Q&A on the
Recent California Supreme Court
Bar Exam Decisions
with Dean Mitchel Winick of Monterey College of Law
The California Supreme Court announced several farreaching changes to the California Bar Exam on July 16, 2020. Prior to issuing its decisions, four members of the Court participated in a July 2, 2020 Zoom videoconference call with deans representing all categories of law schools in California. The following is a Q&A with Mitchel L. Winick, President and Dean of Monterey College of Law who participated in the discussion with the Justices and who drafted the correspondence to the Court outlining the recommendations of the California Accredited Law Schools (CALS).
24
SEPTEMBER 2020
What were the primary concerns that the law school deans voiced to the Court? The deans shared concerns about the serious impact that the delay of the July 2020 bar examination is having on graduates’ careers and personal lives. These impacts include significant economic burdens, loss of employment opportunities, and financial stresses that many graduating law students are now facing because their opportunity for licensure as a California attorney is delayed and uncertain. Many graduates also are reporting significant psychological and emotional impacts, particularly for those of limited economic means, resulting from disruptions in living circum-
