THE COMMITTEE OF BAR EXAMINERS OF THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
June 27 and 28, 2014 State Bar of California Offices 845 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, California
A meeting of the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California convened in closed session at 1:05 p.m., Friday, June 27, 2014, in a meeting room at the State Bar offices in Los Angeles, California, Larry Sheingold, Chair, presiding. Officers and members present were: Larry Sheingold, Chair; Patricia P. White, Vice-Chair; Traci C. Belmore, Archie “Joe” Biggers, James A. Bolton, Ph.D., Michelle Domingo, Richard Frankel, Joel S. Miliband, Martha Pruden-Hamiter, Sandra L. Salazar, M.D., Jeanne C. Vanderhoff, Lee H. Wallach, and Alan S. Yochelson, Members. Members James H. Aguirre, Eduardo A. Angeles, J. Scott Bovitz, KV Kumar, and Patricia M. Villalobos 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 S. Shin, Director for Operations and Management, Kim Wong, Administrative Specialist, and Rachel S. Grunberg, Senior Assistant General Counsel. The meeting went into open session at 1:15 p.m. until 1:30 p.m., at which time the meeting went into closed session and Chief Trial Counsel Jayne Kim and Deputy Chief Trial Counsel Joseph Carlucci joined the meeting until 2:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. the meeting went back into open session, and ExamSoft President David Schnabel and Vice-President of Operations Maribel Olvera, Admissions staff members Tammy Campbell, Patrick Kan and Becky Romero, Professor Greg Brandes, Dean Carol Buckner, Dean Mitchel Winick, Dean Jane Gamp, Dean George Dezes, Dean Ellen Sampong, John Holtz and Alliant University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Russ Newman entered the meeting. After the session concluded at 3:00 p.m., several of the Committee’s subcommittees met. The meeting was reconvened into open session at 10:05 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2014. All Committee members and staff in attendance on Friday were present on Saturday, including Member James H. Aguirre and excluding Member Sandra Salazar. Board of Trustees Members Dan Dean and Nancy Fineman were present for portions of the meeting. The meeting went into closed session at 10:15 a.m., at which time Dean Jane Gamp and Russ Newman were invited into the meeting for approximately five minutes. At 10:35 a.m., the meeting was adjourned.
It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the minutes taken during the public session of the meeting on April 25 and 26, 2014, be approved. Posthumous Admission of Applicant It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the request submitted by Aimee Feinberg and Gabriel Chin on behalf of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association of the University of California, Davis School of Law requesting the State Bar of California join with them in petitioning the California Supreme Court to permit the posthumous admission of Hong Yen Chang be received and filed and that this matter be referred to the State Bar’s Board of Trustees for its consideration. Presentation From Examsoft It was by common consent agreed that the Committee’s appreciation be extended to ExamSoft President David Schnabel and Vice-President of Operations Maribel Olvera for their presentations on ExamSoft’s programs and services. Reports From Committee Representatives Participating in June 2014 Admission Ceremonies It was by common consent agreed that oral reports received from Committee representatives who participated in the June 2014 admission ceremonies for February 2014 California Bar Examination successful applicants who had met all requirements for admission be received. Reports From Committee Representatives on Board of Trustee’s Task Force on Admissions Regulation Reform It was by common consent agreed that oral reports on the activities of the Board of Trustee’s Task Force on Admissions Regulation Reform received from Committee members Richard Frankel and Patricia White, who are on the Task Force, be received.
April and May 2014 Key Indicators It was by common consent agreed that the April and May 2014 Key Indicators for the Office of Admissions/Committee of Bar Examiners be received and filed.
Schedule for Aug. 22, 2014 Committee Meeting It was by common consent agreed that the schedule for the August 22, 2014 Committee Meeting, which will be held at The State Bar of California Offices in San Francisco, California, be received and filed. Full ABA Approval Of UC Irvine School of Law It was by common consent agreed that the oral report from Senior Director, Admissions Gayle Murphy that formerly provisionally approved University of California – Irvine School of Law had received full approval of the American Bar Association be received.
Tentative Dates for Conference Call Meetings It was by common consent agreed that tentative conference call meetings of the Subcommittee on Examinations be scheduled for noon on July 11, 2014 and on July 18, 2014 to consider testing accommodation petition appeals filed in connection with administration of the July 2014 California Bar Examination. Supreme Court Report on the February 2014 California Bar Examination It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the draft Supreme Court Report on the February 2014 California Bar Examination be finalized and submitted to the court. 2013 – 2014 Subcommittee Goals It was by common consent agreed that the 2013 – 2014 goals for the Subcommittee on Examinations be received and filed.
