“There are three constants in life: change, choice and principles.” -Stephen Covey
Today, Monday, October 5, 2020, is a very important day for three reasons.
First, the Ohio Bar Exam starts today. For the first time in Ohio history, it will be a remote online exam.
Change is hard, and our 2020 graduates have had to endure unprecedented uncertainty, so our faculty and staff sent them this video to let them know that we support them- We Believe In You - Message to our Bar Takers
Because of Covid-19, in May 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court delayed the July 2020 Bar Exam until September. When it became clear that Covid-19 was not subsiding, the Ohio Supreme Court wisely decided this summer to convert the Ohio Bar Exam to a remote October Bar Exam using questions prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (“NCBE”). The remote bar examination consists of four, 90-minute test sessions administered over two days, October 5th and 6th, 2020. See Ohio Remote Bar Exam FAQ
To some, the bar exam is a barrier to entry to the legal profession. I prefer to see it as a gateway to a new career and a new, exciting chapter in life. Our graduates have worked very hard to get this far. We want them to know that we believe in them.
I want to thank Mary Jane McGinty, our Director of Bar Preparation, Professor Heidi Robertson, our Director of Student Success, the members of the faculty Bar Passage Committee, the Academic Support Team led by Nick DeSantis and Michelle Landever Bond, and the many faculty who helped teach, coach, and encourage our graduates for their unflagging efforts to keep us focused on the need to prepare our students for this important test.
Second, Ohio voter registration ends today.
Voting is a right, but it’s also a choice. Today’s deadline also applies to anyone who needs to update the name or address on their voter registration if they want to be sure they won’t have to cast a provisional ballot on election day.
Check here for a detailed explanation about how to register to vote, update your registration, and other registration-related questions. Check the Ohio Secretary of State’s website for additional information. Click here for a blank voter registration form. Applications can also be found at boards of elections, public libraries, public high schools, county treasurers' offices and other government offices. Click here to register online. This option is open to those who register using an Ohio driver’s license or ID card. See the Voting Resource Guide that our Racial Justice Public Action Work Group has set up. We update it weekly.
Third, the U.S. Supreme Court starts its new term today– the first Monday in October – and will establish another set of legal principles.
With the dramatic backdrop of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the President’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ginsburg, President Trump’s diagnosis of Covid-19, and the November 3 Presidential election in just 28 days, this year’s Supreme Court session is especially noteworthy. Among the cases that the Supreme Court will consider are a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, a case about whether religious organizations must allow same-sex couples to become foster parents, a police violence case about when physical violence constitutes a seizure under the Fourth Amendment, and a case about the First Amendment and state judges’ partisan affiliations.
Every day, we balance change, choice, and principles and the pull of the past, the grip of the present, and the power of the future.
Monday Moment: Free flu shots begin today at CSU! See https://twitter.com/CSU_President/status/1312552877911572482?s=20
Thanks.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Committed to Living Justice.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages.
Subscribe to Dean's Monday Morning Message
Subscribe to C|M|Law Newsletter
My views in all my Monday Morning Messages are my personal views alone and do not reflect the views of our law school or our university.
My best,
Lee
Lee Fisher
Dean, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law | Cleveland State University
Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law