a. Recent Medical Documentation
b. Personal Statement
c. Proof of Past Accommodations
d. Test Scores and Transcripts (ACT/SAT, LSAT)
To gather my documentation, I must:
a. Reach out to my psychiatrist in January to request current documentation supporting my Bar accommodations.
b. Add my personal statement to my
c. Gather all previous documentation confirming my past accommodations in high school, ACT, undergraduate, LSAT, and Law School.
d. Gather previous test scores and transcripts
If you need any assistance with these steps for the Bar accommodations application process, you can reach out to your Accessibility Specialist at the Moses Center for Student Accessibility for consultation.
If you have general Bar application questions, please reach out to Law Office of Records and Registration at [email protected] or refer to the Bar Exam Information on the Law Records and Registration website. If you need to appeal the Bar’s decision, follow the Appeals process on pages 7 and 8 of the test accommodations handbook .
© 2024 New York University School of Law. 40 Washington Sq. South, New York, NY 10012. Tel. (212) 998-6100
If you plan to apply for accommodations on the bar exam and related tests, we advise that you acquaint yourself with the documentation you will need to provide, along with applicable deadlines, as early as possible.
Note that documents may need to be notarized. Mr. Dean Lance at the Secretariat office is a notary public. Please email him at [email protected] to set up an appointment.
It is possible that you may also need to be retested in order to qualify for accommodations on the Bar exam you plan to take. If you are retested, you will need to provide your tester with guidelines from the state bar you will be taking.
Disability Services has a list of providers who have agreed to conduct testing for Columbia University student at reduced rates. Rates may change from those reflected on the list, so call or check the websites of the providers to get current rates.
The Financial Aid Office can increase your borrowing limit above the Standard Cost of Attendance . To qualify for this increase, students must provide:
If you are denied the accommodations you feel you need, Disability Services can assist you in preparing an appeal. Note that you may have a limited time period in which to file an appeal.
By Stephanie Francis Ward
June 30, 2022, 9:52 am CDT
Image from Shutterstock.
Andrea Gagliardi has various diagnosed disabilities, including major depressive disorder. She had hoped two recent neuropsychological evaluation reports, in addition to documentation from a neurologist, primary care physician and a nurse practitioner, would support her bar exam accommodation requests, which included double testing time and a paper test.
But that didn’t happen. The New York State Board of Law Examiners denied her accommodation requests for the 50-minute multiple-choice test known as the New York Law Exam, which is online, while the National Conference of Bar Examiners gave Gagliardi time and a half for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.
Gagliardi, who also has a history of Lyme disease, took both exams in law school. She did not pass the New York Law Exam and has not yet retaken it. Her first MPRE score was not high enough for New York, but she passed on her second attempt.
Among Gagliardi’s accommodation requests for the MPRE was a private room. Her first request was denied, but one was available and she was allowed to use it for her second try.
The NYSLE did not respond to an ABA Journal interview request. Gagliardi shared three denial letters from the agency. The first, dated Aug. 6, 2021, states that relative to the “general population,” her access to tests without any accommodation is “at least average.”
The synopsis section of the letter also claims Gagliardi took the LSAT five times, had scores in the average range compared with other law school applicants and consistently performed in the average range for her neuropsychological testing.
“During the 2020 diagnostic testing, Ms. Gagliardi clearly worked extremely slowly on many tasks. This occurred both in the August and December testing. However, the evaluators do not appear to have adequately addressed the possibility that this slowness may have been due to either (a) a preferred test-taking style or (b) a desire to demonstrate a need for accommodations,” the letter states.
New York is a Uniform Bar Examination state, and the two-day exam starts July 26. Gagliardi has not appealed her accommodation denials. One attorney told her he didn’t have enough time to do it, and another said it would cost $600 for a consultation and $7,000 for full representation. Gagliardi, a 2022 Albany Law School graduate, says she has already spent more than $10,000 on testing in addition to application fees to take the tests multiple times in various jurisdictions.
According to law school disability resources coordinators interviewed by the ABA Journal, most bar examinees being denied accommodation requests have nonapparent disabilities, including ADHD, PTSD, depression and dyslexia. The requests often are denied due what the NCBE and boards of law examiners see as insufficient documentation and a history of strong or average achievement in testing and higher education, according to the coordinators who base their assessments on denial letters.
