An Update on Bar Exams - May 8 and 14

Dear Graduating Students,

Congratulations on finishing exams!  I am writing now with an update on bar exams in Louisiana and some other states:

UPDATE: 

For those interested in practicing in Louisiana, the Louisiana Supreme Court has now posted final information about the bar exam on its website: https://www.lascba.org/.

If you had already registered to take the Louisiana exam, you do not need to reapply – but you DO need to fill out a short form online indicating your preference of where and when you would like to sit for the exam (since it will now be offered on two alternative dates and in four different cities).  My understanding is that you are permitted to indicate your preferred city (e.g., New Orleans), but not a specific testing site within that city; however, I do think the bar will seek to place Tulane graduates at Tulane Law School for test, if possible.

If you have not yet applied to take the Louisiana bar exam, you may still do so.  The new application deadline is May 30.

Testing location and date preferences will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, so you should act soon to secure your top choice!

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Louisiana:  Just moments ago, the Louisiana Supreme Court announced that the usual 3-day exam in July 2020 has been cancelled; instead, the state will administer a one-day examination on two alternative dates: July 27 and October 10.

The exam will also be administered at multiple sites in four different cities in four different cities (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Shreveport), in order to reduce the number of test-takers at any one site and enable safe social-distancing conditions.  The state’s four law school deans have been working closely with the Court in making these arrangements and I have offered Tulane Law School as one of the sites at which the exam may be administered.  The content to be tested on the one-day exam will also be narrowed in light of the shorter testing period; details of the narrowed scope of the exam will be posted publicly next Friday, May 15 (as noted on the attached announcement).

2. New York & Massachusetts:  Graduates planning to take the bar exam in New York or Massachusetts are likely aware that those states have adopted rules that will give priority seating at the exam to applicants who graduated from in-state law schools.  I wanted to let you know that I have joined with dozens of law school deans from other states across the country in urging the Chief Justices in New York and Massachusetts to consider alternative arrangements that would make more seats available to test takers from other states, including Tulane (see attached letters).
3. Other States:  Information on the status of the bar examination in other states continues to emerge daily.  The latest information, updated continually, can be found at this site: http://www.ncbex.org/ncbe-covid-19-updates/july-2020-bar-exam-jurisdiction-information/.

Congratulations again on the conclusion of exams.  I’ll continue to follow up with any new information, including plans for the Law School’s Celebration of the Class of 2020 next Saturday at 3:00 p.m.!

Best,

David Meyer