California Bar Exam Postponed Until September

Any student engaged in online, distance learning at a progressive law school like California Desert Trial Academy College of Law, has the freedom to study whenever and wherever, at their utmost convenience. In these current troubled times, CDTA students are at an advantage based on the online resources available to them on campus and at the CDTA website. This access will prove invaluable when preparing for the bar exam.

On April 27, the Supreme Court of California ordered the July California Bar Exam to be postponed to September 9-10 and directed the State Bar to expend every effort to administer the test online with remote and/or electronic proctoring. The court’s decision was based on the “enormous challenges this public health crisis has placed before those who seek admission to the California bar, including the graduating law school class of 2020.” The Court made the following statement:

“These adjustments recognize and will advance the manifest public interest in maintaining access to justice through competent and qualified legal services,”

The State Bar of California should issue a refund to anyone through the day before the exam, September 8, who has registered. Exam results should be disclosed to test-takers no later than Dec. 31.

Among other measures approved by the court and outlined in its letter to the State Bar Board of Trustees:

• Work with the National Conference of Bar Examiners to facilitate online administration of the 2020 Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), or some variation in September.
• Continue efforts to administer the June 2020 First-Year Law Students’ Examination (Baby Bar Exam) online with remote and/or electronic proctoring. Students will have four opportunities instead of the current limit of three to pass the exam to be eligible for law school credit beyond their first year.
• Postpone the October First-Year Law Students’ Examination to November to maximize grading resources for the Bar Exam.
• Submit a work plan to the court no later than May 11, with planned goals and milestones for online test administration.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which administers the Multistate Bar Examination, will formally announce its plans for the MBE, including exam dates, on May 5th. The organization has also entered the initial planning phase to provide the examination on September 9-10.

The California Supreme Court also stated that it will continue to explore other alternatives as circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic change or develop.

The CDTA was founded with the philosophy of not only teaching students the substantive law, but on training, educating, and developing students to be exceptional attorney-advocates. The development of trial advocacy tools is essential to success in any judicial or administrative setting. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.