News Roundup

Afternoon Briefs: Open-industry legal platform tested; panel considers future of California bar exam

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Tech platform pioneered by 3 law firms will synchronize legal projects

Three law firms have pioneered a new open-industry platform called Lupl to collaborate with corporate clients on complex legal matters. The law firms—Cooley, CMS and Rajah & Tann Asia—invested more than $10 million in the project, with input from an advisory board of 16 in-house lawyers. The platform is currently in beta testing. (Bloomberg Law, Law.com, Lupl website)

Panel established to consider future of California bar exam

The State Bar of California announced Friday that it will set up a working group to examine its bar examination, including the question of whether the state should adopt the uniform bar exam. The decision to establish a “blue ribbon panel,” as it’s described in a bar news release, was influenced by discussions around the California bar exam cut score, and the project will be done in partnership with the California Supreme Court. Various studies sparked by the cut score dialogue are linked in the news release. Topics include a California practice analysis and how potential exam questions might have a different impact on test-takers based on race and gender. (State Bar of California news release)

Judge says Mary-Kate Olsen divorce isn’t essential matter

A New York judge has refused to allow an emergency divorce filing by Mary-Kate Olsen because the matter is deemed to be not essential. Olsen is married to Olivier Sarkozy, the half brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Olsen had claimed the divorce filing is an emergency because her husband expected her to move out of her home during the COVID-19 pandemic. (People, Page Six)

Susman Godfrey founder is out of coma after bike crash

Susman Godfrey founder Stephen Susman has emerged from a coma after an April 22 bicycle crash. The Texas lawyer was injured when his tire hit a crack in the road, throwing him from his bike. He is now in the same rehabilitation hospital where former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was treated after she was shot in 2011. (Law.com)

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