Atlanta, March 24, 2021 – The Supreme Court of Georgia announced today that the Georgia Bar Exam scheduled for this summer will be given remotely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It will be the third Georgia bar exam administered remotely during the past year. More than 1,000 applicants are expected to take the test that is required for licensure in Georgia and will be given July 27 and 28. Although public health conditions may significantly improve by then and the need for public health restrictions lessen, “we need to make the call now,” Chief Justice Harold D. Melton said. The remote bar exams given in February 2021 and October 2020 were administered successfully and have offered the Office of Bar Admissions greater experience in administering the exam remotely, he said.
In addition, Chief Justice Melton announced he will sign an order creating the Georgia Lawyer Competency Task Force, which will study how the competency of Georgia lawyers should be assessed. The task force will be charged with evaluating current requirements for admission to practice law in Georgia, including taking and passing the bar exam, and it will evaluate alternatives to the bar exam. The task force also will evaluate mechanisms and alternatives for ensuring competency of experienced lawyers, including current Continuing Legal Education requirements. The task force will make initial recommendations to the Georgia Supreme Court by July 1, 2022. Former Justice Keith R. Blackwell, now Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird in Atlanta, will chair the task force. The other members are:
* Sarah B. “Sally” Akins, Vice Chair, partner at Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams, and mediator at Miles Mediation, Savannah
* Sherry Boston, District Attorney, DeKalb County
* Brandon L. Peak, partner, Butler Wooten & Peak, Columbus
* Victoria C. Powell, associate, Jones Day, Atlanta
* Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge, Dean, University of Georgia Law School, Athens
* Sterling A. Spainhour, General Counsel, Georgia Power Company, Atlanta