“That leads me to ask if NCBE wants to see academic failure in order to prove severity of disability,” says Heather Stout, the accessibility and wellness coordinator at St. Louis University School of Law.
There’s also a sense that accommodation requests are denied because the candidate does not have a recent neuropsychological evaluation report. But even with that, the requests still get denied, say some. Insurance usually doesn’t cover the evaluations, which cost between $1,500 and $2,500, according to Stout.
Also, some experts claim that if the NCBE denies an accommodation request for the MPRE, the jurisdiction will follow that lead for the state bar exam.
The NCBE told the ABA Journal in an email it did not know if that was true. The organization’s website includes a FAQ page about medical documentation for MPRE accommodation requests. It needs to be “sufficiently recent,” which the NCBE says is usually within the past five years. A complete educational, developmental and medical history relevant to the accommodation being sought is also required, as is a rationale for each accommodation requested.
According to the NCBE, it has granted “extra testing time” on the MPRE for thousands of individuals whose disabilities fall into a mental impairment category.
“In accordance with the ADA, we do so when the candidate has provided documentation that demonstrates a diagnosed impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities that are relevant when taking a standardized test like the MPRE,” the organization told the Journal in an email.
The NCBE considers whether a bar candidate received extra testing time in law school, but that by itself is not enough for a determination. Also, the NCBE says it does not require a neuropsychological evaluation report for accommodation approvals.
“As you can appreciate, many candidates would like more testing time, but the MPRE is a standardized exam and it is important for us to evaluate requests in a way that is fair to all examinees,” the email states.
Lisa Noshay Petro, director of the University of California Hastings Law Disability Resource Center, has assisted students with disabilities for more than 18 years and says she has seen many applicants with nonapparent disabilities denied in whole or in part even with good documentation. She helps Hastings students with appeals and estimates there is an 80% success rate.
For the most part, the applicants she works with are seeking accommodations for the California bar.
“What’s good is that in the denial letter, they will quote the consultant they sent it out to. That’s so helpful because you know what their rationale is and how to address the deficiencies,” she says.
However, the process is unfair and may not comport with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, according to Petro.
“If the state bar did it right the first time, you wouldn’t have to go through the pain of the appeal,” she explains.
The State Bar of California is “very interested” in feedback from applicants who requested or are in the process of requesting test accommodations, Amy Nuñez, who directs the agency’s office of admissions, said in a statement. A stakeholder forum to gather feedback about the process was held June 29.
“The testing accommodations appeals process exists to ensure applicants have recourse if they disagree with the state bar’s initial testing accommodations decision,” the statement read.
Matt Overcast, a U.S. Air Force veteran and a 2022 Mitchell Hamline School of Law graduate, has been diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia and auditory processing challenges. He discovered the disabilities during his first year of law school, thanks to a legal writing teacher who had previously worked in elementary education.
In his accommodation request to the Missouri Board of Law Examiners, Overcast included documentation from the St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association and an ADHD diagnosis documented by a Veterans Health Care System doctor.
In January he asked the NCBE for double testing time, 10 minutes of stop-the-clock breaks and the use of a screen reader. The accommodation requests were denied in February, and Overcast paid a lawyer a $1,000 retainer to write an appeal letter.
“I took the time to fight the denial from the NCBE because I was worried the Missouri bar would piggyback off the NCBE decision,” says Overcast, the father of five young children.
On reconsideration, the NCBE granted Overcast 50% extended testing time and up to 15 minutes of stop-the-clock breaks, he says. He was denied the use of a screen reader, and Overcast claims the NCBE appeal process postponed his accommodation filing with the Missouri Board of Law Examiners.
The NCBE told the ABA Journal it could not comment on specific appeals. James Klahr, executive director of the MBLE, told the ABA Journal in an email that it cannot comment on individual applicants. He noted the organization’s website provides guidance for individuals seeking accommodations, and said the MBLE will “thoughtfully consider all relevant information” provided by applicants.
At this point, Overcast does not know if he will take the Missouri July bar with the accommodations offered or appeal and take the February bar. A big concern is not having access to a screen reader.
