two major milestones last summer — earning her Juris Doctor and passing the bar exam on her first attempt.
Gay took advantage of the flexibility of the law school’s hybrid J.D. program, completing it while working full time. The next step was to prepare for the bar exam, and it was a daunting one. Fortunately, she was already familiar with UD’s Road to Bar Passage program from previous work at the University.
Funded in part by the UDSL Dean’s Fund and One Day, One Dayton donors, the Road to Bar Passage program provides housing, meals and other post-graduation support for recent graduates who stay on campus to study for the bar. Gay took advantage of the on-campus housing, which made it easy for her to access the library and other campus resources. She also benefited from the weekday breakfast and lunch offered through the program.
“It saved me time that I could use for studying,” Gay said. “I still cooked dinner at home, but the meal support helped me stay healthy while being focused on my exam preparation.”
For Gay, the most valuable part of the program was the weekly proctored writing sessions. Participants practiced timed Multistate Essay Examination and Multistate Performance Test essays under test-like conditions. She also took part in a two-day bar exam simulation.
“It helped me get used to the test environment and figure out how to tune out distractions,” she said. “We got prompt feedback from both the faculty and local attorneys, which allowed me to make changes and improve my writing right away. Honestly, those sessions made a huge difference.”
It’s not all grind, though. The program is structured to account for the strenuous nature of bar exam preparation and offers holistic support, including mindfulness practices, breathing techniques, meditation and weekly yoga classes.
“That helped me alleviate a lot of stress,” Gay said. “As I was going through the program, I was actually thinking to myself how much thought was put into the design of the program and how much effort had been made to alleviate stress, remove barriers and distractions and help students focus on being successful. The program gave me confidence that I could do it.”
According to Katie Armstrong, assistant director of bar preparation, the Road to Bar Passage program’s success is rooted in community support.
“We see the direct impact of our donors’ generosity every bar cycle,” Armstrong said. “Every gift strengthens the bridge from graduation to licensure. Behind all of our bar takers stands a community that believes in them, and that makes me incredibly proud to be both a UD alum and employee.”