April 30, 2014 Financial Analysis Report It was by common consent agreed that the Financial Analysis Report as of April 30, 2014 for the Admissions Fund, be received and filed. October 2013 First-Year Law Students’ Examination and February 2014 California Bar Examination Costs It was by common consent agreed that the report on costs for administering the October 2013 First-year Law Students’ Examination and the February 2014 California Bar Examination be received and filed. Admission Ceremonies Cost It was by common consent agreed that the report on the attendance and cost figures for the Admission Ceremonies, which are funded solely from the Admissions Fund, be received and filed, and that staff be directed to investigate possible alternative sources of funding to help pay for them in the future. 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.
Proposed Amendments to Guidelines 12.1 And 12.2 Re Cumulative Bar Examination Pass Rates – Pilot Program It was by common consent agreed that consideration of the proposed amendments to Guidelines 12.1 and 12.2 of the Guidelines for Accredited Law School Rules be deferred; that a pilot program be conducted using the methodology for calculating cumulative bar examination pass rates implied by the proposed amendments and the alternative methodology proposed by several California-accredited law school deans; that the reports prepared in response to the Pilot Program be submitted by the California-accredited law schools no later than September 15, 2014; and, that the results of the Pilot Program be placed on the agenda for consideration by the Committee during its October 2014 meeting.
Proposed Amendments to Branch Campus Rule For Accredited Law Schools – Request to Circulate for Public Comment It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the proposed amendments to Rules 4.160 (H) and 4.165(B) of the Accredited Law School Rules and the proposed Guidelines 15.1 through 15.4 of Division 15 (Opening and Operating Branch or Satellite Campuses) to the Guidelines for Accredited law School Rules as attached hereto as “Item 1” to these minutes be approved in principal; that the proposed amendments to the rules be forwarded to the Board of Trustee’s admissions oversight committee with a request that they be circulated for a 45-day public comment period; that the proposed amendments to the Guidelines be circulated for public comment at the same time and for the same time period as the proposed rule amendments; and, that following the public comment period, the proposed amendments to the rules, the new guidelines and any comments received be further reviewed by the Committee and referred to the Committee’s Advisory Committee on California-Accredited Law School Rules for its comment prior to final adoption. Notices of Changes to Law School Administrators It was by common consent agreed that the notices from the Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law of the appointment of Dr. Charles McClintock as President and Chief Executive Officer; from California Southern Law School of the appointment of James Bishop as Interim Dean and Administrator; from St. Francis School of Law of the appointment of Carol Buckner as Dean and Administrator; and from Concord Law School of the appointment of Larry David as Acting Dean, be received and filed. Lincoln Law School of San Jose – Five-Year Periodic Inspection Report It was moved, seconded and duly carried that the Periodic Inspection Report of Lincoln Law School of San Jose, which visit was conducted March 4-7, 2013, by an Inspection Team that included Committee of Bar Examiners member Cometria Cooper, Dean Charles Hicks, Jr., Pacific Coast University School of Law and George Leal, Director for Educational Standards, be received and filed; that the response submitted by Dean Joseph Moless on behalf of the law school be received and filed; that the suggested recommendations contained in the report be adopted; that accreditation of the law school be continued; and that the next periodic accreditation inspection of the law school be scheduled for the fall of 2018, unless an earlier visitation is found to be necessary by the committee. San Francisco Law School – Request for Approval of a Major Change It was moved, seconded and duly carried, Members Traci Belmore and Lee Wallach abstaining, that the Requests for Approval of a Major Change submitted by Alliant International University (Alliant) on behalf of San Francisco Law School pursuant to Rule 4.164, relating to the proposed acquisition of Alliant by the University Ventures Fund and the subsequent conversion of Alliant from a California nonprofit to a California Benefit corporation be received and filed; and that the Request as to each major change be approved, pending final approval of the intended transactions by the Office of the California Attorney General. 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.
Committee Rehabilitation Policy It was by moved, seconded and duly carried that the revised “Factors that May be Taken Into Consideration When Evaluation the Rehabilitation of an Applicant Seeking a Moral Character Determination” in the form attached hereto as “Item 2” to these minutes be adopted. 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 10:35 a.m., Saturday, June 28, 2014.