By Hank Krastman, Ph.D.
RES IPSA LOQUITUR
Every year in June and October, the State Bar of California gives
the First-Year Law Students' Exam also known as "The Baby Bar" in
Los Angeles and San Francisco.
This exam is designed only for students who can not attend a
fully accredited Law School, because of time or financial
restrictions, the study takes four years at a State Bar Approved
School and even though these students still have to pass the
REGULAR BAR- just like those who attend the three year accredited
program who are not required to take this first year exam-, after
passing it they are restricted to certain courts only, for the
first three years.
Here are the reflections from a Northwestern California Univers-
ity Law Student Member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
In my research found out that the BAR accrediting standards for
accredited colleges was determined by how large their Library is?
Well I have the largest Library of all at home on the Internet!
After one year of study and completing my finals, I took the Baby
Bar in Pasadena along with another thousand students from various
non-accredited Colleges.
I noticed that most of the students were older than your average
regular college student, and I realized that all of them were
taking the alternative route, because of work schedules or finan-
cial reasons, it is wonderful that Colleges like this are avail-
able for us somewhat underprivileged people who can not attend
the regular college.
The State Bar of California requires that you pass this test
before you can go on with your studies!
Only 10% of the approximate one thousand people in Pasadena and
the one thousand in San Francisco have passed the previous tests.
Yes, 10%.
The essays and MBE questions are given to top notch attorneys or
law professors, who ponder on questions, how to make them so that
they will foil the poor law student with barely one year of law
experience, who gets a speed test and has to answer it in a 52
minutes essay, or 1.8 minute MBE question, fair?
Maybe after four years of interacted studies in the various
fields on the regular BAR with a 17% passing rate?
But what is happening in the mean time with the Alternative Col-
leges who only get 10% of their students back after each Baby Bar
exam, the fact is that they are going under, out of business, so
the opportunity for the less privileged ones is diminishing.
The multiple choice question book was thicker this last exam,
because some scenarios took up about a quarter-to half a page of
reading and then there would be four little scenarios related to
the big one, with four questions each.
The reading of the scenarios would take as much time as the four
questions, so there would really be eight questions, the equival-
ent of 200 questions instead of the 100.
In this test there were several questions related to other sub-
jects, than the required Criminal, Tort and Contract questions,
such as criminal procedures which we have not studied, they
really slow you down on this speed test.
I understand that the Bar will possibly throw them out and give
credit for them, but it took time away, because you had to read
those questions over and over again, it was foreign subject mat-
ter.
If the regular college students had to take this first year test
and only 10% would return to class, all hell would break loose
with the college administrators.
For three years in a row legislators introduced bills to elimi-
nate the First Year Exam, because it is unfair, but Governor Pete
Wilson Vetoed it all three times. (Senate Bill No. 702, and AB 1459 among others). Assembly Member Lou Papan is working on another bill with Senator Haynes SB No.845.
Even a bill was introduced to eliminate the regular bar, because
of it being a speed test, would a person who is slower and fin-
ished Law School with a J.D. not make a good attorney?
To get a Ph.D. one does not have to take a special exam after
graduating from college!
If there has to be a First Year Exam, an open book test would be
fair, now we have an un-equal opportunity.
But if there was no more Baby Bar, the California State Bar would
only have 10% at each Bar Exam and loose out on the 90% who have
to take it over and over again.
Ninety Per Cent is Nine Hundred People at two locations, two
times a year, 3600 people at $300 each, One Million Eighty Thou-
sand Dollars less per Year, "The thing speaks for itself!"
Please get a petition to collect signatures.
Just recently it came to my attention that Law Student Kenneth J. Owen has filed a Law Suit about this same issue CV-96-03244-CAL and it is now under appeal No.97-15767 in the United States Court of Appeals, for the Ninth Circuit.
You can reach him at (510) 582-0540
Various Law Schools and statements were filed in a Amicus Curiae brief.
So we are not alone in this matter.
If you like to get more documentation on this, please contact me at
my E-Mail.
BABY BAR BOOKS: