Public hearing set on proposal to eliminate bar exam

The Iowa Supreme Court has set a public hearing for later this month on the proposed amendment recommended by the state bar to adopt 'diploma privilege,” eliminating the bar exam for in-state law graduates.

There are 23 people scheduled to present at the 9 a.m. Aug. 27, hearing, which includes attorneys, law professors and administrators, bar examiners and judges.

There have been numerous written submissions regarding the Iowa State Bar Association's Blue Ribbon Committee on Legal Education and Licensure recommendation to allow graduates from the state's two law schools to forgo the bar exam.

The 'diploma privilege” recommendation, similar to Wisconsin's, would amend the current Iowa court rules. Under the recommendation, graduates of Drake University Law School and the University of Iowa College of Law still would be required to pass the character and fitness requirement before being licensed.

The hearing also will address the other recommendation to adopt the Uniform Bar Examination for applicants who wouldn't qualify - those graduates from law schools in other states.

The blue ribbon committee reviewed licensing and legal education, looked for ways to increase the measure of competence, and also looked to save students money and keep more attorneys in the state. Graduates now must wait about four months to receive bar exam results and many are forced to take out loans to cover this time out of work.

Attorneys interviewed by The Gazette in January had mixed feelings about eliminating the bar exam. Some were in favor because the bar has evolved over the years into multiple choice questions and doesn't cover law pertaining to Iowa. Other attorneys were adamant about keeping the bar exam because they felt it was part of the licensing process and should be a requirement for attorneys.

The court has exclusive authority over the admission and practice of attorneys in the state. Currently, attorneys in Iowa must have a juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school, be of good moral character and fitness, and pass the Iowa bar exam. The three-day bar exam consists of the Multistate Performance Test, the Multistate Essay Exam, the Multistate Bar Exam and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com