Legal Research

Somehow, we knew that this story wasn't going away anytime soon.  The National Law Journal has an article today, "Complaints Surface Over Bar Exam Disrupted by Earthquake," which details concerns that some test-takers had about the proctors' reaction to the quake.  Apparently, some proctors refused to grant any extra time in one area of the Ontario Convention Center test location despite falling ceiling tiles, while proctors in another test area at the same locale told test-takers they would receive an additional five minutes on the essay portion of the test, but then called time without granting the extra minutes.  One test-taker stated, "If I were a person who did not pass, and it was by five points, and I was in a room that got a five-minute disruption from the earthquake, I would definitely protest it. I would definitely make it an issue."   Most of the people who took the bar are now sunning themselves on a beach somewhere, so I don't think we'll hear much more about this issue until November when test scores are released.  But come November, I think the Cal State Bar will be contending with more than a few complaints from Los Angeles-area test-takers who failed the exam by just a few points.