The bar exam is one of the final but hardest barriers for those pursuing a career in law. When the result emails come out, law graduates run to their account site as quickly as possible. They open the page, filled with anxiety, and hope to see a passing score. However, on an autumn day in 2019, law graduates were unable to access their scores because the log in portal was missing. They refreshed the page hundreds of times hoping that it was just a fluke.
Very few graduates were able to actually access their scores as soon as the email came out, and only a select few were able to access the score hours later after refreshing all day. Some unfortunate graduates were never able to find access on that day. The crisis was so large that the Texas Supreme Court Justices got involved, demanding answers from the Texas Board and relaying this information with the worried students. Despite this, those unable to access their scores were angry with their futures still being in the air.
The following day, the website seemed to be working again, but many examinees never received a notice that their scores were available. The Texas Board eventually released the list of those who passed publicly so that the stress could wane in those filled with worry. However, the website was slow and barely functional. For some, even the public list did not work, leaving them with renewed stress regarding their future law career. Since that time, the web page hosting this public list has since died.
Ultimately, the Texas Board handled this situation poorly. The updates surrounding the information were inadequate and did not come from a direct source. The fact that the website was down in the first place is bad enough, and the fact that it remained down is even worse. The Texas Board should have been better prepared to deal with a situation like this in a much timelier manner and able to provide detailed updates to those who had taken the stressful exam.
The bar exam is the deciding factor in a law student’s future. Without passing, one cannot practice in their state and must wait until the next test date to try again. Law graduates in Texas experienced an excessive amount of stress and disrespect at the hands of the Texas Board. The Texas Board, and other state boards, would deeply benefit from using this situation to ensure it never happens again.