A meeting of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California convened in closed session at 12:45 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, in a meeting room at the State Bar offices in San Francisco, California, Larry Sheingold, Chair, presiding. Officers and members present were: Larry Sheingold, Chair; Patricia P. White, Vice-Chair; James H. Aguirre, Eduardo A. Angeles, Traci C. Belmore, Archie “Joe” Biggers, Michelle Domingo, Richard A. Frankel, Martha Pruden-Hamiter, Sandra L. Salazar, M.D., Jeanne C. Vanderhoff, Lee H. Wallach, and Alan S. Yochelson, Members, and at which time a warm welcome was extended to a new member Michelle (Mika) Domingo. Member James A. Bolton joined the meeting at 2:00 p.m. and members J. Scott Bovitz, KV Kumar, Sandra Mendoza, and Joel S. Miliband were absent. Board of Trustees Vice-President and liaison to the Committee Craig Holden and former Committee member Patrick R. Dixon were also present. 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 S. Shin, Director for Operations and Management, Kim Wong, Administrative Specialist, and Rachel S. Grunberg, Senior Assistant General Counsel. The closed session concluded at approximately 1:55 p.m., at which time the Committee’s subcommittees met. The meeting reconvened into closed session at 9:05 a.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2013. All Committee members and staff in attendance on Friday were present on Saturday, except Archie “Joe” Biggers, Richard A. Frankel, and Martha Pruden-Hamiter. Member James Aguirre entered the meeting at 10:00 a.m. Also in attendance were members of the Examination Development and Grading Team: Christopher Frick, Thomas Haran, Sarah Cohen, David Kelley, Dennis Maio, Laura Meyers, Amanda Roze, and Paul Webb. The meeting went into open session at 10:00 a.m., at which time the members of Examination Development and Grading Team left the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 a.m.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the minutes taken during the public session of the meeting on Oct. 18 and 19, 2013, be approved. Recognition of Retired State Bar General Counsel Starr Babcock It was moved, seconded and unanimously carried that Senior Director, Admissions be authorized to extend the Committee’s gratitude and appreciation to General Counsel Starr Babcock upon the occasion of his retirement from the State Bar of California. Recognition of Retired Office of Admissions Staff Member Christine Jarvis 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 Christine Jarvis upon the occasion of her retirement from the State Bar of California after more than thirty-five 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. Moral Character Training It was unanimously agreed that the Committee’s appreciation be extended to Patrick Dixon and Alan Yochelson for their presentations in connection with the training session on conducting moral character informal conferences and the moral character determination decision making process. Testing Accommodations Training It was unanimously agreed that the Committee’s appreciation be extended to Michael Shore, Ph.D. for his presentation on the evaluation and processing of testing accommodations petitions submitted by applicants with LD and AD/HD, which was received during the Examinations Subcommittee meeting. Reports on Admissions Ceremonies It was by common consent agreed that the oral reports from the Committee members who had represented the Committee at various admissions ceremonies that had been held to date for successful July 2013 California Bar Examination applicants who had met all requirements for admission, be received. Reports on Law School Assembly Meeting It was by common consent agreed that the oral reports from the Committee members who had attended the Law School Assembly meeting that was held Oct. 24, 2013, be received. October 2013 Key Indicators It was by common consent agreed that the October 2013 Key Indicators for the Office of Admissions/Committee of Bar Examiners be received and filed. Schedule for January 24 And 25, 2014 Committee Planning Meeting It was by common consent agreed that the schedule for the January 24 and 25, 2014 Committee Planning Meeting, which will be held at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Sacramento, California, be received and filed.
Tentative Date for Conference Call Meeting It was by common consent agreed that a conference call meeting of the Subcommittee on Examinations be scheduled tentatively for noon on Jan. 13, 2014 to consider testing accommodation appeals filed in connection with administration of the February 2014 California Bar Examination. 2013 – 2014 Subcommittee Goals It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 goals for the Subcommittee on Examinations be received and filed.
Sept. 30, 2013 Financial Analysis Report It was by common consent agreed that the Financial Analysis Report as of September 30, 2013, for the Admissions Fund, be received and filed. 2013 – 2014 Subcommittee Goals It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 goals for the Subcommittee on Operations and Management be received and filed.
Notices of Changes in Law School Administrators It was by common consent agreed that the notices from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law of the appointment of Associate Dean Nailah Smith as Registrar; from Northwestern California University School of Law of the appointments of Associate Dean Mary Schofield as Interim Academic Dean and Chief Operating and Assistant Registrar Lori Zapata as Registrar; and from St. Francis School of Law of the appointment of Jill Price as Registrar, be received and filed. Larry H. Layton School of Law – Report of Periodic Inspection It was moved, seconded and duly carried that Report of the Periodic Inspection of Larry H. Layton School of Law, which was conducted September 12, 2013 by Educational Standards Consultant Joy Strayer and the response submitted by the Larry H. Layton School of Law be received and filed; that the recommendations set forth in the Inspection Report be adopted; that the law school also be required to provide evidence that it has obtained access to an acceptable online law library; that the law school submit a request for a waiver of Guideline 6.4, which, if granted, would permit it to have its law library off-site; that the law school be required to submit a written narrative report within 30 days of the date of this action of the Committee that addresses the actions that have been taken in response to report’s recommendations and the additional Committee actions taken at this meeting; and that this matter be further considered by the Committee during its January 2014 meeting. California School of Law – Major Change Request It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the “Notice of Major Change” submitted by the California School of Law pursuant to Rule 4.245 of the Unaccredited Law School Rules regarding a change of ownership interest in the limited liability corporation that operates the law school be received and filed and that the request for approval of the major change be granted. 2013 – 2014 Subcommittee Goals It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 goals for the Subcommittee on Educational Standards be received and filed.
2013 – 2014 Subcommittee Goals It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 goals for the Subcommittee on Moral Character be received and filed. Adjournment Having concluded all the business scheduled for consideration during the open and closed sessions of the meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 10:50 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 in the memory of Glenn West Jr., former long-time reappraiser for the committee, who served the committee with distinction as a grader and reappraiser from 1960 – 2004.