In a previous post, we reported that a task force was considering whether to cancel or postpone the July 2020 New York bar exam as a result of the restrictions in place surrounding COVID-19.  Today, the New York Court of Appeals officially announced that it was cancelling the July 2020 bar exam and that the exam will be rescheduled for "dates in the fall, to be determined."

This decision will no doubt have a significant impact on the thousands of law graduates and other candidates who were planning to sit for the July exam as well as employers who are hiring incoming law graduates.  This event may also spark further discussion within the bar about the need for new and more permissive rules that would permit law graduates seeking admission to practice provisionally for a period of time under the supervision of a New York lawyer.