“I will likely need to postpone and appeal, but I am just not sure I have enough resources at this point since I have taken off work to study for the bar,” he says.
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If you have a disability that could affect your ability to take a test administered by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, you may want to file early for testing accommodations. Testing accommodations are available to those with mental or physical disabilities as defined in Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 7, Rule 4.82 of the Rules of the State Bar of California (Testing Accommodations). Applicants with temporary medical conditions, such as a pregnancy or broken leg, and mothers who are nursing may also file requests for accommodations.
Depending on the nature of your disability, accommodations may include things such as:
When completing the online testing accommodations application and required forms, you and your physician or specialist should request what you think is necessary to allow you to compete on an equal basis with all other applicants. You must also provide adequate documentation and rationale to support the requested accommodations and their relationship to the effects of your disability.
Information and forms related to filing a petition for testing accommodations is also available from the State Bar upon request.
The petition for testing accommodations is treated separately from the application you file to take an exam.
Petitions for Testing Accommodations are processed in the order received and in accordance with the Rules of the State Bar of California, Title 4 Admissions and Educational Standards, Division 1 Admission to Practice Law in California, Chapter 7 Testing Accommodations .
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to file their petitions for testing accommodations well in advance of an examination they intend to take.
Initial processing of a petition generally takes a minimum of 60 days from the date your application is determined complete and processing of petitions requiring review by outside consultants retained by the State Bar or those requiring applicants to submit additional information will most likely take longer.
Applicants who wait to file their requests near the final filing deadline for the examination they intend to take generally are not able to exhaust all administrative remedies before administration of the exam, such as appealing a denial of some or all of an applicant’s request for testing accommodations. Early filing is strongly encouraged. Deadlines for the upcoming exam are available here .
All first-time petitions, requests for expanded accommodations, and petitions filed by applicants with temporary disabilities must:
Petitions for testing accommodations during an exam administered by the State Bar based on disabilities existing prior to the final application filing deadline must be submitted online or received by the State Bar’s Office of Admissions in San Francisco no later than the final testing accommodations petition filing deadline.
Petitions without the required forms and documentation will not be considered complete and will not be processed until brought to a complete status. The deadline will not be extended for any reason.
Petitions for testing accommodations may be filed prior to filing an application for the examination.
Complete and submit a testing accommodations application online in the Applicant Portal , which includes a personal narrative (in addition to the forms and documents that are relevant to your particular disability). Supporting forms and documents must be completed and signed. After you upload all supporting forms and documents, please be sure to retain the original copies for your records. The State Bar reserves the right to request that documents uploaded in the Applicant Portal be submitted by mail for review.
Upon request, the application may be submitted in hard copy. The hard copy of the completed forms and supporting documents must be mailed to: The State Bar of California Office of Admissions 180 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 A petition will not be considered complete until all necessary forms have been received. Make sure you request that third parties complete these forms early so you can submit your petition by the deadline. Deadlines will not be extended if an application is incomplete.
Have a qualified professional complete each applicable disability verification form and return it to you.
There are separate verification forms for different disabilities: specific learning disorders/disabilities, ADHD, psychological disabilities, visual disabilities, and physical disabilities. You will need to complete the first page of the applicable disability verification form and request that your qualified professional complete the rest of the form, sign it, and return it to you. In addition to completing the form, your qualified professional must attach a comprehensive evaluation report and/or relevant records as outlined on each verification form. Refer to the forms and checklist for more information.
Step 2: History of Accommodations
Assemble verifying documentation of your history of accommodations requests, if any.
As indicated in the testing accommodations online application (Form A), you should provide verification of your accommodations history, such as a copy of the letter(s) you received from the entity notifying you of the specific accommodations granted or denied. The verification should identify the time frame (e.g., third year of law school) and the nature of the disability (e.g., ADHD) for which any accommodations were granted or denied. If you received accommodations as a result of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan, it is recommended that you provide copies of all IEPs or 504 Plans. If you received accommodations in law school, you must submit Form F – Law School Verification with your petition, completed and signed by the appropriate law school official. If you received accommodations for a bar exam in another state/district, you must submit Form G – Other Jurisdiction’s Testing Accommodations Verification with your petition, completed and signed by the appropriate bar admissions administrator.
