Willamette Law dean Brian Gallini discusses how the bar exam interferes with practical education
SALEM REPORTER — When Brian Gallini talks to lawyers who have recently hired his former students, he often gets the same question. Gallini, dean of Willamette University’s College of Law, said employers often have to train newly minted attorneys on common tasks. “Dean, your grads are very intelligent, but why do I have to teach them how to…
Read More about Willamette Law dean Brian Gallini discusses how the bar exam interferes with practical educationPodcast: Syracuse Law student Meg Steenburgh discusses the future of the bar exam with legal experts
LEGAL TALK NETWORK — Recent bar exam criticisms have left many in the legal sphere questioning whether the test really does what it claims. Is it still an essential step in legal licensure, or is it just a tired tradition? To help law students understand the many facets of this issue, Meg Steenburgh welcomes Josh Block…
Read More about Podcast: Syracuse Law student Meg Steenburgh discusses the future of the bar exam with legal expertsFebruary bar exam COVID-19 protocols differ across states
BLOOMBERG LAW — Most U.S. bar exams are standard, but law school graduates will encounter starkly different Covid-19 precautions next month depending on the state where they take the test. Michigan requires masks, but not Texas. New York requires vaccination proof—though not in Buffalo and Albany—and Florida doesn’t. Ohio will use bathroom monitors to enforce social distancing,…
Read More about February bar exam COVID-19 protocols differ across statesNevada Moves February Bar Exam Online, Citing Covid Concerns
BLOOMBERG LAW — Nevada will offer its February bar exam online, becoming what appears to be the first state to ditch plans to force aspiring lawyers to take the test in-person in response to a spike in Covid-19 infections. The state will now offer a remote option for its Feb. 22-23 test, in addition to a revised…
Read More about Nevada Moves February Bar Exam Online, Citing Covid ConcernsBar exam officials to offer make-up for states that can’t hold Feb. test
REUTERS — It’s too late to move the nationwide components of the February bar exam online, the National Conference of Bar Examiners said Monday. But the organization, which designs the multistate portions of the state attorney licensing exams, said it will makeup exam materials in late March should local health regulations prohibit giving the Feb. 23 and…
Read More about Bar exam officials to offer make-up for states that can’t hold Feb. testNational Conference of Bar Examiners says new bar exam is on track for 2026 at AALS Annual Meeting session
REUTERS — A five-year overhaul of the bar exam is gaining momentum, with officials close to detailing the legal knowledge and skills that the new attorney licensing test will assess. That information is due to be released within the first quarter of 2022, officials with the National Conference of Bar Examiners said Thursday during the Association of…
Read More about National Conference of Bar Examiners says new bar exam is on track for 2026 at AALS Annual Meeting sessionCOVID-19 concerns pressure states to consider bar exam delays
BLOOMBERG LAW — Bar exam developers are warning that some states may delay February’s tests for a month as the Covid-19 omicron variant spreads in the U.S. Most states will likely hold the exam in person on Feb. 22-23, but “testing materials will be available for makeup dates in late March,” the National Conference of Bar Examiners…
Read More about COVID-19 concerns pressure states to consider bar exam delaysOregon Supreme Court tentatively approves proposal for law practice licensing through supervision and experience
BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE — The Oregon Supreme Court has tentatively OK’d a proposal that would give would-be lawyers the option to skip the bar exam and instead become licensed to practice law through experience or supervision. The state’s highest court in a unanimous vote “expressed approval in concept” to a pair of alternative pathways designed for law students…
Read More about Oregon Supreme Court tentatively approves proposal for law practice licensing through supervision and experienceOpinion: Mental health questions on bar application prevent aspiring attorneys from seeking help
TEEN VOGUE — Weeks before the pandemic first began to ravage New York City, New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore announced that bar applicants will no longer have to answer intrusive questions about mental health conditions or treatment to become certified attorneys in the state via the Character and Fitness application. Upon hearing this news,…
Read More about Opinion: Mental health questions on bar application prevent aspiring attorneys from seeking helpStates face challenges planning the February bar exam in 2022
BLOOMBERG LAW — Several jurisdictions still don’t have plans in place—or haven’t made these plans public—for how the February 2022 bar exam will be administered, explains Greg Bordelon, associate law professor at the University of Maine. Resources are critical for state bar admissions staff to convey their plans to applicants and to successfully carry out in-person…
Read More about States face challenges planning the February bar exam in 2022