The only good solution to attorney licensure this year is diploma privilege.
There are a bunch of almost good solutions and they deserve credit where it’s due, but where we sit right now there is no way to have a functional in-person exam without delaying until next year or massively curtailing those sitting for it and remote alternatives are preferable but with the uncertainty surrounding the process they are unfair to the applicants.
For anyone out there eye-rolling about the concerns of applicants, just check out this thread from one that lays out the challenges these folks are facing that radically outstrip the standard pressures of the exam.
With little movement on diploma privilege adoption around the country, some law school graduates in Minnesota took it upon themselves to file their own petition to the Minnesota Supreme Court seeking a diploma privilege option. It’s the sort of uphill battle that one might expect to see from graduates before the weight of the practice beats the idealism out of them. But the twist is… it worked!
That’s some compelling performative evidence that law school graduates are ready to practice law right there!
After filing the petition on Monday, Chief Justice Gildea issued an order on Wednesday taking up the petition and opening a public comment period until July 6. So if you’re in Minnesota, do your part to help the cause by filing a comment.
It’s a massive win and hopefully a blueprint for applicants out there looking to get some progress from their states. Good luck!
(Petition and order available on the following pages.)
Earlier: Law School Graduates Push For Diploma Privilege As A Matter Of Racial Justice
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 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.