April 19–22, 2018 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The 2018 NCBE Annual Bar Admissions Conference was held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 19–22. Fifty-four jurisdictions were represented by 366 conference attendees, which included 96 first-time attendees and 33 state Supreme Court justices.
The conference began on Thursday with an opening reception and a judicial roundtable for the state Supreme Court justices in attendance. NCBE Chair Hon. Rebecca White Berch of Arizona and NCBE President Judith A. Gundersen welcomed attendees to the conference on Friday and Saturday mornings.
New to this year’s conference was a one-hour plenary session on Friday afternoon, Sparks! Sessions on Ideas and Innovations, consisting of six concise and fast-paced presentations on the following topics: LGBTI Judicial Training (Speaker: Todd Brower), Legal Incubators (Speaker: Stephanie Everett), Legal Design (Speaker: Margaret Hagan), Washington LLLT (Speaker: Steve Crossland), Computer-Based Testing (Speaker: Douglas Ripkey), and Why the GRE? (Speaker: Marc Miller).
The remaining five plenary sessions and four sets of breakout sessions offered over the course of the conference covered a wide range of topics:
ADA Accommodations
New Cases and a New Presidential Administration, But Has Anything Changed?
How does the new presidential administration view the Americans with Disabilities Act? (Speaker: Robert Burgoyne)
The ADA in Practice—What We Are Observing
Case studies and data that identify the trends in law school and MPRE accommodations that will soon be at the bar admissions doorstep (Speaker: Brad Gilbert)
Bar Admissions
Primarily Engaged in the Active Practice of Law: Are We Behind the Times?
A collaborative session exploring the traditional criteria for admission on motion and its current relevance in the profession and the rapidly changing legal employment market (Speakers: Sherry Hieber, Bradley Skolnik, Marilyn Wellington)
Standard Setting Studies: Exploring Frameworks, Timelines, and Methodologies
Standard setting authorities lay out frameworks and methodologies for conducting an audit and review of an assessment program (Speakers: Chad Buckendahl, Ph.D.; Michael Kane, Ph.D.)
A View from the Courts
A conversational session with a panel of state Supreme Court justices who share what the bar admissions process looks like from the bench (Speakers: Hon. Paula Nakayama, Hon. Jenny Rivera, Hon. Ann Scott Timmer, Hon. Gerald VandeWalle)
Character and Fitness
Crime, Character, and Admissions
Recent jurisdiction experiences with applicants with substantial criminal backgrounds and the processes for evaluating their moral character and fitness (Speakers: Hon. Anne Dranginis, Jean Kelley McElroy)
Character and Fitness—One Jurisdiction’s Approach to Conducting Investigations Through Final Determination
From application to final determination, one jurisdiction’s approach to conducting a character and fitness investigation (Speakers: James (JT) Almon, Mark Huntsberger)
Case Studies in Character and Fitness: A Hands-On Session
A lively, interactive session of character and fitness scenarios presented in video format with discussion and determinations (Speakers: Barbara D’Aquila, Emily Eschweiler)
Reading the Signs of Successful Rehab: Evaluating Progress and Developing Standards
A foundation session on developing standards and processes for evaluating applicant progress in substance abuse treatment programs (Speakers: Patrick Krill, James Coyle)
Legal Education
So, What Does Raise Bar Exam Scores?
How one law school dramatically increased its bar passage rate in a year and new research exploring the relationship between experiential coursework and bar passage outcomes (Speakers: Robert Kuehn, Leo Romero)
The ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Education
The chair of the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Education discusses key issues and the changing dynamics in legal education (Speakers: Andrea Sinner, Patricia White)
Law School Innovations: Responses to an Evolving Market
Thought leaders in legal education discuss groundbreaking programs and approaches they have taken in their institutions to address the changing market (Speakers: Darby Dickerson, Mark Gordon)
The Legal Profession
In the Queue: Profiles of Applicants, Law Students, and New Lawyers
Experts provide data and opinion on current conditions and future trends in terms of applicants, law school enrollments, the health of the law school market, and graduates moving into legal employment (Speakers: Barry Currier, James Leipold, Kellye Testy)
Alcohol Abuse, Addiction, Stress, and Other Wellness Challenges to the Legal Profession
Members of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being share their groundbreaking assessment, recommendations, and action plans for improving the state of being for the profession (Speakers: Anne Brafford, Bree Buchanan, James Coyle, Patrick Krill)
Lawyers as Heroes
An eminent dean shares his vision of the true value of lawyers in today’s world (Speaker: Blake Morant)
Research
Diversity in Recruitment and Enrollment: Implications for the Future
The current and future implications of the downturn in law school enrollments on racial and ethnic stratification and an analysis of LSAC’s Top 240 Applicant Feeder Schools list (Speakers: Tiffane Cochran; Aaron Taylor, Ed.D.)
