It looks like the California Bar Exam is a very messy ordeal. Read about it here. http://abovethelaw.com/2025/01/the-california-bar-exam-is-a-disaster-again/?.
In fact, it sounds like a real nightmare. Complaints include remote applicants unable to successfully take mock exams and in-person exam portals malfunctioning. Even when the on-line system worked, users were unable to adjust font sizes for the essay box. To boot, getting an exam location any where close to home turned out to be very challenging. And it also has been reported that the California bar is rejecting requests for paper copies of the exam for accommodation reasons. Ugh.
Who needs all this super stress beyond that which comes naturally with taking ANY bar exam? But, now it appears that the CA Bar is ready to make amends — by offering a second sitting FOR FREE. Generous, especially since that money can now be spent on stress reduction counseling. Check it out here.
At this rate, jurisdictions should be getting serious about Diploma Privilege. Jurisdictions like Wisconsin have been doing it for years because the state bar has confidence in the Wisconsin law schools. And the last time I looked (and I grew up in Wisconsin in a family that included a very successful Diploma Privilege lawyer), there are no shortage of competent lawyers in Wisconsin.
