Ep 007 - COVID-19, Bar Exam Postponement, and Scaffolding

There has been so much concern and discussion about the effect of COVID-19 and the July 2020 Bar Exam.

New York has announced postponement until “fall”, while California’s emergency teleconference on March 30 did not result in a definitive decision as to postponement of the July 2020 examination.

Many people have been hoping and wishing for a “JD Privilege” which would allow for being licensed while having a Juris Doctorate rather than sitting for a Bar Exam.

I think that a Diploma Privilege would never happen in certain jurisdictions with lower bar pass rates. This would allow for the practice of law without passing a bar exam for so many new attorneys at present, let alone the cumulative applicants that have yet to pass.

Further, it makes sense there would be a simultaneous outcry by those 1.35M currently licensed attorneys in the United States and 170k in California alone.

NCBE has recently announced 3 separate dates that materials would be available for the “July” Exam. The usual July dates and two September dates of 9 & 10 as well as 30 & 1.

All this to say that the Bar Exam itself is not going anywhere. I definitely do not think it will be administered normally in July for most jurisdictions if at all, and will likely be postponed to the later dates in September with new precautions considered and the added possibility of further postponement.

In following news of bar exam postponement so closely, a new problem has arisen - Why would examinees bar prep if they have no idea when they are even going to sit for the exam?

This reasoning easily follows because ALL programs except for Bar Exam Drills are based on schedules - meaning it must be aligned with an actual exam date.

For the Bar Exam Drills app, it actually doesn’t matter when the exam is to be administered. The more time the better, because the Bar Exam Drills app is principled on Scaffolding.

Levels of MBEs in any of the 8 separate subjects must be mastered before moving on to new material.

That way for every new level, it is reinforced leaving you with a significant advantage for a postponed bar exam.