Posted on March 3, 2025, by Steve Lehto, Expert Lawyer & Content Specialist
Imagine spending years in law school, countless hours studying, and gearing up for one of the toughest bar exams in the country—only for the testing platform to crash, derailing your career ambitions. That’s exactly what happened to thousands of aspiring attorneys in California in 2024, and now, they’re fighting back with a proposed federal class action lawsuit. The fallout from the California Bar Exam’s chaotic new launch has left test-takers traumatized, delayed, and seeking justice against the vendor responsible for the debacle.
Here’s everything you need to know about this unprecedented legal battle, straight from the front lines of the story as reported by SFGate and discussed by legal commentator Steve Lehto.
The Chaos of California’s New Bar Exam
The California Bar Exam has long been regarded as one of the most challenging in the nation—a rite of passage for “wannabe attorneys” hoping to earn their license. But in 2024, the State Bar of California rolled out a revamped, hybrid, two-day licensing exam developed by a third-party vendor. For the first time in decades, it ditched components of the national bar exam (often called the Multistate) and allowed remote testing to cut costs. What sounded like a modern, efficient upgrade quickly turned into a nightmare.
On the first day of the exam, which could now be taken remotely, significant technical failures plagued the platform. Test-takers reported:
- Inability to launch the test: Some couldn’t even start the exam.
- Mid-exam disconnections: Imagine typing an answer, only to lose everything mid-sentence.
- Proctoring chaos: Attempts by proctors to log in caused repeated crashes.
- Functional failures: Basic features like cut-and-paste in the performance test section didn’t work.
The State Bar’s executive director admitted to Reuters that the exam “did not go smoothly for an unacceptable number of test-takers.” With California being the second-largest bar exam jurisdiction after New York—and 12,000 aspiring lawyers taking the test in 2024—the scale of this disaster was massive.
The Lawsuit: A $5 Million Claim Against the Vendor
Frustrated test-takers have now filed a proposed federal class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the vendor contracted by the State Bar. While the State Bar itself isn’t named as a defendant, the complaint alleges that both the Bar and the vendor rushed the exam’s deployment on untested software, knowing it wasn’t ready to handle the volume of users.
The lawsuit claims damages could exceed $5 million, citing:
- Trauma and career delays: Years of preparation were undermined by a “defunct platform” that test-takers paid to use.
- Lost opportunities: Many had jobs lined up contingent on passing the bar, only to face potential termination or extended clerkships after the failure.
- Financial burden: The State Bar offered a fee waiver for a July retake, but that doesn’t cover the broader impact on livelihoods.
Legal expert Shan Silverman, a bar exam tutor, called the fiasco “entirely foreseeable,” arguing that overhauling such a critical exam in mere months—rather than years—was a recipe for disaster. The complaint echoes this sentiment, pointing to the vendor’s “inadequate response” as the root cause of widespread failures.
A Cascade of Fallout: Leaked Questions and Calls for Oversight
The mess didn’t stop with technical glitches. After exam questions were leaked online, the State Bar postponed a planned March 3-4 retake to March 18-19, rendering the original test unusable. This additional delay only fueled the outrage.
A dozen California law school deans, including UC Berkeley’s Erwin Chemerinsky, have called the situation “stunning incompetence” from an entity tasked with measuring competence. They’ve urged the California Supreme Court to intervene, demanding a full review of the failures and independent oversight of the process. Meanwhile, the State Bar’s Board of Trustees is debating whether to extend the vendor’s contract—a move that’s raising eyebrows given the circumstances.
Why This Matters: The Human Cost of the Bar Exam Debacle
For law graduates, the bar exam isn’t just a test—it’s the culmination of years of education, sacrifice, and preparation. As Steve Lehto poignantly noted, many test-takers had jobs lined up, expecting to transition from clerks to full-fledged attorneys after passing. When the platform crashed, their plans crashed with it.
Consider the timeline:
- Months of intense study, often taking two weeks off to cram.
- A peak-performance moment ruined by a computer glitch.
- Employers left waiting—or worse, moving on—because “we need someone now.”
While a successful lawsuit might yield monetary compensation, it won’t erase the lost time or emotional toll. As Lehto put it, “Most people would rather have gotten to take the test on time and not have to worry about this.”
Legal Implications: What’s Next for the California Bar Exam Lawsuit?
This class action lawsuit could set a precedent for accountability in standardized testing. If the plaintiffs succeed, it may force vendors and governing bodies to prioritize rigorous testing and contingency planning before rolling out high-stakes exams. It also raises questions about the State Bar’s decision to fast-track a radical overhaul—potentially exposing them to scrutiny, even if they’re not directly named in the suit.
For now, the legal community watches as the case unfolds, with potential damages climbing into the millions. Will the vendor settle? Will the State Bar rethink its approach? Stay tuned.
Have You Been Affected? Let’s Talk.
Were you one of the 12,000 test-takers caught in this California bar exam disaster? Or do you have thoughts on how such failures should be addressed? Drop your comments below—I’d love to hear from you.
If you’re facing delays or losses due to this debacle, you may have legal options. As an experienced lawyer, I’m here to help you navigate the fallout. Contact me today for a consultation, and let’s explore how to protect your rights and future.
