Laptop Woes Last Year in N.Y., Bar Exam Legalese This Year
Last summer’s New York bar exam debacle, in which some test-takers who used laptop computers lost their answers because of a software problem, appears to have had a significant impact on those who administer the test as well as those who are taking it today and tomorrow.
In this year’s laptop policy, bar exam officials have included disclaimers. Lots of disclaimers. Among them: users need to pretest their exam software; rental laptops are risky; and laptop test-takers proceed in the face of technical difficulties at their own risk, reports the City Room blog of the New York Times.
While the prospect of possible laptop problems is frightening, so is the prospect of having to use a pen and paper to many of today’s new law graduates. “We have people ask, should I do it or shouldn’t I do it?” says Erica Fine, an executive of the BAR/BRI bar exam preparation course. “Some people,” she notes, “haven’t handwritten in three years.”
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Want to Take the N.Y. Bar Exam? Sign a Waiver”
ABAJournal.com: “July NY Bar Answers Lost for 47; Officials Estimate Scores”
