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Is D.C. Canceling The Bar Exam?

Check out the update to this story!

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The temper tantrum known as the government shutdown continues to wreck havoc on the lives of folks trying to be lawyers. We’ve previously reported that getting sworn into the D.C. Bar has been postponed since the Committee on Admissions is closed during the shutdown, but it’s increasingly looking like the February administration of the D.C. bar exam will be canceled.

As of January 11, the Committee on Admissions’s official position was that the February exam would go forth as planned, but that it was a developing situation that may change. In response, some states have stepped up, and are allowing candidates affiliated with their state to take the test, like New Jersey, one of the first to offer this option:

In light of that development, the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners has extended an opportunity, for New Jersey-affiliated applicants who have already applied to take the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) in the District of Columbia, to apply to take the UBE in New Jersey.

It really is a good option for those affected by the shutdown. Well, some of the people. A tipster points out that although folks can register late due to the shutdown, in many jurisdictions persons with disabilities who need testing accommodations are sh*t out of luck:

Although states like New York and Minnesota are now stepping in to allow persons registered for the February DC Bar Exam to register in those states, people with disabilities like myself appear to be out of luck.

New York, for instance, writes in their notice, “We regret that we are unable to waive the deadline for the filing of Applications for Test Accommodations for the February 2019 New York bar examination.”

The deadline for applying for test accommodations in New York State was back in November 2018, obviously before the government shutdown began and DC test takers were affected. (Minnesota also issued a similar notice noting that the deadline for applying for testing accommodations had passed.

That puts folks with disabilities in a terrible position to either forego the accommodations that put them in the best position to pass the bar exam or take a chance on the D.C. bar exam actually happening in February. It’s that or they have to wait until the July sitting of the bar exam. Assuming the federal government is open by then.

UPDATE: The bar exam is happening! From the D.C. Bar association:

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In light of the recent announcement concerning a temporary end to the government shutdown, we’re pleased to report that the District of Columbia Court of Appeals has determined that the February 2019 bar exam will be administered in the District of Columbia! Please be advised that the District of Columbia Bar has expressed a commitment to ensure that the February 2019 bar exam goes forward in the event of any future government shutdown beyond February 15, 2019.

We apologize for the added stress and uncertainty that the government shutdown has caused; but we are pleased to be able to process your applications to sit for the February 2019 bar exam, and wish you success on the exam.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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