September 19, 2019: State Bar Task Force Reviewing NY Bar Exam To Hold Four Public Hearings Across the State

September 19, 2019: State Bar Task Force Reviewing NY Bar Exam To Hold Four Public Hearings Across the State

9.19.2019

By Communications Department

The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Task Force on the New York Bar Examination will hold four public hearings across New York state concerning the adoption in May 2015 of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The task force is investigating and will report on the experience and impact of New York’s adoption of the UBE, with each meeting being livestreamed online and on social media.

The first panel meeting will be held Oct. 4, in Rochester, NY, and the task force will livestream its meeting from the Hon. Samuel L. Green Courtroom from the Appellate Division Fourth Department.

On Oct. 21, in Mineola, NY, the task force will livestream from the Nassau County Bar Association and on Oct. 25, in Albany NY, the task force will livestream its meeting from Albany Law School. The final livestreamed public hearing will take place on Nov. 18, in New York City at the New York County Lawyers Association.

Topics and guest information will be announced closer to the event dates.

The task force, jointly created by NYSBA President Hank Greenberg and past NYSBA President Michael Miller, is considering the impact that the UBE has had on applicants; on the qualifications and relevant knowledge of newly admitted New York attorneys; on potential employers; on current members of the bar; and on diversity in the profession. At the conclusion of its investigation, the task force will make recommendations regarding the future content and form of New York’s bar exam at the NYSBA House of Delegates meeting in April 2020.

Committee co-chairs Eileen D. Millett, co-head of environmental litigation at Phillips Nizer and Presiding Justice Alan D. Scheinkman, of the Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department, have held informational meetings featuring national experts on bar exam licensing and formed five subcommittees. The task force will engage with the bar, the judiciary, practitioners, students and deans of New York’s law schools, as they work to ensure that the views of all stakeholders are heard.

About the New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, NYSBA has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.

Contact: Brendan Kennedy
bkennedy@nysba.org
518-487-5541