Testing
Basic Testing Concepts for Bar Examiners
Foundations of measurement that every bar examiner should know—reliability, validity, equating, and scaling—and pitfalls to avoid (Speakers: Joanne Kane, Ph.D.; Andrew Mroch, Ph.D.)
Prosecuting Cheating Cases
A dynamic look at building a strong cheating case from test date through prosecution based on observational evidence, data anomalies, and prior experiences (Speakers: Mark Albanese, Ph.D.; Christine Kenefick)
You Grade the Test!
Foundations of effective grading of the written components of the bar exam demonstrated in a hands-on essay grading exercise (Speakers: Adisa Harrington, Matthew Samuelson)
Unpacking the Bar Exam
Popular misconceptions and their counterarguments surrounding the purpose, integrity, scope, and composition of the bar exam (Speakers: Timothy Davis, Hon. Cynthia Martin, Alexander Scherr)
A Deeper Dive into the UBE
An exploration of beyond-the-basics UBE policies such as concurrent applications, courtesy seating, and retake limits; how such policies can be implemented and why jurisdictions might choose not to adopt them (Speakers: Kellie Early, John McAlary, Andrea Spillars)
Photos of Speakers
Sparks! Sessions on Ideas and Innovations
Marc Miller, Douglas Ripkey (NCBE), Steve Crossland, Todd Brower, Margaret Hagan (not shown: Stephanie Everett)
A View from the Courts
Hon. Ann Scott Timmer (AZ), Hon. Jenny Rivera (NY), Hon. Phyllis Thompson (DC, moderator), Hon. Jerry VandeWalle (ND), Hon. Paula Nakayama (HI)
Crime, Character, and Admissions
Hon. Anne Dranginis (CT), Jean Kelley McElroy (WA)
Diversity in Recruitment and Enrollment: Implications for the Future
Tiffane Cochran; Aaron Taylor, Ed.D.
So, What Does Raise Bar Exam Scores?
Robert Kuehn, Leo Romero
Law School Innovations: Responses to an Evolving Market
Darby Dickerson, Mark Gordon
Alcohol Abuse, Addiction, Stress, and Other Wellness Challenges to the Legal Profession
Anne Brafford, Patrick Krill, James Coyle (CO), Bree Buchanan (TX)
Unpacking the Bar Exam
Timothy Davis, Hon. Cynthia Martin (MO), Alexander Scherr
In the Queue: Profiles of Applicants, Law Students, and New Lawyers
James Leipold, Kellye Testy, Barry Currier
Philadelphia in Photos
Conference attendees on a morning run in downtown Philadelphia: Penny Gessler (NCBE), Hon. Zel Fischer (MO), Paul Mills (ME), Cindy Lovato-Farmer (NM), Rosalyn Nguyen (NM), Andy Mroch (NCBE), Matt Wax-Krell (CT)
Jim Nowogrocki, Stephanie Angerer, Margie Hartman (all MO)
Tracy Metz, C. Robert Keenan, Malissia Bittner, Jane Wiles, Gicine Brignola, Jessica Holst (all PA)
Jeff Styres, Kris Powell (both MS)
Nancie Givens, Waymond Brown (both AR)
Conference attendees
Carol Kelly, Marilyn Wellington (both MA)
Hon. Jeff Bivins (TN)
Darin Scheer, James Bell (both WY)
Cindy Lovato-Farmer (NM)
Maribeth Preston, Donna Milhouse, Eric Pelton (all MI)
