Indiana’s July Bar Exam Will Be Open Book And Administered Online

Other States Need To Change Too

The American legal profession has been a backward-looking, change- resistant institution. It has failed to adjust to changes in society, technology, and economics.

I’m impressed with the Indiana Supreme Court’s decision to allow its bar exam for July 2020 to be conducted online and open book. The usual 2 day bar exam test will be a “one-day online exam” on July 28, 2020. Indiana didn’t stop there.

“FILING DEADLINE EXTENDED!

There will not be a late filing deadline for the July 2020 bar exam. Instead, the Indiana Supreme Court has extended the timely first-time takers deadline until May 4, 2020.” So no late fees if you applied after the original filing. Indiana’s Bar Exam is $250. The late fee would have been $250 as well doubling the cost.

Wow why can’t other states be like this, especially the state that I wanted to sit for, which was the state I am from. No late deadline extension and still an in person 2 day exam, 8 hours each day.

No other states have announced that their bar exams will be online or that they will be open book.

Changing to a one day remote bar exam shows Indiana is a flexible state open to change, even if temporarily.

The profession repeats the same question in every crisis: How can we stay even more “the same” than we already are?

The decision to have an open book online one-day bar exam with no late fee came from the Indiana Supreme Court. It’s good to see they have some compassion for first time bar exam takers. I’m not seeing anything like this being done in the other states.

Helpful Information

• Bar Exam Application Deadlines and Fees (July 2020, February 2021)