Bar candidate whose care was delayed after heart attack sues university

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Bar candidate whose care was delayed after heart attack sues university

By Julianne Hill

August 5, 2026, 12:41 pm CDT

UPDATED: A July 2025 bar candidate who slumped out of her chair, lost consciousness and suffered a brain injury during the July 2025 New York bar exam is suing Hofstra University, which hosted the exam’s administration, as well as the state of New York and the State Board of Law Examiners in a separate suit.

Mary Jane Jung, 36, a graduate of the Fordham Law School, began gasping for air and started turning blue shortly before the lunch break at the exam hosted at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University in New York, according to the lawsuit filed against the university last week in the state supreme court in Nassau County, New York.

But proctors ordered the hundreds of other test-takers to continue with the exam, after Jung struggled to breathe and cried out, according to the suit, and only after the exam ended were emergency responders allowed to treat Jung, delaying help to the Fordham Law School graduate by critical early minutes as she suffered permanent and life-altering injuries. She is seeking undisclosed financial damages.

The suit alleges that emergency medical services were not immediately summoned, and CPR was not promptly administered.

“The consequences were devastating,” according to the suit.

Last year, Hofstra University officials said its public safety officers immediately provided CPR and other life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and rushed Jung to the Nassau University Medical Center nearby.

Updated 9/7/2026 at 12:33 pm to include information about additional lawsuits filed.

NJ.com and Newsday have coverage.

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