Hitting the group running works until you trip up. After some soul searching and number crunching, the State Bar of California realized that their needs would be better met if they ditched the NBCE for a cost-effective approach to licensing. They partnered up with Kaplan and set an expected test date, but got sent back to the drawing board by California’s Supreme Court. The Bar took the steps they needed to fix the problems and it looks like things are paying off. Reuters has coverage:
The California Supreme Court on Tuesday approved a controversial plan by the state bar to switch to a new lawyer licensing exam that will be delivered both remotely and in-person at test centers starting in February.
The high court also approved the State Bar of California’s proposal to give a score boost for those who take the new bar exam if they agree to sit for a beta test next month and perform well.
First off, shouts out to accessibility! Lots of people are fully committed to the bit where we pretend COVID isn’t still a threat so the economy goes brr, but it is nice to know that the COVID conscious don’t have to be distracted by stranger sniffles while they sit for an experimental licensing test. The remote option also bodes well for people who intend to practice in California but happen to be out of state for test day. If you can sit for the beta test, go for it, but the score boost isn’t worth getting FOMO over if you can’t make it.
Good luck on the bar!
California’s New Bar Exam Gets Court Approval To Move Ahead [Reuters]
Earlier: California Needs To Focus On Procedurals Before Administering Bar Replacement
California Bar Takes Steps To Continue With Its Bar Replacement
Bar Exam Offers Extra Credit With A Catch
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
