THE COMMITTEE OF BAR EXAMINERS OF THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
Aug. 23, 2013 180 Howard St. San Francisco, California
A meeting of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California convened in closed session at 11:45 a.m., Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, in a meeting room at the State Bar offices in San Francisco, California, Sean M. McCoy, Chair, presiding. Officers and members present were: Sean M. McCoy, Chair; Larry Sheingold, Vice-Chair; Archie “Joe” Biggers, James A. Bolton, J. Scott Bovitz, Richard A. Frankel, KV Kumar, Joel S. Miliband, Steven J. Renick, Sandra L. Salazar, M.D., Lee H. Wallach, Patricia P. White, and Alan S. Yochelson, Members. Members James H. Aguirre, Sandra Mendoza, Martha Pruden-Hamiter, and Jeanne C. Vanderhoff were absent. State Bar staff members in attendance were: Gayle E. Murphy, Senior Director, Admissions, Gina Crawford, Director for Administration, Debra Murphy Lawson, Director for Moral Character Determinations, George C. Leal, Director for Educational Standards, Lisa Jeong Cummins, Director for Examinations, Greg Shin, Director for Operations and Management, Kim Wong, Administrative Specialist, and Rachel S. Grunberg, Senior Assistant General Counsel. Also in attendance were Joseph Dunn, State Bar CEO and Executive Director, and Robert Hawley, Deputy Executive Director. The session concluded at 12:25 p.m. The meeting was reconvened into closed session at 3:20 p.m. and all Committee members and State Bar staff, except Mr. Dunn, Mr. Hawley and Ms. Crawford, were in attendance. At approximately 4 p.m., the meeting went into open session, at which time Dean Jane Gamp and Dean Greg Brandes, joined the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously carried that the Committee’s gratitude be extended to outgoing Chair, Sean M. McCoy and members Steven J. Renick and Cometria C. Cooper for their years of service and that the following citations be prepared and presented to them:
This citation is presented to Sean M. McCoy by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California in recognition of his outstanding service as Chair during the 2012 – 2013 Committee year and on the occasion of his retirement from the Committee of Bar Examiners and his distinguished service to the legal profession in California.
This citation is presented to Steven J. Renick by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California in recognition of his retirement from the Committee of Bar Examiners and his distinguished service to the legal profession in California.
This citation is presented to Cometria C. Cooper by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California in recognition of her service as a Committee member from March 2012 through July 2013 and her distinguished service to the legal profession in California.
It was by common consent agreed that the following members and officers represent the Committee at the designated Admissions Ceremonies, which will be conducted for the purpose of admitting applicants who are successful on the July 2013 California Bar Examination and who have met all other requirements for admission: Oakland Convention Center – Patricia White, Sacramento – Larry Sheingold, Fresno – Sean McCoy, Los Angeles – James Bolton, Orange County – KV Kumar, Riverside – Archie “Joe” Biggers, San Diego – Jeanne Vanderhoff, and Ventura – Alan Yochelson.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 Committee of Bar Examiners meeting schedule, as follows, be approved:
It was moved, seconded and unanimously carried that the Senior Director, Admissions be authorized to extend the Committee’s gratitude and appreciation to Office of Admissions staff member Cheryl Waters upon the occasion of her retirement from the State Bar of California after more than thirty years of outstanding and meritorious service to the State Bar of California, the Committee of Bar Examiners and the people of the state of California.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that Patricia P. White be appointed as a committee representative on the committee’s Advisory Committee on California Accredited Law School Rules to replace Cometria Cooper for a term expiring upon the final day of the 2015 State Bar Annual Meeting, or until further order of the committee, whichever occurs earlier and Dean Heather Georgakis be appointed to replace Dean George Dezes as a CALS representative on the committee’s Advisory Committee on California Accredited Law School Rules for a term expiring upon the final day of the 2015 State Bar Annual Meeting, or until further order of the Committee, whichever occurs earlier; and, that Advisory Committee members be informed that if they are unable to attend a meeting that is scheduled, he or she may designate a proxy to attend in his or her place with the authority to vote on any issue that may be pending before the advisory committee.
It was by common consent agreed that the June and July 2013 Key Indicators for the Office of Admissions/Committee of Bar Examiners be received and filed.
It was by common consent agreed that the schedule for the October 18 and 19, 2013 Committee Meeting, which will be held at The State Bar of California Offices in Los Angeles, California, be received and filed.
Law School Assembly Meeting It was by common consent agreed that the oral report from Gayle Murphy, Senior Director, Admissions, that a Law School Assembly Meeting is scheduled for October 24, 2013 in the San Francisco State Bar offices, to which all Committee members and Deans of California Law Schools are invited to attend, be received.
