When
Kafka
wrote
Before
the
Law,
he
meant
to
describe
the
surreal
hellscape
of
standing
“before”
the
law,
not
the
surreal
hellscape
of
applicants
“before”
they
become
lawyers.
Yet
the
powers-that-be
have
transformed
the
February
administration
of
the
California
bar
exam
into
a
farce
that
would
make
Kafka
blush.
Beset
with
nightmarish
twists
and
turns
throughout
the
process
and
with
the
exam’s
start
date
looming
on
February
25,
the
Bar
has
offered
full
refunds
to
all
5,600
applicants
out
of
an
abundance
of
generosity/desperate
necessity.
This
unprecedented
move
comes
after
multiple
blunders
left
test-takers
bewildered
at
the
prospect
of
staking
their
career
on
an
exam
that
resembled
building
an
airplane
mid-flight
except
the
plane
is
a
Boeing
and
it’s
taking
direction
from
Trump’s
air
traffic
controllers.
From
scheduling
nightmares
to
broken
practice
exams
to
a
dearth
of
accessible
test
centers,
the
Bar’s
partnership
with
Meazure
Learning
has
left
a
lot
to
be
desired.
As
the
state
bar
examiners
put
it
in
their
refund
email,
the
experience
has
generated
a
lot
of
“frustration,
confusion,
and
anxiety.”
We
are
extremely
sorry
for
how
the
administration
of
the
February
2025
Bar
Exam
has
been
rolling
out.
We
understand
that
scheduling
challenges,
poor
communication,
and
inconsistent
messaging
between
the
State
Bar
and
Meazure
Learning
have
caused
a
lot
of
frustration,
confusion,
and
anxiety.
As
a
result,
we
are
offering
all
applicants
who
wish
to
withdraw
from
the
February
exam
a
full
refund
(less
bank
fees).
To
qualify,
you
need
to
withdraw
before
the
exam
by
submitting
your
request
to
withdraw
through
the Applicant
Portal.
We
know
many
applicants
do
not
have
the
option
of
withdrawing,
and
we
are
committed
to
making
the
exam
the
best
experience
we
can.
Leah
Wilson,
the
Bar’s
executive
director,
pledged
to
“improve
our
communication
with
test
takers
immediately.”
Apparently
this
email
blast
marked
the
opening
gesture
of
this
new
era.
Everything
about
this
process
has
been
cursed.
California
got
to
this
point
after
its
bar
exam
lurched
into
the
red
and
rather
than
swiftly
plotting
out
a
graceful
transition,
detractors
held
up
the
prospect
of
reform
until
the
11th
hour.
Honestly,
the
decision
to
employ
questions
from
Kaplan
Exam
Services
and
offer
multiple,
more
convenient
facilities
and
remote
administration
is
a
pretty
good
one!
The
NCBE’s
antiquated
requirements
were
inconvenient
for
applicants
and
only
succeeded
in
making
the
ostensible
non-profit
very,
very
rich
and
the
new
regime
promised
to
save
upwards
of
$4
million
annually.
Instead,
trying
to
force
the
change
in
a
matter
of
months
to
meet
the
February
exam
resulted
in
multiple
disasters
including
a
projected
budget
overrun
—
with
an
expected
extra
million
required
for
the
upcoming
July
test.
The
Bar’s
offer
of
an
$830
refund
(minus
bank
fees,
naturally)
serves
as
a
fitting
coda
to
this
tragicomedy.
But
deferring
the
exam
isn’t
an
option
for
many
applicants
who
need
to
pass
this
test
to
keep
their
jobs.
For
those
folks,
the
examiners
offer
more
practice
questions,
a
few
more
testing
locations,
and
importantly
a
redline
of
the
Student
Guide
so
everyone
can
easily
figure
out
where
the
rules
have
changed
midstream.
Someday,
California’s
new
look
bar
exam
will
deliver
solid
results
in
a
convenient
and
cost-effective
manner.
That
day,
however,
is
not
today.
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or
Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a
Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.