Lawmakers protest Tisha B’Av bar exam

The New York congressional delegation signed a letter to the state’s Board of Law Examiners urging fair treatment for observant Jews who cannot take a summer bar exam because it falls on Tisha B’Av. With the July 24 date problematic, the board provided an alternative for Jewish students two days later, but the facility chosen is not laptop accessible, unlike the original building. “Observant Jewish examinees should not be penalized or placed at a disadvantage for adhering to their religious beliefs,” the letter stated, further asking that the bar keep them informed of what steps it takes to ensure the exam is distributed fairly. “The bar exam is the most important test in the life of future lawyers,” said Rep. Edolphus Towns, a Democrat. “I am optimistic that the Board of Law Examiners will remove this obstacle in the path of all of New York’s observant examinees.”