Step 3: Supporting Documentation
Assemble any additional documentation or supporting evidence.
Applicants are encouraged to submit any additional documentation that they believe will help support their request for testing accommodations. The decision made by the State Bar will be based on the information provided by the applicant. As you deem necessary, helpful and/or appropriate, collect letters, transcripts, and other documentation in order to submit a comprehensive petition that provides the State Bar with complete information regarding the functional limitation(s) you experience in your academic, professional, and personal life. The State Bar reserves the right to request additional information at any time.
Step 4: Form A Petition for Testing Accommodations
Read all instructions and rules carefully, then complete and submit the online testing accommodations application (Form A) . NOTE: You are required to submit a personal narrative. Submit the online testing accommodations application along with all required forms and documentation, as discussed above, so that everything needed to begin the processing of your petition for testing accommodations is received together.
Step 5: Submit Your Petition
Completed petitions must be submitted online through the State Bar’s website or received (not postmarked) in the San Francisco Office of Admissions if submitted on paper, no later than the final testing accommodations petition filing deadline for the examination that you wish to take. Refer to the Testing Accommodations Submission Checklist .
Applicants who are unsuccessful on an exam and wish to have the same accommodations extended to another administration of the same exam must indicate during the exam application process that they want the same testing accommodations as previously granted. You will not be able to select a testing accommodation test center when you register for an examination. You will be assigned to a testing accommodation test center once your request for testing accommodations is processed. Once that reassignment is made, if you need to change your testing accommodations test center, you may submit a request through the Applicant Portal. It is not necessary to resubmit supporting documentation that was submitted with a previous request, provided the applicant took an exam within the preceding five years and:
If there is any change in the accommodations requested, a new petition and forms with supporting documentation are required. An update to prior medical documentation assessing the applicant’s current functional limitations and ongoing need for accommodations may be required if the nature of the applicant’s disability or disabilities is changeable.
A new petition is required for each type of exam administered by the State Bar. An applicant may not request that the same accommodations granted for an administration of the California Bar Exam be extended to an administration of the Legal Specialist Exam.
The State Bar reserves the right to request an update to prior documentation in all cases if it determines that the prior documentation is insufficient to establish the applicant’s current level of impairment and need for accommodations.
If a testing accommodations petition is denied in whole or in part, applicants may appeal the decision. Applicants should be aware, however, that if they submit their initial petition less than 60 days before the initial petition/final filing deadline, there may not be enough time after receiving a decision to appeal. Appeals must be received in the San Francisco Office of Admissions no later than the first business day of the month in which that exam is scheduled to be administered. The deadline will not be extended. Appeals submitted after the deadline, however, may be considered in connection with a future administration of the exam. The applicant should notify the San Francisco Office of Admissions within 60 days of the date of the petition decision letter that they wish the committee to do so.
Petitions for testing accommodations on an emergency basis, which must be based on an injury or disability acquired after the final application filing deadline, must:
The fact that an applicant was unable to get an appointment with their specialist before the final filing deadline is not grounds for consideration as an emergency petition.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Requesting Testing Accommodations A request for testing accommodations is treated separately from the application you file to take an exam. Applications for testing accommodations may be submitted before filing an application to take an exam. However, you must first be registered with the State Bar as a general or attorney applicant, or the request for accommodations will not be processed ...
Accommodations This directory provides information about the process for seeking bar examination accommodations for each state, including links to forms, deadlines, and additional information about the bar application process, and sample cases.
The State Bar and the Committee of Bar Examiners will use the information you provide to understand the nature of the accommodation you are seeking and its relationship to the specific task of taking the exam. This information will assist the State Bar in making a fair determination regarding your request for testing accommodations.
Learn about ADHD accommodations requests for the bar exam, and what's changed over the last 20 years in this Bar Examiner article.
In the box labeled "Accommodations Application", select "Apply for NTA". Review Checklist and then select "Start Application." Add each Disability for which you are requesting accommodations and then proceed to answer all questions on each page, selecting "Save and Continue" as you go along.
