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California is easing its bar exam score which critics argue fails to measure ability
LA Times via Yahoo ^ | 7/26/20 | Maura Dolan

Posted on 07/28/2020 2:11:17 PM PDT by Libloather

For more than three decades, California has clung to one of the nation's toughest testing standards for law school students hoping to practice law in the most populous state in the country.

But this month, the California Supreme Court, which oversees the state bar, agreed to lower the passing score for the exam, a victory for law school deans who have long hoped the change would raise the number of Black and Latino people practicing law.

After holding virtual meetings with law school graduates and deans, the state's highest court this month permanently lowered the passing score, allowed for law school graduates to work temporarily under supervision with provisional licenses during the pandemic and permitted graduates to take the bar exam remotely in early October.

"There is absolutely no evidence that shows having a higher score makes for better lawyers," said UCLA School of Law Dean Jennifer L. Mnookin, a longtime supporter of lowering the passing score. "There is significant evidence that it reduces the diversity of the bar."

Forty percent of California's population is white, 60% are people of color. But 68% of California lawyers are white, and only 32% are people of color, according to a new report by the State Bar of California.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; Education; History
KEYWORDS: bar; california; californiasupremes; exam; jenniferlmnookin; lawyers; ucla
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To: Libloather

Diversity a higher priority than competence.


41 posted on 07/28/2020 2:53:28 PM PDT by Will88 (The only people opposing voter ID are those benefiting from voter fraud.)
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To: Will88
Diversity a higher priority than competence.

I'm guessing that the proficiency standards for heart surgeons will soon be lowered as well.

42 posted on 07/28/2020 2:58:20 PM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: shelterguy

“Are they saying they are not as smart as the honkies who take the test?”

You really can’t conclude anything else, can you? More of the “soft bigotry of low expectations” at work here.


43 posted on 07/28/2020 3:00:47 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Libloather

In the private sector, competency will still matter. Law firms will have to figure it out, and they will. Erosion of standards on the bar exam will compromise one useful screening tool, but the weak performers will still be weeded out in interviews and as associates. Government is a different matter. Government will treat a law degree as a law degree, regardless of the granting instutition and the academic standing of the student. California’s action is a way of smoothing affirmative action hiring of subpar attorneys into state government, where weak performers will be tenured.


44 posted on 07/28/2020 3:14:51 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: PROCON

Well done!


45 posted on 07/28/2020 3:24:35 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: shelterguy

That’s what is sounds like to me! Racist SOB’s!


46 posted on 07/28/2020 3:29:05 PM PDT by vpintheak (Live free, or die!)
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To: Libloather
I worked for a "diverse" California lawyer who passed the bar after four attempts. His skills were amply suspect to a newly certified attorney and were further questioned by some of his clients.

When the State Bar started to send investigators to his office, he closed his Attorney-Client trust fund by withdrawing the remaining funds and skipped town. He was later suspected to be living in the Caribbean.

I always thought that the high level of achievement applicable to passing the California State Bar was appropriate.

47 posted on 07/28/2020 3:30:24 PM PDT by Thommas
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To: Rebelbase

Next thing will be graduating blind students from barber college, wait, they must have already done that from some of the hair styles I have seen lately.


48 posted on 07/28/2020 3:31:16 PM PDT by cabbieguy ("I suppose it will all make sense when we grow up"can't be counted)
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To: taxcontrol
The bar exam is not a measure of ABILITY. It is a measure of KNOWLEDGE.

It’s about 60:40% ability to knowledge. Knowing the law is the lesser part. The bigger part is the ability to read the question properly, identify and analyze the issues involved, and finally compose a logical and coherent response.

49 posted on 07/28/2020 3:52:16 PM PDT by PUGACHEV
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To: taxcontrol
The bar exam is not a measure of ABILITY. It is a measure of KNOWLEDGE.

It’s about 60:40% ability to knowledge. Knowing the law is the lesser part. The bigger part is the ability to read the question properly, identify and analyze the issues involved, and finally compose a logical and coherent response.

50 posted on 07/28/2020 3:52:16 PM PDT by PUGACHEV
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To: Libloather

I think that flight exams are much to strict. We need to make it much easier to be a pilot. It’s worth it if it means more diversity.


51 posted on 07/28/2020 3:57:32 PM PDT by windsorknot
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Did they pass the bar? Well no, they've never passed a bar in their lives.

52 posted on 07/28/2020 4:02:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Libloather

“lower the passing score for the exam, a victory for law school deans who have long hoped the change would raise the number of Black and Latino people practicing law.”

Isn’t this an admission of the mental inferiority of blacks and “Latinos” vs whites and Asians?


53 posted on 07/28/2020 4:24:15 PM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you care! Guilting you is how they control you.)
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To: organicchemist
What would those deans be saying if you could practice law just by passing the bar rather than handing them a boatload of tuition money?

I could be mistaken...it has happened ;) ...but I heard somewhere that CA was one such place, where you actually could become an attorney without having attended law school.

54 posted on 07/28/2020 4:29:03 PM PDT by Buttons12
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To: shelterguy

They are saying that you hire a Negro lawyer at your own risk.


55 posted on 07/28/2020 4:58:37 PM PDT by arthurus (En,b-co)
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To: Libloather

Captain Obvious says that half the lawyers in this country graduated in the bottom half of their class.


56 posted on 07/28/2020 5:07:45 PM PDT by IAGeezer912 (One out of every 20 people on the face of the earth are Americans. We have won life's lottery.)
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To: shelterguy

They’re saying it doesn’t take smarts to be a lawyer.

(Unless of course you want a good one.)


57 posted on 07/28/2020 5:09:06 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Libloather

“agreed to lower the passing score for the exam, a victory for law school deans who have long hoped the change would raise the number of Black and Latino people practicing law. “

another blow to smart, legitimate black and hispanic lawyers as now one must automatically assume that ALL black and hispanic lawyers are second rate until proven otherwise ...


58 posted on 07/28/2020 5:14:02 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: GreenHornet
I'm guessing that the proficiency standards for heart surgeons will soon be lowered as well.

Of course, above all every profession must be diverse, must "look like American". Then just let the results chips fall when they may once we have an even bigger percentage of affirmative action professionals.

59 posted on 07/28/2020 5:26:56 PM PDT by Will88 (The only people opposing voter ID are those benefiting from voter fraud.)
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To: Libloather

Since Kali let illegal aliens as lawyers, they had to.


60 posted on 07/28/2020 5:44:46 PM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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