This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

State Bar & Bar Associations

Oct. 11, 2024

California missed an opportunity to reform the bar exam

The State Supreme Court rejected lowering the bar exam score despite racial disparities--but left the door open for future revisions.

Mitchel L. Winick

President and Dean Monterey College of Law

Mitchel is president and dean of a non-profit California accredited law school system that includes Monterey College of Law, San Luis Obispo College of Law, and Kern County College of Law. He was one of eight deans invited by the California Supreme Court to an informal meeting in October 2019 to discuss concerns about the California bar exam. He is former chair of the Committee of Bar Examiners Rules Advisory Committee and a former member of the Law School Council representing the California Accredited Law Schools.

Shutterstock

One of my objectives prior to retiring from Monterey College of Law this coming July 2025 was to resolve the pending request before the California Supreme Court to adjust the artificially high minimum passing score of 1390 for the California Bar Exam to a level comparable to the national norm of 1350. Although I have achieved the objective of receiving a decision from the court, (for the digital edition here is the link: https://montereylaw.edu/LTRDeanWinick10102024.pdf), I a...

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!

Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Sign up for Daily Journal emails