Tallahassee—In May, we began our Spear the Bar 2020 programming, knowing that this was an especially stressful time for recent graduates whose plans for taking bar exams were surrounded by much uncertainty due to COVID-19. Last week, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (FBBE) announced that the July in-person administration of Florida Bar Examination had been canceled and that an online examination would be administered on August 19 instead. We are very grateful to the FBBE and Florida Supreme Court for finding a safe path forward to licensure for our graduates. As we continue our previously scheduled sessions, we are making adjustments to help prepare Florida exam takers for this new format and new exam date. We bolstered the virtual components of our annual supplemental bar prep resources this year, so we could continue to support our recent grads wherever they are located. Our Spear the Bar programming includes weekly workshops held via livestream that are also recorded, taught by Professor Phil Sandon and Professor Jonathan Grossman. Professor Sandon has also been available during bi-weekly virtual office hours and by appointment for small group Zoom calls.

In addition, our Spear the Bar 2020 initiative includes a Facebook group and Canvas website exclusively for FSU Law graduates taking bar exams. The resources are being utilized to share workshop recordings and materials, inspirational words of wisdom from alumni, information from the FBBE, exam study tips, outlines and wellness resources. Next week, we will send bar exam care packages to our grads preparing for bar exams. Also, alumni who volunteered to serve as bar prep mentors throughout the summer have been matched with students to provide individual advice and encouragement. Many thanks to everyone who is assisting our students as they prepare for bar exams!

Published on July 10, 2020