California, September 19, 2025
News Summary
Laura Enderton-Speed has been appointed as the new executive director of the California State Bar, receiving unanimous approval during a board meeting. This leadership change comes at a critical time when the agency faces fallout from the February 2025 bar exam, which was marred by technical issues and poorly designed questions. The California Supreme Court has intervened, ordering a reversion to the Multistate Bar Examination due to these problems. As the State Bar reviews its exam processes and vendor relationships, confidence in its administration efforts remains a top priority.
California State Bar has appointed Laura Enderton-Speed as its new executive director on Thursday, receiving unanimous approval from the State Bar’s Board of Trustees during their meeting. Enderton-Speed, who has a strong background in legal leadership, previously directed the office that provides leadership support to the Judicial Council of California. She also teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law and California State University.
In her new role, Enderton-Speed will lead the California State Bar at a critical time when the agency is dealing with the fallout from a problematic bar exam rollout. Deans from California’s leading law schools have recently urged the Bar to adopt the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination by 2028, following significant issues in the February 2025 exam where examinees reported technical difficulties and poorly designed questions.
The February exam was a significant event for the California bar exam community, as it witnessed numerous complaints about technical glitches. The California Supreme Court intervened, ordering a reversion to the Multistate Bar Examination for the upcoming July 29 and 30 exams. A total of 3,886 examinees completed the February test, but many faced challenges that prompted a lawsuit against Meazure Learning, the vendor responsible for the exam administration.
The California Supreme Court has raised concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in crafting certain multiple-choice questions during the February exam. The Bar had utilized AI for developing a small subset of questions and did not disclose this information until after the exam was completed. This raised concerns regarding the transparency and credibility of the questions, as well as potential conflicts of interest. The adequacy of the review process for the reliability of the exam questions has come under scrutiny, especially since California law requires a two-year notice period for changes that affect bar exam preparation.
Despite the controversies surrounding the exam, the State Bar’s previous executive director, Leah Wilson, expressed confidence in the validity of the AI-generated questions, even though the intent to use AI was not approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners. The hiring of a non-legally trained psychometrician to draft questions using AI has faced criticism, perceived as a potential conflict of interest.
Currently, the California State Bar has initiated a lawsuit against ProctorU, claiming that the vendor failed to meet expectations during the exam. Additionally, the agency is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the February exam as two class action lawsuits against Meazure Learning are still pending. The State Bar has accused Meazure Learning of fraud and other breaches, alleging that it was unprepared for the scale of the examination.
As a result of the numerous issues, the State Bar has terminated its previous contract with ProctorU to prevent similar occurrences in the future. A legislative audit is currently being considered to further assess the administration problems that surfaced during the February exam.
Key Developments
- Laura Enderton-Speed named new executive director of State Bar
- February 2025 exam faced significant technical issues
- California Supreme Court ordered March exam overhaul
- Lawsuits filed against exam vendor Meazure Learning
- Contract with ProctorU terminated due to mishaps
Background Context
The California State Bar has been under scrutiny regarding its handling of the bar exam and the implementation of AI technology in the examination process. The outcome of the recent controversies and leadership changes aims to restore confidence in the state’s bar exam administration and ensure a fair and reliable process for future examinees.
FAQ
Who has been appointed as the new executive director of the California State Bar?
Laura Enderton-Speed has been appointed as the new executive director of the California State Bar.
What issues occurred during the February 2025 bar exam?
The February 2025 exam faced significant technical difficulties and poorly designed questions, which led to numerous complaints and a subsequent lawsuit against the exam vendor Meazure Learning.
What has the California Supreme Court decided regarding the bar exam?
The California Supreme Court ordered the bar exam to revert to the existing Multistate Bar Examination for the July 29 and 30 exams.
What led to the termination of the contract with ProctorU?
The contract with ProctorU was terminated due to multiple issues encountered during the administration of the February 2025 bar exam.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- Bloomberg Law: California State Bar Pulls New Leader from Judicial Council
- Daily Journal: California Law Deans Push State Bar to Adopt NextGen Universal Bar Exam in 2028
- Above the Law: Hindsight Makes It Easy to See the California Bar Made Too Many Changes Too Quickly
- Reuters: Thousands Who Did Not Pass California Bar Exam Get Chance to Practice Now
- Los Angeles Times: California Supreme Court Demands State Bar Answer AI Questions
- Wikipedia: California State Bar
- Google Search: California Bar Exam
- Google Scholar: California State Bar Exam
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Bar Examination
- Google News: California State Bar
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