At the urging of several of my current and former students, I write to respectfully weigh in against Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s proposal that New York discard its current bar exam in favor of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).
As countless members of the New York State Bar will attest, taking the bar exam in New York is an experience one never forgets. We take great pride in the fact that we prepared for, survived, and ultimately conquered the most comprehensive and difficult bar exam in the country. The exam challenged us to pull together everything learned in law school and reconcile it with some of New York’s peculiarities, and it served as an inevitable and essential part of our transition from student to practitioner. Receiving the passing notice and seeing our names in the New York Law Journal was a rite of passage culminating in our inclusion in the roll of New York attorneys. No one, except perhaps ourselves, as the disciplinary committee has occasion to remind, can ever take away our membership in the most recognized and respected bar in the world.
