Court Grants Concord Law Student Permission to Take Massachusetts Bar Exam

In Mitchell v. Board of Bar Examiners, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that Ross E. Mitchell is entitled to a waiver of the state's rule that bar exam applicants must be graduates of accredited law schools. Writing for the Court, Justice Margot Botsford explained "in view of the fact that an online legal education program such as Concord's cannot qualify for ABA approval under the current ABA standards and that the situation with respect to online programs may change in the reasonably near future, equitable considerations weigh in favor of granting Mitchell a waiver of the ABA approval requirement in this case."

Justice Botsford was referring to the ABA's recent announcement that it is beginning a comprehensive review of its approval standards that will include consideration of schools providing instruction online. The Court emphasized that its decision to grant a waiver was confined to the unique circumstances surrounding Mitchell's case.

Hat tip to Robert J. Ambrogi, Legal Blog Watch. [JH]