Bar examiners plan return to in-person exams after July administration
REUTERS – The National Conference of Bar Examiners last month announced it does not plan to give jurisdictions the option to give the two-day attorney licensing test online again, and will return to only providing an in-person exam starting with the next test in February 2022.
Read More about Bar examiners plan return to in-person exams after July administrationOpinion: William and Mary Law dean A. Benjamin Spencer encourages bar exam reforms, not elimination
BLOOMBERG LAW — Calls for eliminating bar exams to improve fairness and diversity in the legal profession are increasing, but A. Benjamin Spencer, dean of William & Mary Law School, argues that eliminating them is not the answer. They should be transformed into a more effective gauge of professional readiness, which, he contends, can be achieved…
Read More about Opinion: William and Mary Law dean A. Benjamin Spencer encourages bar exam reforms, not eliminationOregon moves closer to alternative licensing pathways for lawyers
REUTERS — Currently, Oregon participates in the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) as its primary approach to licensure. The addition of the experiential learning and the supervised practice pathway would offer two more methods with all three ensuring specific competencies are met to practice law in the state.
Read More about Oregon moves closer to alternative licensing pathways for lawyersOpinion: New York should keep the Uniform Bar Exam
BLOOMBERG LAW — Two members of the ABA’s Young Lawyer Division say a recent article by members of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on the Bar Examination that called for abandoning the Uniform Bar Exam was off the mark.
Read More about Opinion: New York should keep the Uniform Bar ExamReport finds law graduates can overstudy for the bar exam
ABA JOURNAL — Bar exam candidates who start study sessions earlier in the day could have a better chance of passing, but keeping at it for 10 or more hours daily could harm one’s chances of success, according to a study released Tuesday by AccessLex.
Read More about Report finds law graduates can overstudy for the bar examLaw graduates reflect on the remote bar exam
ABA JOURNAL — For the 30 jurisdictions offering a remote bar exam in a few weeks, there are hopes the technology has improved since last year’s administrations, when candidates reported issues with facial authentication technology, software crashes and problems uploading videos.
Read More about Law graduates reflect on the remote bar examOpinion: New York Bar Association taskforce members urge state to drop the Uniform Bar Exam
BLOOMBERG LAW — The Uniform Bar Exam has been harmful to the preparation of New York state lawyers, argue retired judge Alan D. Scheinkman and Michael Miller, members of the NYSBA Task Force on the New York Bar Examination.
Read More about Opinion: New York Bar Association taskforce members urge state to drop the Uniform Bar ExamWillamette Law dean Brian Gallini recommends alternative pathways to law licensing beyond the bar exam
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY — After months of study and review, a task force of Oregon attorneys and legal educators issued a formal recommendation that the state consider other ways for recent law school graduates to show competency beyond the traditional bar exam.
Read More about Willamette Law dean Brian Gallini recommends alternative pathways to law licensing beyond the bar examABA releases bar exam pass data for 2020 law graduates
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION — The Managing Director’s Office of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar released today a new set of bar passage data outcomes for ABA-approved law schools that provides national “ultimate” and first-time pass rates based on race, ethnicity and gender.
Read More about ABA releases bar exam pass data for 2020 law graduatesABA data shows racial disparities in bar passage
BLOOMBERG LAW — Paving a path for minority lawyer candidates needs to start well before law school to tackle long-standing racial disparities, attorneys said. “The pipeline begins with the legal profession playing a role in addressing inequality in the education system—K through 12,” said Dayna Bowen Matthew.
Read More about ABA data shows racial disparities in bar passage