Recent Law Grads Call On California To Scrap Bar Exam

Following up on Sunday's post, California Law School Deans Report On July 2 Meeting With State Supreme Court And Bar:  Bloomberg Law, Recent Law Grads Call On California Trustees to Scrap Bar Exam:

Those signed up to take the California bar exam are growing increasingly concerned about state officials’ indecisiveness regarding when and if the bar exam should be administered in 2020, given the public health concerns over Covid-19.

California officials are weighing a variety of possible scenarios, including a possible online exam to be given in September instead of the originally scheduled dates later this month. They’re also considering other options that could allow recent law school graduates the ability to practice law without taking an exam, either provisionally or permanently.

Dozens of recent law school grads addressed the California Bar’s Board of Trustees during a three-hour Zoom meeting July 7, during which many expressed strong feelings about what they considered to be an overly costly bar exam preparation process that discriminates against poorer students and, disproportionately, puts test takers of color at a disadvantage.

Some callers grew emotional as they talked about the stresses of having to pay for exam prep courses while waiting for their delayed careers to begin.

Stanford Daily, Uncertainty and Delays Plague California Bar Examination:

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted Californians in every field and profession. Aspiring attorneys, who need to pass the California Bar Exam to practice law, are no exception. California’s inability to determine when and how to administer the exam has left Stanford law school graduates frustrated and anxious about their ability to finally become lawyers after three years of intense and expensive legal education.