Supreme Court Approves New Policy For July 2020 Bar Exam

The Tennessee Supreme Court entered an Order today regarding administration of the July 2020 bar examination. The Court order states that the July 2020 examination, to be held on July 28 and 29, 2020, will go forward with reduced seating. The Court also approved new Board Policy P-4.03, establishing a protocol for seating applicants.

The new Board Policy establishes priorities for seating at the July 2020 examination. First seating priority is for applicants who are 2019 or 2020 graduates of law schools located in Tennessee who will be taking the examination for the first time. If seats remain, additional levels of seating priorities have been established.

“The Board thanks the Court for permitting administration of the examination in July and October so that all applicants for admission by examination to Tennessee will have the opportunity to take the Uniform Bar Examination before the end of 2020,” said Bill Harbison, President of the Board of Law Examiners. “We understand that this has been a difficult time for recent law school graduates and the Board is committed to making the Uniform Bar Examination available to all July 2020 applicants before the end of the year, absent any new “safer at home” orders or other significant changes.”

Applicants who cannot be seated at the July exam due to continued restrictions on the size of gatherings and social distancing requirements will be seated at the October exam.  That additional examination, which has been scheduled for September 30 – October 1, 2020, will have sufficient space to seat any applicant not seated for the July exam.  Applicants who will be seated at the October exam have the opportunity to transfer their application to the February 2021 examination, without additional fees.

A copy of the order and policy can be found here.