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Professor Deborah Jones Merritt cited in Law.com article discussing racial disparities on the bar exam

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headshot of deborah merritt

An expert in multiple areas including the bar exam, Professor Deborah Jones Merritt’s work was recently cited in a Law.com article titled, “Racial Disparities on the Bar Exam Have Persisted for Decades. Does the Legal Profession Care?

“Jones Merritt, who co-authored a recent study from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System titled, “Building a Better Bar Exam.” (The National Conference of Bar Examiners has announced a major overhaul of the exam, which is expected to be completed within five years.)

And Merritt, Howarth and Marsha Griggs, associate professor at Washburn University School of Law, all agree that jurisdictions should establish alternative paths to licensure that don’t center on the bar exam. Those alternatives could include a period of supervised practice after graduation; law school portfolios that demonstrate skills developed through clinics; or participation in a Lawyers Justice Corps, which would give new J.D.s the opportunity to gain experience while helping to close the justice gap.”

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