[blindlaw] Progress on obtaining electronic version of MBE

Stephanie Enyart stephanie_enyart at yahoo.com
Sat Jun 20 00:46:03 UTC 2009


Jack,
If you're already licensed to practice in NY and NJ, or for other states, I
am happy to share the good news -- you won't take the MBE again. In
California you will still have a multiple day bar exam California requires
an essay section and performance tests for lawyers from other states. The
most common accommodation for blind lawyers is to get double time and the
use of a computer equipped with assistive software (which divides this
lawyer's test into 4 consecutive 6-hour test days).

Stephanie 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jack Chen
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 12:22 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Progress on obtaining electronic version of MBE

Ben

Keep us all apprised.  I for one, if by chance I have to move to California 
for work, would have to take the bar again (ugh, not looking forward to 
doing that after NY and NJ).

Jack
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ben Karpilow" <benkarpilow at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 2:50 PM
Subject: [blindlaw] Progress on obtaining electronic version of MBE


> To whom it may concern, After being misinformed that the national 
> committee of bar examiners had sole jurisdiction to administer and grant 
> accomodations for the MBE, I discovered that each state has jurisdiction 
> to administer, and discretion to grant, accomodations to MBE takers within

> its jurisdiction. Here in California, at least one person has been 
> provided with an electronic version of the MBE. Thus, although no state 
> that I know of offers electronic versions of the MBE as a matter of 
> course, it seems that, if one makes a compelling argument, it is possible 
> to receive such an accomodation. I  will hear back regarding my appeal 
> within a week or so. However, given the Supreme Court of California's 
> recent liberal interpretation of the ADA (Thanks for the link,  Chuck), 
> I'm hoping for the best. I share this with the group because, though there

> are many licensed attorneys among us, some of us are law students. I have 
> been reading about at least one individual on this list's attempts to 
> secure appropriate accomodations for the bar. That said,  I encourage 
> anyone who would prefer an electronic exam over working with a sighted 
> reader to pursue the matter.  The NCBE can confirm that each state has 
> sole discretion to administer its own MBE.   Apparently many state bars 
> are unaware of this, probably because the request is either made so 
> infrequently, or not further pursued. I will apprise this group  of any 
> developments. Regards,
>
> Ben
>
>
>
>
> Benjamin K. Karpilow
> benkarpilow at gmail.com
> 707-548-8555
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