It was by common consent agreed that tentative conference call meetings of the Subcommittee on Examinations be scheduled for noon on September 20, 2013 and October 11, 2013 to consider testing accommodation petition appeals filed in connection with administration of the Oct. 22, 2013 First-Year Law Students’ Examination.
It was by common consent agreed that the oral report from Lisa Cummins, Director for Examinations, on the testing accommodations petition process be received.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2012 – 2013 goals for the Subcommittee on Examinations be received and filed.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 Year-To-Date Financial Analysis Report for the Admissions Fund be received and filed.
It was by common consent agreed that the oral report from Greg Shin, Director for Operations and Management, on the relocation of the State Bar’s Los Angeles offices to 845 S. Figueroa St., which is scheduled to take place by the end of this year, be received.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2012 – 2013 goals for the Subcommittee on Operations and Management be received and filed.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2012 – 2013 goals for the Subcommittee on Educational Standards be received and filed.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the request from San Francisco Law School (SFLS) for approval of a major change, which was submitted pursuant to Rule 4.164 of the Accredited Law School Rules, that would allow the establishment of a branch campus in San Diego in August 2014 be received and filed; that the request be approved with the understanding that the branch campus will be treated as a provisionally accredited law school and subject to all rules and guidelines governing provisional accreditation; that no less than 180 days before the date the SFLS San Diego campus is expected to open, the law school submit a comprehensive report to the committee that identifies the associate dean, the registrar and the entire first-year faculty to be in place at the time of the campus is opened, along with its submission of all student and faculty written materials to be used in the operation of the San Diego campus; that no less than 120 days before the expected opening of the SFLS San Diego campus, the campus be inspected to ensure compliance with all accreditation standards and all requirements set forth in the Accredited Law School Rules and the Guidelines for Accredited Law School Rules; that no less than 90 days before the expected opening of the SFLS San Diego campus, a report be submitted to the Committee so that final action may be taken; and that any announcements and advertisements regarding the establishment of the new San Diego campus contain the following disclaimer: “Commencement of classes and enrollment of students at this provisionally-accredited campus are subject to final approval by the Committee of Bar Examiners, which is tentatively scheduled for consideration by the Committee in the spring of 2014.”
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the request submitted by Trinity Law School for approval of a Major Change, which would allow it to offer a non-degree program of law to the Foreign Educated with a First Degree in Law, be received and filed and that the request be granted.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the requests submitted by Monterey College of Law (MCL) for approval of a Major Change, which would permit MCL to enroll students in a joint degree program comprised of its Masters of Law and its Juris Doctor degree programs, and the Committee’s acquiescence to award the degree be received and filed; that the requests be granted; that the additional request for a waiver of the requirement that a Major Change Request be submitted 90 days prior to making the change, as required by Rule 4.164, be received and filed; and that the request for a waiver also be granted.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the Interim Inspection Report of American International School of Law (AISOL) conducted May 23, 2103 be received and filed; that the registration of AISOL as a registered unaccredited correspondence law school be continued; and that a periodic inspection of the law school, pursuant to Rule 4.244(A), be conducted in the spring of 2016 unless an earlier inspection is deemed necessary by the committee.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the Periodic Inspection Report of the McMillan Academy of Law conducted May 17-18, 2012, by Educational Standards Consultant John Trunick be received and filed; that the response filed on behalf of the law school be received and filed; that a half-day inspection of the law school be scheduled within 30 days of this action by the Committee; and a report of that inspection be submitted for consideration by the Committee during its October 18 and 19, 2013 meeting.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the Application for Registration of the American University of California School of Law to be registered as a fixed-facility law school be received and filed; that, as provided by Rule 4.221(B), an inspection of the law school be scheduled to take place within the next sixty days and that a report of that inspection thereafter be prepared and submitted for further consideration by the Committee in accordance with Rule 4.223.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the request by Irvine University College of Law (IUCOL) for approval of a major change, submitted pursuant to Rule 4.245 of the Unaccredited Law School Rules, be received and filed; that the request be granted, which will allow the school to offer up to and no more than three classes in its Juris Degree program at 4199 Campus Drive, Suite 650, Irvine California, as soon as fall, 2013; that IUCOL’s request for a waiver of Guideline 1.8 be granted, which will allow the law school to offer up to and no more than three classes at the Irvine location without the need to obtain the registration of that location as a separate and new fixed-facility law school; and, that the school be advised that if, in the future, it determines that an expanded use of the Irvine campus is desired or it wishes to offer an entire degree program, it must seek the prior approval and meet all the requirements of Guideline 1.8 at that time.
It was by common consent agreed that the 2012 – 2013 goals for the Subcommittee on Moral Character be received and filed.
Having concluded all the business scheduled for consideration during the open and closed sessions of the meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m., Friday, Aug. 23, 2013.