Ah, sitting for the bar exam. One of life’s great displeasures.  

This July, because of the coronavirus, the rite of passage for every young attorney -- or one moving across state lines -- may be administered in unprecedented fashion, or not at all. 

• 11 law professors got together to detail the best options in a new study: And postponement isn’t one of them. They figure it will be too difficult to pick a new date because of the potential that the coronavirus comes in waves. 

• Cancellation would be devastating: If the exam was canceled with no alternatives, employers would be in a bind, unable to fully use new hires for months longer than anticipated. New law grads may be unable to find work in what could already be a challenging economy.  

• Don’t even think about taking the bar at home: Because of the legal sector’s old traditions the odds of the bar migrating online by July are next to nil.

The best idea is to let everyone skip the bar and get a free pass

Seriously. The legal experts say everyone who has applied for the test this year should get “diploma privilege.” It would essentially allow anyone who graduates this year to be allowed to practice without needing to pass the bar, as long as they are under supervision of another attorney. 

• Wisconsin already has diploma privilege. Anyone who graduates from an ABA-accredited school there does not need to pass the bar.

The Verdict

The anxiety of not knowing to prepare for a bar exam is weighing on 3Ls as we speak, so a quick solution is needed. And if you’re jealous about diploma privilege, don’t worry: There’s a chance limited privilege would be granted and they would need to take the bar at another time.