2 appointed, 1 reappointed to Board of Law Examiners
The Indiana Board of Law Examiners, which is responsible for administering the bar examination, is welcoming two new members from the private bar who will serve five-year terms.
Board of Law Examiners
Articles
Admission ceremony advises new lawyers to expect change, opportunity
As Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow stepped to the podium to deliver the oath of admission to Indiana’s newest attorneys, she said she was going to try not to cry.
Shhhhh, bar exam in progress
Applicants with dreams of becoming Indiana lawyers are sitting for the bar exam Tuesday and Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center, marking the first time the July test has been given in-person since 2019.
Appointments made to State Board of Law Examiners
The Indiana Supreme Court has appointed a new member to the State Board of Law Examiners and reappointed two others.
New lawyers express their gratitude during admission ceremony
Like the two previous admission ceremonies, the Tuesday induction for the new admittees to the Indiana bar was held virtually. But this time, along with introducing themselves to the state and federal judiciary, the freshly minted lawyers took a few minutes to thank those who helped them get to this day.
Admission rules updated in preparation for the UBE
Starting with the July 2021 bar exam, Hoosier applicants who score just under the 264 needed to pass will have their tests automatically reviewed and will no longer have to submit a written request to have their answers reassessed.
February bar to be remote, last to include Indiana essay questions
Indiana will again be administering its bar exam remotely in February but, unlike the test given during the summer, this time the exam will be two-days and applicants will not be allowed to consult any outside materials.
Indiana switching to Uniform Bar Exam in July
Indiana’s decision to adopt the Uniform Bar Exam came after a year of study, and the decision wasn’t unanimous. As Chief Justice Loretta Rush explained, “I really respect the dissenting opinion and in many ways a lot of us agree with what they are saying. But we really felt the time had come.”
LSAT staying remote; Indiana Bar Exam still deciding
Citing the “continuing uncertainty and disruption of the COVID-19 emergency,” the Law School Admission Council has announced that all the remaining LSAT exams will be delivered remotely instead of in-person through April 2021.
Unprecedented August 2020 bar exam yields passage rates from the past
The overall passage rate for the Indiana August 2020 bar exam reached 74%, about 10 percentage points higher than the overall pass rate for the previous four July bar exams. Likewise, 84% of those taking the test for the first time passed while 53% of the repeat takers were successful, the highest rate for repeaters since 54% passed the February 2015 bar.
Indiana in shrinking minority as Kentucky adopts UBE
In an order issued by the Kentucky Supreme Court on Friday, the commonwealth has joined the growing list of states adopting the Uniform Bar Exam, putting Indiana in an even smaller group of non-UBE jurisdictions.
Problems, complaints absent from remote bar exam
After a series of software failures, increasing anxiety and a quick pivot to another format, Indiana administered the state’s first remote bar exam Tuesday without an apparent glitch.
Technical difficulties, high anxiety prevail during pandemic-era bar exam
Although the testing software was supposed to allow individuals to take the July 2020 Indiana Bar Exam while remaining safely in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology malfunctioned so badly that the Indiana Supreme Court will be forced to administer the test by relying on email and the applicants’ integrity.
Faulty bar exam software tossed in favor of emails, open books
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday again revamping the July 2020 bar exam, opting to send test questions by email and allowing applicants to refer to notes and course materials during the test. The test is still scheduled to be administered remotely Tuesday under the new format.
Technological problems delay Indiana remote bar exam one week
The Hoosier state is postponing its bar exam by one week to Aug. 4, because of ongoing problems with the testing software, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Friday afternoon.
Software headaches adding to bar exam worries
Two business days from the July 2020 bar exam, some Indiana applicants are reporting problems with the software and adding more anxiety that they will not even be able to log on to take the test Tuesday.
Indiana bar applicants’ petition for open-book exam rejected
A late change in the way the Indiana bar exam will be administered has raised sufficient fears of some applicants about the potential for wide-spread cheating that they are asking the test to be open-book. But the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a petition from dozens of law school graduates who will take the bar exam remotely next week.
External webcams, quiet rooms among details for first-ever remote bar exam in July
The nearly 500 applicants who have registered to take the Indiana Bar Exam in July will need to have external webcams, quiet rooms and be prepared to write extensively for the test that will be given remotely for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Legal education confronts the pandemic
The coronavirus emergency is forcing many changes to legal education in Indiana. Law schools and the judiciary are changing procedures, canceling events and finding alternatives as the prohibitions on large gatherings appear likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Indiana Supreme Court allowing graduates to work as legal interns
Noting the uncertainty over whether the bar exam will be administered in July, the Indiana Supreme Court has issued an order that will allow the law school Class of 2020 to represent clients and do legal work on a limited basis.