Please refer to the instructions which accompany this application and the Handbook for Requesting Test Accommodations on the New York State Bar Examination and New York Law Exam, including the Guidelines for the Documentation of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Guidelines for the Documentation of Learning and Other Cognitive ...
The effect of the disability on your ability to perform under normal testing conditions. Specific special accommodations for the multiple-choice written examination recommended by the medical or psychological professional and how that accommodation relates to your disability. Name, title, telephone number, and professional license or ...
2. Choose Your Date I want to take the exam in July 2024, so my accommodation application needs to be submitted to the Bar by March 31, 2024. a. Reach out to my psychiatrist in January to request current documentation supporting my Bar accommodations. b. Add my personal statement to my Bar ...
To support a request for accommodations, you should provide a comprehensive written evaluation report from a qualified professional who conducted an individualized assessment of you, gave the diagnoses which forms the basis for your request for test accommodations and is recommending accommodations on the bar examination on the basis of a ...
If you plan to apply for accommodations on the bar exam and related tests, we advise that you acquaint yourself with the documentation you will need to provide, along with applicable deadlines, as early as possible.
Test Accommodations for the New York Bar Exam and the New York Law Exam. It is the policy of the New York State Board of Law Examiners to provide non-standard testing accommodations ("NTA") to applicants with disabilities for the bar examination and the New York Law Exam ("NYLE") to the extent such accommodations are timely requested ...
The five components of a complete MPRE accommodations request include: (1) an applicant request form, (2) a personal narrative (optional), (3) medical documentation, (4) proof of past accommodations, and (5) standardized test score reports. The NCBE must receive the full accommodations request by the late registration deadline for your MPRE ...
Applicants granted accommodations on a temporary basis must submit a new testing accommodations request form with supporting documentation each exam cycle. You must include a personal narrative providing a reasonable explanation of how your temporary medical condition functional limitation (s) impact your ability to access a State Bar ...
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING TEST ACCOMMODATIONS Testing accommodations are available to individuals with mental or physical disabilities as defined in Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 7, Rule 4.82 of the Rules of the State Bar of California (Admissions Rules). Depending on the nature of the disability, accommodations may include such things as assistants (i.e., readers or personal ...
bar exam accommodations personal statement I am having a very hard time writing my personal statement and would love if anyone is comfortable sharing how they were able to discuss "first being impaired" by your disability.
Personal Statement for ADHD Accommodations. I am applying for testing accommodations for the NY bar due to ADHD. I'm currently working on my personal statement and would appreciate any advice on how to effectively present my case to the bar. Thank you in advance! Been granted accommodations for 2 jurisdictions.
Exam Accommodations (Help Needed) Hey guys, I was wondering if someone could help me with an issue I'm having with getting accommodations for the bar exam. I suffer from ADHD, anxiety and OCD and have received treatment for them for most of my life. I have accommodations through my law school.
"The testing accommodations appeals process exists to ensure applicants have recourse if they disagree with the state bar's initial testing accommodations decision," the statement read.
Please keep in mind the testing accommodation application is a separate application from the bar exam application. Prior accommodations will be approved by the State Bar without the need for further documentation if all the following are satisfied: • the prior accommodations were approved for a permanent disability;
Nonstandard Testing Accommodations Information (NTA) Applicants who have a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) , may request NTA to take the bar examination. The filing deadlines for NTA documentation are the same as the Application to Sit for the Bar Examination, and are subject to the same late filing fee penalties. Incomplete NTA documentation is subject to ...
Denied Bar Exam Accommodations - I want to hear from you Hi All, I am writing an article about bar exam accommodations being denied even if you had those accommodations in law school. It sounds routine that state bars do this but I would like to hear from you.
Requesting Testing Accommodations for the Certified Legal Specialist Exam If you have a disability that could affect your ability to take a test administered by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, you may want to file early for testing accommodations. Testing accommodations are available to those with mental or physical disabilities as defined in Title 4, Division 1 ...
Accommodations Denial Throwaway (you can probably guess why). I was denied bar exam accommodations in a four-letter state starting with "O", despite having a documented history of testing accommodations, a certificate of medical authority from a psychiatrist, a personal statement, and several years worth of psychiatrists' notes (which, by the way, were really hard to hand over because of how ...