California, September 19, 2025
News Summary
The California State Bar has appointed Laura Enderton-Speed as its new executive director. Her appointment comes during a tumultuous time, marked by scrutiny surrounding the recent bar exam, which faced severe technical problems and criticism over the use of artificial intelligence in exam question development. Leading law school deans have called for the adoption of the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination by 2028. This transition and the lawsuits against exam vendors pose significant challenges for Enderton-Speed as she aims to restore confidence in the examination process.
California State Bar appointed Laura Enderton-Speed as the new executive director on Thursday amid ongoing controversies surrounding the bar exam. Enderton-Speed, who previously directed the office providing leadership support to the Judicial Council of California, received unanimous approval at the State Bar’s Board of Trustees meeting.
Enderton-Speed will guide the agency in addressing the significant repercussions following a troubled rollout of the recent bar exam. The appointment comes at a critical time when the California State Bar is under scrutiny for its handling of the February bar exam, which was plagued with technical difficulties and poorly designed questions.
In light of these challenges, deans from California’s leading law schools have urged the California State Bar to adopt the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination by 2028. This push follows serious criticism of the February 2025 exam, where numerous examinees faced significant technical issues. As a result of these complications, the California Supreme Court ordered that the upcoming bar examinations on July 29 and 30 revert to the existing Multistate Bar Examination.
The February 2025 exam saw 3,886 examinees complete the test, with many reporting technical problems which ultimately led to a lawsuit against Meazure Learning, the vendor responsible for administering the exam. The California Supreme Court has also expressed concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing certain multiple-choice questions for the flawed February exam. The Court learned of the AI usage only after the exam was conducted, raising significant issues regarding transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
Critics have pointed to the employment of AI in the question development process as a reason for the inadequacy of the review process for exam reliability. California law stipulates that any changes impacting preparation for the bar exam must be announced at least two years in advance, indicating a possible violation in how these questions were developed.
Leah Wilson, the State Bar’s executive director prior to Enderton-Speed, expressed confidence in the validity of the multiple-choice questions created with AI assistance. However, the intention to employ AI for exam question creation was not approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners before the exam took place. Additionally, there has been criticism surrounding the hiring of a non-legally trained psychometrician to create questions using AI, suggesting that such a practice represented a conflict of interest.
Amidst the scrutiny, the California State Bar has initiated a lawsuit against ProctorU over allegations of failing to meet expectations during the exam, while also considering a legislative audit to evaluate the administration issues of the February exam. The State Bar is faced with two pending class action lawsuits against Meazure Learning, claiming fraud and breaches related to their preparation and execution of the exam. Due to the ongoing issues, the State Bar has terminated its previous contract with ProctorU.
As Laura Enderton-Speed takes the helm, the California State Bar will undoubtedly confront considerable challenges as it seeks to restore confidence in its examination process and address the fallout from the recent scandal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who was appointed as the new executive director of the California State Bar?
Laura Enderton-Speed was appointed as the new executive director of the California State Bar.
What did Laura Enderton-Speed do before her appointment?
Before her appointment, Laura Enderton-Speed directed the office providing leadership support to the Judicial Council of California.
What issues did the February 2025 bar exam face?
The February 2025 bar exam faced technical difficulties and issues with poorly designed questions.
What has the California Supreme Court ordered regarding the bar exam?
The California Supreme Court ordered that the bar exam revert to the existing Multistate Bar Examination for the July 29 and 30 exams.
What concerns have arisen regarding the use of AI in the February exam?
The use of AI to draft certain multiple-choice questions has raised concerns about transparency and conflicts of interest.
What actions has the California State Bar taken against ProctorU?
The California State Bar has initiated a lawsuit against ProctorU over allegations of failing to meet expectations during the exam.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| New Executive Director | Laura Enderton-Speed |
| Previous Role | Directed office providing leadership support to the Judicial Council of California |
| Major Challenges | Issues from the February 2025 bar exam |
| Supreme Court Order | Revert to Multistate Bar Examination for upcoming exams |
| AI Controversy | Usage of AI in question development raised concerns |
| Lawsuits | Litigation against ProctorU and Meazure Learning for exam issues |
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
- LA Times: California Supreme Court Demands State Bar Answer AI Questions
- Wikipedia: California State Bar
- Google Search: California State Bar Exam
- Google Scholar: California Bar Exam AI
- Encyclopedia Britannica: California Bar Exam
- Google News: California Bar Exam 2025
Author: STAFF HERE BEVERLY HILLS WRITER
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