Stan State Alumni Pass California Bar Exam on First Try

Stanislaus State's Class of 2022 continues to stand out for Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Blake Wilson, the director of the University's pre-law program.

It was one of the first classes he worked with for the entirety of their undergraduate tenures since he arrived on campus in 2017, following a 20-year career as a criminal defense attorney. Over that time, he saw firsthand that the enthusiasm from several students was unique.

Lindy Muñoz and Priyanka Sen were two students who consistently participated in programs and events offered by the Pre-Law Resource Center that Wilson coordinates, so it was no surprise to him that the two each went on to complete law school and pass the California Bar Examination.

What did surprise him, though, is that the undergraduate classmates each passed the test on their first tries during the same July 2025 session. Wilson said it was an occurrence he had never seen in his time at Stan State and one that many other colleagues and area lawyers also had not experienced.

"I certainly have never heard of this happening with any of my other classmates or colleagues at my job now," said Muñoz, who currently works as an attorney with Silva Injury Law in Turlock. "I'm so happy for Priyanka, too, because I know how much work this takes."

"I imagine there are several people who have done that, but it was never something I've thought about," added Sen, now a litigation associate at San Francisco-based law firm Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney. "Not many people realize how expansive the legal field is and how many law schools there are, so I think it's a coincidence that Lindy and I ended up in Northern California and were able to do this."

Wilson said he was "over the moon" when he found out they both passed the exam.

"In my 10 years at Stan State, this is the first time we've had two students complete their undergraduate schooling in four years, take the three years of law school and pass the bar exam on the first try," said Wilson. "What they have done is definitely something to be proud of."

Muñoz called the process of preparing for and taking the bar exam "the hardest thing I have ever done, not just academically, but in general. It just tests you so much."

The State Bar of California reported that 4,032 people, including Muñoz and Sen, passed the July 2025 General Bar Examination, or 54.8 percent of exam takers.

"Those three to four months after the exam were very stressful because we knew that the February session was very tough on those that took it," Sen said. "Everything I've done in the past eight or nine years came down to this exam, but I had to treat it like another test, just another hurdle before I became an attorney. Once I passed, it was time to get to work."

Muñoz and Sen each decided they wanted to pursue careers in law while in high school.

As a junior at Delhi High School, Muñoz participated in mock trials organized by the Merced County Office of Education and the Merced County District Attorney's Office.

"We received a case packet, and I learned about Miranda rights for the first time and the oral advocacy component of court," Muñoz said. "It was such a new and fun experience. From that point on, I knew I wanted to study criminal justice. It solidified it all for me."

And she immediately made it clear to Wilson.

"The first day on campus, I went to his office and told him, 'I want to be a lawyer.' And he said he'd help me, that I should take his advice and I'd get there," Muñoz said. "Sure enough, here we are."

Sen took similar initiative with Wilson, though her educational journey was much different. Rather than majoring in criminal justice, she earned undergraduate degrees in English and biology.

"I learned that you don't need to be a specific major or do any prerequisites in undergrad to go to law school," Sen explained. "Biology and English are the two things that I love and care about most, and I'm still able to use that knowledge. During law school, I focused on intellectual property, particularly in the patent area, where my biology degree was valuable."

On the Pre-Law Resource Center website, Wilson proudly posts updates on former students, including a list of alumni who have been admitted to law school, graduated and passed the bar exam since 2018. Sen and Muñoz are two of seven alumni from the Class of 2022 to move on to law school. Sen attended the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Muñoz attended McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, Wilson's alma mater.

At Stan State, both were members of the Pre-Law Society student organization, advised by Wilson. There, Sen served as president for two years. She credited the club for helping her and others navigate the law school admissions process. As president, Sen made it a goal to show non-criminal justice and political science students that there was a place for them in the field of law.

In the classroom, Sen and Muñoz each participated in the Court Observer program, meeting weekly at the Stanislaus Superior Court to observe proceedings with the cooperation of local judges. Muñoz also enrolled in Moot Court, practicing legal skills and competing amongst classmates and individuals from other schools by researching and arguing hypothetical cases.

"Stan State's criminal justice program, as a whole, was amazing," Muñoz said. "Dr. Wilson ended up being so important to my success because I didn't come from a family of lawyers, and I was completely lost. If it weren't for him, I don't think I could have gotten to this point. I found what I needed here, and being able to stay in my community, that's all I could have asked for."

During her time at Stan State, Muñoz focused on prosecution, but once she arrived at McGeorge and took a course on torts - civil law concerning harm caused by a person's wrongful or injurious actions - she chose to focus solely on personal injury law.

"Stan State's criminal justice program, as a whole, was amazing. Dr. Wilson ended up being so important to my success because I didn't come from a family of lawyers, and I was completely lost. If it weren't for him, I don't think I could have gotten to this point. I found what I needed here." - Lindy Muñoz

Sen, meanwhile, was steadfast in the sciences at law school in San Francisco, working with biotech companies and scientists. In one hands-on program, she worked directly with a pharmaceutical company that was developing medication. To ensure the medication was not yet patented, Sen helped conduct extensive research.

"We looked at everything, all the way down to the molecular level, like nucleotides and amino acids," Sen said. "We looked at the composition of the product from our client and compared it to patented products that other people already had, which could have potentially made our client vulnerable to lawsuits."

Wilson gave his former students all the credit for taking the necessary steps to be successful.

"Priyanka and Lindy both came to me independently as undergraduates and said confidently, 'I want to go to law school. I want to be a lawyer. What can you do for me?'" Wilson said. "Working with the students as freshmen to help them out over the next four years is important because you really need to start preparing for law school from the get-go. They both did that, working hard as students, coming by the office, getting involved in activities. They were just really committed and dedicated.

"They were incredible students and helped the program grow to what it is today. They and so many others who are continuing to do great work and pursue careers in the field were such a joy to be around, and seeing their success makes me really proud. I guess you can say the Class of 2022 cohort is doing pretty good for themselves."