Lawyer-Wearing-Yarmulka

My blogging mojo has disappeared again, and it's not just because of finals these last few weeks. Something seems to be missing. While I still enjoy reading blogs, I just can't seem to muster up any interest in commenting on posts I read. I'm as opinionated as ever, but I just don't feel like posting right now.

To make matters worse, starting today, I begin studying for the New York Bar Exam. That means 4 hours a day watching videos of law professors yammer on about a topic of law I learned 3 years ago, and another 4-7 hours reviewing and preparing for the next class. The next two months are not going to fun, and any spare time I have I probably won't want to spend it in front of my laptop.

And then what? I'm no longer going to be Classmate-Wearing-Yarmulka! For the first time in my life, I'm no longer going to be a student. I'm going to be Lawyer-Wearing-Yarmulka, or Attorney-Wearing-Yarmulka. (As soon as a I find a job).

I don't want to pull the plug on 400 posts and almost two years of work, so I guess I'm going to leave everything up, just in case my mojo comes back after the bar exam.

It's been fun folks.

I'm too busy with finals to blog, but I just have to post the following email I just received:

Dear Candidate:xxxx xxxxxx

BOLEID:Bxxxxxxx

Our records indicate that when you applied to sit for the July 2007 New York Bar Examination, you expressed interest in being tested on Thursday, July 26, due to your need to observe Tisha B’Av, rather than on the regularly scheduled date of Tuesday, July 24. At the time when the Board made its decision several months ago to offer an accommodation for Tisha B’Av, we were not able to offer a laptop program on the alternative testing date. The Board is currently revisiting the issue of whether it is feasible to conduct a laptop program on Thursday, July 26, 2007. If it is determined to go forward with a laptop test site for candidates being tested on Thursday and the demand is high, a lottery may need to be conducted.

There are a number of issues that must be considered in making such a decision, including the availability of a suitable testing location and the level of demand for a laptop location. In order to gauge the level of demand by candidates who will be taking the exam on Thursday, click on the link below to indicate whether or not you would choose to participate in the laptop program for the essay section of the exam, if given the opportunity to do so.



PLEASE CLICK LINK BELOW TO RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST

https://www.nybarapply.org/tishabavlaptop.aspx?BID=Bxxxxxx

DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL AS IT IS AUTO GENERATED

Related Posts:

Here, and here.

"There is no penalty for guessing. That comes when you start working. That’s why we have malpractice insurance."

-Professor's response to a student's question about guessing on the upcoming multiple-choice final exam.

Received via email and Ezzie.

Congressman Towns and Congressman Weiner Fight for Equitable Bar Exam Conditions for Jewish Examinees
Entire New York Delegation Demands Parity

Brooklyn, NY - Congressman Edolphus "Ed" Towns and Congressman Anthony D. Weiner announced today an effort by the entire New York congressional delegation to ensure that observant Jews are able to take the New York bar exam under equitable conditions. The New York bar exam is scheduled for July 25, 2007, the same date as Tisha B'Av, one of the most solemn days on the Jewish calendar.

Although the New York State Board of Law Examiners is offering the exam on July 26, 2007 for examinees observing Tisha B'Av, examinees on that date are not allowed to take the exam on their laptop computers. Congressman Towns and Congressman Weiner have jointly written a letter to the Board of Law Examiners requesting the board to allow observant examinees to write the exam on their laptop computers. This letter has been signed by the entire New York congressional delegation.

"We commend [the] efforts [of the Board of Law Examiners] to ensure that Jewish examinees are able to take the bar exam on an alternate date. We are concerned, however, that the facility arranged for the alternate date by the New York State Board of Law Examiners is inadequate in so far as it will preclude the use of laptop computers, placing the examinees, who must hand write their exams, at a significant competitive disadvantage. We urge you to reconsider these arrangements. Observant Jewish examinees should not be penalized or placed at a disadvantage for adhering to their religious beliefs," the letter stated.

"I also recognize the continued leadership of New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on this issue. Speaker Silver has fought hard in the past to ensure that all people have equal access to standardized tests and is currently working with the Board of Law Examiners on this issue. His successful efforts to rectify this inequality has allowed Jewish examinees to take the bar without sacrificing their faith, as this is not the first time the bar exam conflicts with Tisha B'Av. Most recently, Speaker Silver translated is advocacy into legislation by amending New York State's current religious protection "Equal Access" law to include professional exams, including bar examinees," said Congressman Towns.

"The bar exam is the most important test in the life of future lawyers. I am optimistic that the Board of Law Examiners will remove this obstacle in the path of all of New York's observant examinees," concluded Congressman Towns.

"Making our future lawyers choose between their religion and the bar exam is wrong," said Rep. Weiner. "These students will also be at serious disadvantage without their laptops, and I hope the Board does the right thing and gives them the same playing field as their colleagues."

I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I really, really,really,really,really, want to use my laptop on the Bar exam. I have terrible handwriting, and I'm pretty sure my hand is going to fall off after six hours of essay writing. I'm also nervous about anonymity - I'm guessing the vast majority of people are going to type their exams, so almost everyone writing is going to be Jewish. I'd rather the that the guy grading my exam not know my religion.

But on the other hand, I'm not entirely comfortable with Jews kvetching all the time when our religion gets in our way. The Bar is being nice enough to allow us to take the exam on a different day, and they probably tried to accommodate laptops but couldn't. Why do we have to make a big stink about? Maybe I have a bit of a ghetto mentality.