Frequently and even recently in these very pages it is proudly asserted that “[t]he license to practice law in New York has long been considered the international gold standard.” (Michael Miller, July 21, NYLJ). Even so, in the new world of law that is dominated by accelerating innovation, competition and uncertainty the luster of this reputation cannot be maintained by clinging to the past. Adjustments and improvements in the way new attorneys are admitted to the bar are feasible and now urgently needed.

In the midst of the novel coronavirus crisis New York State’s Court of Appeals and its Board of Law Examiners (BOLE) have embarked on an historic opportunity to serve the public need for more good lawyers and affordable legal services. They can make sweet use of the awful adversity of the pandemic with sensible data driven timely changes to the old-fashioned bar exam.