Quest For Bar Exam Data Continues

The November 2008 edition of the California Bar Journal reports that UCLA Professor Richard Sander has filed suit in his quest for information concerning bar examination passing/failing demographics:

Professor Richard Sander has taken his quest for bar exam data toSan Francis-co superior court following denial by the CaliforniaSupreme Court to hear his case.

  Lawyers for Sander, aneconomist and law professor at UCLA, filed suit Oct. 3, seeking StateBar records for use in evaluating law school admission policies.Sander, who has published reports concluding that affirmative actionhurts minority law school students, seeks data about bar exam takers onrace, college and law school grades, LSAT scores and exam results. Hewithdrew an earlier request to retrieve gender information. 

The suit argues that the records are public and that bar concerns about students’ privacy have been addressed.

  StateBar President Holly Fujie said the State Bar stands by its earlierdecision to reject Sander’s request. “After careful review of the newpetition, the bar sees no reason to change its position that the scopeof the release signed by applicants does not give the bar legal groundsfor providing the requested information to Professor Sander,” Fujiesaid. “The bar has no legal right to release this information to him.”

(Mike Frisch)