28 January 2021

State Bar of California

180 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Re: Involuntary Withdrawal from February Bar Examination and Extension Request

Dear Ms. Hershkowitz and Ms. Nuñez,

We, the undersigned, are February 2021 bar examinees and members of the legal profession who write to respectfully request that the State Bar of California extend the deadline for all applicants to submit the “Acknowledgments and Acceptance of Testing Conditions” waiver by February 1, 2021.

This waiver was inadvertently delivered to many individuals’ spam inboxes given that it was sent from a third-party sender. Others never received the email due to spelling errors in email addresses. Whatever the reason for applicants’ inability to submit the form by the deadline, the reality is that applicants have spent thousands of dollars to take an exam that is a necessary requirement for the practice of law. Those who were unable to submit the form have submitted numerous requests to the State Bar and have been told that they will not be able to take the 2021 February bar exam. The State Bar has also refused to issue refunds to these examinees.

Additionally, before and after receiving notices of involuntary withdrawal, some of these applicants received notices confirming their eligibility and approval to sit for the exam. The contradictory messaging adds unnecessary stress and anxiety to applicants who have already paid and completed the administrative requirements needed to properly register for the February 2021 exam.

In advance of the October 2020 bar exam, many applicants were similarly affected and the State Bar extended the deadline. This was a compassionate response, and we simply ask that the State Bar extend the same grace to February 2021 examinees as it sent to October 2020 examinees. This extension does not require that the State Bar expend additional capital or time, especially given that repeat examinees have until February 1, 2021 to sign and return the acknowledgment form.

Respectfully,

United for Diploma Privilege, California Coalition signatories (list included below)

List of Signatories

Pilar M. H. Escontrias

David Levine

Veena Bansal

Rose Brooks Sheela

Ian K. To

Lillian Miller

Olivia Meme

John Soares

Donna Saadati-Soto

Rose A. Lyn

Casey Mangan

Emily Christianson

Allyssa M. G. Scheyer

Felipe Rojas-Flores

Kelsey Middleton

Britteny L. Leyva

Mayra Meza

Guillermo Navarro Galindo

Abigail Ott-Bales

Magali G. Godfrey

Madeline Seales

Elizabeth R. Bain

Christina A. DiEdoardo, Esq., SBN 258714

Dominique Boubion

Tiffany Aguiar

Christina Mojica

Ivy Yan

Kristi Shinfuku

Oday Yousif

Stacy Lee

Hannah Ford-Stille

Vincent Bezares

Megan Zavieh

Kate Juon

María da Mata

Srikanth Jandhyala

Jonathan I. Arons

Sarah G. Hashemi

Nathaly Medina, SBN 329001

Crystal S. Canela

Alexis Bagon

Brian Sutter

Danielle Craig, Esq.

Albert Hughes III

Jean Cha, Esq.

Rachael Heller

Michael MacNeill, Esq.

Maurice Aaron Neishlos, Esq.

Thomas L. McMasters

Cayla Whitley

Danny Martinez

Michelle Saucedo

Abigail Kerfoot

Susan L. Margolis, Esq.

Alexander Dashman

Erin Joyce, Esq.

Ellen A. Pansky

Areeba Jibril

Kelly Hatfield, Esq.

Rizza Gonzales, Esq.

Tremayne Wilson, Esq.

Renee Amador

Andrick Zeen

Drielle Bennett

Ryan Yousefi

Cristina Tolentino, Esq.

Azita Rahim

Rebecca Weires

Lauryn Bruton-Barbos

Stephano Medina, Esq.

Melissa L. Camacho-Cheung, SBN 264024

Zakary Fisher, SBN 332712

Yong Ra

Travone Davis

Jessica Juarez

Camila Mojica, Esq.

Lester Smiley

Mary Grace Guzmán, Esq.

Connie Wang

Olivia Benvenuto

Raymond Scott Hayden, J.D.

Felipe Hernández

Aiskell Román

Carolyn Park, SBN 229754

Zach Wechsler, SBN 198354

Diane Byun

Dee-Di Hsi

Victoria Lew, Esq.

Cristina Mora

Andrew Flynn

Tyler Kivley

Tyler M Harris, Esq.

Deborah Choi

Francesca Egger

Theresa Vitale

Danielle Goldenberg

Noelle Reyes, Esq.

Viridiana Chabolla Mendoza

Eric J. Rico

Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, Esq.

Andreya Garcia-Ponce De Leon

Karina Mora, SBN 330039