Share Your Experiences with the California Bar Exam and Testing Accommodations

DREDF and DRA File US DOJ Complaint About State Bar of California

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice about the California State Bar’s unlawful policies and practices regarding requests for testing accommodations on the California bar exam.

The complaint alleges that the State Bar of California:

Fails to defer to and grant previously granted testing accommodations

Fails to defer to qualified professionals who have assessed the candidate

Requires onerous medical and psychological documentation

Fails to respond to accommodation requests in a timely manner

Unlawfully denies testing accommodations

DREDF and DRA are gathering stories using to support the US DOJ complaint. We are not promising to provide survey respondents with legal representation.

SHARE YOUR STORY! Fill out the survey.

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* 1. Did you apply for testing accommodations for the California bar exam?

Yes

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* 2. When did you apply for testing accommodations for the California bar exam? You can estimate using months and years.

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* 3. What types of accommodations did you request? Check all that apply.

Extended time

Additional breaks and/or stop-the-clock breaks

Cap on hours of testing in one day

Private or semi-private room

Computer software (such as JAWS or Dragon)

Braille writer, Braille Note, or Braille display

Human reader or scribe

Ergonomic equipment or furniture

Test materials in alternative formats

Permission to mark answers to multiple choice questions on paper

Permission to bring food, water, medication, blank paper, or other supplies

Permission to stand, lie down, move around, and/or speak

COVID safety protocols

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Before you applied for testing accommodations for the California bar exam, had you received testing accommodations on other tests (such as the GRE, LSAT, MPRE, or law school exams)?

Yes

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* 5. If yes, please list or describe the other tests for which you received testing accommodations.

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* 6. Did you provide the State Bar of California with documentation (such as medical documentation or documentation of prior accommodation grants) to support your request for testing accommodations?

Yes

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* 7. If yes, please describe the documentation you provided.

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* 8. After you applied for testing accommodations for the California bar exam, what was your experience with the State Bar of California? Did the State Bar grant the accommodations you requested? Deny? Ask for more documents? Please describe your experiences in detail.

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* 9. What is your name?

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* 10. What is your email?

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* 11. What is your telephone number?

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* 12. Are you willing to have your contact information and story shared with the US Department of Justice?

Yes

Share Your Experiences with the California Bar Exam and Testing Accommodations

DREDF and DRA File US DOJ Complaint About State Bar of California

Question Title

* 1. Did you apply for testing accommodations for the California bar exam?

Question Title

* 2. When did you apply for testing accommodations for the California bar exam? You can estimate using months and years.

Question Title

* 3. What types of accommodations did you request? Check all that apply.

Question Title

* 4. Before you applied for testing accommodations for the California bar exam, had you received testing accommodations on other tests (such as the GRE, LSAT, MPRE, or law school exams)?

Question Title

* 5. If yes, please list or describe the other tests for which you received testing accommodations.

Question Title

* 6. Did you provide the State Bar of California with documentation (such as medical documentation or documentation of prior accommodation grants) to support your request for testing accommodations?

Question Title

* 7. If yes, please describe the documentation you provided.

Question Title

* 8. After you applied for testing accommodations for the California bar exam, what was your experience with the State Bar of California? Did the State Bar grant the accommodations you requested? Deny? Ask for more documents? Please describe your experiences in detail.

Question Title

* 9. What is your name?

Question Title

* 10. What is your email?

Question Title

* 11. What is your telephone number?

Question Title

* 12. Are you willing to have your contact information and story shared with the US Department of Justice?

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* 13. Is there anything else you would like to share with DREDF and DRA?