[WSBARP] [WSBAPT] Letter Re: Supreme Court Grants Diploma privilege to LLTs and ABA accredited law school grads, and No Bar Exam

Mon Jun 29 12:44:11 PDT 2020

Dear Honorable Supreme Court Justices,

I would like to support attorney Gretory L. Ursich's sentiments, concerns,
and suggestions regarding Emergency Order entered by your Court on June 12,
2020, that suddenly changes all the APR rules in Washington to
automatically admit to the practice of law all ABA graduate applicants and
previous test takers who had failed a previous bar exam in Washington and
who applied to take the Summer 2020 bar exam, scheduled for July and
September 2020.

 I entered law school in my mid-50's, which is another story, but I would
like to share the following with the Supreme Court Justices:

 I have some mis-givings about this, especially in the light of the basis
for making the request by Annette Clark.

Dean Clark speaks to the recent trauma experienced by those who would be in
a position to be taking the Attorney bar exam.

While I was in law school (remember, graduating in 2-16), I lost several
close family members.  It was traumatic, but I kept compartmenteling my
feelings because classes and studying for exams was the priority.

I took several bar prep classes and was ready to headlong into the exam
process.  Once I received my diploma, however, I found myself constantly
distracted while studying for the Bar.  I also hit a point where my brain
just did not want to retain the information I was working so hard to
memorize.

I took the July exam, but failed passing by a few points.  I was not
surprised with the fail.  Afterwards, I took a month to just process the
trauma and loss of my close family members.

This did not prohibit me from gainful employment in the legal field as a
paralegal.

After having the chance to process the loss, my head was in a much better
place.  I studied again and took the Bar the following February and passed
with a couple dozen points to spare.

I am sharing this because, although it is just my own personal experience.
in hindsight, if I had passed the first time around and gone straight into
practicing law (without having processed my trauma, loss, grief), I do not
think I would have been as effective for my clients.

I do not agree that the Bar exam is only about memorization, it includes
other elements, including endurance.  My personal opinion is that lawyers
should continue to take the Attorney Bar exam, but after giving themselves
time to process their own personal feelings and issues.

Best,

Laurel Brown
WSBA #51992

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 7:32 PM Gregory L. Ursich <gursich at insleebest.com>
wrote:

> Dear Honorable Supreme Court Justices:
>
>
>
> I write to you now regarding the Emergency Order entered by your Court on
> June 12, 2020, that suddenly changes all the APR rules in Washington to
> automatically admit to the practice of law all ABA graduate applicants and
> previous test takers who had failed a previous bar exam in Washington and
> who applied to take the Summer 2020 bar exam, scheduled for July and
> September 2020.   This broad and sweeping decision to exempt all applicants
> for the summer 2020 bar exams to never have to take the bar in Washington
> is too broad.  First, bar applicants who previously failed the Washington
> bar, no matter how many times, are now automatically admitted if signed up
> for the Summer 2020 exams (July and September).  Second, the last bar exam
> pass rate was only 49%.  When I personally took the bar in 1989, the pass
> rate was only 62%.  I came from a middle class family and put myself
> through college and law school after losing my father at age 11.  My father
> was a retired Master Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and my mother was
> a Registered Nurse.  I still remember how hard it was to concentrate for
> and study for the bar in my mother’s basement.  It is not an easy thing to
> do, but I was proud of my accomplishment to pass the exam and to be
> admitted to the Washington Bar at the young age of 24.  I certainly have
> not followed bar passage rates in Washington, but I think they have varied
> between about 45% to 75% over the last 30 years.  The exam is a competency
> measure to protect the public and to ensure a certain level of competency
> to practice law in Washington.  We are a profession with many technical
> rules and requirements and the public deserves the protection the bar exam
> provides.  Every day when we deal with researching the law, drafting briefs
> and motions, meeting with our clients to provide legal advice, and
> appearing in court we are tested with new experiences and fact patterns and
> we draw on our expertise in the law gained from attendance in law school,
> testing our competence on the bar exam, and experience gained during our
> practice.  The bar exam is an important component of that as ensures a
> minimum level of competency as a new lawyer to immediately  represent
> clients in court and to take the responsibility for our clients’ personal
> liberties, financial health, and family relationships.  The public deserves
> to know they have a competent lawyer representing them, and the bar exam
> provides a needed competency check for that.
>
>
>
> A more balanced approach could be that the 2020 summer exam applicants are
> admitted on a provisional basis and can practice law so long as they sit
> for the bar exam by the summer of 2021.  Their admission to the bar would
> remain valid until the results are announced for the summer 2021 exam in
> the fall of 2021.  If they pass that exam their admission continues.  If
> they fail the bar exam in either the winter of 2021 or summer 2021, then
> their provisional admission ends until they take the exam again and pass.
> This approach balances the effect of the Corona Virus Crisis on studying
> for and passing the bar exam during the crisis and allows for gainful
> employment in the interim.  This approach would also protect the public
> because those who ultimately have a problem passing the exam will not be
> admitted on a long term basis until they can show their basic competency to
> practice law.
>
>
>
> I understand that this approach of temporary licensing is being used right
> now by the Washington State Boards that license dentists and pharmacists;
> similarly it should apply to lawyers.   I for one would not want to have a
> doctor, dentist or pharmacist take care of me in Washington without having
> to take their boards.  I feel that this is an important issue for our
> profession, and a more narrowly tailored approach to the current crisis is
> warranted to protect the public and to ensure competency in our learned
> profession.  Thanks for listening.   –Greg Ursich
>
>
>
>
>
> *Gregory L. Ursich *
>
> Shareholder
>
> Skyline Tower, Suite 1500 | 10900 NE 4th Street | Bellevue, WA 98004
>
> P: 425.450.4258 | F: 425.635.7720
>
> *vCard <http://www.insleebest.com/uploads/vcards/gursich.vcf>* | *website
> <http://www.insleebest.com/>* | *gursich at insleebest.com
> <gursich at insleebest.com>*
>
>
>
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-- 
Laurel Brown
*Attorney and Counselor at Law*
*5071 SW Waite St.*
*Seattle, WA  98116*
*425-361-6286*
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