When Kafka wrote Before the Law, he meant to describe the surreal hellscape of standing “before” the law, not the surreal hellscape of applicants “before” they become lawyers. Yet the powers-that-be have transformed the February administration of the California bar exam into a farce that would make Kafka blush. Beset with nightmarish twists and turns throughout the process and with the exam’s start date looming on February 25, the Bar has offered full refunds to all 5,600 applicants out of an abundance of generosity/desperate necessity.
This unprecedented move comes after multiple blunders left test-takers bewildered at the prospect of staking their career on an exam that resembled building an airplane mid-flight except the plane is a Boeing and it’s taking direction from Trump’s air traffic controllers.
From scheduling nightmares to broken practice exams to a dearth of accessible test centers, the Bar’s partnership with Meazure Learning has left a lot to be desired. As the state bar examiners put it in their refund email, the experience has generated a lot of “frustration, confusion, and anxiety.”
We are extremely sorry for how the administration of the February 2025 Bar Exam has been rolling out. We understand that scheduling challenges, poor communication, and inconsistent messaging between the State Bar and Meazure Learning have caused a lot of frustration, confusion, and anxiety. As a result, we are offering all applicants who wish to withdraw from the February exam a full refund (less bank fees). To qualify, you need to withdraw before the exam by submitting your request to withdraw through the Applicant Portal. We know many applicants do not have the option of withdrawing, and we are committed to making the exam the best experience we can.
Leah Wilson, the Bar’s executive director, pledged to “improve our communication with test takers immediately.” Apparently this email blast marked the opening gesture of this new era.
Everything about this process has been cursed. California got to this point after its bar exam lurched into the red and rather than swiftly plotting out a graceful transition, detractors held up the prospect of reform until the 11th hour. Honestly, the decision to employ questions from Kaplan Exam Services and offer multiple, more convenient facilities and remote administration is a pretty good one! The NCBE’s antiquated requirements were inconvenient for applicants and only succeeded in making the ostensible non-profit very, very rich and the new regime promised to save upwards of $4 million annually. Instead, trying to force the change in a matter of months to meet the February exam resulted in multiple disasters including a projected budget overrun — with an expected extra million required for the upcoming July test.
The Bar’s offer of an $830 refund (minus bank fees, naturally) serves as a fitting coda to this tragicomedy. But deferring the exam isn’t an option for many applicants who need to pass this test to keep their jobs. For those folks, the examiners offer more practice questions, a few more testing locations, and importantly a redline of the Student Guide so everyone can easily figure out where the rules have changed midstream.
Someday, California’s new look bar exam will deliver solid results in a convenient and cost-effective manner. That day, however, is not today.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
The post California Bar Exam Disaster Reaches Its ‘Offer Everyone A Refund’ Stage appeared first on Above the Law.
When Kafka wrote Before the Law, he meant to describe the surreal hellscape of standing “before” the law, not the surreal hellscape of applicants “before” they become lawyers. Yet the powers-that-be have transformed the February administration of the California bar exam into a farce that would make Kafka blush. Beset with nightmarish twists and turns throughout the process and with the exam’s start date looming on February 25, the Bar has offered full refunds to all 5,600 applicants out of an abundance of generosity/desperate necessity.
This unprecedented move comes after multiple blunders left test-takers bewildered at the prospect of staking their career on an exam that resembled building an airplane mid-flight except the plane is a Boeing and it’s taking direction from Trump’s air traffic controllers.
From scheduling nightmares to broken practice exams to a dearth of accessible test centers, the Bar’s partnership with Meazure Learning has left a lot to be desired. As the state bar examiners put it in their refund email, the experience has generated a lot of “frustration, confusion, and anxiety.”
We are extremely sorry for how the administration of the February 2025 Bar Exam has been rolling out. We understand that scheduling challenges, poor communication, and inconsistent messaging between the State Bar and Meazure Learning have caused a lot of frustration, confusion, and anxiety. As a result, we are offering all applicants who wish to withdraw from the February exam a full refund (less bank fees). To qualify, you need to withdraw before the exam by submitting your request to withdraw through the Applicant Portal. We know many applicants do not have the option of withdrawing, and we are committed to making the exam the best experience we can.
Leah Wilson, the Bar’s executive director, pledged to “improve our communication with test takers immediately.” Apparently this email blast marked the opening gesture of this new era.
Everything about this process has been cursed. California got to this point after its bar exam lurched into the red and rather than swiftly plotting out a graceful transition, detractors held up the prospect of reform until the 11th hour. Honestly, the decision to employ questions from Kaplan Exam Services and offer multiple, more convenient facilities and remote administration is a pretty good one! The NCBE’s antiquated requirements were inconvenient for applicants and only succeeded in making the ostensible non-profit very, very rich and the new regime promised to save upwards of $4 million annually. Instead, trying to force the change in a matter of months to meet the February exam resulted in multiple disasters including a projected budget overrun — with an expected extra million required for the upcoming July test.
The Bar’s offer of an $830 refund (minus bank fees, naturally) serves as a fitting coda to this tragicomedy. But deferring the exam isn’t an option for many applicants who need to pass this test to keep their jobs. For those folks, the examiners offer more practice questions, a few more testing locations, and importantly a redline of the Student Guide so everyone can easily figure out where the rules have changed midstream.
Someday, California’s new look bar exam will deliver solid results in a convenient and cost-effective manner. That day, however, is not today.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
